Removal of Vance Monument moving forward after judge denies motion to halt process
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ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — Asheville city officials announce plans to remove Vance Monument are moving forward following a Buncombe County judge’s decision.
In a press release, the City of Asheville says Superior Court Judge Steven Warren denied a recent motion calling for a temporary restraint order to prevent the monument’s removal.
Following Asheville City Council’s 6-1 vote to remove the monument, the Society for the Historical Preservation of the 26th North Carolina Troops Inc. filed a lawsuit to stop the monument’s demolition.
“The suit alleged that the City of Asheville is in breach of contract after a 2015 signed agreement between Asheville and the 26th N.C. to restore the monument for which the group raised $138,447,” the city’s press release states.
Additionally, the city has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which is pending before the court, officials say.
Moving forward, the city can continue with the contracts for removal, which will include removing the scaffolding surrounding the monument, removing the monument by either this spring or summer and installing landscaping in its place.
The city plans to conduct a community visioning process to consider possible replacements for the space.
The Vance Monument, a 75-foot-tall stone obelisk named for former Confederate military officer, N.C Governor and U.S. Senator Zebulon Vance has been tarped, covered and boarded up for months.
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