ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Asheville City Council spent nearly five hours Tuesday discussing public transit, accessory dwelling units, the city’s urban forest and other issues, with council delaying a vote on a proposed redesign of the Asheville Rides Transit system.

The meeting also included public comment from residents who urged council to slow down on proposed changes involving accessory dwelling units and to find additional funding to expand transit service.

Transit plan pulled from council agenda

Council did not vote on a proposed redesign of the Asheville Rides Transit system after the item was pulled from the agenda.

The proposed network has drawn criticism from speakers who said improving frequency should not come at the expense of coverage, particularly for residents who rely on public transit.

Eugenio Perez, who runs Better Together Transportation, told council the city should focus on expanding transit rather than shifting existing service.

“Transportation makes the world bigger for families like Noel,” Perez said, describing a young girl and her family whom his organization transported to the North Carolina Arboretum. “Taking it away shrinks their world.”

Perez said the proposed network would increase frequency on some routes while reducing or eliminating service on others.

He urged the city to pursue additional funding rather than choosing between frequency and coverage.

“If Asheville cannot yet afford both frequency and coverage, protect coverage until it can,” Perez said.

Perez also urged the city to ask Buncombe County commissioners to consider a countywide transit tax referendum to provide additional funding for Asheville Rides Transit and Mountain Mobility.

Emma Hutchens of Just Economics also spoke in favor of maintaining transit coverage.

Hutchens said the organization had participated in the city’s transit planning process and that riders did not support the proposed network as presented.

She suggested alternatives including maintaining the existing coverage map while improving travel times and transfers, keeping the current map while seeking additional funding for more frequent service or modifying the proposed network to preserve more coverage while developing partnerships with employers and service providers.

“Choosing between frequency and coverage as two conflicting options is an untenable choice,” Hutchens said.

The transit item was pulled from the agenda, and staff is examining the proposed growth network and potential funding options.

Residents urge more input on ADU changes

Council also heard public comments about proposed changes involving accessory dwelling units, or ADUs.

One person urged council to slow down and give residents more opportunity to understand proposed changes.

“We need to slow down,” he said. “We need y’all to speak up for us.”

He said residents should hear from their elected representatives about potential changes before they are adopted.

Resident seeks protection for South Slope trees

Council also heard an appeal to preserve a small stand of mature trees in Asheville’s South Slope.

A resident who said she has lived in the area for 10 years urged council to consider a roughly half-acre property at 11 Collier Ave. for preservation under Asheville’s Urban Forest plan.

She said the property contains a historically significant stand of mature oak trees and has been the subject of previous efforts to preserve it.

The property is scheduled to go to auction Aug. 31, she said, with a starting price of $300,000.

The resident told council she hoped city officials could find a way to preserve the property, including potentially asking that the auction be delayed while the city considers the site.

Church pastor raises budget concerns

Pastor Spencer Ellis Hardaway, of Rock Hill Missionary Baptist Church, also addressed council, questioning the lack of funding for strategic partnerships in the city’s budget.

Hardaway said the city should provide opportunities for children and young adults and urged council to consider funding for community organizations.

“I find it somewhat unconscionable to have a budget that does not include the strategic partners,” Hardaway said.

Hardaway also referenced the broader debate over individual liberty and security during the meeting.

The meeting lasted nearly five hours and included public comment on transit, housing, the urban forest, the city budget and other issues.