I-26 Connector Project Last updated or reviewed on September 12, 2023 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 NCDOT Division Office at 55 Orange Street on the first and third Tuesday of every month from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM. Ongoing – Beginning October 2019 through January 2020, the I-26 Connector Project Aesthetics Committee will also meet on the first Tuesday beginning on 10/1/19 from 2:00-4:30 P.M. located in Room 330 at the Buncombe County Building at 36 Woodfin Street (across from the YMCA). January 13, 2020 – Bowen Bridge Subcommittee meeting 11:00 A.M.-12:30 P.M. at 170 Montford Ave, Asheville NC 28801. 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 A.M. and 10:25 A.M., respectively. August 13, 2019, from 3:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. – 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 P.M. Current members of the GDG are Mike Zukoski and Susan Loftis, and current members of the FBR are Michael Adams and Susan Loftis. The public is welcome. October 8 and 22, 2019 – The General Design Guidelines Subcommittee will meet from 10:30 A.M. – Noon at 170 Montford Avenue. December 19, 2019 – A brief design charrette will be held Thursday, December 19, 2019, 11:00 A.M. -11:35 A.M. to finalize some detailed design recommendations for the Riverside Cemetery Subcommittee of the Aesthetics Committee focusing very strictly on the physical details of the viaduct and the potential fencing separating the future greenway. The meeting will occur at the lower studio at 171 West Chestnut Street. Park on Montford and walk through the yard at 170 Montford to the rear yard lower level of the carriage house. February 19, 2020 – The City’s I-26 Connector project internal working group will meet with the NCDOT and their consultant on Wednesday, February 19, 2020, at 3:00 pm at the NCDOT Division Office at 55 Orange Street. The purpose of the meeting will be to review the micro-simulation and hopefully the designs for the east side of the French Broad River. I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Dates: September 19, 2023, I-26 Aesthetics Committee Virtual Meeting Agenda. To join in the meeting go to this link or call +1 (872) 240-3412 and enter access code 939-885-973. Register now! [attendee.gotowebinar.com] A presentation about the I-26 Connector project and mitigation for historic properties in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 Memorandum of Agreement After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. View System Requirements [link.gotowebinar.com] Link to NCDOT Website of Draft of Memorandum of Agreement: https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/asheville-i-26-connector/Pages/project-documents.aspx PUBLIC COMMENT TO NCDOT ENDS ON FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2020. See the link to submit comments: https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/asheville-i-26-connector/Pages/photos-videos.aspx April 29, 2021 – I-26 Connector Working Group Virtual Meeting from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM. The following is the Agenda, Patton Avenue Redesign, and the link to join in the virtual meeting. For the Sam Schwartz April 2021 report produced for the I-26 Aesthetics Committee, please see the I-26 Connector Project Aesthetics Committee section below. I-26 Connector Project Aesthetics 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 I-26Aesthetics Committee shall serve as a voice for interested parties represented by the Aesthetics Committee members and provide recommendations to the City about aesthetic 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 I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Minutes 2018-to present April 4, 2020 – Meeting on State Historical Preservation Office (SHPO)/Riverside Cemetery I-26 Aesthetics Committee Report and Presentation to City Council on June 9, 2020. I-26 Aesthetics Committee Report and Presentation to City Council on February 14, 2023. Sam Schwartz September 19, 2018 Report – I-26 Connector Project, Final FEIS Technical Memorandum Sam Schwartz April 2021 Report, Appendix A and B. 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 I-26 Connector Project History Community Meeting Summaries – Google Folder Working Group Meeting Minutes – Google Folder Asheville City Council Resolutions – Google Folder Other Supporting Documents – Google Folder NCDOT I-26 Connector Project Page I-26 Aesthetics Committee Approved Resolutions I-26 Connector Project General Design Standards as of November 5, 2019 Burton Street Community Working Group I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Minutes from 2018-to present I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Minutes: 2018 I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Minutes 2019 I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Minutes 2020 I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Minutes 2021 I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Minutes 2022 I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Minutes 2023 I-26 Aesthetics Committee Meeting Minutes Contact Information Ken Putnam, PE Director, City of Asheville Transportation Department PO Box 7148 Asheville, NC 28802 828-259-5943 Kevin E. Moore, PE Senior Project Manager NCDOT Project Management Unit 919-707-6287 Updated 01/20/2020