Two memories linger in my hangover from Asheville City Council last night. One was council’s decision not to change the UDO to accommodate existing signage. A construction company downtown put up screening advertising the firms involved and the coming project. That ran afoul of the sign ordinance. It was proposed the city make a new law to allow the screening, since it looked a lot better than what the ordinance would allow. However, those who drafted the ordinance thought there should be twenty feet between ads rather than eight to ten feet as exists. Mayor Esther Manheimer thought the city had matters much more weighty than spacings between ads needing attention. Councilman Gordon Smith was OK with the screening, but he didn’t like the advertising. Only Jan Davis and Gwen Wisler voted to approve the amendment. Therefore, the developer will soon begin accruing penalties until he can replace his tasteful screening with some scruffy, compliant signage.
The second item was another appearance by Todd Stimson during public comment. Stimson is about to go to trial for letting his daughter smoke medicinal marijuana. He is just back from a visit to Raleigh. Stimson had asked council to support House Bill 78 legalizing pot, but then he had second thoughts. That is, state legislators have a reputation for using their power to despitefully abuse Asheville. He reported that Lt. Governor Dan Forest told him, “I think everybody in Raleigh already knows Asheville backs that legislation.”
