WECAN February Meeting: Thursday, February 7th, 6:30 pm (64 Clingman Ave- MHO/ Merrit Park conference room). Please join us this month as we will be discussing:
Speed/Safety issues on Clingman Ave.
How to protect historical assets
Updating our Master Plan
Updates on Ice House demolition and New Belgium Brewery
WECAN Master Plan. The neighborhood is slowly working on updating its 2000 Master Plan to more clearly understand the current make-up of the neighborhood and provide a clear vision and more accurate framework for the future of our community. This includes ensuring that future development and housing remains affordable, increasing pedestrian safety and connectivity, activating our natural space, and strengthening our outreach and communication amongst ourselves and surrounding neighborhoods. We are currently assessing the current social and physical infrastructure of our neighborhood, and soon will be expanding outreach efforts. In addition, we are looking for sources of funding that can help pay some of our residents to lead this process. If you would like to help or have ideas, please contact Luke W Perry (perrylw@gmail.com).
Neighborhood Connections. In early January, the South French Broad neighborhood held a meeting in conjunction with the Asheville Housing Authority and the Asheville Police Department. WECAN members also attended in an effort to build broader community patnerships and collaborations. Stay tuned for a joint spring cookout in Aston Park. Additionally, WECAN has been working closely with the newly formed East West Asheville Neighborhood Assocation (EWANA) in regards to New Belgium truck traffic. We look forward to future collaborations and support as our neighborhoods grow and change.
Club House. Last Wednesday, the Club House, a significant historic community structure was demolished to make way for a new house. Built in 1884, the boarded up house on Club Street had once served as a social gathering place for Cotton Mill workers, and later as a community bathouse. Over the years, it had fallen into neglect, and the current and future owners could not make it a priority to salvage the structure or the materials. With the demolition of the Ice House sheduled to begin any day, this is a reminder that we have a lot of work to do in order to protect the many historic structures that still remai in our neighborhood. Have ideas or know of buildings/structures that need some attention? Join the conversation this Thursday or reply to this email.
Ice House Demolition. On January 8, City Council approved the demolition of the Ice House on Riverside Dr. The City has reported that demolition was scheduled to begin last week, although any tangible work has yet to begin. The intention and goal is to keep the brick chimney intact.
New Belgium Update: On January 22, City Council approved the New Belgium Brewery conditional site permit. In addition, City Council also allocated funding to install bike lanes and sidewalks on Haywood Road (from the river to Beacham's curve) to mitigate truck traffic in addition to studying and exploring the feasibility of routing truck on Riverside North. This includes widening the turning radius at Craven and Riverside as well increasing the clearance underneath the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge. WECAN's statement on this project and impacts can be found here.
Neighborhood Design Build Project. From the Asheville Design Center: This summer, ADC will be hosting a ten week program comprised of collegiate level students in the fields of design, planning, and construction to design and build a small community-based project. We are looking for project ideas and would like to know if your community would like to be the host for the summer studio. We are looking for a community or neighborhood that:
has already identified a small scale public space project that could be designed and built within ten weeks (bus shelter, community garden pavilion, sports shelter, ampitheatre, etc.). This project ideally integrates a physical structure/space with the surrounding landscape.
has community members that would be able to work closely with the students in both the design and building stages of the project would be able to help contribute a small percentage to the cost of buildings materials ($500-$1000) would be able to help maintain the project after it is completed
If you have any ideas for a project like this in WECAN, contact Rachel Larson (rachel@mathisconsulting.com) by February 7th.
Upcoming Events:
- Thursday, February 7th, 6:30 pm. WECAN February Meeting (64 Clingman Ave- MHO/ Merrit Park conference room)
- Wednesday, February 13th. 7:30-10 pm. Asheville Area Arts Council Annual Membership and Friend-Raiser party (The Artery, 346 Depot Street)
- Saturday, February 16th. Sven Hoosen benefit concert @ the Grey Eagle. Details forthcoming.
- Thursday, March 7th. New Belgium Open House. Details forthcoming.
- Thursday, March 7th. 6:30 pm. WECAN March Meeting (64 Clingman Ave- MHO-Merritt Park conference room)
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