WECAN General Membership Meeting Minutes Mar 2, 2017
Board Members present: Jared Fischer, Rebecca Lance, Rachel Larson, Luke
Perry, and Pattiy Torno
Members not present: Danny Aull, Byron Ballard, Tom Gibson, Len Hall, Mike
Kenton, JoAnn Skinner and Suzanne Willis.
Also Present: Jessie Coleman, Joe Fioccola and Officer Justin Wilson.
INTROS: Rachel called the meeting to order at 6:33 pm.
MINUTES/ TREASURER”S REPORT: Pattiy moved and Rachel seconded a motion to
approve the WECAN Minutes from February as distributed. The motion passed.
Treasurer reported no activity.
APD/CRO Update: Community Resource Officer Justin Wilson introduced
himself to new board members. He reported that former CRO Sean Davis was
temporarily reassigned to night supervisor position and may attend future
meetings. Pattiy reported ongoing problems with loud noise emptying
dumpsters at 4 and 5 am. Jessie reported ongoing problem with prostitution
and a jeep that parks no ‘Short Hilliard” (the portion of Hilliard west of
Clingman.) Justin noted nothing else reported in WECAN but elsewhere in
the city B+E’s on Depot Street and construction sites on Lyman Street.
Also that unlocked vehicles and some with the keys left in have been
stolen on Biltmore Ave and even the Wedge parking lot. He pointed out that
the graffiti task force should be handling the graffiti at the old Twelve
Bones which, though slated for demolition may be tied up in litigation for
a while. Asked about the million dollars that the chief was asking for
downtown he wasn’t sure of all the details but that it would create a
downtown district covering the Central Business District with 24/7
coverage and leadership. Asked if the proposed G.W. Carver Park lighting
would encourage increased bike patrols to Stephens Lee since the
pedestrian bridge would be easily accessed, he thought it would even
though that is outside the central business district. Asked about efforts
to respond to the heroin epidemic he asserted that education in schools
was one response also the attempt to charge drug dealers with murder.
BLOCK JESSIES: Jessie noticed that a lot of surveying was being done on
Short Hilliard and the car lot. Pattiy sent Duke the original planting
plan for the lost trees below All Souls. Pattiy observed that the damage
to locust trees may be due to locust blight and not just to kudzu. Jared
reported that the feral rooster was still in his area. Joe reported that
the streetlight on Girdwood and Green was focused too high on his house.
There was a lengthy discussion of the impact of short term rentals on
neighborhoods and communities. Luke’s birthday work party went well. He
has a yard clear of the brick pile and the effort to get food to those in
need is ongoing.
KUDZU HILL: The workday was a success in clearing from All Souls to the
crosswalk. A sway car full of vines and leaves was removed from trees and
bushes. A next work day was set for Saturday March 11 from 10-2 to clear
the trees up the hill on the next section.
RAD FORM BASED CODE: Rachel reported on a meeting at her house with Sasha
Vrtunski and about a dozen neighbors. She assembled the concerns into a
letter to the city but was not satisfied completely with the changes that
were proposed. The final draft will be completed by March 9 and then goes
to Planning and Zoning before Council.
CLINGMAN FOREST GREENWAY RENAMING DISCUSSION: Rachel and Pattiy met with
Lucy Crown and Mary Webber and Dave Nutter for the Greenway Commission
earlier today about renaming the WECAN Forest. They were against the
renaming as they prefer geographic based names (i.e. Beaucatcher,
Beaverdam Creek, Bent Creek, Beverly Hills, Canie Creek, Emma, French
Broad River, Glens Creek, Haw Creek, Hominy Creek, Lake Julian, Montford,
Reed Creek, Rhododendron Creek, Smith Mill Creek, Swannanoa River, Town
Branch and West Asheville—not to mention River Bend Park and South Slope.)
Their justification was that WECAN is an organization that may not exist
in 20 years. (Hah!) Their plans are also to devote historical and cultural
signage to Town Branch and just ecological and natural information at
Clingman Forest. Since the name for Bacoate Branch won the poll and is
very likely to be the official name they recommend “Bacoate Branch
Greenway.” There was extensive discussion of options (such as Bacoate
Forest Greenway, Depot Greenway, Merritt Greenway and Lyman Greenway) even
to splitting the naming into “Creek”, “Greenway” and “Forest”—which has no
precedent). The main ideas from WECAN were to honor a female, include
South French Broad neighborhood, and be unique. As it satisfied all three
consensus emerged that without strong opposition we should settle on their
recommendation for Bacoate Branch Greenway. Pattiy will rewrite the letter
to Mary Webber along with support of RADBA and get final approval through
email by the end of March. Then WECAN can work on getting our story and
history embedded in the greenway. Saturday March 18 was set as a date to
walk through the future Bacoate Branch Greenway.
COMMUNITY GARDEN Joe talked to Lucy Crown about renewing the contract. She
explained that could be a long process and suggested we continue (even
without a new contract.) Joe asked Rebecca to call a meeting of the
Community Garden group on one of our regular Tuesdays.
NH LEADERS ROUNDTABLE: They met on February 17 and met the construction
manager. Construction will begin on the north end near the Railroad
Trestle and work southward. There will be single lane closures with
flaggers while that goes on.
SOUTHSIDE RECREATIONAL PLAN. Joe attended two meetings so far. There was a
Town Hall in January at the Eddington Center and a survey went out. The
results were presented on February 28 at the Grant Center. 152 responses
were received (and of those 51% did not live in the Southside Community.)
Joe credits Parks and Rec for publishing the actual raw results, (except
that the comments were summarized as a meaningless ‘word cloud.’) The rest
of that meeting was taken up with a facilitated activity of placing
elements identified in the survey where they should go in Walton Park, the
Grant Center and an area across Town Branch. Five groups taped scaled
images to the map of Pools, basketball courts, restrooms, parking, Gaga
Pits, historic markers, etc. and presented them. There will be further
exercises at different times (like Saturdays, mornings and lunchtimes) to
get further input and they will be collected and presented in April. Joe
observed that there are some who in spite of the process want only one
thing and are not giving any ground on it.
SOCIAL: SPRING FLING: a date was set for a WECAN General Membership
Meeting and social at 5:30 on Wednesday April 5th (instead of the regular
April 6 Board meeting.)Weather and permission permitting it would like to
be outside next to All Souls Pizza where the Farmers Market sets up
staring in May.
WELCOME WAGON: Rachel and Rebecca will meet on Wednesday March 8 to
discuss what should be included.
NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS RIGHTS WEEK is April 2-8 if there was interest in
remembering crime victims Alex King and Tatiana Diz.
Meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm
Minutes submitted by Joe Fioccola,
Secretary Emeritus
Important Upcoming Dates:
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