Where, exactly, does Brownie stand?
I was forwarded a copy of the following letter from Brownie Newman to members of the Carolina Real Estate Investors Association. Seems to me that Newman is offering a bit different message to developers than the one he conveys to the environmentalist/progressive community in Asheville. But maybe I’m missing something.
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From Brownie Newman:
Asheville real estate investors should support my re-election for Asheville City Council because I have a track record of handling the challenges facing our community in an effective and responsible manner. I have worked hard to support policies and plans that preserve the things we all love about Asheville and our mountains, while at the same time making Asheville an attractive place to invest and do business.
During my four years on City Council, we have approved more permits for in-fill development in the city than during anytime since the boom years of the 1920s. We have significantly strengthened our tax base, allowing us to invest more resources in public safety, streets and sidewalks and other key services and infrastructure, including $35 million in repairs to our long-neglected water system. At the same time, we reduced our property tax rate by more than any other municipality in Buncombe County.
Rather than saying “no” to new development, I have worked to support quality development that reflects the values of Asheville. We have supported developments that have outstanding designs, such as the Ellington, even when they were controversial. I am proud that several of the most significant green building projects in America, including the Weir Bridge development, the Ellington and Zona Lofts are underway right here in Asheville. We have also worked with for-profit and non-profit developers to support affordable housing developments in Asheville. In my role on the Housing and Community Development Committee, we have made the city’s low-interest affordable housing loan fund a more user-friendly and less bureaucratic process.
On growth and development issues, I have taken the time to do my homework and to listen to all sides of the issues. When the steep slope ordinance was brought before Council, I was very concerned that the proposal recommended by staff would significantly harm our ability to support quality in-fill development in Asheville. I brought together additional meetings with builders, contractors, geological experts and neighborhood and environmental community representatives to find a better solution. As a result, we approved a Steep Slope policy that is much more flexible than the original, allows much more in-fill development, while at the same time still achieving our community goals of better safeguarding our steep slopes.
I also supported taking additional time to get public input before making a final decision on the stream buffer issue and the proposed rezoning of Merrimon Ave. In both instances, it seemed clear that more input from the community and business owners was needed before a good decision can be made.
People may not agree with me on every issue, but I will always take time to listen to all sides of the issues. I grew up on a working farm here in the mountains, and my wife and I plan to raise our two daughters here. I have experience investing in real estate in the community myself and have built several homes in Asheville as investment properties.
I appreciate the chance to answer your question. If any members of CREA wish to speak with me, feel free to call me anytime at 828-243-0107.
Sincerely,
Brownie Newman,
Asheville City Councilman
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Reckon someone should call him, and ask? It doesn’t take a whole lot of reading between the lines. “Asheville, any way you want it.”
Christy Fryar was trying to peddle this to me as well, and I don’t really see a problem with it.
Brownie’s saying that the right kinds of development will be encouraged. I think it’s a positive message that flies in the face of those who howl that progressives are against everything.
I think encouraging LEED certified, affordable, contextual buildings is exactly the right thing to do. Isn’t that the message Brownie’s sending? The Ellington is the aberration, to be sure, but even that building is going to be LEED and going to send money (a pittance, but better than nothing) towards afforadable housing.
I’m not a fan of the big stuff, but I don’t think Brownie’s some sort of sell-out.
“Sellout” would be too strong a word for me, but I really can’t understand why this position statement was sent to a group of developers and not to his entire campaign list if he wasn’t attempting to make a differential pitch to the pro-development crowd. That’s what strikes me as duplicitous.
If this stance is defensible, why not defend it in public?
I don’t know that there’s anything controversial here. If he sent a letter to the Tourism Board espousing his record on promoting tourism, I don’t think we’d have a problem.
I get that it’s really uncomfortable, but I think that without extending a cooperative hand to builders, we can’t expect them to cheerfully comply with the ideas that folks like Brownie have.
The release of this innocuous letter coincides with some other message planting that makes me suspicious. It looks more like an effort on the part of the development community to legitimize their support of Russell, Davis, Butner by advertising this private letter from one of Asheville’s sustainability champions.
Brownie wrote a letter to say, “Hey, let’s make this thing work by agreeing to build smart”, and suddenly it’s a “Brownie’s a Developer!” letter or a “The Progressives are Turning On Brownie” letter.
My, what Karl Rove taught us: (Gordon Smith aka Scrutiny Hooligans stated as re: the matter: “It looks more like an effort on the part of the development community to legitimize their support of Russell, Davis, Butner by advertising this private letter from one of Asheville’s sustainability champions.” We now have to ascertain if what is being stated is exactly the opposite of what is being pined for—-in terms of results.
But then, more than this, was what Michele Foucault taught us: “WHO IS SPEAKING” (as associated with power relations): I don’t believe that Cecil Bothwell is supporting the pro-development people. There is nothing in his available writing hx that I know about that would indicate that. I do believe that Gordon Smith, aka,Scrutiny Hooligans, would be trying to defend Newman given what I have witnessed in the past re:comments made by Gordon as associated with defense of Newman pertaining to efforts of Let Asheville Vote, which I participated in, which was an effort which moved directly against Newman’s vote which was an attempt to change the city charter and declare that there should be partisan city council elections which would have cut-out the Independents or anyone not supported by the R or D types. Why would Gordon be so intent in defending the very ’situated’ (as in, maybe I will and maybe I won’t, depending on the situation associated with development at hand) ‘progressives’ on the city council? Dunno. Who is speaking and what does Gordon have to gain? As Gordon is a very bright man, he surely is no harbinger of a sense of ‘Go Dems!’ when the Dem party has in many ways sold us out as much as any of the Republicans in terms of what the majority has declared as important (nothing big, just our presence in Iraq supported by our tax dollars taken at gun-point).
Its not that Newman/Bellamy/Cape/Jones/Freeborn are not to be trusted: it is that they are to be monitored. Ditto the other: Davis and Mumpower. And the more monitoring that takes place, the more they seem to realize that they are being monitored. Democracy is ever vigilant, if its smart.
If I did not have the very real experience of dealing w/ Mr. Newman/ Ms. Jones/ Ms. Bellamy of city council re: the Virginia Avenue development which has morphed several times, I wouldn’t be so scrutinous, Hoolie. They respond to being monitored.
The progressives on the city council will support development and development that you quite probably do not like as long as they perceive that you won’t be the squeeky wheel.
HEEELLLLOOOOO: we’re looking, Mr. Newman, at your letter to the developers and it has registered that you are being a political animal. I can’t say that I am against the infill development of Asheville. I’m not. I understand the need for that. However, the development hanging off of the slopes seems excessive. CAN WE HAVE SOME GREENSPACE PLEASE? We like the birds and we don’t want the sound of tractor trailer trucks driving thru our backyards, thank you very much.
It may not h ave registered w/ the city council but there is an oddity re: the neighborhood ’soundscape’ in Asheville: much of the city is associated with a ‘funneling effect’ re: sound from the expressway (or perhaps this is unique to West Asheville) whereby the sound of the interstate moves on the wind thru the ‘valleys’ of the topography. Relatedly, when my husband and I were looking at houses years ago, prior to buying in West Asheville, you could not tell from the location on a map what the ’soundscape’ of your house would be like. The wind and the funneling of the noise of more and more cars (which will only increase), a sound which moves on the wind (a dead wind night will have no noise; if there is snow, which dampens noise, there will be no sound on the wind) was such that when the evaluation for the expansion of I-26 as evaluated by NC DOT resulted in evaluations ‘too noisy’ right behind Virginia AVenue in terms of decibels ( as tolerable). The NC DOT measurement was such that it was excessive as measured in these ‘valleys.’
You won’t notice excessive expressway noise like that in Montford or off of Leicester Highway, Mr. Newman and Ms. Bellamy. That’s where YOU live.
To summarize, what I am VERY POINTEDLY AGAINST is development w/o respecting the wishes of those who are impacted and it is a long long long trajectory to being registered as the squeeky wheel. This is very much related to the Virginia AVenue development matter e.g., Brotherton Commons, etc. We finally have something of a smaller project on Virginia Avenue, by Habitat for Humanity, and I understand that you were associated with that matter, Mr. Newman. Habitat for Humanity appears to be an organization which so far as I know, gives some glimmer of hope re: being able to work w/ communities rather than a developer who doesn’t give a shit about what anyone in the neighborhood thinks or believes and is unequivocably supported by members of the City Planning Department who show up for fake barbecues w/o their name tags in order to state ‘what a swell project this is.’ (as associated with other previous projects on Virginia Avenue).
Thanks for the post, Cecil (Bothwell). It seems you’re now free to speak as freely as you like (thank goddess).
marsha hammond, west asheville
Thanks, Marsha. I have always held that a journalist can hold opinions and still report accurately and fairly. Molly Ivins, among many others, noted that journalistic neutrality is self-serving pretense.
The fact that I agree with much of what Newman says and accomplishes doesn’t mean I won’t question his tactics. And as for this being part of an effort by the development community to torque the election, I would note that Newman’s letter was conveyed to me by a member of CREA who has long argued for slower growth.
Newman issued a response this morning in which he argues that he has been consistent in his positions. I don’t feel at liberty to post others’ e-mails without permission, so won’t do so now. I remain unconvinced that the message conveyed by his letter to CREA was entirely synchronous with his speech to Democracy For America when he sought that group’s support two months ago.
Politics is the art of the possible, and perhaps Newman’s careful positioning is necessary to accomplish the good he has done.