It is tempting to blame Stewart Coleman and Black Dog Realty for the deplorable Parkside project, but the real culprits are the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners and the Asheville City Council. What were they thinking?
As many others have said and written, the project is idiotic, necessitating the appropriation of parkland, the destruction of a fine old tree directly in front of City Hall, the razing of an historic building and even more vehicular gridlock in that area.
Government is supposed to protect the public from such gross insults, but in this case, the government sided enthusiastically with the insulters. If the decision to proceed with the building is not overturned, it will serve as an enduring symbol of the unholy alliance between government and developers—a permanent reminder to the citizens of Asheville that their elected officials cannot be trusted.
— Michael Carlebach
Asheville
The City Council had NOTHING to do with the sale of the land you refer to … it was a shady deal between Coleman and the Buncombe County Commissioners, some of whom have admitted that they “did not know what they were voting on.”
That’s why we need to re-elect the same old folks again …. so they can vote yes when they do not know what the hell they are voting for!!!!!
Michael,
Please explain why City Council is responsible. One of us is very confused on their facts here. Is it me?
What if one of Coleman’s staff was aware that the land was in the public park and said nothing. Would that make Coleman complicit?
There is nothing complicit or wrong in a developer buying property someone is willing to sell. That’s what developers do.
There IS something wrong with elected officials betraying public trust, and the wishes of the person who gave the land originally, as the county commissioners did in this matter and in various other matters such as ramming zoning down our throats after we voted against it.
The current county commissioners have not exactly covered themselves in glory.