Day: October 8, 2015
The paper chase: City permitting process stifles development, critics say
Developers have long complained about Asheville’s permitting process, and critics say their concerns were underscored this summer when Chris Brown dropped plans for a $2 million indoor trampoline park. City officials say they’re working hard to improve efficiency but have been hampered by a construction boom amid a serious shortage of qualified employees. “With all … Read more
Cost of labor: revisiting the Marion Massacre
In the damp morning hours of Oct. 2, 1929, gunfire erupted between law enforcement and a crowd of picketing mill workers at the gates of the Marion Manufacturing plant in the quiet foothills of McDowell County, leaving six residents dead and a town torn apart in its wake. The “Marion Massacre,” as the conflict came … Read more
