NEWS

Asheville council approves anti-graffiti plan

Mark Barrett
ASH

ASHEVILLE – City Council approved a plan Tuesday to work with private property owners to get graffiti removed across the city this summer and beyond and crack down on graffiti vandals.

The plan includes a three-month anti-graffiti campaign beginning July 1 during which the city would spend up to $300,000 to remove or cover up graffiti, institutes civil penalties for for graffiti vandals in addition to criminal penalties in state law and asks state legislators to make criminal laws against it tougher.

The initiative received mostly support from people who spoke Tuesday, although some said it should also include walls where graffiti is encouraged or some other means of allowing graffiti vandals to express themselves.

"We agree that we should do this project and we want to work with the city," said Chris Peterson, a downtown property owner who had vehemently opposed a previous proposal to fine property owners who do not remove graffiti.

The plan was approved on a 6-1 vote with Councilman Cecil Bothwell casting the "no" vote. He said he has doubts about whether the plan will work and is concerned about using city funds to clean up private property.

City staff put the plan together in response to increasing public concern about the spread of graffiti on public and private property around the city.

It calls for city government to pay 90 percent of the cost of cleaning up graffiti on a private building from July 1 through Sept. 30 with the owner covering the remaining 10 percent. After that, private property owners would shoulder all of the cost but the city would maintain a list of contractors who could be hired to remove graffiti at reduced rates, or owners could make their own arrangements.

The plan requires property owners to have graffiti removed and provides that the city would force them to pay for the cost of cleanup if owners do not act. Owners would not be fined.

Councilman Gordon Smith said he would prefer not to have to spend city money on the problem. When city residents get their tax bills, "I want you to think ... someone just tagged your tax bill," he said, making a hissing noise like a spray paint can in use.

But, he said, the money is worth it. Removing graffiti "is a real public good," Smith said.

Councilman Jan Davis said if the plan is "successful, it's going to be worth its cost. If not, we'll have to consider another approach."

Resident Bruce Kennedy said the plan contains penalties for graffiti vandals but no positive way to channel their talents.

"They're doing it because they have no other voice," he said. "Consider tempering this and look for some way we can encourage creativity."

But Pattiy Torno, a property owner in the River Arts District, said a "free" wall there where people were encouraged to paint graffiti had negative consequences for the district as people attracted by the wall painted many other structures in the district as well.

"It really spawned a huge part of the problem that we're seeing now," she said.

The big cover-up

Highlights of the city's proposed anti-graffiti plan:

• New civil penalties for graffiti vandals would be set in addition to those imposed in criminal court.

• The city will cover 90 percent of the cost of removing graffiti from private property July 1-Sept. 30 and step up efforts to cover up graffiti on public property during the same period.

• Starting Oct. 1, property owners would be required to remove graffiti from their buildings. If they don't, the city will remove the graffiti and charge the cost to the property owner.

• Education and enforcement efforts would continue.