Vermont Avenue Sidewalks

Happening Now

In January, 2022 the City of Asheville conducted a public survey on the design direction for the sidewalk replacement on Vermont Avenue. The survey results showed a preference for option 3. This option replaces the existing sidewalk on both sides with a 4-foot wide sidewalk, keeping a grass strip between the existing curb and new sidewalk while preserving existing street trees where possible and replanting new trees in grass buffer strips.

Now that the survey results for the Vermont Avenue sidewalk configuration are in and a community-wide preference has been established, the City of Asheville staff will regroup with the project design team to take the following steps in the design process. These steps will include a collaborative approach between our consultant engineering team, the City’s Arborist, and the Urban Forestry Commission to balance the requirements to provide safe ADA access and the desire to preserve as many existing, healthy trees as possible. Where existing trees cannot be safely kept, we will replace them with new trees between the existing curb and new sidewalk, establishing the next generation of continuous tree canopy along Vermont Ave. Inevitably, there will be some tree removal required to meet federally mandated ADA requirements. We will be transparent and communicate with the community exactly which trees this will impact if alternate methods of working around the tree are infeasible.

Background

As part of the bond projects initiative, the City of Asheville is preparing to replace sidewalks on Vermont Avenue in West Asheville. This project focuses on replacing the existing dilapidated sidewalks and replacing them with new accessible sidewalks that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Summer, 2019 public survey conducted regarding sidewalk intent. Results of 2019 Survey
Summer, 2019 Early Sidewalk Concept Options
Summer, 2020 Conceptual Design
October 25, 2021 Public Meeting Presentation Boards
January 11, 2022 Neighborhood Meeting Presentation Boards
January, 2022 in response to comments received on the concept plans, a survey was conducted to clarify the community’s preference on the design of the sidewalk in relation to the existing street trees. Public Survey Results
June 2022 Schematic design tree impact plan released providing an update on the tree impacts for the sidewalk project. Further revisions may be required as the engineering design and easement discussions progress.
September 2022 Neighborhood Meeting to present 60% Design update
October 2022 Tree Risk Assessment analysis completed on qualifying trees
December 2022 – Neighborhood meeting to present plan updates and construction schedule
February 2023 – Tree removal of select trees completed

Timeline

Spring-Fall 2022 – Design development
Winter 2022 – Design complete
December 2022 – Presentation of final plans to neighborhood and Urban Forestry Commission
Early 2023 – Start of construction/Tree removal phase
Summer 2023 – sidewalk construction
Fall/Winter – replanting 33 new trees