Thoughtful parking deck debate, continued

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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More on the parking deck debate:

jck:
In protecting historic structures, well, this project doesn’t physically affect any. Enhancing? I would say that there is a strong school of thought that it is not really a preservation goal to ever be able to “enhance” a historic property.

This project will certainly detract from the area around it, but it balances other needs. I think those needs may be short-sighted but they are currently relevant. Current to me is within 10 years, not next year. In thinking about quality of life, is that for each individual? Can that really happen? In an urban area? Really?

If you want to put it on a scale and balance it out, I would place a few things on the other side: The first five Montford blocks provide the overflow parking for CC events and festivals (which kinda sucks sometimes), the downtown businesses will/or may enjoy increased traffic, the CC may increase event attendance, the city will pick up extra income (sorta), the Grove Arcade may become solvent (if they also dump their self-imposed mission statement), etc.

These are improvements in quality of life for quite a large range of businesses, neighborhood dwellers, individuals and interests. How would you weigh them against a direct infringement such as the view from a window? As far as history is concerned, including some currently large projects ongoing, you could easily put very large buildings around most of the Battery Park.

As far as this project is concerned, I have been aware of it continuously through casual observation in the media. There were large concerns but I would firmly agree that it received due process. I will see it from my house, and oddly enough, it will detract from my view of the lovely Battery Park Hotel. But, I live in the city and in a healthy city, these are the things you can expect. For example, I am a proponent of a sound wall along the Montford section of I-240. This would kill the view of downtown but greatly improve interaction with the freeway.

Quality of life is explicitly in the eye of the beholder, only in large ways can it be applied to a large and varied segment of the population.

waz:
I don’t know all the facts and haven’t paid much attention to the debate till recently. I can understand both sides and will not be affected either way. But some points come to mind reading your post.

-Won’t a parking deck make a great impression when you first enter the ville. You will have a great view driving in of the soviet bloc era civic center and a beautiful parking deck.

-When I use the library deck during the day it is rare I go above deck 4or5 before it is empty.

-It is rare seeing a ville this size (calling itself progressive) without a single pedestrian street. If you build this deck how bout giving me a pedestrian only street.

-At some point the ville keeps getting bigger and you can build parking decks till the cows come home. Imagine if we spent $20MM towards public transportation! All this talk about using less oil, bad gas prices, and take a ride on the bus. Still only poor people use it, and the schedules only run once an hour. For a ville this size public transportation is significantly below standard and needs to be pushed more.