On Jan. 29, I attended a Grove Park Sunset Mountain neighbors meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Church. The meeting was sponsored by the Historic Resources Commission [of Asheville-Buncombe County]. The topic was the proposed renovation/construction by St. Mary’s [Episcopal Church] on Charlotte Street.
The general tone of the meeting was opposition to what St. Mary’s is considering. Questions were raised, such as: Why does St. Mary’s need a new or larger church? Who’s going to fill it? Who’s going to pay for it? How can they pay for it? Where will they get the funding? These are questions that only St. Mary’s needs to be concerned with, and not a group of people who do not attend the church.
What St. Mary’s is proposing is quite attractive and will be a real plus for the Grove Park area. It has been and is being well thought out, and it attempts to stay within the design of the original Richard Sharp Smith plans. If anyone is interested in seeing these plans, they can do so by contacting St. Mary’s or the Historic Resources Commission.
I am very impressed with the plans. I am affected by them as much as anyone. I live in Grove Park in a Richard Sharp Smith home. I feel all the efforts to stand in the way of this project can be best channeled into other areas.
— Robert C. Gunther, M.D.
Asheville
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