“We as residents in the city are constantly bombarded by noise, and we need an ordinance that lets us enjoy our residences without this excessive noise intrusion.”

“We as residents in the city are constantly bombarded by noise, and we need an ordinance that lets us enjoy our residences without this excessive noise intrusion.”
“My neighborhood noise from Merrimon Avenue is much reduced with the new street design.”
Buskers are visible ambassadors of Asheville’s artistic community, and some downtown businesses say street performances create a convivial atmosphere. But for others who live and work downtown, amplified sound is a daily cacophony.
“We don’t necessarily need threats of fines to learn to change our behavior. We just need to bring back the golden rule.”
People with hearing difficulties or sensitivities often struggle in Asheville’s busy restaurants and other social settings.
“Pity the nomad who finds his complaints of current residency conditions fall upon unsympathetic ears.”
“I don’t know if you’d call it romantic, but I did spend Valentine’s Day with my husband, and we were holding hands. He was supporting me as we made our thrice-daily rounds around the halls of the heart unit at Mission Hospital.”
On Tuesday, Jan. 8, members of Asheville City Council will stop, collaborate and listen to decide the destiny of a dilapidated building in the River Arts District, the fate of food trucks in Biltmore Village and the word on amending the outdoor speakers ban at restaurants downtown and in the River Arts District. (Photo of the ice-house property by Bill Rhodes from 2012.)
Asheville City Council’s recent passage of stricter noise rules isn’t the first fight over the city’s growing nightlife, and it won’t be the last.
A stricter noise ordinance is before Asheville City Council tonight, along with a one-time bonus for city employees and an update on the proposal to merge the city’s water system with the Metropolitan Sewerage District.