Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
A region-wide land-use planning workshop was held recently, but few really covered it. The Citizen-Times launched a series of stories this year leading up to the planning meeting, but didn’t follow through with the results. Not yet, anyway.
So props to the Franklin Press for delivering all the details in its report. Although I’m not sure exactly what the upshot is.
Here’s a tidbit. Click on the link above to read the in-depth story:
The next outreach step was a series of community forums in Region A that saw participation from more than 450 people who shared ideas, concerns and visions for the mountains that shaped the regional charrette agenda and guided the production of the Region A Tool Box.
Common themes emerged (referenced above) from the outreach phase, which gave the consultant team Lawrence Group ten criteria to begin planning and address. They heard variations on these same issues expressed during the second project phase, the charrette process. They are as follows:
How can mountainside and ridgetop development be done responsibly, safely and in a visually sensitive way?
How can new development respect the character of the local landscape?
How can water quality be protected?
How can the region’s natural beauty and open space be protected?
How can quality jobs be created and sustained?
How can quality, affordable housing be created?
How can the region’s infrastructure keep up with the rate of growth?
How can farmland and local markets for food be protected and enhanced?
How can natural resources be protected?
How can growing communities remain respectful of local cultural heritage
Lawrence Group’s specialist team developed illustrations and proposals based on what they heard throughout the charrette process in daily “pin-up” sessions.
They will organize information, ideas and model scenarios from the charrette as well as website feedback into a final draft “Tool Box” guideline publication for responsible planning and development, due out this summer in print and online versions.
For more information on the “Tool Box” project and the MLI, visit www.mountainlandscapesnc.org”.
