Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
As usual, I’m just trying to keep up with all the Asheville goodness. Here’s some of what’s going around:
-New hot yoga studio opening: The Anjali Hot Yatra Yoga and Physical Therapy studio is planning to open soon in the South Forest Shopping Center on Hendersonville Road. More:
A yoga practice that includes both vinyasa, and static postures; aiding in the removal of obstacles and encouraging the opening of the heart, restoring clarity to the mind.
-New West Asheville development: There are plans in the works for a new residential development on Haywood Road in West Asheville. The project is located just north of the Dutch Girl laundry. Here’s a brief description from a recent Asheville city government advisory board meeting:
Request for an amendment to the Conditional Zoning on 2.93 acres located at 919 Haywood Road for the construction of a Haywood Village. The request is being made to facilitate the development of five (5) multi-family residential / mixed use buildings and 12 single-family residential units with associated infrastructure and parking. The owner is Village on Haywood Development, LLC. The project contact is John Kinnaird, PE. The property is identified in the Buncombe County tax records as PIN 9638.05-0924. Project # 13-5291.
-South Asheville apartment complex plans: Plans for a new 190-unit south Asheville apartment complex off Sweeten Creek Road are moving ahead. A brief description:
A request for a Conditional Zoning from Industrial to Residential Multi-Family High Density RM-16 on 12.33 acres on Sweeten Creek Road for a project known as the Arbors at Sweeten Creek. The request is being made to facilitate the development of eight (8) multifamily buildings and one (1) clubhouse building containing 192 residential units. The owner is Triangle Real Estate Gastonia, Inc. The project contact is G. Thomas Jones III. The property is identified in the Buncombe County tax records as PIN 9654-33-5493. Project # 13-5610.
-Visit the Land of Oz: The annual Autumn at Oz party will be held Oct. 5-6 at Beech Mountain. It’s the once-a-year chance for the public to visit the old Land of Oz theme park.
-Woolly Worm Festival: While we’re talking festivals, don’t forget the annual Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk. The little buggers will tell us what kind of winter weather we’ll have in store.
-March Against Monsanto: There’s another March Against Monsanto in Asheville set for Oct. 13.
-Hannah Flannagan’s is up for lease. The restaurant/bar is located at 27 Biltmore Ave. in downtown Asheville.
-Train horns quieted: Word on the street is that the developer of the RAD Lofts project at the corner of Clingman Avenue and Roberts Street in the River Arts District has received a federal OK to stop trains from blowing horns as they cross Craven and Lyman streets. The developer is planning to build more than 200 apartments and wanted to stop the horns blasting at the intersections. More on the federal train horn rules and quiet zones here.
-Lincoln spotted: UNC Asheville prof Christopher Oakley made national news this week when Smithsonian magazine reported that Oakley had picked out President Abraham Lincoln in a rare historic photo of the president preparing to deliver his famous speech at Gettsyburg. Oakley’s identification contradicted a much ballyhooed ID from 2007.
-Charitable town: Asheville is one of the 10 Most Generous towns in the U.S., according to NerdWallet, which issued its list based on the strength of the local volunteer culture and whether people give money as well as time. From NerdWallet on Asheville:
Asheville is the largest city in western North Carolina. 32.3 percent of the residents have volunteered a median of 37.8 hours per year. Asheville’s residents have also donated a median 6.4 percent of their income to charity.
-Question of the day: An Ashvegas reader asks:
Have any others received telephone surveys asking extensive, probing questions about Mission Health? Who is behind the surveys?
Anyone?
The Haywood Rd development is actually going to complete a project that failed several years ago. They finished one building at the corner of Haywood & Blue Ridge. The previous incarnation was condos; this one seems to be apartments. It is somewhat different in form but substantially similar in concept and scope to the previous plan.
The questions on the survey I answered offered a wide range of questions, such as “Is Mission Health perceived as a bully? Is Mission Health perceived as an asset to the community? Who should be believed about conditions at Mission: staff? doctors? administrators? board of directors?” It appears that whoever wrote the survey is aware of negative perceptions and offering the community the opportunity to express its views. The community should ask (demand?) that the full results of the survey be made public, negative and positive.
I got the Mission health phone survey… it was 15-20 minutes of questions about my opinion of Mission Health in all areas, but really seemed to focus on my perception of Mission’s relationship with the community. The interviewer couldn’t tell me who was behind the survey, but my money’s on Mission’s PR folks, as opposed to a competitor (competition?! whats that?).
I got two calls tonight, at 6:30 and 7:30 pm, with the robocall survey B.S. from Mission.
Wow…how many new apartment units are on the horizon?
Has Hannah Flannagan’s closed; or is the business available for lease turnkey?
Hannah’s has not closed, as far as I know.