Local towing policy is a racket

My son did a favor for a friend [recently] by offering a ride from an apartment complex in north Asheville called the Grove. When leaving, he discovered his car had been towed by All-Safe Towing from the half-empty parking lot to the tune of $150, which had to be paid in cash only. This is […]

Handicappe­d parking: Empathy expired?

I am a downtown employee who uses an electric wheelchair. I disagreed (and still do) with the decision to require handicapped drivers to pay for parking. The financial hardship that accompanies the most severe disabilities is being ignored. One in three disabled Americans live at or below the poverty line. A few individuals abused parking […]

Make safe sidewalks a priority, not parking decks

I am against the proposed deal between the not-so-Public Interest Projects developers and the city of Asheville. The city could more wisely use the revenue generated from our just-paid-off parking decks and other parking facilities by providing sidewalks for neighborhoods and improving public transportation. Safe sidewalks for residents of Asheville should be a priority. Historically, […]

No parking

Pam Westphal came to Asheville in October, excited about taking in a mountain autumn and experiencing the city’s vibrant downtown scene. But like so many other tourists, she left upset about having her car towed from a private parking lot. Roll out: In this file photo, a car gets towed in Asheville. Mounting complaints about […]

Council set to address southside parking

Parking on downtown Asheville’s southside could become much easier in the near future. While County Commissioners were approving plans for a 650-space parking deck on county-owned land along Coxe Avenue at their Sept. 16 meeting, City Council members gave an informal OK to a proposed mixed-use development on Biltmore Avenue that would add an additional 437 hourly and monthly spaces.

Downtown parking: A spot of one’s own

City parking, no matter the city, can often be an iffy proposition, especially in a place as vibrant and popular with tourists as Asheville. But that doesn’t mean there’s not enough spots to go around, Council member Brownie Newman told fellow members before they unanimously accepted a parking study conducted by Cary, N.C., firm Kimley-Horn & Associates at Council’s March 25 meeting.

Asheville City Council

After getting their feet wet with one formal session and a community meeting, it was back-to-school time at the Asheville City Council’s Jan. 17 work session, as Council members scrambled to prepare for their upcoming retreat and several looming hot-button issues. To that end, it was a long night of reports designed to get the […]