Explained: Asheville’s new greenway plan

Asheville charts a new future for public greenways and sidewalks with Close the GAP plan

The newest section of the French Broad River Greenway moments before its ribbon cutting. | Photo by AVLtoday

The future is looking brighter for Asheville’s greenways and sidewalks.

After two years of complex civic negotiations, the City of Asheville has finalized and adopted a new comprehensive “Close the GAP” plan that aims to make walkways safer, more accessible, and better-suited for commuters.

Since the plan is a dense 800 pages long (see the full tome) we won’t be able to dive into every crevice. But we’ll share the broad strokes, and most importantly, how the new plan will impact our day-to-day experience as pedestrians in Asheville.

Improving accessibility

One major achievement of the Close the GAP plan is that it will ensure any new public rights-of-way are ADA compliant — meaning sidewalks, greenways, crossings, traffic signals + other pathways must (within reason) allow access for individuals with disabilities.

Existing pathways will also be modified to meet ADA standards — an estimated 50% of public sidewalks, 90% of ramps, and 25% of greenways are expected to require such upgrades.

The proposed Beaucatcher Greenway in Asheville, NC — The 1.25-mile Beaucatcher Greenway would connect Memorial Stadium to Helen’s Bridge.

The top ten greenway projects

The plan also lays out criteria that establishes ten key greenway projects — ones that will help transform Asheville into a more equitable and connected community.

The Swannanoa River Greenway — an 8.7-mile path that would connect Biltmore Village, West Asheville, Oakley, and East Asheville — was ranked as the most important project in the city.

Other top-ranked projects include: the creation of the Beaucatcher Greenway and extensions for the Reed Creek Greenway, French Broad Greenway, and Hominy Creek Greenway.

Want more info? The full list starts at page 120.

Asheville's Close the GAP Proposed Network — A portion of the city’s proposed network of greenways and pathways.

What’s next?

Now that it’s been adopted, the plan will become the go-to document for future city planning. And as far as new greenways go, there are already approximately two-miles worth of new pathways in the pipeline: the Nasty Branch Greenway and additions to the Reed Creek Greenway, the latter which is currently doing a feasibility study.

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Today

Cordovas | Thu., Oct. 27 | 6 p.m. | The Outpost, 521 Amboy Rd. | $15 | The Cordovas will play from their latest full-length album “Destiny Hotel,” a work of wild poetry and wide-eyed abandon, which incorporates folk, country + rock-and-roll influence. 🎸
Grand Opening of Devil’s Foot Beverage Company | Thu., Oct. 27 | 4-5 p.m. | Devil’s Foot Beverage Co., 131 Sweeten Creek Rd. | Free | The grand opening of Devil’s Foot Beverage Co.'s new taproom will feature drink specials, assorted appetizers, and food trucks.
Learn & Play: Disney Villainous | Thu., Oct. 27 | 6-9 p.m. | Well Played Board Game Cafe, 162 Coxe Ave. | Free, registration required | Learn how to play the game “Disney Villainous” with board game creator Noah Price.
Parson’s Lecture: Atari and the Multiverse of Doughnuts | Thu., Oct. 27 | 7 p.m. | UNC Asheville, 1 University Hgts. | Free | UNC Asheville alumna Autumn Kent — and professor of mathematics at University of Wisconsin — will present this year’s Parsons Lecture on implications of the multiverse. 🕹️

Friday

Big Boi | Fri., Oct. 28 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel | $55+ | Enjoy Sir Lucious Left Foot’s energetic Southern-fried hip hop.
Penthouses & Back Alley Ways | Fri., Oct. 28 - Sat., Oct. 29 | 7:30 p.m. | Wortham Center for the Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave. | $35 | This sophisticated performance highlights the elegance of jazz music with NYC-based singer Raquelle Chavis.
The Room Hop | Fri., Oct. 28 | 6-8 p.m. | Asheville Community Yoga, 8 Brookdale Rd. | $15+ | Enjoy an evening of disco, funk, and electric dance at this benefit event for Asheville Community Yoga.

Saturday

WNC COMIC CON | Sat., Oct. 29 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | WNC Ag Center, 761 Boylston Hwy., Fletcher | $5 | This local comic + gaming convention features plenty of vendors, plus special appearances from industry artists and writers.

Plan Ahead

Mariachi Sol de México® de José Hernández | Thu., Nov. 10 | 7:30 p.m. | Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr., Cullowhee | $25.00 | Experience Mariachi Sol de México®, a Grammy-nominated band led by José Hernández, as they put on a performance for all ages.*

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

65º | Partly cloudy | 10% chance of rain

Closed

Eden Out, a locally-owned vegan meal delivery service, announced via email that it will be closed for the “foreseeable future.” The company has shared healthy, plant-based meals with the community since 2014. 💔

Featured

It’s been a big week for Chef Meherwan Irani, founder of the Asheville-based Chai Pani Restaurant Group. Yesterday, he was profiled in Vogue about his recent James Beard Award — and on Monday, Eater also featured him in a piece about Diwali celebrations. Safe to say Meherwan’s officially reached “celebrity chef” status. 🍛
Local medical professional Dr. Suzanne Dixon, who works in maternity care at MAHEC, was featured by NBC-TV Nightly News for the heroic service she provides to “maternity care deserts” in WNC. Dr. Dixon regularly drives two or three hours to provide prenatal care for our neighbors in Macon County. 🩺

Biz

Congrats to WNC businesses TSV Analytics and Embrew Coffee and Tea Products on securing NC IDEA MICRO grants. Both companies, along with 13 other NC businesses, will receive $10,000 apiece to help take their ideas to the next stage of growth. 💰 (WRAL TechWire)

History

Buncombe County Special Collections and its partners are preparing a permanent exhibit about racial violence in Buncombe County. To commemorate the project, programs will be held on Tues., Nov. 1 and Fri., Nov. 4. See all event descriptions. 📚

Plan Ahead

Need Thanksgiving plans? Local chef Terri Terrell has partnered with Sovereign Remedies to host a traditional Southern Thanksgiving supper. Various time slots are available and tickets can be purchased online. Pro tip: Use the passcode “TdaywithTT” to access the site. 🦃

Number

$1,640. That’s the average monthly rent for an apartment in Asheville. When you consider this number with the average cost of groceries, healthcare, and miscellaneous expenses, it’s estimated that Asheville’s overall cost of living is 6% higher than the national average. Learn more about what this means.

Learn

Did you know that Asheville is sometimes called “The San Francisco of the East” for its likeness to San Fran’s abundance of hip folks and thriving creative community? That’s not the only moniker Asheville goes by. Impress your friends by learning about four more Asheville nicknames.

Shop

Looking to relieve muscle soreness without dropping $150+ a month on a deep tissue massage? Enter: the RENPHO massage gun. It has 17,000+ five-star reviews and is on sale for $99 (down from $249) for a limited time.*

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25 Halloween-themed events in the 828

25 Halloween-themed events in Asheville

Pet costume contests are another popular Halloween celebration in the 828.

With Halloween just a few days away, we’re creeping it real with a roundup of 25 frightening events around the Asheville area.

Freaky and funny

Eyes Up Here Comedy: Haunted Doll Edition | Fri., Oct. 28 | 8-10 p.m. | Getaway River Bar, 790 Riverside Dr. | Laugh along at this evening of femme and “slightly undead” comedy.

Costumed affairs

Late Night Halloween Dance Party | Sat., Oct. 29 | 9 p.m.-12 a.m. | Highland Brewing Company, 12 Old Charlotte Hwy. | Free | Don a costume and prepare to do the monster mash at this dance party with DJ Marley Carroll.

Thrones, Rings, and Stranger Things | Sat., Oct. 29 | 5-11 p.m. | DSSOLVR, 63 N. Lexington Ave. | Free | Dress up as your favorite character from Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, or Stranger Things at this fantasy-themed costume and dance party.

Tap the button below to explore 22 more frightening events.

SEE MORE HERE (IF YOU DARE)

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Laura.

Editor’s pick: Have questions about Asheville’s new Close the GAP plan that went unanswered in today’s newsletter? Send me an email and I’ll do my best to find you an answer.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Get the scoop on Mikasa Criolla, The S&W Market’s newest eatery.

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Editorial: Laura Hackett, Brook Bolen, Sarah Leonhardt, Erin McPherson, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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