I-26 Connector Project Happening Now Now –The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) is pending completion of the biological review with the Record of Decision (ROD) following no sooner than 90 days after the FEIS is issued. Ongoing – The I-26 Connector Project Aesthetics Committee will be meeting at the City of Asheville’s Municipal Building in the Police & Fire training room (Fourth Floor) at 100 Court Plaza, Asheville, NC 28801 on the third Tuesdays of every month throughout 2019 from 1:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Ongoing – The Bowen Bridge/Patton Avenue Subcommittee and the French Broad River Crossings and Flyovers Subcommittee of the I-26 Connector Project Aesthetics Committee will be meeting at Fractals every Tuesday until further notice from 9:30 am and 10:25 am, respectively. August 13, 2019, from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Design charettes for French Broad River Crossing and Flyovers Subcommittee at 29 North Market Street, Suite 610. August 9, 2019 – The Design Guidelines Subcommittee Meeting of the I-26 Aesthetics Committee will be meeting at 171 Chestnut Street at 11:00 a.m. August 27th and September 3rd, 10th and 24th – The General Design Guidelines Subcommittee (GDG) to meet 10:30 am to 12:00 noon; and the French Broad River Bridge and Flyover Subcommittee (FBR) will meet at 12:00 noon to 1:15 pm. Current members of the GDG are Mike Zukowski and Susan Loftis, and current members of the FBR are Michael Adams and SusanLoftis. The public is welcome. I-26 Connector Project Aesthetics Advisory Committee The I-26 Connector Project Aesthetics Advisory Committee was established as an ad hoc committee to gather information and ideas about aesthetics to make the I-26 Connector project a cohesive and integrated part of Asheville. The Aesthetics Advisory Committee shall serve as a voice for interested parties represented by the Aesthetics Committee members and provide recommendations to the City about the aesthetics treatments. The new committee will typically meet on a monthly basis with special meetings on a case-by-case basis for an estimated one year period. Click HERE for the I-26 Connector Project Aesthetics Advisory Committee report to City Council Click HERE for an electronic application form. Supporting Documents Folder for the Aesthetics Advisory Committee Background The proposed I-26 Connector project was first included in the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) as project I-2513 in 1989. A working group was created at the request of the City of Asheville to discuss specific topics; including but not limited to the traffic forecast, visualizations, bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, design refinements, the creation of an Aesthetics Advisory Committee (AAC), noise policies, and abatement measures. Members of the working group include the City of Asheville, NCDOT project team, the consultant project team, Asheville Design Center, Buncombe County, and a minority community representative. The first working group meeting was held on March 24, 2016. Timeline November 16, 2015 – A public hearing was held in Asheville for the 2015 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). December 16, 2015 – The City of Asheville submitted comments for the 2015 DEIS. May 18, 2016 – The merger team chose Alternatives 4B, A, and F-1 as the Least Environmentally Damaging Preferred Alternative (LEDPA). December 4, 2018 – A public hearing was held in Asheville for the 2018 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) Supporting Documents and Information Project History Community Meeting Summaries – Google Folder Working Group Meeting Minutes – Google Folder Asheville City Council Resolutions – Google Folder Other Supporting Documents – Google Folder Link to NCDOT I-26 Connector Project Page I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Agendas with links to supporting documentation August 20, 2019 I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Agenda July 16, 2019 I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Agenda June 18, 2019 I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Agenda May 21, 2019 I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Agenda April 16, 2019 I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Agenda March 12, 2019 I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Agenda Contact Information Ken Putnam, PE Director, City of Asheville Transportation Department PO Box 7148 Asheville, NC 28802 828-259-5943 Theresa Ellerby, CPM NCDOT Project Management Unit 919-707-6020