Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Norfolk Southern trestle image by Jonathan Wainscott
City of Asheville Director of Public Works Cathy Ball weighed in with her opinion in October, calling West Asheville resident Jonathan Wainscott‘s “Festus Bypass”/Norfolk Southern Trestle Bypass proposal “problematic.”
The idea, popular with many West Asheville residents, was Wainscott’s personally researched citizen proposal to eliminate already congested Haywood Road as New Belgium’s main delivery route, re-routing traffic through a proposed bypass around the Norfolk Southern trestle (the yellow bridge known locally as the Festus Bridge) from Riverside Drive. Something popular with many other companies offering delivery services is a route optimization app which can help to boost efficiency, both in terms of time and money.
New Belgium’s response is available in its published notes from a New Belgium Neighborhood/Business Association Meeting hosted November 29 in the FLS Energy Boardroom:
ALTERNATIVE ROUTE CONCLUSION—the alternative Norfolk Southern Trestle Route is not feasible for a number of reasons. Cathy Ball shared with EWANA group in early November that the Norfolk Southern Trestle Alternative Route (reference: http://ashvegas.com/demosite/new-belgium-in-asheville-city-of-asheville-dept-of-public-works-responds-to-festus-bypass-proposal) is not feasible due to access and safety.
* Harriet Winner, owner of blue warehouse across from White Duck Taco on West Haywood St. is not willing to sell the property, a necessity for the alternative to work.
* Norfolk Southern line that would need to be used for truck route is used once a day to service Silverline Plastics.
* Measurement—the constructability is not feasible due to design safety standards; there is only 6 feet of distance between the stone wall and RR track so it’s not a safe alternative.
* We would like to look at diversifying the routes and coming up with other options; want to make sure to not be missing out on other opportunities to diversify traffic.
* The City is using the TIA to determine how to diversify truck routes to vary impact. Other options regarding the trestle are being considered.
The notes from the meeting are available here.
Read more about the Festus Bypass/Norfolk Southern Trestle Bypass proposal here: New Belgium in Asheville: Citizen proposal challenges Haywood Road as delivery route
Don’t fret, Suzy. Asheville’s low wages, high prices, lack of decent employment, and the ferociousness of the NIMBY’s whenever anyone tries to change any of those negative aspects will ensure that Asheville remains a smallish colony of well-to-do hipsters.
if Asheville wants to be Austin, then this is an excellent way to start.
oh, and i moved away from Austin because of what it is becoming… don’t ruin Asheville… please.
ask all the Austinites who’ve moved to Asheville (and there are a LOT) WHY they moved… dollars to donuts, they’ll say it just got too big to maintain its cool-factor.
Did the Festus plan come with a Festus pole so you could properly celebrate?
Diversifying routes only makes the traffic mess more of a mess.
Related: New Belgium has filed their site plan for review with the city.
http://gis.ashevillenc.gov/documents/DevelopmentMapper/2012/12-30-004/New%20Belgium%20Brewery.pdf