Day: January 14, 2009
Development activist blasts Downtown Master Plan problems in report
Asheville activist Steve Rasmussen has released a report critiquing the Downtown Master Plan draft, asserting that its enforcement powers on development issues are weak and that much control would be turned over to unelected boards to the benefit of developers.
Buncombe Commissioners
In a tense 3-2 vote at their Jan. 6 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners endorsed alternative 3, a controversial route for the Interstate 26 connector through Asheville. “My late grandfather worked hard for that home”: Burton Street resident Stephen Waters, who said he will lose his family home if Alternative 3 is selected, … Read more
Commissioners consider consolidating county offices, televising public comment
It’s far from the easiest time to be a Buncombe County commissioner. As the economy sinks (and, with it, tax revenues), demand for the array of social services the county provides is rising. Those were just a few of the issues on the commissioners’ minds as they gathered Jan. 9 and 10 for their annual … Read more
Let’s talk about the Downtown Master Plan
The draft document of the Downtown Master Plan has been public since last week, but Thursday, Jan. 15, is the official rollout date, when Asheville residents can hear—and comment on—details addressed in the draft, such as building-height and new compliance guidelines and the already-controversial Asheville Design District, a proposed new downtown-management entity. (View the document … Read more
Citizen-Times dramatically revamps print product
The Asheville Citizen-Times introduced a dramatically slimmed-down product on Jan. 5. The move was forced by the bad economy, said Publisher Randy Hammer. In an explanation printed on the daily newspaper’s front page, Hammer enumerated the changes: • Hour-earlier daily deadlines were set to accommodate printing the paper at The Greenville News in Greenville, S.C. … Read more
