Asheville’s first Downtown Master Planning meeting was not that bad. Citizen-Times reporter Joel Burgess mentions that the consultants are getting $170,000 in tax dollars to oversee the plan. To his credit, Joel usually writes this way, rather than pretending free money will pay for it all. As an aside, and not that this is a harbinger, the planners, Goody Clancy, underestimated attendance by approximately 50%.
All of the 18 breakout groups commented that they wanted diversity. Some, however, interpreted this more as a statement against chain stores than an appeal for property rights. On the downside, most groups wanted arts, subsidized arts, but not those sectors of the economy that could contribute to a revenue stream – government excluded. One group said they wanted more leadership and more followership.
Attendees got along well, but I was tempted to pipe up to disagree with some of the comments from the MC, Goody Clancy’s David Dixon. It is his opinion that what one is able to do with one’s property is a privilege, and it should only occur with community consent. Responding to one group’s statement that they wanted Portland to look to Asheville as a model, Dixon said that was doable, but Portland had to work for it. They had the courage to institute a growth boundary, building height limits, transit plans, and regulations with teeth. He asked the hyped up audience if they had what it was going to take. Several cheered.
Incidentally, a survey is now online. Anybody may participate, but you have to state whether you are from inside or outside Asheville. The city, as in many instances, cooperated with the local daily, so you will be helping their advertising rate cards rather than those of the alternative papers, should you choose to participate. That’s OK. The idea of the media cooperating with the government is growing on me.
