Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Thoughts on Zoning... Zoning Out Thoughts

I have to admit, I am torn on this issue. I can see the arguments of both sides, and both sides have horror stories and successes they can point to.

Last night was a split decision, or a set of split decisions, between the county and city. At neither of them was there a voice for the wilderness. There rarely is.

This morning I took a drive up Chun's Cove Road, to Vance Gap Road (soon to be closed, made private by city edict) to Town Mountain Road. It ain't pretty what we are doing to the hillsides, even in this area of large tract, "green" development.

It is insane, and our grandchildren will curse us for allowing it.

Even here in my West Asheville neighborhood, where one would think there are all the houses there could be (incorrectly, it seems) we have houses going up on stilts on steep slopes on Grandview Drive, and on State Street.

Stilts. Wonder how those are going to be to heat with all that airspace underneath.

But, it seems the City Council is determined to fill every empty lot in the city with some kind of housing, no matter how inappropriate. They have said so over and over.

Density is their mantra.

And I would say, by extension, their mantra clouds their foresight.

No comments: