May Minutes 2013

Monthly Membership Meeting—May 28, 2013

FLS Energy Board Room, 130 Roberts Street, 4:00-5:00 p.m.

WELCOME NEW RADBA BOARD MEMBERS:

Darren Green (Old Wood Company), President Elect
Jenny Greer Fares (SoundMind Creative), Secretary

Outgoing:

Tim Schaller (Wedge Brewery), Vice President

Susanne Hackett (Pollinate Collaborations), Secretary

 UPCOMING EVENTS:::MARK YOUR CALENDARS

  • (this) Friday, May 31, 5-8 p.m. — SpeakUp Community Design event under the West Asheville/Haywood Rd. bridge (Gene Webb Park), give input to WAVL and RAD design projects from 5-8 p.m.; PSNC building may be open as well

  • (this) Sunday, June 2, 4-6 p.m.—Susan Roderick’s 65th Birthday and Retirement Party at Wedge Brewery

  • June 6 from 6:30-8 p.m. at MHO Conference Room at Hilliard/Clingman, WECAN meeting

  • Saturday, June 8 from 1-2:30 p.m.– Old Wood Company is hosting a free concert by UnderHill Rose (Saturday from 1-2:30 p.m.) and will donate raffle proceeds back into RADA

  • Postcard Show at Arts Council in Pink Dog during Studio Stroll

  • Friday, June 14 RiverMUSIC: Underhill Rose and David Mayfield Parade

Meeting Items:

Approve Minutes to April Meeting

Susan R. move to approve; Trip Howell second the motion, passed without opposition

 Housekeeping

 Town Branch/Clingman Forest Greenway Presentation (SiteWork Studios)

Stephen Lee Johnson (Sitework Studios)and Jane Matthews (Matthews Architecture) and Baker Engineering (all three are Asheville firms)–presentation

  • 15 members of the team, completing outreach phase of project

  • East of the Riverway (1100 acre peice of land): City has placed focus and energy in this area to enhance, reinvigorate the East of the Riverway area–Town Branch is part of this project

  • 2 Greenways:Town Branch + Clingman Forest Greenway

  • Developing schematic designs through construction documents (funded by a federal grant, Tiger)

  • There is not funding for building the greenway yet

  • Reviewing existing studies and plans as to not recreate the wheel

  • Using GIS mapping to determine design

  • Lots of native plants found on the properties, which is very exciting

  • Greenway crossing at Ralph and South French Broad (really exciting design)

  • Following Town Branch Creek (aka Nasty Branch), uncovering bridges and stone retaining walls

  • Will work to overlay community history over existing topography

  • Perhaps utilize artists to interpret the history

  • Overlaying Sanborn maps with ariel photos of the area–along the river were all commercial businesses

  • Researching City directories and written newspaper articles and photographs of Urban Renewal (looking to engage the community/neighborhood in the telling of the history of that area–like Urban Trail or Jewish History panels)

  • Timeline: Outreach + Site Analysis (now); Design Development (Summer); Construction Documents (late Summer); Schematic and Construction docs completed (Fall)

Asheville Design Center/Summer Design Build–Luke Perry

  • Summer Design/Build Project (10 weeks): activating Gene Webb Park under Haywood Bridge with a foot bridge

  • 10 students from four states

  • Students: Meriam Jacob; Lauren Taylor, Thaxton Craylor

  • They will be out and about and may need some help; you’ll see them around; want RADBA to be part of the process

 RADBA Board Elections

  • Voted last month to change our ByLaws to maintain consistency in leadership to: President Elect (learning leader), President (active leader) , Past President (advisory) + Treasurer and Secretary

  • Secretary and Treasurer are both minimum 3-year terms and up to 6-year terms

  • Trip Howell will stay on as Treasurer

  • Matt Sprouse will stay on as Past President

  • Need President Elect and Secretary

  • Darren Green, President Elect nomination

  • Jenny Greer Fares, Secretary nomination

  • Paid members can vote; one member per business can vote

  • Official elected positions begin in July meeting

  • Next Executive Board meeting, all board members please attend

Joe Ransmier moves to approve two candidates, Jay Richardson seconds.  Full approval.

 RADBA Design Review Committee Update

  • Dave Campbell from MMS offers update:

  • The subcommittee is learning about key players in the community and bringing it back to RADBA meeting.

  • Have been meeting weekly.

  • Stephanie Monson from the City has been helpful in sharing information about design review processes.

  • Harry Pilos, Delphi Development, is the developer for the Dave Steele Property has also met –still in due diligence process; financing is in place; his timing is essential for success of the project; city may participate in parking deck; 210-220 apartments with at least 1 spot/bedroom plus 40-50 additional parking spots; will be some live/work spaces available; goes up 4 levels; budget: $32-40 million; mindful of congestion and feel their vehicles will be on their property as it is developing; may rent part of the Wedge lot during construction for construction vehicles; will have to drive pile ons into the ground (and this is noisy); concerned about the noise the trains make at the crossings (want to silence the trains); due diligence over by summer’s end; does not plan to do anything with the sliver lot across the street on Ralph and 5 points (roped in lot)

  • Miles Alexander, Form and Function (updating on project near Matt Logan’s–owns 5 Walnut Wine Bar) property–under the Smokey Park bridge) shipping container restaurant;Asheville Greenworks is moving into one of the buildings; will have outdoor shelter as well (open air pavilion)

  • Next meeting is June 6 at 9 a.m. at MMS, hoping that Terry Meek from River District Design Review Committee will be there

  • Matt Sprouse met with Ken Putnam last week:

  • Have lost contact with the railroad (Matt Jones is gone) so they have hit a snag but are working on new relationships on the railroad

  • Depot Street parking is still on schedule, once they get it finalized by railroad; want to get it done between July 1 and November stroll (5 points down Depot to David Stewart Studio with on-street parking)

 RADA update/Stroll

  • June 8 and 9 is the Stroll

  • 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. each day

  • Old Wood Company is hosting a free concert by UnderHill Rose (Saturday from 1-2:30 p.m.) and will donate raffle proceeds back into RADA

 RADBA Member Updates

  • CrossFit Pisgah is also opening a Swannanoa location; they are hosting another event in the fall and may change the location for the following event

  • Race/Event this last weekend: everything was fine (have heard no complaints)

  • RiverMUSIC went really well; used a shuttle to shuttle people from downtown to the event; everyone pleased

  • Crowd Funding Campaign for Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts (Pots for Life) launching Tuesday, June 4, 45 day campaign–Odyssey is no longer funded by McCarthy’s

Susanne Hackett moves to adjourn.  Joe Ransmier seconds.  All in favor.