Light agenda for July 5 meeting of City Council

Asheville City Hall (file photo)

With no presentations, hearings or business new or old on its agenda for July 5, City Council seems likely to make quick work of the meeting, which is necessary to keep the city on track for advancing a possible bond referendum for the November 8 general election.

Included in Council’s consent agenda is a resolution setting the proposed bond funding categories and amounts: $32 million for transportation infrastructure, $25 million for affordable housing and $17 million for park facilities. At its next meeting on July 26, Council will set a public hearing on the bond issue for August 9. After that hearing, Council will decide whether to proceed with the referendum process. If Council does move forward, the final form and language of the ballot will be adopted at the same meeting.

Also included in the consent agenda is an item moving a public hearing on possible changes to zoning for utility substations from August 23 to August 9.

Council also will issue a resolution expressing gratitude to the North Carolina Department of Transportation and “other state and federal agencies” for taking public and Council input into consideration in selecting design alternative 4B for the I-26 connector project. 4B will put the interstate on a new location just to the north of the Captain Jeff Bowen Bridge, crossing the French Broad River by a new bridge and connecting with U.S. 19/23/70. 4B also will return Patton Avenue to a surface street carrying local traffic. This change will “create a new gateway into downtown and a truly urban, multimodal boulevard with new, infill development,” the resolution explains, which will spur investment and economic development.

The selected alternative also has the least impact of any of the design alternatives on the Burton Street community, allows a new connection from the Hillcrest public housing development onto Patton Avenue and provides benefits to Asheville residents as well as those traveling through the city, the resolution continues.

Finally, the resolution notes that more work remains to be done to minimize the impact of the project on Asheville neighborhoods.

The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. in Council chambers on the second floor of City Hall.

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About Virginia Daffron
Managing editor, lover of mountains, native of WNC. Follow me @virginiadaffron

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10 thoughts on “Light agenda for July 5 meeting of City Council

  1. Yep

    They should also adopt a resolution apologizing to all housing developers they have fleeced over the years by demanding money
    to be given to vacating tenants, as IF this is common practice. It is NOT. The resolution should contain the acknowledgement that this practice is WRONG and that they will never do it again … THIS would be the right thing for City Council to do today.

    • luther blissett

      Just get yourself elected to City Council to make sure that somebody speaks up for the poor oppressed property developers who clearly have no voice or influence in the city.

      The council has the power of rezoning. It’s a limited power, but so it goes. If developers consider it a point of principle to stiff the low-income people they want evicted, they can work within the existing zoning and do so, or shop for property in other jurisdictions. But we already know that “Yep” believes low-income residents should be driven out of Asheville and preyed upon by private landlords, and that property developers allowed to do what the f they want to line their own pockets.

      • bsummers

        Sockpuppets run out of a trailer in Nevada are not eligible for a seat on Asheville City Council. I suppose we can expect angry all caps emails demanding that the cowards currently serving on that body change it so that lulz, yep, and all the other anonymous fictitious persons can rail in all caps from the virtual dais…

      • dyfed

        >stiff the low-income people they want evicted

        In what universe is it “stiffing” anyone to discontinue the renewal of their lease or terminate their occupancy if they’re month-to-month? When you pay for housing, you receive housing for the term you pay for.

        No wonder there’s not enough housing here with the way the city treats developers like an evil.

  2. Yep

    Whether, or not, that a developer offers relocation money to vacating tenants is absolutely NONE of ANY city council’s business!

  3. I wonder if the issue of district elections will be on the referendum in November along with the reckless borrowing scheme. City council has the statutory authority to do so and it is what they have called for. They can do district elections or somebody can do it for them. I prefer the latter. Next legislative long session would be a great time.

    • dyfed

      Why would it be? The council doesn’t want them, the population doesn’t want them, and the GA has already expressed its views. Talk about a lost cause.

  4. There is no evidence that the population doesn’t want them. And the issue, or “cause” as you call it, is far from lost.

    Asheville districts may not be dead:
    “It may be time for us to contemplate districts,” Manheimer said.
    http://carolinapublicpress.org/25117/asheville-districts-may-not-be-dead

    I’m glad the mayor agrees with me. If the mayor is looking for a map, here it is:
    https://www.scribd.com/document/317133526/Asheville-Districts-Map

    City council can put the matter on the ballot for November. They have the statutory authority. They don’t have to hire a professional polling firm to “gauge the mood” of the public. That’s precisely what a referendum is for: gauging moods.

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