Monthly Archives: June 2011

Sunny Point Cafe Conditional Zoning Request hearing June 28

Asheville City Council will vote on Sunny Point Cafes CBII CZ (Community Business II Conditional Zoning) request on Tuesday, June 28th. Sunny Point Café is requesting CBII CZ for the lot adjacent to the restaurant: the small brick house, small gravel parking lot and their garden. This is being done to be in compliance with commercial zoning regulations and involves using the house, gravel lot and garden in the same way that they have been for the last five + years and does not involve an expansion of the restaurant.

Some of the things that are being done include:
moving the dumpster and enclosing it
relocated the composting collection bins
adding one more handicap parking space
installing a privacy fence and additional landscape buffer
meeting all preliminary design requirements

To voice your support for Sunny Point Cafes Conditional Zoning request please contact your council members before the end of the day Monday, June 27th, 2011.

For more information visit Sunny Point Cafes website.

Graffiti Meeting June 28

City of Asheville staff will be holding a meeting at the West Asheville Library Meeting Room on Tuesday June 28 at 6 pm to discuss Graffiti in West Asheville. Speakers will include representatives from the Police Department and the Weed & Seed initiative will offer insight regarding graffiti vandalism affecting businesses in West Asheville. The discussion will include: how and when to report graffiti, what Asheville Police Department is able to do and would like you to do if your business and or propery is vandalized, suggested graffiti removal resources and crime prevention ideas.

For more information contact:

Community Resource Officer, Chad McCall 777-5205

Weed & Seed Coordinator, Rebecca Byrn 258-2813

Taste of Blue Ridge Food Ventures at NC Arboretum 25th Anniversary Celebration July 1

Come meet the makers of fine artisan products from Blue Ridge Food Ventures at a free public event celebrating the 25th anniversary of The North Carolina Arboretum on July 1st from 4 to 8 pm. Sample and purchase yummy goodies all in one convenient place at the Blue Ridge Food Ventures Village Market. Products will include; organic pizza kits from Gallo Lea Pizza, Beulah’s Bavarian Pretzels (these are the real thing!), kickin’ biscuits from the Biscuit Wagon Bakery, decadent (but healthy!) organic chocolate truffles from Ulimana, fruit jams and ice cream from Imladris Farms, fine Italian desserts from Dolci di Maria (you’ll never guess they’re gluten-free), My Whoopie Pies (classic whoopie pies – with an edge!) and more.

For more information about Blue Ridge Food Ventures visit them on Facebook or at their website. For more about the Arboretum’s anniversary celebration, which runs 9am to 9pm and includes music in the gardens, children’s activities, demonstrations, exhibits, a “doggie hike,” a 5K time trial, geocaching and lots more, visit ncarboretum.org.

Revive hosting 20th Century Modern open house July 1

Revive Asheville will be hosting their third 20th Century Modern design open house on July 1, 2011 from 5-10 pm at 178A Westwood Place in West Asheville.

Founded in 2010 on the principle of bringing high quality Modern furniture, lighting and more to the Asheville area, Revive has spent numerous days on the road hand-selecting pieces from names such as Hans Wegner, Milo Baughman, George Nelson, Eero Saarinen, Knoll, Charles Eames and more.

Revive has been mentioned locally by WNC Magazine, Modern Asheville and other local and regional websites and blogs as a go-to shop for Modern design.

Owner Chris Sabo has a passion for finding, restoring and bringing back to life original pieces of Modern design. “There are a lot of companies now make unlicensed, cheap reproductions of Modern furniture.” Chris said. “Having an original 1950’s teak, oak and brass table designed by Hans Wegner, one of the most well-respected Danish designers on the 20th Century, is a piece that will stay with you family for many years to come.”

Original pieces of quality Modern have continued to increase in value significantly over the past decade.

You can check out Revive Asheville’s website at: www.reviveasheville.com

French Broad RiverFest August 13

RiverFest 2011, a celebration of the French Broad River hosted by RiverLink and the Asheville Radio Group, takes place at French Broad River Park on Saturday, August 13 from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m.

RiverLink encourages everyone to gather coworkers, friends and family members and create a raft for the “Anything that Floats” parade. About the only rule is that the craft must float, and it must be removed from the festival grounds upon completion of the race. The registration deadline for “yachts” is Wednesday, August 10.

Landlubbers will find plenty of fun activities at RiverFest 2011, like the Music Showcase & Competition featuring local great music acts. Local restaurants will be serving up some yummy treats, and there will be friendly competition in Frisbee golf and the local favorite, corn hole. Support local artists and vendors in the craft village.
RiverFest offers lots of fun for kids, too.  Kids can ride, skate, walk, run, and skip in costume with opportunities to win prizes for most creative, cutest and funniest in the Kids Parade.

Volunteers are still needed to make this a fun and successful event! In exchange for their time and hard work, volunteers receive a free t-shirt and a free drink per shift. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact the RiverLink’s Director of Volunteer Services, Dave Russell, at volunteer@riverlink.org or 252-8474, ext. 11.

For more information on raft registration, please visit www.riverlink.org and look for the RiverFest Raft Competition Registration Form link under Upcoming Events.

Burton Street Community Center Tech Center Meeting June 20

The Burton Street Community Center will be holding a public meeting on a proposal to develop a community technology center at the Burton Street Community Center. The proposed Technology Center would consist of a computer lab, music and video production studio and would serve as a resource for the entire Asheville Community. The meeting will be held Monday June 20 6 pm at the Burton Street Community Center at 134 Burton Street in West Asheville. For more information on the meeting please call 828-778-5105.

Haywood Road Corridor Committee meeting June 22

The next meeting for the Haywood Road Corridor Vision Plan will be WEDNESDAY, June 22, 2011, 6:00 PM until 7:45 at the West Asheville Library.

The topic for the meeting will be economic development.  Based on feedback from our last meeting we will have opportunities for input and brainstorming of ideas as well as having a limited number of invited resource people to facilitate the conversation.  I have always been impressed with the diversity of the businesses along Haywood Road and I think I share most people wishes to maintain a really rich mix of commercial uses that makes living and doing business in west Asheville such a pleasure.

I hope you can make it to the next meeting forf the vision plan and feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments.  If you want to catch up on what we have already worked on please visit the West Asheville Business Association (WABA) website for our notes and archives at  www.west-asheville.com.

Graffiti Meeting June 28

City of Asheville staff, including representatives from the Police Department and the Weed & Seed initiative will offer insight regarding graffiti vandalism affecting businesses in West Asheville.  The discussion will include: how and when to report graffiti, what APD is able to do and would like you to do if your business and or propery is vandalized, suggested graffiti removal resources, crime prevention ideas.

For more information contact:

Community Resource Office,’ Chad McCall 777-5205

Weed & Seed Coordinator, Rebecca Byrn 258-2813

Changes to Asheville brush and leaf collection program

In an effort to address community concerns, conserve costs and improve water quality, changes to the brush and leaf collection program were submitted as part of the budget which was adopted by City Council on May 24.

Beginning July 1, the frequency of brush and bagged leaf collection will change from once per month to twice per month.

Monday and Tuesday trash customers will have brush collected the first and third week of each month. Brush for Wednesday and Thursday trash customers will be collected the second and forth week of the month.

Brush collection will continue to occur on a scheduled week and not a specific day. Residents should make sure brush is out for collection by 7 a.m. on the Monday of their collection week.

Brush should be cut to four feet in length and six inches in diameter. Crews ask that residents do not mix trash, debris, garden waste, weeds, vines, construction materials, leaves or dirt with their brush or bagged leaves. For the safety of crews, thorny trimmings should be placed in a separate pile. Visit the city’s blog http://coablog.ashevillenc.gov/ in the coming week for a video outlining appropriate brush pile content and placement.

Another change will be the elimination of loose leaf collection by vacuum trucks.  Beginning July 1, all leaves must be bagged for collection.  The city will provide large leaf bags to residents on a first come first served basis; bags will be available at local fire stations in October.  Director of Public Works Cathy Ball shares, “moving to bagged leaf collection only will both save money and help improve water quality since loose leaves often clog storm drains.”

Revised brush and bagged leaves collection schedules will be mailed to residents within the next two weeks. New schedules can also be viewed and downloaded on the city’s website at www.ashevillenc.gov/sanitation.

For further information contact the City of Asheville at 251-1122 or visit www.ashevillenc.gov/sanitation.

Mobile Art Lab “Yarnstorming”

Grab your knitting needles and crochet hooks and join the Mobile Art Lab – part of the City of Asheville Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Department – for a Yarnstorming on Friday, June 10 from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Amboy Road Park in West Asheville.  The event is free and open to all ages.  Music and refreshments will be available.
“Yarnstorming” refers to the idea of wrapping items in public spaces in specially-designed hand-knit or crochet materials.  All of the wraps will be removed from Amboy Road Park within a week of the installation.
For further information, contact Diane Ruggiero, Superintendent of Cultural Arts, at 828-259-5815 or druggiero@ashevillenc.gov.

West Asheville Parks get informational kiosks

RiverLink completed the stream restoration through Malvern Hills and West Asheville Park, with the installation of two informational kiosks. These will provide additional information about the projects and the water quality measures implemented along with the stream restorations.
Check ‘em out when you are in the neighborhood!

River Arts District Studio Stroll June 11-12

The first, largest, and most walkable tour of working artists’ studios in the region, the River Arts District Studio Stroll takes place in 19 historic buildings along the French Broad River on Saturday and Sunday June 11 and 12 from 10 am to 6 pm. There will be artists’ demonstrations and hands-on activities throughout the weekend at artists studios.
Sprinkled throughout the District are lots of new places to eat, drink, see a performance or just hang out. Try some nationally renowned barbeque, organic juices and teas, tacos, or great-tasting local food. Try Asheville’s famous microbrews at The Wedge.
Getting to and around in the River Arts District is a breeze. Accessible by car from Downtown, West Asheville, and Biltmore Village, there is plenty of parking. Catch the trolley at Riverview Station or any of the stops listed on the map. An Information Booth is located at the 5-points intersection of Depot St. across from the Clingman Café. For more information see riverartsdistrict.com.

Fundamentals of Herbalism Certification Class starts July 13

Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism in West Asheville is offering a Fundamentals of Herbalism Certification starting July 13th. The program is 70 hours over 13 weeks, meeting Wednesday evenings from 6-9pm and every other Saturday 10am-3pm.
Explore modern applications of timeless traditions of folk healing, through linear classroom discussion of herbs useful for each body system, plant identification in Appalachian forests, and hands-on medicine making at our botanical Sanctuary. Learn to help yourself and your family with safe, affordable, sustainable natural remedies! For more information go to www.HerbsHeal.com.