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In the wake of the violence that erupted earlier this month at a white nationalist rally in Virginia, Asheville City Council approved a resolution condemning the actions of white supremacists and racial violence in Charlottesville. The resolution passed at its Aug. 22 meeting reads , in part: The Asheville City Council do hereby reject the message of all hate groups; renounce racism, white supremacy, anti-Semitism, the KKK, neo-Nazis, domestic terrorism and hatred; declare that those who want to spread hatred, bigotry and violence have no place in the city of Asheville; and commit to ensuring that Asheville remains a place of love and compassion, where hate is not, and never will be, welcome. The resolution also tasks Council ’s Governance Committee with reviewing “the relevant General Statutes and other applicable laws related to historical markers and monuments on city property.” Mayor Esther Manheimer said the city will formulate a plan for public engagement around monuments....

Hoping to tie a surging demand for more apartment units in Spokane with a desire for density, the Spokane City Council approved changes to a city tax law this week aimed at spurring construction of more multifamily housing structures . The changes to the Multiple Family Housing Tax Exemption expand the boundaries where the exemption can be used, and aligns the boundaries with land identified by the city to be prime for denser development. The changes also increase the income levels required under the exemption. “This will help us to continue building the city from the core out,” said Councilwoman Candace Mumm . The exemption applies to the construction or rehabilitation of a building that has four or more living units. Under the exemption, the land is fully taxed, but any new improvements related to housing are exempt from property taxes. After the exemption ends , taxes are paid on the property’s full value. The exemption stays with the property even if it’s sold. There are many ...

ROCK ISLAND — The historic VanDerGinst Law building , once home to a Montgomery Ward retail store , soon will be turned into 33 apartments and an 11- room boutique hotel with first- floor commercial space . The six-story building, located at 1701-1705 2nd Ave., was built in 1908 and has an iconic mural of Chief Black Hawk on its exterior. City council members on Monday approved a development agreement with Saratoga Capital LLC that includes up to $2,485,000 in incentives. The incentive package includes tax -increment-finance funds and property tax rebates not to exceed $1 million or 20 years, whichever comes first. The city also will contribute up to $100,000 for restoration of the Black Hawk mural , up to $75,000 toward sidewalk and safety improvements and up to $100,000 toward renovation of the commercial portion of the property. Ald. Stephen Tollenaer, 4th Ward, opposed the deal, calling the incentive package a "bailout.” "I don't think it's a prudent t...

Charlotte’s biggest source of funding for affordable housing projects could soon run dry, as a City Council committee voted Wednesday to move forward with its biggest-ever round of new projects. It’s the latest step in the city’s push to create or preserve 5, 000 affordable housing units over three years, a goal City Council voted to adopt in the wake of the Keith Scott shooting and subsequent unrest last year. City staff said Wednesday that the city is almost halfway to that goal, though the total includes rehabilitated residences and down payment assistance for homebuyers, in addition to brand-new affordable units . The allocations from Charlotte’s Housing Trust Fund that the committee voted to move forward with Wednesday will provide financing for 769 new, income-restricted apartments in five buildings, though the projects also need approval for federal low- income housing tax credits . The aggressive approach to spending could build more apartments faster, but it will leave...

When some 200,000 spectators flock to Quail Hollow Club for the PGA Championship next month, many of them will drive past a curious Charlotte landmark : The long- stalled commercial development at Park and Gleneagles roads. The site has sat vacant for years, surrounded by green- sheathed construction fencing while a hole originally dug for a parking garage slowly fills in with water and trees. Dee-Dee Harris, CEO of the  Harris Land Company , declined to comment this week about where plans stand for the site. She and husband Cameron Harris , a Charlotte businessman and brother of prominent real estate developer Johnny Harris , own the site through their company. The Harris Land Company also developed the adjacent Seven Eagles at Quail Hollow gated community in Charlotte. The 19-acre site has been controversial for a generation in Charlotte, with a development history that stretches back to 1989. That’s when City Council approved a rezoning request to allow commercial instead...

HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) - January's tornado, poor documentation and other issues are causing city officials to crunch numbers, quickly, to close 2017's budget before moving forward. Interim Chief Financial Officer Connie Everett said her assessment of Hattiesburg's finances indicates that FY 2017 has been a difficult year . "I am concerned, obviously," Everett said.  "I don't think it's exactly critical, but it does bear close watching ." Everett said the January tornado set the city back by over $4 million and the recovery is not yet complete.  With insurance and FEMA reimbursements, the city has received about $2.4 million to date. "It's not something that happens right away," said Everett. Everett said there are still three majors structures in Hattiesburg that need to be rebuilt, with other locations needing upgrades and improvements.  Everett said she believes those reimbursements will continue, but the city may not see the...

During a public hearing at the Spanish Fort Planning Commission meeting Monday night , subdivision residents living adjacent to the proposed Quail Hollow development said they were worried the additional traffic flowing from the planned 147 condominium units would significantly worsen already congested conditions on Alabama Highway 225. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com) With their options limited by a rezoning decision made in 2004, the Spanish Fort Planning Commission voted Monday night to allow Spanish Fort Apartment 2012 LLC owners to move ahead with a planned unit development called Quail Hollow on the west side of Alabama Highway 225 in the city. J.R. Smith, who is the city council representative on the planning commission , cast the only no vote. The Quail Hollow master plan includes construction of 49 two-story triplexes for a total of 147 condominiums on 19.62 acres located on the west side of Highway 225 about one mile north of Alabama Highway 31. It is north of the...

City Planning Commission OKs the proposal for the vacant corner across from homes on 7000 block of Hollister Avenue Hollister Village developers plan to build 33 more apartments in the complex on the 7000 block of Hollister Avenue in Goleta." height="667" width="1000" id="upsize" /> Hollister Village developers plan to build 33 more apartments in the complex on the 7000 block of Hollister Avenue in Goleta.  (Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo) In a move that has upset some nearby residents , Costa Mesa-based developer Westar Associates wants to build 33 more apartments in Goleta next to the 266 Hollister Village units it has already constructed. Westar Associates took its proposal to the Goleta Planning Commission on Monday night, where it was approved 3-2, with members Ed Fuller and Robert Miller in opposition. Westar already has approval to build a project on that site, which is on the eastern end of the development, with 12,687 square feet of...