Asheville had a good city council meeting tonight. Amongst the silly proclamations, Travis Miller, a Junior Lifeguard, was recognized for saving a life.
Then, Dr. Carl Mumpower yanked four questionable items from the consent agenda for separate votes. He lost 6-1 on all votes, but it was good to know somebody in office was paying attention.
The first item pulled was a $10,000 contract to pay UNCA to archive Asheville’s rich urban renewal history. The next was authorization of a public hearing on the matter of awarding Volvo an economic development incentive package. “Some call it corporate welfare,†remarked Mumpower. The third was approval of a $70,000 study of the charette-generated alternative design for the I-26 corridor. The only problem with the design was the citizens didn’t run it through any kind of engineering analysis, and the DOT had already moved ahead with another design. Activists who don’t like cars have been finding ways to obstruct the highway improvements for years. The fourth sought approval for a $120,000 Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
Lastly, city council approved the Ellington. Granted, the skyscraper had a lot of socialism built in, but Asheville’s Smart Growth advocates actually approved high-density infill development downtown. Councilwoman Robin Cape stated her appreciation for the economic impact the development would have. Mumpower even broached the subject of going back to the architects’ considered design, as opposed to the redesign council imposed on the spur of the moment during the first portion of the hearing. Members of council for the most part agreed. The architects’ version did have a more aesthetic appeal. Only Councilman Bryan Freeborn, who is seeking re-election, voted against the skyscraper.
