On Merrimon Avenue in Asheville, there sits as small building slightly tinier than a single-wide trailer. It has pretty windows, but it is a simple building. One can look inside and see a fire extinguisher and perhaps a heat register. The building has no shingle to state its purpose.

It was at a city council meeting that I learned the purpose of the building. The old Citizens Hardware store was going to be replaced by a Walgreen’s. Since the hardware store had been constructed, the city enacted ordinances requiring buildings on Merrimon Avenue to be next to the sidewalk to create a pedestrian-friendly new urbanist feel. The hardware store had been grandfathered-in, but the new Walgreen’s would have to conform. Rather than tearing up the parking lot for a building and vice-versa, Walgreen’s decided it was more profitable to build a totally useless building to satisfy the curb requirements.

I have since referred to this building as the Temple to the Goddess of Urban Planning.

Continuing their creative streak, Walgreen’s is trying another tack in Waynesville. They want to have a drive-thru for their pharmacy. After all, people in need of medication could probably appreciate some comfort and convenience, too. City planners, however, disagree, and support a one-size-fits-all recipe requiring parking to the side or to the rear of buildings. The standard Walgreen’s architecture does not match Waynesville’s sense of place. So, Walgreen’s is asking the city to change their ordinances into something more sensible – and the city fathers are considering it.