Parks and Recreation Director Roderick Simmons fielded criticism over the parking changes from multiple community members and athletic groups. The city’s efforts to reduce the burden of event parking in the East End, Edgehill, Hunt Hill and Oakhurst neighborhoods, they said, had hampered their access to the athletic facility.
By adding a dedicated urban forester, crafting an urban forest master plan and strengthening the current municipal tree ordinance, say members of Asheville’s Tree Commission, the city can manage its growth in a greener and more climate-resilient way. “The more hard surface we have, the more green we need to balance it out,” says commission chair Stephen Hendricks.
“I think you can see by the turnout here, the phone calls to City Council, our emails, our response, that Vance in general — I don’t speak for every parent here or every student — does not feel like this is a win-win,” said Vance parent Marissa Brooks at the Feb. 27 meeting.
Offered in response to public demand for greater transparency in the city’s finances, the work sessions allow each governmental department to explain how it uses its portion of more than $180 million in spending. The sessions also provide a forum for Council members to seek information on specific budget items, such as Pack Square Park maintenance.
Through their elected leaders, Asheville voters will now have more say-so over development projects downtown and new hotels citywide.
A Southside Town Hall held on Jan. 31 aired long-held resentments and distrust in the city’s African-American community. But many who attended the meeting at the Edington Center on Livingston Street said it was a necessary first step in moving forward to plan recreational facilities for the community.
City staff were called to account for a communication failure that led to the removal of mature fruit trees at George Washington Carver Edible Park last month. City Council approved a land use incentive grant for affordable housing on Simpson Street, amended the process for requesting a variance from the city’s signage ordinance and approved modest changes to the rules that govern downtown street performances.
Asheville City Council weighed concerns about private property rights, environmental impact, equitable access to public lands and “selfies with bears” before authorizing the Parks & Recreation Department to move forward on soliciting bids for the construction of the Beaucatcher Greenway.
At a Southside neighborhood meeting on Monday, Feb. 1, Parks & Recreation director Roderick Simmons said his department has no plans to close the Walton Street Park and Pool at 570 Oakland Rd.
For nearly 100 years, the dream of a high-elevation park offering close-range panoramic views over downtown has entranced yet eluded Asheville visionaries. With a new funding commitment from the Tourism Development Authority, can the planned greenway and park projects finally move forward?
