Why don't we just stop pretending that the citizens of Asheville have any say whatsoever in what happens here? City Council meetings that are supposed to encourage comment and input from citizens are a sham — a total waste of time, money and energy.
The citizens did not want that monstrosity of a building at 151 Haywood St. (Hotel Indigo, which utterly destroys the Asheville skyline), the even more inappropriate abomination on Biltmore Ave. (Aloft), and do not want the integrity of St. Lawrence Basilica destroyed by opposing it with the McKibbon Hotel Groups hotel directly across from this beautiful and historic church. These among other decisions are an affront the sensibilities of the people of Asheville.
Now, supposedly, we should think it's wonderful to allow for a little plaza to honor the architect who designed the Basilica. Why not a big plaza honoring the architect, and let McKibbon take its hotel somewhere else?
Why play games? No one cares what the people want. It is all about accommodating the developers. Who is the McKibbon Hotel Group and why does it have so much power and control in Asheville. The conclusions of these wasted City Council meetings have been drawn and written in stone before the first opportunity for public input and comment. The only place anyone really gets to express an opinion is in the Mountain Xpress letters section.
It insults our intelligence. Stop wasting everyone's time.
— Patricia Wald
Asheville
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