Letter: The sterile decline of Reynolds Village

Posted on by Letters
Graphic by Lori Deaton

I have watched with much interest the development of [Reynolds Village]. There are many pluses to the development there. I am impressed with the technology buildings, etc. However, there are problems.

I was hoping the village would become a vibrant community of businesses, restaurants and shopping. That has not happened. At the beginning, there were retail businesses and several restaurants there. Now much of the business spaces are taken by companies who do not promote any foot traffic for those of us who try to frequent the village. The erstwhile brewery is closed, the Knitting Diva, a favorite and unique retail yarn store, has, to my knowledge, left. … The village has become mostly a wasteland of anonymous businesses, financial planners and nonprofit agencies. It is a sterile place.

Beyond the above, parking has gotten horrible! I suppose the “client parking only” signs are posted by businesses which seem to have no clients and perhaps not the town of Woodfin. I have been told by many that resident parking, which is provided in specific lots and not on-street, is not enforced.

I must say that I am not a Woodfin resident, nor do I pay Woodfin taxes, but I live closer to Woodfin than Asheville. Some of my neighbors are actually Woodfin residents.

The sad thing is that Woodfin seems to value money a lot. How is that money used? The corridor of Highway 25 is unsightly, zoning in Woodfin is at the whim of the Town Council. There are no slope ordinances. There seems to be no plan for the town as far as development. Is the “mess” of Reynolds Village and future development to be a monument to Mayor Jerry VeHaun? Who knows.

— Beth Hill
Asheville

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7 thoughts on “Letter: The sterile decline of Reynolds Village”

  1. Lindsey Williams

    I couldn’t agree more. The mud pit that going to be yet another storage unit along that corridor will now be the Welcome sign to Reynolds Village. Another storage unit? Really? And at the entrance to the Village? Why? And you are correct that Reynolds Village could really be a happening, walk-able area, with restaurants and shops but that has not been the case. I will admit that I have not yet attended a Woodfin Town Council meeting; but at first glance there doesn’t appear to be a cohesive plan for the town if the jumble of storage units and empty/run-down buildings along that corridor are any indication.

  2. jason

    That corridor into Woodfin is the absolute worst. I wouldn’t and don’t want to visit Reynolds Village. It’s a total P.O.S. Looks like Enka and Leicester had a love child and abandoned it north of Asheville.

  3. Deborah waltman

    Why are you using enka as an example. You say that like enka is a bad place. Woodfin is and always will be the armpit of buncombe. You can polish a pigs ear but underneath it all its still a just a peice of hog hide.

    • jason

      Enka is a dump. The only thing nice in Enka is Biltmore Lake, and they don’t want anything to do with Enka. Should I have said Candler instead? Would that please you?

  4. James Cassara

    I agree that Reynolds Village has yet to be what I had hoped it would but the Woodfin YMCA is absolutely wonderful. A supportive and diverse community.

    • Enlightened Enigma

      so you left an even more diverse hood of West AVL for the white bread Woodfin? lol…ok…

      Woodfin property values are rising pretty well these days.

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