Billboards, Zoning Mistakes

by Cecil Bothwell

Merrimon Billboard a Sign of Failure

It’s amazing what slips through the cracks of our city ordinances and what rules are able to be enforced. Whenever signage looms its ugly head I’m reminded of the amusing (and totally Asheville!) Chicken Man who was cited for violation of the sign rules for flapping around on the east side of Merrimon, while the former planning director let Staples explicitly violate the sign ordinance on every face of its building. (Signs that remain in violation, by the way.)

Now we discover a completely legal (what!?) electronic billboard going up on Merrimon just a short hop (as the chicken flies) from the scene of the fowl play.

With many of you complaining to Council, Councilor Esther Manheimer
asked our Staff for an explanation, and it seems that the sign company,
Fairway Outdoor Advertising, is availing itself of a rule called Cap
& Replace, which permits a company to erect new billboards within
the city if it removes twice as many square feet of billboard elsewhere.
Also, the pertinent law names Merrimon as a legal billboard corridor.

The only way I can see to stop this is to contact Fairway directly. Go
to www.fairwayoutdoor.com/contact , let them know how you feel.

Kenilworth – Frodo Failed, Howington Got the Ring

At the last Council meeting we made a valiant effort to correct a zoning
mistake that had lingered for many years on Caledonia and Finalee Roads
in Kenilworth. The neighborhood is clearly residential in nature, and
the parcels involved are very steep.

Unfortunately, the owner of the properties, a Mr. Howington, abruptly
chose to retain one of the partners at Van Winkle law firm, placing
Councilor Manheimer into a financial conflict, and removing her from
voting on this and a previous matter concerning the property. (Watch
your wallets folks, there are pickpockets in this crowd.) And then
Howington filed a protest petition, which forced a supermajority vote to
rezone.

With six members voting on Council, that meant a 5-1 vote was required
to rezone. Jan Davis and Bill Russell voted against rezoning on one
parcel, Mayor Terry Bellamy joined them on the second parcel. So the
residential neighborhood is apt to get a large scale neighbor, at least
if other legal challenges being put up by Kenilworth neighbors are
unsuccessful.