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Two great affordable housing initiatives move forward |
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We all know that the accelerating increase in property values and construction costs make it difficult for many working people to be able to purchase or even to rent a decent home in Asheville. We received good news last week that two significant projects, the Skyland Apartments, proposed by the Volunteers of America of the Carolinas, and the Glen Rock Apartments, proposed by Mountain Housing Opportunities, that will provide affordable housing for hardworking families as well as lower-income seniors are moving forward in Asheville, are moving forward. |
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Council stands up for Design Center Proposal on I-26 |
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The I-26 Connector is the most important transportation and development project that will impact the Asheville area for the next several decades. There is the potential for it to bring some great benefits to Asheville but it also has the potential to have a huge adverse impact on our community. The Asheville Design Center is a group of citizens and design professionals who have been working hard to find ways for the I-26 Connector to fit into the urban fabric of Asheville. Through their efforts, a new plan has been created that many people believe is the best way to complete the I-26 Connector through the heart of Asheville. |
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Council adopts new steep slope policy |
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At our Council meeting of July 10, City Council adopted new policies to protect our steep mountainsides from overdevelopment. These rules will also assure that public safety is protected from careless developers. Council has adopted four significant policies related to steep slopes over the past six months. |
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Newman proposes new planning ordinances |
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Earlier this week, I submitted a request to Mayor Bellamy and City Council to consider several new planning ordinances for Asheville. The purpose of these policies is to support locally owned businesses in Asheville, protect the character of our downtown, support the creation of homes affordable to working families, and to promote renewable energy and green building. Councilmembers Cape and Freeborn joined me in proposing several of these ordinances. |
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What to do about development? |
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This editorial has been published in the Mountain Xpress By Brownie Newman, Asheville City Councilman In September, 2006, Councilwoman Robin Cape and I ran a guest commentary in the Mountain Xpress outlining some of our ideas for making Asheville an environmentally sustainable city. Since then, City Council has established a new Energy and Environment citizens commission, committed all future city buildings to be green certified, committed to reducing the city’s air pollution and global warming footprint, and signed Asheville onto the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign. The question I hear people asking the most when it comes to neighborhoods and the environment is, what are we going to do about all the development? |
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