Things change. In the early 1980s, the streets in the Grove Park neighborhood were mostly traveled by the residents. Some tourists drove up Macon Avenue to visit the much smaller Grove Park Inn, open only from April through October. Other Ashevilleans drove Kimberly Avenue, delivering children to Jones School or perhaps on the way to one of the several businesses located on Merrimon Avenue.

Today, those streets may look the same … in structure perhaps, but definitely not in use.

Cars, trucks, speeds, noise have greatly increased. They are often unsafe for people who try to walk, cross, drive and simply live on them. Things do change. How you try to direct that change to maintain a quality environment is the difference between progress and destruction, being part of the process or giving up.

In an attempt to prepare citizens for the upcoming traffic calming measures on some streets in north Asheville, I offer this brief history of events. It is brief, let me assure you, when the years and efforts volunteered by so many are considered.

Past appeal

When neighbors learned of the proposed Grove Park Inn Property Master Plan in 2003, we wrote an open letter to the inn and city, voicing our concerns and asking for opportunity to work together for a “win” solution. Twenty years had already brought increased traffic, noise, parking and safety issues to our streets, and this plan inevitably guaranteed more. In addition, the business development north and redirection of Interstate 240/Merrimon traffic had created a thoroughfare of cars and trucks speeding down Kimberly Avenue as a short cut from one area of Asheville to another.

Attempts to involve the police, erect more signage, issue parking tickets, etc., provided only sporadic and temporary results.

While recognizing the right to develop private property, we also pointed out the advantages of working with the neighbors to protect and preserve the quality of the neighborhood we share. An international resort in the middle of a historic residential neighborhood on a mountain creates unique problems. The access roads (Macon, Grovewood and Country Club) are old and narrow with blind curves. Most do not have sidewalks. The inn operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and requires many employees, transportation, service and delivery trucks. Tourists and locals frequent the facilities and many businesses enjoy meetings and functions there. This is a plus for Asheville’s economy and employment; however, it is a heavy load on the surrounding properties and environment.

Traffic calming provision

In November 2004, City Council approved Phase I of GPI’s plan with the condition that the inn place $375,000 in the city budget for traffic calming (TC) measures. Acknowledging these problems being experienced by the neighborhood, the council directed the city to begin the TC process. The Grove Park Inn fulfilled its funding condition and hired an ombudsman to meet and communicate with the neighbors and investigate problems related to the construction.

The process of traffic calming (TC), however, is very laborious and complicated. The city determined there were 407 households in the affected streets, and signed petitions for TC were required by the majority. After the initial 40 percent needed to start the process, 60 percent had to approve the devised plans. With many volunteers going door-to-door (not an easy task on our hilly, curvy roads), that was accomplished in the spring of 2007.

Input gathered

More than two years had been spent in the process of determining what kind of traffic management would work for our streets. In 2006, an engineering firm was hired to gather information from neighbors and the city. This process required two public meetings for each of three separate neighborhood areas (basically Macon, Kimberly and Country Club). Residents gave input and later reviewed additions and deletions in the proposed drawings, as there were opportunities to talk to the architects at their offices and numerous neighborhood meetings. Measures are expensive, so compromises were necessary. City transportation and safety departments had to test and approve the plans. In April the City Council gave its final approval for the TC construction contract to begin this summer. We feel this has been a responsible process, by using mostly private funds from the GPI, some city budget funding and private funds from the Grove Park residents (who are responsible for any enhancements, plantings in traffic islands, etc.).

Life moves on; things change. We now need sidewalks, crosswalks, traffic islands, bike lanes and speed humps. Patience will be needed as we cope with construction and new traffic patterns. Hopefully, these studied steps over the last five years will help in that growth and preserve a neighborhood we cherish.

Glenda Burgin is retired from UNCA, a resident of the Grove Park neighborhood since 1981 and chair of the Grove Park Inn Neighborhood Representatives Group.