From Staff Reports

Proposed changes to Asheville’s outdoor lighting ordinance were explained to the Council of Independence Business Owners, — prompting a torrent of questions later — during a July 13 breakfast meeting at Biltmore Square Mall’s food court in West Asheville. About 50 people attended.

In addition, two program spokeswomen explained where GROWNC money — for economic and governmental projects — goes, when it reaches Western North Carolina.

CIBO also heard from 11th District Democratic congressional candidate Hayden Rogers on his reasons for running for office. (A story on Rogers’ talk appears on Page 4.)

Making the outdoor lighting ordinance presentation — featuring “how we got to where we are now” — was Shannon Tuch, assistant director of the city Planning Department.

“We started updating the (city) lighting ordinance several years ago,” Tuch said. “In 2008, we move the standards to be under the UDO (Unified Development Ordinance).”

“So a lot of people feel like we have new outdoor lighting standards, but that’s not the case.”

She said the city in January announced plans recently “to change to all (3,643) LED lights” in its outdoor fixtures.

Tuch told of city meetings with several represenentatives, including one from Progress Energy and “a citizen with a dark-skies bent to him — and he is an expert on outdoor lighting ... We ultimately decided to use LEDs only for the city’s LED lights” and not require others to use them.

She said the city finally has reached the point where it can present the draft ordinance on outdoor lighting. That move was prompted by a desire for energy efficiency and, “at the same time, we were getting some complaints on lighting.”

Tuch noted “the most dramatic change in the draft ordinanance” is that “we are moving forward prohibiting floodlights ... Now that Buncombe County has moved ahead on floodlights, we felt it was a good time for us to proceed, too.”

With a laugh, she said that Progress Energy was positive on the aforementioned changed because “they’re not big fans of floodlights,” either.

In summary, she said the lighting ordinance was motivated by the city’s desire for energy efficiency, improved language in the ordinance and a ban on floodlights.

During a question-and-answer session, CIBO member Mac Swicegood said the ordinance “was bad timing for the business community,” given the ailing economy.

The city had to define LED lighting and no other changes were made in the ordinance — “the one exception was the ban on floodlights,” Tuch replied.

Another CIBO member asked if existing floodlights are exempt from the ordinance.

“They’re basically ‘grandfathered’ in,” Tuch answered.

A man asked, “What is the cost for LED lighting versus traditional lighting?”

The submittal requirements to the city — and attendant costs — do not change, Tuch said. “Of course, LED lights might be more expensive in the front end ... We’re not requiring the LEDs, except in the case of streetlights. It’s totally voluntary.” She noted that the developer “usually” pays the cost for streetlights anyway. Overall, Tuch said, “I don’t think the cost should be very different.”

Swicegood then interjected, “The one I’ve not heard about is the consumer ... I still don’t believe they were involved in the process of drawing up the ordinance.

Tuch responded, “That’s what we did in 2008.” She said of the draft ordinance, “there were no substantial changes,” except for the banning of future floodlights.

Meanwhile, the GROWNC presentation was made by Erica Allison and Meg Nealon. “It’s a regional initiative to set up a set of action steps” to boost the area’s economy, Nealon explained.

She added, “The $7.6 million in money is coming from HUD (the federal department of Housing and Urban Development).” A portion of that funding is being used by the Land of the Sky Regional Council, which “is the entity that is adminstering the grant.”

Nealon noted that she and Allison were hired to analyze “a lot of data ... so we can identify opportunities ahead”.for WNC. “We’re looking for the best things we can do in the long-term and the short-term” in areas such as housing, transportation, land use, health and natural resources.

Allison, who lives in Hendersonville, said her role is public outreach and strategy. “We notice you all (small business-owners) are missing from this process ... We want to make sure we’re offering options to you.”

She asked the CIBO members to specify “what we can do to make it easier for you to have a more successful business ... We’re here today to let us hear what you’ve got to say and if you want to have a meeting” with Allison.

N.C. House candidate Nathan Ramsey said, “This sounds like a very noble effort, but the problem is you don’t really have a goal in mind ... I think regionalism is great ... but a lot of folks (local governing bodies) have regionalism” in their plans, but “if it comes down to reality, they want local control.”

Nealon responded that “everything we’re doing in this process is set up on a certain combination of goals in a regional effort ... So we have a set of goals ... As for regionalism, you make a good point. We see concurrent processes  doing the same thing.”