The following statement was circulated by the Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County (www.psabc.org)

RE: PACK SQUARE DEVELOPMENT, POSITION PAPER

1.0 AT THE SEPTEMBER BOARD MEETING, THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF ASHEVILLE AND BUNCOMBE COUNTY DECIDED TO PRODUCE A POSITION PAPER IN CONNECTION WITH THE RECENT PLANS TO DEVELOP ASHEVILLE'S HISTORIC PACK SQUARE. ALSO, THE SOCIETY HAS BEEN ASKED BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS TO TAKE A POSITION ON THESE ISSUES.

2.0 AS THE HISTORIC AND UNIQUE HEART OF DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE, THE PACK SQUARE AREA'S SENSITIVE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT ARE THE KEYSTONE OF THE CIVIC, RECREATIONAL, AND AESTHETIC FUTURE OF OUR MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY.

3.0 THE PACK SQUARE CONSERVANCY AND THE GROVE PARK INN'S RECENT PROACTIVE EFFORTS TO ENHANCE AND DEVELOP PACK SQUARE HAVE BEEN MET WITH SIGNIFICANT CRITICISM FROM MANY SOURCES.

4.0 THE ASHEVILLE CITY STAFF AND CITY COUNCIL HAVE NOT SUCCEEDED IN GAINING THE TRUST OF THE CITIZENS IN THIS FAULTY PACK SQUARE PROCESS. LEGAL NOTIFICATIONS OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS VERSUS WORKSHOPS HAVE LACKED DUE PROCESS.

5.0 THE PACK SQUARE CONSERVANCY (PSC) IS PRIMARILY AN "AD HOC", SELF-APPOINTED GROUP, WITH SIGNIFICANT, FINAL AUTHORITY OVER THIS PUBLICALLY OWNED SQUARE PROGRAM. THE "PACK SQUARE DESIGN GUIDELINES" WERE ONLY FIRST AVAILABLE AS A "DRAFT" AT THE PSC MEETING ON JULY 24, 2003. THE PSC HAS LITTLE EXPERIENCE IN INTERPRETING SUCH VITAL GUIDELINES. IT IS OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT A "GUIDE LINES REVIEW COMMITTEE" BE FORMED WITH EQUAL REPRESENTATION FROM OTHER EXPERIENCED ELECTED ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS OUR CITY/COUNTY HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMISSION AND THE PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD.

6.0 THE FIRST PRIORITY BUILDING FOR ASHEVILLE'S PUBLIC SQUARE SHOULD BE A FIRST-CLASS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND TOWER, SIMILAR TO THE SUCCESSFUL CARNEGIE HALL TOWERS IN NEW YORK CITY. THIS IS A FULFILLING OF A LONG TIME ACKNOWLEDGED "NEED " OF THE CITIZENS OF ASHEVILLE AND OUR UNIVERSITY, RATHER THAN EXPERIMENTING WITH A LARGE QUANTITY OF UPSCALE CONDOMINIUMS IN A PUBLIC GATHERING ZONE. NIGHTTIME RESIDENTS LIVING AROUND A CROWD FILLED NOISEY PACK SQUARE WILL EVENTUALLY CREATE A CLASH OF LIFE STYLES. THE PACK SQUARE AREA IS NOT A "LIVING ROOM" BUT HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR "RECREATIONAL PLAY ROOM".

7.0 THE EAGLE-MARKET STREET DEVELOPMENT IS NOW BECOMING A REALITY TO CREATE A NEW ACTIVITY ZONE FOR OUR CITY AND RESURRECT THE AFRO-AMERICAN LEGACY. IT IS VITAL TO ACTIVELY CONNECT THIS EMERGING BLOCK AND PACK SQUARE, NOT WALL IT OFF, WITH A STRUCTURE TOO CLOSE TO OUR HISTORIC CITY BUILDING.

8.0 OUR LANDMARK JACKSON BUILDING, A 12 STORY 1925 SKYSCRAPER, IS NOT THE "MEASURING STICK" FOR NEW INFILL BUILDINGS IN OUR DOWNTOWN; RATHER, THE GUIDELINE HEIGHT SHOULD BE A COMPOSITE OF THE ENTIRE "STREETSCAPE". THE PROPOSED 15 STORY STRUCTURE AT SITE "A" WILL SERIOUSLY PROTRUDE INTO THE PACK SQUARE PUBLIC CORRIDOR TO CREATE A HALLWAY VIEW OF PACK SQUARE AND THE CITY/ COUNTY LANDMARKS.

9.0 THE NEED FOR COMPETITIVE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS, TRANSFER OF PUBLIC LANDS TO PRIVATE HANDS, AND RELATED IMPORTANT MATTERS, SHOULD BE DECIDED BY OBJECTIVE LEGAL PROCESSES OPEN TO THE PUBLICS REVIEW.

FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,
WILLIAM FLYNN WESCOTT, P.E.,
PRESIDENT OF THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF ASHEVILLE & BUNCOMBE COUNTY