WECAN Board Meeting Minutes
September 7, 2017
Board Members present: Danny Aull, Byron Ballard, Lynn Hall, Rachel
Larson, Caroline Mullis, Luke Perry and Pattiy Torno.
Members not present: Jared Fischer, Tom Gibson, Mike Kenton, Rebecca Lance, JoAnn Skinner and Suzanne Willis.
At Large Members not
present: Floree Lowery and Rafael
Rettig.
Also
Present: Janet Webber, Carolyn Addison, Chris, Susan Haynes, Travis Smith,
Amanda Paffrath, Jessie Coleman, Joe Fioccola and APD Officer Justin Wilson.
INTROS: Rachel called the meeting
to order at 6:33 pm after a round of introductions.
MINUTES/ TREASURER”S
REPORT: Lynn
moved and Byron seconded a motion to approve the draft WECAN minutes from August
3 as emailed. The motion passed. There was no treasurer’s report.
APD/CRO Update: Justin reported that
city-wide there have been 85 car break ins in the last 30 days most of which
were unlocked vehicles. He strongly advised people to LOCK YOUR VEHICLES and
DON’T KEEP VALUABLES IN VEHICLES. He also advised to report suspicious activity
and talk to your neighbors about who should be on your property and encourage
them to report suspicious activity. His proposal for more officer discretion
regarding homeless camps is in prepared and in queue. Another camping brought
up was next to All Souls Pizza. Justin also reported three businesses in WECAN
were broken into, White Duck Taco had a lock cut, a house on West Haywood was
broken into from an unsecured window and firearms stolen, a motorcycle was
taken off a porch and a lawnmower taken. All of these have no suspect
information nor any leads. Justin attended the last CPAC (Citizens Police
Advisory Committee) meeting yesterday and recommended reporting police and
safety issues at their monthly meetings.
Rachel reported a video camera going up at a house on Park Square. The
city does not monitor any surveillance cameras but private cameras have been
used to identify suspicious activity. Lynn asked about traffic enforcement for
speeding vehicles. There is a traffic enforcement unit that works on reducing
crashes in high accident areas. Pattiy suggested contacting Jeff Moore for
study tubes and ‘your speed is’ signs.
BLOCK JESSIES: Duke
has repoured the cement sidewalks on West Haywood where the new power poles
will go. Pattiy explained that Duke may need to remove more trees and needs to
do more community outreach before the poles go in March. Byron and Joe
suggested remembering the late beloved Jessie Mae Jones by renaming the ‘Sunny
Cultural Garden’ at Owens Bell Park after her and replanting it perhaps with
things from her garden or a marker with her picture, or an engraved stone.
RADTIP Update: Pattiy reported that
a fence is up around the old12Bones and that demo is set for Monday. The old
Days Warehouse has been removed and part of the Rail side Studios. Construction
is set to begin next Wednesday with rolling lane closures but not sure where
they are beginning. Last week City Council did approve funding for the entire
roadway.
DUKE-ENERGY SUBSTATION Update: Pattiy noted
that Duke is still in conversation with Jessie. She explained that Duke had
control of the Meeker site and the Mathews Ford site on Biltmore and has signed
a Memorandum of Understanding to sell the Mathews site to the city for the Lee
Walker Heights/ South Slope redevelopment. In order for the Housing Authority
(owners of Lee Walker) to complete that there needs to be a Utility Substation
Buffering Ordinance acceptable to Duke but since the Meeker working group is
close to agreement and may have different buffering needs . The draft ordinance
was pulled from the Planning and Zoning meeting yesterday because there was
pushback that an ordinance was being put forth without community input. The
city attorney suggested that a new draft could be written which would not
encumber either site. So a new draft will be taken to P&Z’s next meeting on
October 4. Susan suggested that emailing members of Council has more affect
than waiting for public comment on the day of the meeting. WECAN can also write
a letter of support for inclusion in the council’s packets when the issue comes
before them. That must be submitted at least 7 days prior to their meeting.
Pattiy suggested waiting for the new draft to be posted rather than discussing
previous draft ordinances. Luke described the working group’s process so far.
Pattiy recalled the four basic principles of the working group: activate Patton
and Clingman corner, protect adjacent neighbors, allow for community benefit
and be invisible. We have to work together for a win-win-win-win. (The
community benefit would be an easement to allow another lane on Clingman
between Patton and Hilliard and Council will include it in the Capital
Improvement Plan with more community outreach.) Luke continued explaining the
issue of zoning (most of the block is Central Business District but some is
Residential) and there may be restrictions for building heights and step back
requirements for upper stories that need a closer look to see how zoning can
protect the neighborhood facing corner at Clingman and Hilliard. Travis thanked
the volunteers serving on the working groups. Pattiy gave big credit to Mike
Wasmer, Helen Hyatt and Lou Popovich from the South French Broad Neighborhood
who have done a lot of work over the last two years. They helped us in the huge
challenge for WECAN and for Jessie. Jessie originally wanted to fight and
Pattiy still hopes that something good will come out of it. The issue of noise
was brought up and Luke explained that the transformers make noise is and in
the case of a Gas insulated substation it will be behind a 20 foot wall with a
50 foot buffer and on a high elevation which should reduce the impact on the
neighborhood. Pattiy shared some research on decibel levels and affirmed that
she was proud of the WECAN organization in trying to make room for everyone.
The next Duke Working group meeting is next Wednesday September 13 and a public
meeting will be scheduled in the first week in October at the Boy Scouts
Building.
CLINGMAN STREETSCAPE TREES:
Pattiy explained that last year Duke cut down the mature sycamore trees between
All Souls Pizza and the traffic circle and they have agreed to replant with
native Hawthorns which should go in this winter. They have also hired a
landscape crew to clear 18 feet back from the sidewalk before they plant. WECAN
will maintain the 18 feet and RADBA will help pay for the planting maybe by the
end of the year. Some shrubs may be saved for use in other parts of the
neighborhood such as Owens Bell Park or short Hilliard.
MSD- has not done the
line work near the traffic circle yet but will be working on a sewer line on
Bartlett Street down to Depot Street that may have been leaking into a stream.
RAD FORM BASED CODE: The draft plan was sent
back to P&Z from City Council asking to remove build-by-right for lodging
and removing the area between the railroad and the river. Any lodging over 20
rooms will come before council as conditional zoning but anything smaller is by
right. Council has said there
should be ‘no lodging-by-right’ at all and said this without consulting the
community. P&Z went through an extensive community process and had decided
to send the draft back to council as originally presented. Susan suggested
writing to city council to keep the FBC as originally presented.
Rachel explained the issue on Lyman Hollow. She worked to keep the
Neighborhood Transition area to 3 stories but the residents of Vernell Street
also wanted three stories at 65 ft rather than 85 ft. Since the situations are
so markedly different they decided not to change. COMMUNITY
GARDEN Update:
Byron reported the garden was resting for the season but would be planted this
weekend with over-winter crops. She had fun working with kids and checking
carrots each week. Janet would like to join in.
TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION: Tuesday October 31 was set for a Halloween Party/ pot luck.
MISC:
Lynn noticed foam on the French Broad River. It was
recommended to notify the French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson hartwellcarson@wnca.org or Eric
Bradford at GreenWorks.
Travis asked about the
possibility of painting the bases of the new Duke power distribution lines.
Meeting adjourned at 8:27
pm
Minutes submitted by Joe Fioccola,
Secretary Emeritus
Important Upcoming Dates:
Sep 11 C.A.N. Meeting
7 p.m. Oakley Community Center
Sep 13 Duke
Working Group Meetings
Sep 15 NH leaders
Roundtable 8:30 @ Riverlink
Sep16 Burton St
Agricultural Fair
Sep 16 Community
Garden Network Fundraiser
Sep 20 Greenworks
Craven Street Bridge Cleanup 10-12
Sep 21 Candidates
Forum at the Wedge 6 pm
Oct 5 Next WECAN
Board Meeting Thursday 6:30 pm
