“As feared, the Asheville City Council has approved the Meadows at New Haw Creek development, despite vociferous opposition from Happy Valley residents.”
Tag: Asheville City Council
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Letter: It’s time for city and county to approve reparations
“Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church firmly believes it is time for these entities to address the pervasive anti-Black racism by approving these recommendations and providing reparations.”
Council asks voters to approve $80 million bond package
The bonds, if all approved by voters in November, would provide $20 million for housing, $20 million for transportation, $20 million for parks and recreation and $20 million for public safety.
My Story: You can’t see what lies round the bend
“Realizing that some people might assume I disliked the preacher due to his religious views, I included this sentence in the book’s acknowledgements: ‘I don’t believe in supernatural beings of any stripe, and I happily acknowledge that I could be wrong.’”
Letter: Try research vs. conjuring development fantasies
“In its entirety, the piece amounted to one long rationalization for resistance to change, peppered with throwaway aspersions cast on anyone with the blinkered cupidity to think that it’s morally acceptable to make money from building homes.”
Reparations commission to ask for six-month extension
City staff, however, plans to recommend the commission get only another three months to complete its task of finalizing recommendations for how the city and county can repair harm caused by generations of systemic racism and produce a final report. The discrepancy rankled commission members.
Letter: Banish gridlock gremlins with electric vehicle hub
“Imagine this: Parking your car in a spacious, hassle-free parking lot of pervious concrete (with well-landscaped islands of trees and foliage), boarding a cozy electric shuttle and in minutes, you’re whisked away to any and all points throughout Asheville, east and west.”
Letter: Cartoon hits pyramidion on the head
“Although the cartoon was in jest, it is a good example of an easier and much less costly solution to the taxpayers.”
Letter: City should adopt Candace Pickens Memorial Park
“Putting the city logo on the park is a small but important symbolic gesture letting people know this is a place where they are welcome and that the city supports and cares for this park.”
Expect tax increases after Council approves BID, fiscal year 2025 budget
“We’re creating a budget that has recurring expenses,” Mayor Esther Manheimer said. “You’ve got to have a source of revenue that continues year after year.”
Letter: What happens if firefighters can’t afford Asheville?
“As other Asheville firefighters have done, many of them will have to find higher-paying jobs in their chosen craft in another community or make a complete career switch.”
Council to vote on tax increase to fund employee raises
According to a staff report, the new pay raise proposal includes a flat dollar increase of $4,053 for beginning on-shift firefighters, which will boost the lowest paid firefighter pay by 8.8% to $50,309 annually.
Let’s make the city’s pop-up parks permanent
“With the city bond proposal and some rigorous assertion of eminent domain, we could fight back against this myopic system and turn all these properties into permanent, beautiful parks — or some other development with big green spaces and little crowding.”
Raising firefighter pay may mean tax increases, Council says
The Council chambers and overflow room were at capacity during the Tuesday night meeting where all of the speakers who commented on the proposed budget advocated for increasing pay for city employees.
Letter: Malvern Hills Pool deserves a second life
“With Council’s support and funding from general obligation bonds, the pool could be renewed, providing a public space to build friendships and community for many decades to come.”
Council to hold public hearing on proposed budget Tuesday, May 28
The proposed budget includes a 4.11% salary increase for all permanent city employees.
BREAKING: Organizers say they are ‘pausing’ Project Aspire
Project Aspire — a vast mixed-use, mixed-income venture slated for downtown Asheville — would have occupied 10.5 acres in downtown Asheville.
Letter: The case for rebuilding the Vance Monument
“Rebuilding the obelisk presents an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue about our past, acknowledging the undesirable complexities of historical figures like Vance, while also honoring the positive aspects of their legacies.”
Letter: Why Asheville needs infill housing
“In fact, new research affirms what housing advocates have argued for years: Even where land and construction costs are high, new infill is essential to reducing rent and home prices across core neighborhoods.”
Council candidates share life on the campaign trail
With the general election six months away, Xpress asked each candidate about campaign strategy and lessons from the trail thus far.
Letter: Pick leaders who choose safety over ideology
“Let’s prioritize candidates who propose practical policies to ensure our city remains a safe, thriving place.”