WECAN September 2017 Board Meeting Minutes • Draft

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

Asheville Citizen Times Article and New Working Group Dates

Some dates for upcoming meetings have moved out as the substation design group works through details. The next meeting for the design group has moved from Wednesday Sept 6th to Wednesday Sept 13th. The larger stakeholder meeting moves out consequently and is generally targeted for the first week in October. Every effort is being made to set the stakeholder meeting two weeks in advance so residents can plan to attend. At the last meeting of the design group they worked on design details of a GIS substation. While progress continues, there isn't any new news to report that wasn't stated in the update published August 18th.

Joel Burgess from the Asheville Citizen Times spoke with Jason Walls from Duke Energy as well as Lynn Hall from our neighborhood and extracted some content from a prior blog post:

http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2017/08/28/substation-could-reactivate-piece-ashevilles-western-downtown-duke-spokesman-says/607930001/

Update from Substation Design Work Group

Earlier this month, we reported the formation of a substation design work group. They are tasked with developing a mutually acceptable design for a substation Duke-Energy would like to locate on their newly acquired property along Clingman Ave between Patton and Hilliard Avenues.  The work group created development guidance criteria and produced multiple substation design scenarios. Duke-Energy has now completed feasibility studies of those scenarios and presented their conclusions to the work group stakeholders August 16.

Feasibility studies considered design scenarios using either Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) technology or Air Insulated Substation (AIS) technology. Ultimately, GIS design scenarios were concluded as the best choice. While GIS equipment is more costly, it requires less than half the development property resulting in a multitude of benefits that help accomplish scorecard goals. If you remember, the score card’s primary concern was to judge if the development would allow utilization and activation of the site’s perimeter; keep the transformer equipment out of site and invisible as possible, protect adjacent neighbors from consequential impacts and insure mutual community benefits in accordance with master development plans in place.

Achieving scorecard criteria with the smaller GIS footprint, makes it reasonable to house the equipment in a building walled off from sight and to locate the substation where it will have a lesser impact on adjacent neighbors. Generous landscape buffers beyond the central station are also possible.  It importantly allows gateway appropriate development of the excess property separate from the substation and could allow widening Clingman Ave from Patton to Hilliard Avenues lessening traffic congestion.

The Design work group plans further work focused on detailing GIS concept options such as exact substation placement and aesthetic details.  Future meeting dates are planned as follows and note they include a public information session.

 August 23: Evaluate and rank scenarios using scorecard

September 6: Finalize rankings and reach consensus

TBA week of September 18: Public neighborhood meeting.

For More Information:

Please join us at the upcoming WECAN board meeting September 7^th held at Mountain Housing Opportunities on Merritt St. You are also welcome to email questions to Lynn Hall, lahall78@gmail.com. We will continue to post updates on Nextdoor, Facebook and the WECAN Blog, http://wecannews.blogspot.com

Mrs. Jessie Mae Jones will be missed

Information Update: Duke-Energy’s Proposed Substation in WECAN

Duke-Energy is working with representatives from WECAN, RADBA, SFB, Montford, the Haywood Street Congregation, several local developers, the Downtown Commission and the City of Asheville to develop a mutually acceptable design for a power substation at the corner of Patton and Clingman. At the first meetings of this working group, guidance criteria addressing site uses, neighborhood protections and aesthetics for the substation were articulated.

The Criteria was created to:
1) Ensure minimum impact on the neighbors adjacent to; and closest to, the site and,
2) Promote creative ways to hide the substation while supporting future growth and development both on and around the site.
A scorecard was created with six categories to compare and judge four development scenarios against the criteria and the neighborhood guiding principals:

1. Prioritize planning that creates flexibility along the edges of the site so that future growth and development on the site independent of the substation can be activated and supported.
   
2. Design and aesthetics to make the substation as invisible as possible.
   
3. Technical constraints such as topography, cost and proximity to existing transmission line.
   
4. Safety and security to limit health, fire and other potentially dangerous impacts.
   
5. Construction impacts.
   
6. Noise impacts from regular and temporary activities.
   

WECAN neighborhood representatives working to make a difference and bring forth the community voice are Recy Barnette, Joe Fioccola, Luke Perry and Pattiy Torno. Several other business and neighborhood constituents support them in opposition to the initially presented traditional open-air substation design. The Rankin Ave substation is an example of this design with the electrical infrastructure, chain link fence and razor wire in full view. Duke-Energy representative, Jason Walls acknowledges the proposed build site is a gateway location that must properly represent Asheville, the communities, RAD, etc. He and his management have publicly committed to consider necessary engineering technology and equipment alternatives to achieve project acceptance from their business and neighborhood stakeholders.
Proposed Upcoming Meetings (scheduling is subject to timely completion of work inputs): August 16: Duke-Energy will present the four proposals to the team.
August 23: Evaluate and rank scenarios using scorecard
September 6: Finalize rankings and reach consensus
TBA week of September 18: Public neighborhood meeting.
For More Information:
For questions, additional details or to receive future updates by email, send your request to Lynn Hall, lahall78@gmail.com. We will continue to post updates on Nextdoor and the WECAN
Blog, http://wecannews.blogspot.com

August 8, 2017 

WECAN August 2017 Board Meeting Minutes • Draft

WECAN Board Meeting Minutes August 3, 2017  

Board Members present: Byron Ballard, Jared Fischer, Lyn Hall, Rachel Larson, Floree Lowery and Pattiy Torno. 

Members not present: Danny Aull, Tom Gibson, Rebecca Lance, Mike Kenton, Luke Perry JoAnn Skinner and Suzanne Willis.

At Large Members not present: Rafael Rettig.

Also Present: Jessie Coleman, Joe Fioccola and APD Officer Justin Wilson.

INTROS: Rachel called the meeting to order at 6:37 pm.

MINUTES/ TREASURER”S REPORT: Lynn moved and Byron seconded a motion to approve the draft WECAN minutes from July 6 as distributed with one spelling correction.      The motion passed. There was no treasurer’s report.

APD/CRO Update: Justin happily advised that no crimes were reported in WECAN in July. Some issues have been reported with traffic going the wrong way on Club/Trade St from west Haywood and with parking on West Haywood between Park Ave and Roberts Street. In other neighborhoods S French Broad reported increased prostitution, more homeless camps, shooting at Hillcrest, Pisgahview and Livingston and pickpockets downtown. Several people reported cars not yielding to people in the crosswalks at Clingman and Hilliard.

BLOCK JESSIES: There is an ongoing problem with inconsiderate parking on and off Rector Street. Lynn reported homeless camping continues near Clingman Lofts and at Owens-Bell Park.

No movement on making Clingman Avenue Extension one way. Duke-Energy was inconsiderate when they cut down two crabapple trees and half of the big willow tree at the Crisps on W Haywood Street where they are putting in new transmission lines and never informed or consulted with them. Pattiy was asked by Robert Sipes (Jason Walls boss) to let them know when what they do is not right. She brought up the replacement of trees they cut down on Clingman Avenue that have not been replaced and she met with Victor Ray the next day and with Rot Smith ,Duke’s arborist to identify 11 stumps. They will remove 6 piles of debris and cut down the remaining stumps and treat them. Then in the fall they will replant 11 trees near the stumps to maintain the pattern. They asked what kind of trees WECAN would like there and from a list of trees that grow to 15-20 feet including hawthorn, buckeye, crabapple, crepe myrtle, dogwood, magnolia, holly, Japanese maple, snow ball, etc. the native limestone hawthorn crategus calpodendron was chosen. Pattiy moved and Lynn seconded a motion to recommend a native hawthorn. The motion passed.

DUKE SUBSTATION UPDATE: Rachel reported that Duke officially owns the site now.  It made Jessie cry to actually read about it in the paper. The Duke working group has produced a scorecard to be used on August 16 when the Duke team provides additional information and 4 initial proposals to consider. They include a GIS at Asheland and Hilliard, a GIS on the Meeker lots, a GIS on the entire block including residential lots, and an AIS on the entire block. Then on August 23 the group will rank each one using the agreed scorecard. The WECAN working group will met between those meetings and on September 6 the Duke working group will try to come to consensus. There will be something to report at the next WECAN Board meeting on September 7.  A new question arose about the new transmission lines going in on West Haywood which will enable the removal of some of the smaller distribution line poles which hold street lights. Will the street lights be affected? 

RAD FORM BASED CODE: The draft plan went before City Council but was not passed due to late objections from EWANA about short term rentals next to their neighborhood and some objections to any zoning but particularly ‘River Zoning.’ The form based code specifies form and not use so it goes back to Planning and Zoning for revision then to Council. Pattiy has mixed feelings about it. The main issue is how it affects our neighborhood and she is aware of the unintended consequences of fickle new ideas. A weakness that she observed was that unlike the Haywood Corridor FBC the Historic River District doesn’t really have a defined ‘form’ to extend and preserve. There are also two development issues in the RAD. One is the proposal for a hotel at the Burco Building 97 Roberts St because no lodging is currently permitted in the RAD even though many businesses would support a hotel there. The second is the problems with the changing and unfair new requirements for the ‘Stoneyard’ development. A 6 month delay due to a wrong survey and new UDO requirements for council review affecting the design and for affordable housing percentages in a Conditional Use Permit threaten to scrub the entire project.

It next comes before council on August 22. There is no consensus in WECAN on STR’s.

RADTIP: The official groundbreaking is set for August 23.  Joe attended the grand opening of 14 Riverside Drive on July 21. There were some businesses awards, a band, dancers and refreshments and the entire Bacoate family was feted.

ADOPT A HIGHWAY: Joe will lead at 9 am on Tuesday August 8 beginning at the sign garden on Clingman at Hilliard.

COMMUNITY GARDEN: Byron reported over 25 neighbors broke bread and attended a good feast for of corn, potatoes, chard, tomatoes, etc. on July 18. The gardens are in between seasons now and need to be cleaned up to winter over and some cold weather planting will occur soon.

TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION:  Joe read excerpts from the very first WECAN NEWS from August 1997. Highlights included “MHO recently purchased 15 and 21 Rector Street and 134 Clingman Avenue for renovation.” And “Aston Park Update: Though problems at Aston Park are far from being resolved, new landscaping, lighting, and increased police presence have made Aston Park more inviting. A feasibility study addressing Aston’s problem, and new playground equipment expected to be installed by May, 1998, should make the park a safer place for families to play and picnic.”

Byron moved and Rachel seconded a motion to adjourn. Motion passed at 8:21 pm

Minutes submitted by Joe Fioccola, Secretary Emeritus

Important Upcoming Dates:

Aug 7                               Last day to comment on Open City Hall on RADTIP Southern Section Survey

Aug 8                              Adopt a Highway  Litter pickup 9 am

Aug 8                             Affordable Housing Bond Money Grant Center 6-7 pm

Aug 14                              C.A.N. Meeting 7 p.m. Oakley Community Center                

Aug 16, 23            Duke Working Group Meetings           

Aug 17                              Community Land Trust Meeting 6 pm

Aug 18                   NH leaders Roundtable 8:30 @ Riverlink

Aug 23                              RADTIP Groundbreaking

Aug 26                              Riverlink Anything that Floats

Sept 76                  Next WECAN Board Meeting Thursday 6:30 pm

           

WECAN NEIGHBORHOOD SUBSTATION NEWS ALERT

}DUKE PROPOSES A TRANSFORMER SUBSTATION AT PATTON & CLINGMAN (Former Hunter Volvo). They are also buying all adjoining property along Clingman to Hilliard }Neighborhood input is essential to inform Duke of our needs, values and aspirations. Open-air substations like those on Desoto Street in West Asheville or Rankin behind the US Cellular Center are not acceptable designs }Select WECAN Board members have joined a multi-functional development task force with representatives from Duke, City of Asheville and adjoining neighborhoods }Receive Task Force updates by email if you request; email request to lahall78@gmail.com. Detailed updates are also posted to this WECAN blog, http://wecannews.blogspot.com/ GENERAL STATEMENT: The city of Asheville is growing along with its power demand. Demand and aging infrastructure requires additional power be made available. Duke has looked at several sites on the west and south sides, but is most interested in developing a new facility at Patton and Clingman. WECAN board members are working with Duke and the city of Asheville to guide matters within our limitation. Both Duke and the City understand the importance of this site as a gateway to Asheville, WECAN and River Arts, but it will take dedicated effort of the WECAN neighborhood to encourage the right type of development should it go forward.  Please see detailed information and history on the WECAN blog.