Developer Frank Howington and his E. F. Howington Company have once again circumvented the wishes of the residents of the Kenilworth section of Asheville and the spirit of the initial City Council vote. Howington hired the Van Winkle law firm, which employs Council member Esther Manheimer. [She] had to recuse herself, thereby changing the votes […]
Tag: development
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Asheville City Council adopts transformational development incentives
At their March 8 meeting, Asheville City Council members voted 6-1 to approve an incentives policy that encourages high density, environmentally sustainable, affordable housing developments. Members also tabled several items for further discussion, including a proposal that expands reporting requirements for pawn shops.
Asheville City Council preview: groundwork edition
Tomorrow’s meeting of Asheville City Council sees another go at new development incentives, and a number of workforce or affordable housing developments wrapping up or coming to the city for a partnership.
Build jobs, not buildings
Asheville has been getting a lot of new buildings around town, in such places as UNCA, Asheville High, AB-Tech and the courthouse. Where is the money coming from to fund all these? You guessed it: job cuts. The state is also reducing or cutting much-needed mental-health services across the North Carolina. UNCA cut staff or […]
Asheville City Council preview: Biltmore brawl
With Asheville City Council’s last meeting cancelled due to snow, its Jan. 25 session promises to be a marathon night. Front and center is the 51 Biltmore project, a proposed parking deck/hotel/retail development that’s become an extremely contentious issue.
Imagine downtown without Public Interest Projects
Let’s see what Asheville would be like if Public Interest Projects never existed. Start on Haywood Street, where there would not be the Asheville Hotel, which has some of the lowest-rent apartments in downtown. That little hometown bookstore (Malaprop’s) on the first floor would also not be there. How about the first large condo project […]
Commissioners: tear down that wall!
An 80-foot retaining wall? That should have been the first red flag to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners back before they gave approval for it [“House and (Affordable) Home,” Jan. 12 Xpress]. Or, if a developer says, "We have to scalp the mountain and move thousands of tons of dirt to build an apartment […]
An Asheville native reflects, laments
I grew up here, attended preschool at both First Presbyterian downtown and Asbury United Methodist, [and visited] the north branch of the library when it was behind First Union Bank. I frequented Beanstreets and Reader’s Corner. I’ve watched this town and all the changes it’s been through. Businesses come and go, and some preschools might […]
Asheville City Council preview: All in the plan ***UPDATED: Live Twitter-based coverage***
At the Nov. 23 Asheville City Council meeting, the first major changes to come out of the Downtown Master Plan — new design standards that will result in less projects going directly before Council — come up for a vote.
Asheville City Council Meeting: Live Twitter Coverage
Asheville City Council meets tonight at 5 p.m. on the second floor of City Hall — and our senior reporter, David Forbes, will be there in the front row bringing it to you live as it happens on the Twitter. Get all the latest goings-on by following @DavidForbes, by using the hashtag #avlgov, or by clicking through to the next page where you’ll see a live Twitter feed.
Bothwell will change vote, support sustainability bonuses
In a statement released this afternoon, Asheville City Council member Cecil Bothwell, who opposed a contentious sustainability bonus ordinance on Oct. 12, announced that he has changed his mind and will support a second reading of the ordinance at tonight’s meeting.
Asheville City Council preview: Deja vu edition
One might be forgiven for feeling like they’ve been here before when looking at the agenda for Asheville City Council’s Oct. 26 meeting. The major items — new rules for cellphone towers, an annexation, incentives for Montford Commons and incentives for sustainable and affordable housing — have all been before Council during the last few months.
Live Twitter-based coverage of Sept. 28 Asheville City Council meeting
This post includes Xpress Senior Reporter David Forbes’ live Twitter-based coverage of tonight’s Sept. 28 Asheville City Council meeting. Council is set to take up two matters that involve the ongoing debate over how the city should develop: the 100-unit Caledonia Apartments in Kenilworth and extending incentives for workforce housing.
Asheville City Council preview: of densities and developments
At its meeting tomorrow, Sept. 28, Asheville City Council is set to take up two matters that involve the ongoing debate over how the city should develop: the 100-unit Caledonia Apartments in Kenilworth and extending incentives for workforce housing.
Planning and zoning appointment raises questions
The appointment of Holly Shriner, a housewife with no formal planning background, to the Asheville Planning and Zoning Commission has raised concerns about her qualifications.
City unveils final Downtown Master plan
After months of debate and $170,000 in taxpayer money, the city of Asheville on Thursday unveiled the final version of the Downtown Master Plan, intended to shape the future direction of downtown economically, culturally and architecturally.
Growing pain$: Forum looks at N.C. infrastructure needs
As N.C. grows, so grows the infrastructure cost. And a sold-out forum in Raleigh this week began sifting through the billions of dollars needed to accommodate the state’s projected growth.
Bankruptcy disrupts luxury resort near Boone
The Laurelmor development in Watauga and Wilkes counties — one of WNC’s largest — has been sold as result of bankruptcy.
Asheville City Manager to host development forum
Everybody, it seems, would like to build in Asheville. For developers, the city is here to help with its City Manager’s Development Forum. No, developers aren’t granted special access or favors at the forum, but they can glean information to help them plan and prepare for their projects, not to mention question city officials about […]
The Green Scene
On an ice-cold November night, almost 200 people gathered for a public hearing called by the state Division of Water Quality concerning developer Jim Anthony‘s request for permission to alter 6,149 feet of streams and disturb about a quarter-acre of wetlands at The Cliffs at High Carolina. The 2,780-acre project straddles a mountain ridge between […]
Plot thickens for controversial Big Ridge development near Cashiers
Federal prosecutors have taken over the case of one of the investors in the Jackson County’s Blue Ridge Mountain Estates development .