Hi everyone- People are really interested in how they can help. There is a meeting of the Downtown Commission this Friday, November 13, 2015 at 8:30 in the first floor conference room of city hall. There will be a public comment portion towards the end of the meeting (usually around 10:00). Please, come and make your concerns heard about supporting our unique, independent small business culture downtown. We must have more than one or two voices who are bringing this issue forward to the downtown commission, council, and city staff. If you can't make it to this meeting, please email council as well as the commission and staff. Please also feel free to attend a City Council meeting on a Tuesday and make your voice heard on the matter. Here is our message: We ask that the Downtown Commission recommend that City Council place the issue of protecting our unique, vibrant, small business culture on their planning retreat agenda and to recognize this issue as a priority for downtown in the coming year. We ask that the downtown commission recommend that council directs staff to use time and resources to find indirect and creative uses of our conditional use and zoning tools, especially as the UDO is revised. We ask that council directs staff as well as the downtown commission and partners such as the Asheville Downtown Association and Asheville Grown Business Alliance to engage the public and gather community supported solutions in this process before making decisions and final recommendations, and certainly before the issue is put to rest. Downtown Commission emails: "Adrian Vassallo (adrian.vassallo@dhgllp.com)" , Brent Campbell , "Byron Greiner (byron@marketingasheville.com)" , "Dane Barrager (dane.barrager@gmail.com)" , "Jackson Bebber (jbebber@vwlawfirm.com)" , Jan Davis , "Jimi Rentz (rentz.jimi@gmail.com)" , "Michael McDonough (michael@mcdonougharchitect.com)" , "Pamela Winkler (winkler.pamela00@gmail.com)" , "Rebecca Hecht (adornasheville@gmail.com)" , Ruth Summers current City Council emails: AshevilleNCCouncil@ashevillenc.gov