Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
This photo was submitted to Ashvegas from a group based at the Battery Park Apartments, a group opposed to a proposed city parking deck depicted here as the black building wrapping around the landmark Battery Park.
Thanks for the photo. Unfortunately for you, I don’t agree with your opposition to the project. I don’t agree on several fronts.
But first, a criticism: Where the hell have you been for about the past decade? It’s been no secret that the Ashvegas City Council has been sniffing around the Battery Park area for a location to build a new parking deck. For years. The local newspaper and other media outlets have been writing stories about this project for years. Years. And you’re just now waking from your retirement slumber to send Ashvegas a picture of a hastily constructed cardboard model???
Give me a break.
Here’s why I favor the project:
First, it’s a great example of in-fill development. “In-fill development” is a development philosophy council had adopted, in part, to stop Ashvegas from becoming another Charlotte. The idea is to encourage inner-city development and slow the sprawl. It’s a solid concept, one that acquaintance Uptown of Scrutiny Hooligans crystallized for me just the other night when he said he preferred in-fill to suburban sprawl. He and I would prefer no development at all, but in-fill remains the lesser of two evils.
Secondly, I favor the parking deck design because I want the Grove Arcade to survive. City Council promised more downtown parking at the same time it got behind the concept of a renewed Grove Arcade, lo those many years ago.
But the parking deck hasn’t happened, and the arcade sits in a precarious position. Stores are closing. People complain about access. I’m not saying the lack of a giant parking deck and the recent hard times of the Grove Arcade are directly linked, but the deck can help the arcade. And I want the arcade to succeed. It’s a beautiful feather in downtown’s cap. It needs to shine.
Finally, let me just add that if you parking deck opponents prevail in delaying the project further, all you’re really doing is ensuring that more taxpayer money is spent on a future deck. The current project has already escalated over the years to more than $20 million. That’s my money. Put it off, and it’s only going to cost us all more.
Build it. Now.
If you really want to affect the process, get involved before City Council votes to approve a project. Pay attention. Attend council meetings. Hell – you don’t even have to attend. They’re aired on a local cable channel.
I hate to agree with Councilman Carl Mumpower, but he summed it up on the local TV news when, questioned about the parking deck by a reporter, he said that council simply can’t go back on votes it has already taken.
“That would be anarchy.”
