With public health considerations guiding our work, the City is advancing ways to use shared public and private spaces differently to support economic recovery and other community needs.
Curbside Pick-up Zones
The City of Asheville is launching shared Curbside Pick-up Zones to support local restaurants and retailers in more than 20 locations around the city. The Curbside Pick-up Zone program will be rolled out beginning May 26. This program is the first of the City’s public space response initiatives launched to support economic recovery and safe public access during COVID-19.
On-street parking spaces were selected in downtown locations and on Haywood Road in West Asheville in areas close to restaurants and/or central to goods and services where purchased items can be picked-up curbside for the initial rollout. Each shared zone accommodates 1-3 vehicles and encourages quick turnover (10 minutes) to support active pick-ups. View the in-progress map here.
The City has waived all parking fees since March 18 in order to support convenient access to goods and services, including curbside pick-ups. With businesses continuing to open and an increase of overall activity in commercial areas, it gets tougher to find available spaces, so this program creates dedicated areas to prioritize and support continued curbside services.
Related, metered parking will resume collecting fees on June 1 and enforcement will begin at that time. Garage parking in City and County garages will remain free.
Each zone has a unique identifier and customers can use any of the curbside pick-up zones. Businesses may choose to refer customers to specific locations for easier access of their pick-up order.
Engagement and feedback
Business owners, employees and customers who use the zones are encouraged to provide feedback to inform adjustments and improvements as needed. The program is anticipated to adjust over time to accommodate changing needs, which could mean discontinuation, expansion, or changes to pick-up spaces. An initial test period of one month can inform those changes. Feedback can be provided online here.
It is critical that planning and implementation for uses of public space is equitable and inclusive. As minority-owned businesses are particularly vulnerable during this time the City desires to hear from them. We strongly encourage minority-owned business owners or operators to contact either the Asheville Business Inclusion or Public Space Response staff with questions and ideas, no matter where your business is located or whether curbside pick up zones are relevant to you.
Temporary flexible use of outdoor public and private spaces
The City is committed to supporting safe re-opening of businesses and expanding ways to ensure safe public access to goods and services — while recognizing the importance of being flexible and nimble as the needs and priorities evolve. To assist in the recovery and operation of Asheville businesses, the City is accepting requests from businesses and organizations to temporarily use additional outdoor public and private spaces.
Beginning Friday, May 22, businesses can request to use their private parking lots, landscape areas, and walkways to expand operations in alignment with public health guidelines. The online request form provides a simple process for businesses to request a temporary outdoor expansion and for the city to share important safety guidelines. Requests that fall within the included guidelines are not subject to a formal permit process.
Beginning the week of June 1, businesses can also request to use public space to expand operations in alignment with public health guidelines. Requests for the temporary use of public space will be integrated into the same online request form used for private property requests, creating a consolidated and user friendly way for businesses to temporarily expand their footprint. City staff members are working diligently on clear guidelines for the use of public space and plans for larger shared use of spaces.
Please stay up to date at www.ashevillenc.gov/publicspaceresponse. Contact us with ideas or feedback at publicspaceresponse@PublicInput.com.