Asheville City Council has a light agenda for its meeting tonight, with the only public hearing concerning extending downtown zoning. However, the consent agenda includes meatier items than usual, like $450,000 (mostly from the state) for a new public transportation monitoring system, and $380,000 for a new sidewalk project in South Asheville.
The only public hearing concerns extending downtown’s zoning to the Keller Williams Realty building on Asheland Avenue. The request would allow taller, denser development without the necessity of a parking requirement, though city staff’s report on the change doesn’t mention any upcoming development on the site.
While consent agenda usually includes routine items, the city is considering using $450,000 for a new system that would track “vehicle location, speed, fuel usage, on-time performance, and historical records” as well as making much of the information available to riders’ phones. Most of the project ($405,000) is state grant funds, and the city’s also using state matching funds to purchase two new diesel buses.
It’s not the only infrastructure item on the consent agenda, either, as there’s $308,000 in funds for sidewalks along Overlook Road in South Asheville.
Asheville City Council meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 23, on the second floor of City Hall.
