(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Jamie', 'last_name' => 'Gilpin', 'neighborhood' => 'North Asheville Community', 'street_address' => '174 Brookwood Rd', 'city' => 'Asheville', 'state' => 'NC', 'zipcode' => '28806', 'comment_date' => 'January 23, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'My father (Jim Gilpin) collaborated with Jay Swain before my father retired from the US Forest Service. He has spoken highly of Jay, and I\'m sure that Jay would be reasonable in addressing ...', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Jeff', 'last_name' => 'Farmer', 'neighborhood' => 'Five Points', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => 'Asheville', 'state' => 'NC', 'zipcode' => '28801', 'comment_date' => 'January 20, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'This plan also doesn\'t lend itself to any of the longer term plans set aside for Merrimon Ave by the City of Asheville... please consider alternative plans', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Susan', 'last_name' => 'Bean', 'neighborhood' => 'North Asheville Community', 'street_address' => '12 Lookout Dr', 'city' => 'Asheville ', 'state' => 'NC', 'zipcode' => '28804', 'comment_date' => 'January 13, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'project seems to fully ignore the city of Asheville\'s years of planning for ways the Merrimon avenue corridor could better support the needs of local travelers...safety of the greenway crossing...', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'George', 'last_name' => 'Celtrick', 'neighborhood' => 'null', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => 'Hendersonville', 'state' => 'NC', 'zipcode' => '', 'comment_date' => 'January 18, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'There will be bicycles on Merimon long after the combustion engine driven car is gone...how and why we use cars is changing fast.
', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Jennifer ', 'last_name' => 'Murphy', 'neighborhood' => 'North Asheville Community', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => '', 'state' => 'null', 'zipcode' => '28806', 'comment_date' => false, 'pullquote' => 'These changes are not designed for people, only for cars. I think they will not only endanger pedestrians and cyclists but also hurt local businesses.', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Wes', 'last_name' => 'Gibson', 'neighborhood' => 'null', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => '', 'state' => 'null', 'zipcode' => '', 'comment_date' => 'January 22, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'In Asheville, we’d love to see more complete streets being built to support our cycling and pedestrian community.  These streets allow for an alleviation of the current traffic woes, while also...', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Georgeanna ', 'last_name' => 'Connors', 'neighborhood' => 'null', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => '', 'state' => 'null', 'zipcode' => '', 'comment_date' => 'January 14, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'However, the current plans for Merrimon Ave are car-centric, short-sighted, environmentally reckless, and uninspired.', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Nicholas', 'last_name' => 'Hasslock', 'neighborhood' => 'null', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => '', 'state' => 'null', 'zipcode' => '', 'comment_date' => 'January 17, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'New urban studies show that wider faster sprawl diminishes returns for the city. Diluting neighborhood culture. Cutting people off from their once walkable neighborhoods.', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Michele', 'last_name' => 'Dohse', 'neighborhood' => 'Five Points', 'street_address' => '66 Montview Dr', 'city' => 'Asheville', 'state' => 'NC', 'zipcode' => '28801', 'comment_date' => 'January 20, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'I attended the public meeting on January 8 with a long list of questions, few if any of which were satisfactorily answered. I saw very little that I deemed would “enhance safety.”', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Jen', 'last_name' => 'Woodward', 'neighborhood' => 'Five Points', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => '', 'state' => 'null', 'zipcode' => '', 'comment_date' => 'January 29, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'It’s apparent that NCDOT did little, if anything at all, to incorporate existing city plans or ... COA ... staff and the corridor community in the development of the current plan...', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Nanci', 'last_name' => 'Flippin', 'neighborhood' => 'North Asheville Community', 'street_address' => '29 Elias Place', 'city' => 'Asheville', 'state' => 'NC', 'zipcode' => '28804', 'comment_date' => 'January 27, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'It makes much more sense for Merrimon to be a "complete" street which provides for vehicular as well as non-motorized traffic and is much more consistent with being part of a neighborhood', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Stephanie', 'last_name' => 'Mergelsberg', 'neighborhood' => 'North Asheville Community', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => '', 'state' => 'null', 'zipcode' => '', 'comment_date' => 'January 29, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'It seems to be in favor of motor vehicle transportation, with no regard to improving pedestrians and biker friendliness...Please consider the...Asheville in Motion and the Asheville City 2025 Plan... ', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Chris', 'last_name' => 'Skoczynski', 'neighborhood' => 'Historic Montford', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => '', 'state' => 'null', 'zipcode' => '', 'comment_date' => 'January 29, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'We’re going to need a plan that is pedestrian sensitive and suited to a large urban area.
Current plans do not meet this criteria', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Bridget', 'last_name' => 'Felix', 'neighborhood' => 'North Asheville Community', 'street_address' => '522 Clearview Ter', 'city' => 'Asheville', 'state' => 'NC', 'zipcode' => '28804', 'comment_date' => 'January 29, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'We need to be forward thinking about this. The current plans that were presented are antiquated, irresponsible, and dangerous', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'John', 'last_name' => 'Woodward', 'neighborhood' => 'Five Points', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => '', 'state' => 'null', 'zipcode' => '', 'comment_date' => 'January 29, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'The current proposed design prioritizes the movement of motor vehicles above public safety, multi-modal transportation options, neighborhood connectivity, and local economic development.', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Deborah', 'last_name' => 'Bloom', 'neighborhood' => 'Kenilworth', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => '', 'state' => 'null', 'zipcode' => '', 'comment_date' => 'January 29, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'I\'m dismayed...a family is being forced out of their house... an access road... passes close to the Clearview Terrace apartments and lets out on Edgewood Knoll... alternate solution been investigated?', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Jeanine', 'last_name' => 'West', 'neighborhood' => 'null', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => '', 'state' => 'null', 'zipcode' => '', 'comment_date' => 'January 22, 2018', 'pullquote' => '...would I want to arrive to my destination of in the Beaver Lake/Woodfin area thirty seconds faster if I knew that it would cause [the loss of] someone’s life? ', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Reid', 'last_name' => 'Rhodes', 'neighborhood' => 'null', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => '', 'state' => 'null', 'zipcode' => '', 'comment_date' => 'January 29, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'The last thing we need in this town are more 4 and 5 lane roads with zero bicycle infrastructure. The list is pretty long on all the reasons that this is a poorly thought out project...', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Matt', 'last_name' => 'Christie', 'neighborhood' => 'null', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => '', 'state' => 'null', 'zipcode' => '', 'comment_date' => 'January 29, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'I\'ve spent countless hours on Merrimon Avenue commuting to job sites and homes at all hours of the day and night. I also have two young children, and enjoy biking', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'Rich', 'last_name' => 'Owings', 'neighborhood' => 'null', 'street_address' => '', 'city' => '', 'state' => 'null', 'zipcode' => '', 'comment_date' => 'January 27, 2018', 'pullquote' => 'Connect the Reed Creek greenway on each side of Merrimon so that greenway traffic does not have to cross Merrimon. This should be done along the creek thru an expanded box culvert', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )

(object) array( 'first_name' => 'David', 'last_name' => 'Novak', 'neighborhood' => 'Norwood Park', 'street_address' => '73 Woodward Ave', 'city' => 'Asheville', 'state' => 'NC', 'zipcode' => '28801', 'comment_date' => 'January 29, 2018', 'pullquote' => '"I am in favor of a 3-lane solution (employing a center turn lane) allowing  ample space for bus turn-outs, regulation width bike lanes, and safe, set back, pedestrian sidewalks..."', 'for_against' => 'Against', 'permission_to_publish' => true, 'event_date' => '', )