Oakley Neighborhood Association - meeting minutes
Tuesday July 13, 2021 6-7pm / Highland Brewing / oakleyneighborhoodassociation@gmail.com
Introductions - first timers, leadership team.
The leadership team of 6 people was voted in on a temporary basis of one year, to lead the neighborhood association, get by-laws established, get our non-profit status, and start to establish ourselves with the city. The team then reached a consensus on which offices each of them would hold for the year.
Results were:
Bess McDavid- Leader
Michael Stratton- Co-leader
Betsy Nesbitt- Secretary (until she recruits someone to take her place)
Rich Lee- Treasurer
Natalie Romanello- Media leader
Allison Kiehl- At-large
Since the last meeting (Bess)
Leadership team members:
met with Brenda Mills
met with leader at Shiloh NA
attended June 15 County Commissioner meeting to speak on Oakley Library
opened a bank account for the NA
started getting us registered as a 501c3
Committee Updates
Garden (Michael) 461 Fairview Road - we are right in the middle of harvest season. The most recent harvest garnered 80lbs (approximately 25% of what was harvested all season last year).
All produce donated to Bounty & Soul
We have partnered with B&S to make videos on how to cook what comes from the garden - Aug 14. Looking for culinary volunteers to cook on camera
Library (Elisabeth and Cheryl)
The proposal we heard about at the last meeting was paused, largely because of the work Oakley and Shiloh did to contact the commissioners and write letters and email.
Listening sessions have been scheduled throughout the county (dates below)
Not a Q&A. The Library Board will expect attendees to be familiar with the Library Facilities Master Plan, and will be asking community members two main questions:
What do you think of the Master Plan?
What do you think of the facilities?
Advertise - post cards, social media, other media outlets?
Dreaming session to prepare cohesive messaging/talking points to be scheduled with library committee team members
If you don’t have a library card, get one! Check out materials! Use our branch, show the Board and County how valuable our neighborhood branch is.
Use Your Voice, Weigh In on the Future of Buncombe County Public Libraries
Neighborhood Watch (Ricky)
Reports of recent thefts, tips on how to reduce thefts
Trees (Alison via Bess)
Not yet fully formed - learn stories of the oldest trees, partner with Arboretum or similar agency
Events (Bess)
Partnership to arrange use of Oakley Park Pavillion and Rec Center at no cost
Media (Natalie via Michael)
Interim business cards to spread the word about the Oakley NA
Transportation (Michael)
The Transportation Committee (Bess McDavid, Elizabeth Likis, Cristyn Olenick, Lyn Howard) met recently to discuss Oakley strengths/weaknesses regarding transportation systems and infrastructure: Topics discussed:
We’re a food desert, so improving transportation options is a top priority
City of AVL has plans for a greenway along Swannanoa River Road; We want safe connectivity to this new corridor as well open line of communication with the City (and other neighboring neighborhoods) as the project advances
It was agreed that Oakley has the potential to be safe, walkable, and more livable, but work needs to be done to get us there.
Ever increasing traffic volume & speed throughout Oakley pose challenges and safety concerns
Unsafe roadways and lack of protected bike lanes push cyclists onto narrow sidewalks where they compete with an increasing pedestrian traffic.
Would like to see engineered traffic calming solutions, such as speed humps, automated speed & red light cams, advisory shoulder zones, pedestrian hybrid beacons, additional crosswalks, pedestrian refuge islands, and volunteers who will drive neighborhood pace cars.
Would also like to see increased bus frequency and evaluation of bus stop safety... more people on the bus = less cars utilizing neighborhood roads= safer experience for pedestrians and cyclists
River Clean Up? (Bess)
Tentative plan to get a group together to clean up along Swannanoa River
Lucy Crown - Greenway Planner, City of Asheville
Swannanoa River Greenway Corridor Plan
Swan West (Biltmore Ave to Tunnel Rd); Swan East (Tunnel Rd to Azalea Rd) - corresponding road projects from DOT recently placed on hold (funding), maybe until 2029 (project could be expedited as Thompson St and Swannanoa River Road continue to be eroded by damaging storms that are made more frequent by climate change).
City is working with Asheville on Bikes to potentially organize a “Street Sweaks” project on Thompson St (From Glendale to Biltmore Ave) that would allow for an interim solution to make Thompson St more bike/pedestrian friendly until the greenway project is completed. (See possible solution on page 51 from Greenway Presentation )
Other possibilities
AVL Unpaved, natural surface trails - Cheddars (Bleachery) to River Ridge Apartments; Highland Brewing to Nature Center
Tactical Urbanism (like on Coxe Ave) on Thompson Rd
Swannanoa River Rd owned by state of NC; Thomson Rd owned by city of AVL
Why did DOT make a plan for Swannanoa River Road anyway?
Riverbanks are changing, stress on roads, more frequent flooding
Request/complain about road things (stop signs, crosswalks) on the Asheville App
AVL Bond Projects Dashboard https://dashboards.ashevillenc.gov/capital_projects
Meadow Rd from Biltmore Ave to Amboy Rd not part of this study, but is a DOT project.
Michael said there’s a paving project planned at the end of the paving season for this road, with bike lanes planned
Library Listening Sessions - 6:30-7:30pm unless otherwise noted
July 15 - Fairview Library
July 20 - Black Mountain Library
July 22 - Zoom
July 26 - West AVL Library (2:30-3:30pm)
August 5 - Broad River Community Center (Black Mountain)
August 10 - Oakley Community Center
August 12 - Pack Library (2:30-3:30pm)
August 16 - East AVL Library
August 18 - Enka-Candler Library
August 26 - Weaverville Library
August 31 - Leicester Library
September 2 - Jones Elementary (tentative date)
September 9 - Shiloh Community Center (tentative date)
September 14 - Big Ivy Community Center (12-1pm)
September 15 - Zoom (21-1pm)
September 20 - Woodfin Community Center (2-3pm) (tentative)
September 23 - Arden-Avery Creek Community Center
September 30 - Skyland-South Buncombe Library (11am-12pm)
October 6 - West Buncombe Elementary (4-5pm)
October 7 - Swannanoa Bee Tree Fire Department
Next meeting - Tuesday August 24, 6pm - Oakley Park Pavillion