Meeting notes from the New Belgium Brewing community neighborhood meeting can be downloaded in pdf format here and found below.
New Belgium Neighborhood/Business Association Meeting hosted by New Belgium
November 1, 2012 8:30-10:00 a.m. at FLS Energy Boardroom (thank you!)
Next meeting: Late November or in the New Year
Purpose: To connect with neighborhood and business associations’ boards (stakeholders) who are adjacent to the stockyard site on Craven Street
Goal: To work together to create streamlined and accessible channels of communication for those who will be impacted by stockyard site construction, as well as to distribute job and community information on behalf of New Belgium
RESULTS OF PAST MEETINGS: WORKING TOGETHER
NEW BELGIUM
TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY: City and New Belgium have initiated a traffic impact analysis. They envision having a conversation closer to January to talk about the study and community issues. The city doubled the scope of the analysis due to community input. Will share scope with this group.
City and New Belgium hired Mattern + Craig to do an extensive, expanded scope Traffic Impact Analysis
CONSTRUCTION HIRING: Please hire local. New Belgium is doing all they can to connect their contractor with local subcontractors and local labor (Green Opportunities).
Contractor held meeting with Green Opportunities this week.
Adolfson & Peterson http://www.a-p.com/ (New Belgium contractor) held a Subcontractor + Supplier Local Open House (Oct. 30) had about 220 companies represented at The Lift Studios.
Subcontractor requirements are here http://www.a-p.com/subcontractor-center/
EDUCATION: There is a level of qualifications for subcontractors that needs to be in place to get hired on this project. New Belgium and A+P will be holding a number of trainings for OSHA pre-qualifications for those local subcontractors that do not yet have those qualifications. This enables those who haven’t yet gone through this process able to participate. Trying to set up first round in December.
CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION: New Belgium is working with the City, Adolfson + Peterson to develop a construction mitigation plan (working hours, dust control, storm water control), then they will share it for feedback with this group
OUTREACH TO THOSE NOT ON WEB: Request Printable Poster to post around town for those who are not on the internet. First one is here will be updated every couple months: http://www.newbelgium.com/Files/Asheville/Asheville%20poster%2010-2012.pdf
VISITOR VEHICLE ROUTING to SITE: New Belgium/City will work on changing Google address so that GPS and Google map traffic does not route people down residential streets to the brewery
Jenn is working on this. There are some complications about changing the address of the site right now. There are close to 12 addresses on that site that can’t be changed until the utilities are changed. This will happen before they open.
LOGISTICS OF MEETING: host meetings at a building that does not lock door.
Moved November meeting to FLS Energy Boardroom –special thank you to FLS for sharing their meeting space with the community
NEIGHBORHOOD + BUSINESS GROUPS
COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Associations will help get the word out about these conversations as well as updates to the larger community. Associations will offer feedback and hear responses and feasibility at bi-monthly meetings, bring concerns and communicate information back to the community.
Sharing information with associations through websites and by posting posters
Concerns are being brought to proper people – October 10 Community meeting hosted by EWANA
Alternative Truck Route proposed to City of Asheville
NEIGHBORHOOD MASTER PLANS: Marsha Stickford suggested that all the neighborhoods to do master plan process, similar to WeCan (long-term commitment here)
CITY OF ASHEVILLE
TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY: City and New Belgium have initiated a traffic impact analysis. They envision having a conversation closer to January to talk about the study and community issues. Doubled the scope of the analysis due to community input.
City and New Belgium hired Mattern + Craig to do an extensive, expanded scope Traffic Impact Analysis
OUTREACH: City plans to use off-line communication methods as well (kiosk, phone, leaflets, signs, phone alerts)
City collaborated with EWANA to host community meeting about traffic on Haywood Rd. on October 10
City responded to Alternative Truck Route
PROJECT MANAGER: City plans to hire a project manager for Craven Street Project.
McCray Coates has been recently hired as Project Manager to the Craven Street Project. Site concerns, please contact McCray. McCray Coates Project Manager 828-259-5966 mcoates@ashevillenc.gov
AGENDA
Review any New Belgium-related information from City’s Infrastructure Community Meeting (October 10 at Hall Fletcher)—Joshua Martin + Jonathan Wainscott, EWANA
o Google Maps update – Jenn Vervier
Stockyard Reuse Event Discussion + Partnership Desires and Possibilities (Reuse Bus Shelter) –Group + Asheville Design Center
Contractors Hired + Subcontractor Open House held Oct. 30—Jenn Vervier or Edwin Fowler, New Belgium
Check-in–Communication Tools: website and poster—Group
o Printable Poster found here: http://www.newbelgium.com/Files/Asheville/Asheville%20poster%2010-2012.pdf and listed in the FAQs on the New Belgium page
Update on New Belgium Timeline and Process—Jenn Vervier or Edwin Fowler, New Belgium
Updates from Organizations
QUICK REVIEW OF AGENDA + ADDITIONS
No additions
MEETING OVERVIEW
NBB-relevant Updates from City’s Infrastructure Community Meeting on October 10
MEETING OVERVIEW Joshua Martin, EWANA organizer, provided an overview of the Oct. 10 meeting with the City of Asheville at Hall Fletcher Elementary. Turn out was good—about 150 people. He expressed the concern of some of the neighbors in East West Asheville of the truck route down Haywood Rd. and the impact on the neighborhood, and that the Alternative Truck Route was proposed to the City by Jonathan Wainscott, member of EWANA and neighbor near the brewery site, with support from many in the room. Jonathan Wainscott stated
a few specifics of the route, as well as his process in building the proposed route. EWANA appreciates the City participating in the meeting and expanding the traffic study as a result of community input.
ALTERNATIVE TRESTLE TRUCK ROUTE: Cathy Ball–The meeting with EWANA and neighborhood was a great opportunity for the City; maybe not enough discussion of the impact of the construction; want people to be active; not closed up to any options; historically the railroads are very bureaucratic and difficult to get things done within their right of way; the City is going to go a little further with it. In picking the truck route, Mattern + Craig was hired to investigate lots of options (did not include the Norfolk Trestle alternative presented by EWANA); City carefully evaluated that and chose Haywood Rd. These options were shared with EWANA.
ALTERNATIVE TRUCK ROUTE NAME: Stuart Greene from Emma neighborhood let the group know that Festus’ (name on memorial on the Norfolk Trestle on Riverside Drive) name was David Walker and he passed away one night coming through the Norfolk Trestle. In sensitivity to his family, he asks that we please not call it the Festus Bridge Alternative. Suggested calling it the Norfolk Trestle.
INVESTIGATING TRESTLE ROUTE: DOT and the City are working on Haywood Road and Craven Street infrastructure changes, not New Belgium. The City’s project manager is McCray Coates. McCray made contact with Norfolk Southern and they said the railroad tracks that the Norfolk Trestle alternative wishes to use would not be abandoned anytime soon, and that they would not share the line. Mattern + Craig will do further evaluation. City and New Belgium hiring Mattern + Craig to do an extensive Traffic Impact Analysis. Suggestion made to call Harriet Winner (owner of blue warehouse that now houses a gym on Old Haywood Rd.) and ask for her thoughts on the Norfolk Trestle alternative. Cathy Ball will call.
Contractors Hired + Subcontractor Open House held Oct. 30
ON SITE NOW: We’re doing tests on-site– environmental testing. Fencing will go up soon.
DEMO + CONSTRUCTION: Adolfson & Peterson has been chosen as the Contractor. They are in line with corporate and sustainable practices, local labor + vendor sources, and holding open houses for staffing and working with local labor. They will track local participation.
LOCAL LABOR: Contractor had meeting with GO this week and there is a commitment on the front end of this process to local labor.
LOCAL SUBS + SUPPLIERS: Adolfson & Peterson http://www.a-p.com/ (New Belgium contractor) held a Subcontractor + Supplier Local Open House (Oct. 30) had about 220 companies represented at The Lift Studios.
SUB REQUIREMENTS: Subcontractor requirements are here http://www.a-p.com/subcontractor-center/
SUBCONTRACTOR EDUCATION: A&P may set up another Open House that is specific to trades. There is a level of qualifications for contractors that needs to be in place to get hired on this project. New Belgium and A&Ps will be doing a number of trainings for OSHA pre-qualifications for those local subcontractors that do not yet have those. This makes it possible for people who haven’t gone through this process to participate. Working to set up first round in December.
CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION: New Belgium is working with the City, Adolfson & Peterson to develop a construction mitigation plan (working hours, dust control, storm water control), then they will share it for feedback, plan guide for practices of the project
Check-in: Communication Tools
WEBSITE + POSTER: The groups are pleased with updates to the New Belgium Asheville website + poster. Recommendation to decrease MB size of poster and turn it into jpeg for ease in posting.
OUTREACH FORMAT: City plans to use off-line communication methods as well (kiosk, phone, leaflets, signs, phone alerts)
REGULAR UPDATES FROM SITE: Once the machines are on site, suggested email updates sent weekly or bi-weekly about what the plan is on site for the next week or two. Also use social media hashtags to get the word out with Ashvegas and Blog Asheville.
OVERLOOK: Suggestion to have an overlook for people to watch the construction process. Edwin acknowledges this as a great idea, but he is not sure that they could find a safe location for a permanent watching space. Also, he is concerned about creating more vehicle traffic to the site during construction, and finding parking for those vehicles if specific viewing is provided.
Reuse of Site Materials Discussion + Partnership Desires and Possibilities
SEEKING GROUP INPUT: How do we get materials in hands of the community for reuse in a feasible, timely, simple manner?
Goals: offer materials to community and reuse them in the new structure; involve the community and offer materials to the community; reuse as much as possible, rather than recycle; keep the process simple
Concerns: Cost to deconstruct doesn’t seem like the best use of funds; how do we get it into the hands of the community and have it be beneficially reused without incurring unpractical business expenses?
New Belgium will reuse some of the materials; some materials will be earmarked for the reused bus shelter; and then the rest will be available.
Three Potential Options (brought forth by New Belgium):
1. Option A: Hire a Demo Company + Pile it for it to be avail to community (safe, easy to control, protects liability; it’s very expensive and the cost/benefit doesn’t work)
2. Option B: Choose one to a Few Strategic Partners to Take it Down and Disburse (still cost and still how did you pick those people)
3. Option C: Open House/Stock Yard Sale (safety is a major concern here as well as chaos)
GROUP INPUT:
Would pick Option B: Pick a few strategic partners—there are artists who have done amazing things with reuse (contractors may not have that vision)
Concern: are we limiting by only allowing artists to use the materials
There are scales and levels of materials—Luke likes the idea that artists accesses it and also can track the materials and see where it goes PHOTO TRACKING of where materials are reused.
Suggestion: Hierarchy–
First: Remove what NBB will reuse
Second: What you can carry off the site
Third: What you can take with a pick-up truck
Fourth: What you can take with a flatbed
Suggestion: Some portion set aside for community use: Luke
Challenge is that it is cost prohibitive.
Timeframe: Over the next few months; likely in early 2013
BUS SHELTER PROJECT: Asheville Design Center http://ashevilledesigncenter.org/ has communicated with New Belgium and the City of Asheville to develop an idea for a community-driven design process to build a bus shelter at Craven and Haywood Streets with materials provided from the New Belgium site. In addition to providing a bus shelter, it would offer an opportunity for people to come together, and to serve as a place-making effort. If implemented, the process will involve the history of the site and collecting character of the neighborhood and inform the design of the bus shelter. ADC will reach out to see if neighbors would be interested in working together through community design charettes, meetings and history collection. GO labor crew is written into the process as paid building assistance (as well as education). Process: there is room for many partners. More on this as the project progresses.
WABA and BUS SHELTER AREA: WABA has been voluntarily doing upkeep on the land around the sign for years, and would like to reach out to the land owner to develop clarity around that if possible in this process. The bus shelter would take into account the West Asheville existing sign and compliment it. The sign will not be replaced or overlooked if this process occurs.
ABOUT ADC: The ADC community-driven design process begins by documenting the cultural heritage of the Stockyard site and surrounding neighborhood. An outreach event will serve to gather research, record oral histories, scan historic photographs and collect stories that reflect the rich history of the stockyard site and surrounding neighborhood. ADC designers will then use this material to inform the draft conceptual designs for the bus shelter. Then they circle back to residents and confirm that the designs reflect what they heard and meet the needs of the community. Only then do they implement a project.
Update on New Belgium Timeline and Process
PROCESS TIMELINE: New Belgium is making equivalent financial investments on the on site development and the building as they are on the brewery equipment and set up. Neither one can get too far ahead of the other, so purchasing the equipment has an effect on building process and timeline. Right now, there are 9 engineers working on the brewing equipment; and they are in an RFP selection process with mostly European brewing vendors. They will share dates as they become available.
Updates from Organizations
WECAN monthly meeting is tonight, Nov. 1 6:30 @ 64 Clingman Ave. (Mountain Housing Opportunities)
Discussing Ice House and the challenges around the abandoned buildings. How can we make sure this doesn’t happen again? Members of the police department and representatives from the city, and then determine how we can move forward. Finalizing master plan for WECAN and will seek input from others.
Follow-up will happen at RADBA www.RADBA.org
WABA: DOT concerns
Concerns are related to construction on Haywood Road. They want to make sure that crosswalk signals are going in properly. And that the signals are at Haywood Road and 240 and fixed.
Want to make sure that signals have provisions for those who are blind.
Request that DOT to improve the pedestrian railing of the bridge where Haywood Road crosses 240. It is very low and dangerous.
Gabe Quisenberry from Mattern + Craig will address this with DOT
Trey did an awesome job at the SunnyPoint dinner—he and everything was fabulous.
Hall Fletcher: DOT concerns
When will the construction begin at Beachum’s Curve?
Gabe will ask DOT
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
New Belgium Asheville Website www.NewBelgium.com/ashevillebrewery
Posters available online for printing: http://www.newbelgium.com/Community/ashevillebrewery/faq.aspx
Notes from all Neighborhood + Business Association meetings: http://www.newbelgium.com/Community/ashevillebrewery/comments-questions.aspx
City of Asheville’s Craven Street improvement Project website: http://www.ashevillenc.gov/Departments/CommunityRelations/ProjectsandInitiativesInformation/CravenStreetImprovementProject.aspx
City of Asheville is developing a communication plan that will include online and face-to-face/off-line communication methods (leaflets, phone calls, etc.)
Neighborhood organizations are sending out on their websites, Facebook pages and emails to members.
IN ATTENDANCE
River Arts District Business Association- http://www.radba.org
Trip Howell
West Asheville Business Association- https://west-asheville.com/
Alice Oglesby
Green Opportunities- http://greenopportunities.org/
Dan Leroy and Torin Kexel
East West Asheville Neighborhood Association
Joshua Martin and Jonathan Wainscott-guest
WeCan- http://ashevillerad.com/business/community_non_profits/wecan
Luke Perry
Joe Ficcola
Hall Fletcher Neighborhood Association- https://www.facebook.com/HallFletcherNeighborhoodAssociation
Tom Burnett
Asheville Riverfront Redevelopment Coalition- http://www.ashevillenc.gov/Departments/CityClerk/BoardsCommissions/AshevilleAreaRiverfrontRedevelopmentCommission.aspx
Pattiy Torno
Emma Neighborhood Representative
Stuart Greene
Asheville Design Center-guest of New Belgium
Chris Joyell
City of Asheville-http://www.ashevillenc.gov/Departments/CommunityRelations/ProjectsandInitiativesInformation/CravenStreetImprovementProject.aspx
Cathy Ball and McCray Coates
New Belgium – http://www.newbelgium.com
Jenn Vervier, Community Relations and Edwin Fowler, Stockyard Project Manager
Pollinate Collaborations- http://www.pollinatecollaborations.com/
Susanne Hackett, New Belgium Brewery Community Liaison + RADBA Secretary
Mattern and Craig- City Engineer on New Belgium site http://www.matternandcraig.com
Gabe Quesinberry
Adolfson + Peterson Construction, Contractor
Alan Antiqulock and Tyler Sartorius
Invited but not in attendance:
River Arts District Artists
Livingston Neighborhood
HACA Residents Council
Asheville on Bikes— http://ashevilleonbikes.com/
NC DOT – http://www.ncdot.gov/ Chad Bandy—not available but has communicated with City officials
Southside Community Advisory Board