Four years ago, as I spent hours canvassing West Asheville for [Council member] Brownie Newman, I thought I was increasing the total Buncombe housing supply—and resulting affordability—because of his (still-unfulfilled) promises to increase walkable, high-density housing in the city. I had some idea that he wasn’t big on similar housing near my farm, even though it could still displace a nuclear waste dump, but I didn’t think that mattered. And I certainly had no idea that he would, or even could, hand me the kind of devastating personal betrayal that he did late last June when he blocked Leicester incorporation—all for a totally self-defeating annexation strategy that sabotages urban values by giving Asheville votes to his own suburban opponents.
So now, thanks to Newman, I [just spent] my fourth Christmas living in land poverty—cold, stuck thousands of miles from anyone who shares my values, paralyzed here by the lack of capital required to comply with elitist county regulations on subdividing my farm into affordable lots of any less than 10 acres each. And blocked personally by Newman from even hoping for the local sovereignty with which my neighbors might free me to restart my life and pursue municipal contraception in Reno or Hong Kong, where it might have a chance.
So Merry Christmas to you too, Brownie—and a more sincere one for Brother Christopher and [Council member Carl] Mumpower, who both spoke that June day on behalf of Leicester.
— Alan Ditmore
Leicester
1) brownie hasn’t been stifling development of such housing in the city, to my knowledge – from what i’ve seen, they’re all for it, but they can only approve projects that people submit. like the new one coming in on hill st in montford.
2) that said, screw brownie. annexation is betrayal of home-owners rights, flat-out. and not being able to sub-divide your land reasonably is indeed a slap in the face to personal sovereignty. is incorporating “lestah” as i call it the answer? maybe, but regardless – getting variances so you can deal with your property reasonably is their freakin’ job. that and making new holidays, right?
“…thousands of miles from anyone who shares my values…”
I assume you mean the nearest inhabited planet?
theres nothing sadder than that
Brownie has failed to repeal the UDO or all density and height limits and thus continued to stifle housing, which has caused housing costs to INCREASE under his leadership.