When Hendersonville officials began developing the city’s new comprehensive plan, they set their sights far into the future. “We toyed around with the idea of a 100-year plan and trying to get people to really think long term,” says Matthew Manley, the city’s strategic projects manager. “This is a long-term vision, and the decisions that […]
Deciding what gets built on an empty lot down the street should, according to state law, begin with decisions about what gets built across an entire city or county. Counties and municipalities that want to have zoning in their jurisdiction first need to write a comprehensive plan that looks at big questions like which areas are best for growth.
“Why can’t we have both? Sensible development with a conscience?”
At the recommendation of the Buncombe County Republican Party, the board is scheduled to appoint Anthony Penland to fill the District 2 vacancy left by the late Commissioner Mike Fryar during its regular meeting. Penland will face Democrat Jasmine Beach-Ferrara in November’s general election.
“Our trees and their arboreal cohorts all across Asheville could be —should be — our city’s most effective and affordable defense against the dangerous flooding, erosion and temperature extremes that climate change is increasingly inflicting on us.”
“Eight percent of our urban forest — all the trees in Asheville — were lost in the past 10 years.”
“However, once the Outer Banks have inevitably washed away, more and more of those refugees will be looking for a place to settle. How will we see them?”
In the seven months since the city of Asheville altered its regulations to give City Council more oversight over large building and hotel projects, Council has approved two proposed hotels. Xpress takes a closer look to see what it looks like when hotels try to pass muster before Council.
The Asheville-Area Chamber of Commerce has added its voice to the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission in opposing proposed zoning changes that are expected to be considered by Asheville City Council at its meeting on Feb. 14.
City Council voted unanimously to deny the zoning request for a 185-room hotel at 192 Haywood St. at its Jan. 24 meeting. Police Chief Tammy Hooper gave an update on policing in the city in 2016.
“A package to attract those jobs would require many moving parts, but the longest lead-time component would be an effort to get all our kids into an Asheville City Schools computer literacy pipeline.”
Residents of South Asheville shared their ideas about city priorities in a public input session held at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at the South Buncombe Library. The session was one of five hosted in different parts of the city on Dec. 6 and 7 by the city’s planning and urban design department as part of the city’s comprehensive plan process.
“With the completion of 420 apartments, 100 more apartments under construction and whispers of 600 to come, you might imagine that the combination of property speculators, city ‘planning’ staff and Council itself were working to destroy rather than protect the character of our neighborhood.”
Asheville’s last comprehensive city plan was completed in 2003. Since then, the city has gained 16,000 residents and embarked on a wide range of revitalization, infrastructure and multimodal transportation projects. Now it’s time to begin a new planning process that will span a year and a half and involve a broad cross-section of the city’s residents.
“I raise the question ‘Where is Asheville?’ because this community will soon be asked to consider the question ‘Where is Asheville going?'”
