Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies, and the real answers:
Question: Since you have reported on the Asheville Regional Airport parking garage, I wanted to share this video with you I took a few years ago. It shows that the actual parking garage deck becomes a river of water and rain flowing and pouring over concrete and cars. After the water damage at Surfside condominium (in Miami, Florida) that contributed to its collapse, I was concerned to see water pouring over the concrete inside the building in our fairly new parking garage. I sent this video to the attention of the airport several times but never received any responses. I’m a frequent traveler through the Asheville Regional Airport, and I have a lot of concerns about the way it is being managed and the lackluster design of the new terminal and the many features and amenities that seem to have been omitted from our airport upgrade project. I hoped they would build a second level for drop offs and pickups, to move the smoking areas away from the front entrance doorways, to have a Skyclub or other airport club, design it so people would not have to walk across traffic to get to the parking deck, to not have the rideshare pick up a long walk from the terminal, a parking deck that doesn’t turn into a concrete waterfall or ice every time it rains, adequate staff to handle late arrivals instead of letting planes sit on the tarmac, to show beautiful videos of the mountains and other informative information like the weather on the giant screens instead of just running non-stop promotional advertisements for real estate companies (it makes us seem cheap and like our airport is broke and hustling for every dime). There are other improvements that I would like to see incorporated also.
My answer: But I mean, overall, you’re pretty happy with the airport, right? Or did I misinterpret?
Real answer: Amid record-setting passenger usage, the airport has embarked on a $400 million construction project, building a new terminal that will be 150 percent larger than its current one. The airport saw 2,246,411 passengers in 2023, a 22.2 percent jump over the previous year, and the record-setting pace has continued this year.
So the place has a lot going on.
Asheville Regional Airport spokesperson Tina Kinsey took this query on, breaking it down by each question.
“Assumptions have been made, and providing some facts will help educate this customer,” Kinsey said via email.
Let’s start with the parking garage, which Kinsey noted is “an open structure, not a waterproof structure.
“It is normal for water to penetrate,” Kinsey said. “Some areas are completely open to the sky, so water will be present during rain events, especially heavy rain events. It is expected that interior joints will experience leakage over time.”
Kinsey said routine maintenance, done every five to 10 years, includes resealing joints. The garage, now seven years old, is slated for this maintenance this year.
“Just as any outside area is handled during winter, if ice forms, a maintenance routine is followed to treat the areas with salt or other methods to remove the ice,” Kinsey said.
As far as the aesthetics of the new terminal, you can take a cool virtual tour of what it will look like at flyavl.com/avlforward.
While I’m not an architect, I think the new terminal design is pretty cool. I suspect it’s like a lot of large public buildings — you can forget about getting universal praise, as beauty truly does lie in the eye of the beholder.
“We are very proud of the design of the new terminal, which began with significant input from thousands of community members who participated in surveys and input sessions to help inform the design early in the process in 2018,” Kinsey said. “Driven by the great engagement and input we received from interested community members, the design is inspired by our region’s natural beauty, embraces natural light and brings the views of our mountains throughout the gate areas.”
That flyavl.com page states the terminal will feature “elements like river-inspired flooring patterns and waterfall-influenced ceilings, and a ‘living wall’ in the new baggage claim.
The terminal will have two concourses, with 12 gates, each with dedicated boarding bridges. The airport website states the project will include “stellar” new bathrooms, a “lovely, airy food, beverage and retail plaza with room to orbit and lots of local options available,” and multiple mini-galleries to display local art.
Regarding exterior improvements, Kinsey said the airport has been updating its master plan for the past two years, although that is not part of the AVL Forward terminal project. Information about the master plan is also on the airport website.
“The master plan includes a future roadway redesign, additional parking, and more,” Kinsey said. “Large infrastructure improvements take significant time to plan, design, engineer, permit, and a big hurdle — finance — before the first shovel of dirt can be moved,” Kinsey said. “At this time, the $400 million AVL Forward terminal project is the top priority, and it is taking all of our available resources to make the new terminal a reality for our region. Our master plan will help us determine the next priority.”
On the smoking front, Kinsey said the designated smoking area currently is in a small location along the front curb.
“When construction is completed, we will have a more discrete area available,” she said.
Regarding rideshare pick-ups, AVL, like many other airports across the country, has moved ground transportation pick-ups off the front curb to ease traffic congestion, Kinsey said,
This brings us to the reader’s aversion to so many ads playing on the TVs.
“Like nearly every airport in our country, we sell advertising space in the terminal to generate revenue to help pay for our operations,” Kinsey said. “Contrary to what some think, the airport is not supported by local tax dollars, and we are required by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate in a self-sufficient manner.”
As to what the reader suggested is inadequate staffing on the airport’s part, Kinsey noted that the airlines handle flight operations, not the airport.
“It’s important to remember that growth affects the airport, and also many of the airlines, restaurants. and rental car providers that operate here,” Kinsey said. “While we all work together, we all have different responsibilities.”
If a passenger experiences a flight delay or an issue with luggage or a rental car, the passenger may think that the airport management team is responsible for providing that service.
“This is not the case — all businesses that provide service at the airport are independent and manage their own staff and operating procedures,” Kinsey said, noting operations include handling flights, luggage, rental car reservations or providing restaurant or retail services. “We communicate daily with our tenant organizations to ensure that disrupted operations are addressed, and that improvements are being made.”
The airport does advocate for passengers, and “provides support and improvements in areas that we, as an airport, can control,” Kinsey added.
Kinsey also encouraged airport users to sign up for their monthly newsletter, Window Seat, at flyavl.com, and for the new quarterly e-newsletter with longer-format stories and information about the AVL Forward project. You can sign up for that one at flyavl.com/avlforward.
Question: As much-needed denser housing fills vacant lots around the city, I’ve noticed a trend. Some residents and businesses leave their city of Asheville trash and recycling carts in the street all week, next to the curb and just far enough spaced out that a vehicle can’t park in what is public on-street parking. It’s primarily on side streets off of major roadways — think Brownwood Avenue near Taco Billy in West Asheville and Elizabeth Street near the start/end of Reed Creek Greenway in Montford. Many even have “no parking” painted on them.
While walking this morning, I noticed businesses and residents moving empty carts off sidewalks to wherever they live the rest of the week. That could be for convenience, but my guess is the city government requires sidewalks to remain unobstructed. Is this true, and is there an ordinance that requires streets to remain unobstructed? If so, I’m happy to report offenders and open up more parking spots close to the greenway and other walkable corridors like Haywood Road!
My answer: I think this should be turned into a reality TV series titled, “Adventures of the Trashcan Tattler.” I’m suspecting the show will be full of highly entertaining confrontations.
Real answer: “Your reader is right,” city of Asheville spokesperson Kim Miller said via email. “There are city ordinances addressing sidewalk obstruction.”
The code in question, Section 16-1(a), states: “The streets and sidewalks of the city shall be kept free of all obstructions and open to traffic at all times, and it shall be unlawful for any person to deposit any article or do any act which obstructs such streets and sidewalks.”
The ordinance also states that trash should be stored properly, and for streets that means:: “No refuse, trash, brush, leaves, tree and shrubbery trimmings, refuse receptacle or bulk container shall be placed within the vehicular travel-way, in the gutter of any street, or in the vehicle travel-way in areas not having curbs and gutters.”
Trash, brush, leaves and such can “be placed on the sidewalk on the day of collection, so long as it does not unreasonably interfere with pedestrian traffic.” Trash in approved receptacles can be placed in public alleys on collection days, as long as they don’t “unreasonably interfere with vehicular or pedestrian traffic.”
Also, don’t block storm drains.
Regarding trash bins after the garbage has been picked up, the city code says this: “Refuse receptacles returned to curbside after collection shall be removed to the approved storage location by 11 p.m. of the day of collection. The property owner or occupant shall be responsible for such removal.”
Miller encouraged people to be good neighbors and keep the cans where they belong.
If diplomacy doesn’t work, you can report offenders to the city’s Sanitation Division and a code enforcement officer will address it, Miller said. That email is: sanitation@ashevillenc.gov
The phone number is 828-259-5857.
If you really want to dive into the city’s ordinances, you find them here. Drink a strong cup of coffee beforehand.
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Got a question? Send it to John Boyle at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org or 828-337-0941. His Answer Man columns appear each Tuesday and Friday. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/donate.
