Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Some of what’s going around:
-Pack Place threatened: WCQS reports that the city of Asheville is threatening to terminate its lease agreement with Pack Place in downtown. From WCQS:
A letter from city manager Gary Jackson claims “repairs and maintenance have been neglected for years” and there is “no indication of any hope to satisfy the necessary requirements.” The letter included an attached list of necessary building maintenance, saying if Pack Place fails to come up with $419,800, the lease may be terminated. The ten-year lease is set to expire at the end of May.
-Hi-Wire honored: ratebeer.com has chosen Asheville’s Hi-Wire Brewing as best new brewery in North Carolina for 2013. That’s a great honor. Don’t forget that ratebeer is holding its annual winter gathering in Asheville this year Feb. 6-9.
-Clement house preserved: The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County is set to announce that is has secured a preservation easement to protect the Lillian Exum Clement house in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood. The house, which is still owned by a family member, was built in 1914. Clement was the first woman to be elected to the North Carolina General Assembly, and the first woman to serve in any state legislature in the South. From the press release:
The historic Lillian Exum Clement house at 34 Hollywood Street will be forever protected by a donation of a preservation easement to the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County. Wingate Anders of Greensboro, NC, owner of the historic house and widower of Lillian’s only daughter, made the donation of the easement to ensure the protection and preservation of this noteworthy historic site.
“We feel this house represents history important to Asheville, Buncombe County and the state,” said Anders. “It was the home of Lillian Exum Clement Stafford, a female lawyer with an independent law practice at a time when few women held any significant type of job outside of the home.”
The house, located in the Chestnut Hill National Register Historic District, was built in 1914 by George Clement, Lillian’s father. Lillian is noted for being the first woman elected to the North Carolina General Assembly and the first woman to serve in any state legislature in the Southern United States.
-Moogfest economic impact: The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority and the Buncombe County Economic Development Commission met Thursday and heard a presentation about the economic impact of Moogfest, which is back and retooled this year after a one-year hiatus. Dale Neal, a reporter for the Asheville Citizen-Times, tweeted that officials at the meeting said the music and technology festival could have an estimated $30 million economic impact on Asheville. He also reported that the city of Asheville has pledged $90,000 in taxpayer money and service support to the festival.
-Heinzelmannchen on the move: Heinzelmannchen Brewery, which has been making beer for 10 years in Sylva, is planning to move to Dillsboro. More details as they come.
-Riceville residents petition: Some residents in the Riceville community have started an online petition asking that Buncombe County commissioners vote not to allow a big new development out there to move forward.
Development plans for the historic Coggins land on Old Farm School Road in Asheville, NC, as described by potential buyer Case Enterprise, LLC, include 382 units (including 60 condos for eldercare), a farm-to-table restaurant, 85 acres of open space, a farming operation, an elementary school, offices, and retail space on 169 acres. The master plan calls for a zoning change that would convert 108 of 169 acres from R-2 (Residential District) to PS (Public Service District). We, the undersigned, find the “Old Coggins Farm” development in its current form unsuitable for Old Farm School Road. We are concerned about a significant increase of traffic on area roads, and the impact the development would have on the character of the community. We also have concerns regarding the development’s impact on the environment, including wildlife, soil stability, and water quality, including that of Bull Creek and the Swannanoa River.
