The NICE Toolbox's Page

One of the projects we are working on as we clean up Asheville is a NICE toolbox. Here are some tips on getting rid of some troublesome items that might be cluttering up your environment, and contact information for other kinds of issues.

Got any old appliances sitting around?
The City of Asheville will come and get your old stove, oven, refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, water heater, etc. for only $5. The fee is attached to your water bill. Call the Sanitation Department at (828) 251-1122 to get on the schedule for appliance collection.

Other large, bulky items
The city also picks up other large items. Mattresses, box springs, sofas, chairs, and other large, hard-to-dispose-of items will be collected from the curb -- by appointment. Call Sanitation at (828) 251-1122 to schedule a pick-up, then leave the item(s) at the curb by 7 a.m. on the appointed day. Give the city 7 working days to pick it up.

Moving in? Moving out?
Sanitation will do a one-time-only curbside pickup of large amounts of trash. Call (828) 251-1122 to schedule.

Old carpet to get rid of?
Sanitation requests that you roll the carpet up and tie a string or twine (no wire, please) around it and put at the curb. A call to (828) 251-1122 will get it out of your hair.

Other difficult to dispose of items are handled by Buncombe County.

Fluorescent lights
Fluorescent lights, both the long tube bulbs and the new Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs), should not be tossed into household garbage because of the mercury content. Buncombe County Volunteer Fire Departments serve as collection centers for these items. Two City of Asheville fire stations -- Station 2, at 315 Livingston Street and Station 11 at 7 Rocky Ridge Road (near Biltmore Square Mall) also accept fluorescents.

Hazardous household waste, computers and other electronics
The Buncombe County Landfill on Panther Branch Road (map) accepts fax machines, VCRs, DVD players, telephones, stereos, televisions and cell phones for recycling every Friday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. This is also the time and place to get rid of hazardous household waste, such as paint and related items (paint thinners, enamels and polyurethane, etc.). For more information, call the Buncombe County Solid Waste at (828) 250-5460 or visit the Web site by clicking here: Buncombe County Solid Waste
Note: Do not show up at the landfill other times with these devices, or you will be turned away.

What about potholes?
The Street Services Division of the City of Asheville Public Works Department is responsible for repairing and maintaining about 380 miles of road surface and 90 miles of sidewalk in city limits. To report a pothole or other needed repair to your street or sidewalk, call City of Asheville Customer Services line at (828) 251-1122. Street Services is responsible for repairing potholes, curbs and gutters, and sidewalks.
If the situation is an emergency, like a street collapse or sinkhole, dial 911.

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Adopt-a-Street
Speaking of streets, Asheville has an Adopt-A-Street program that is administered Quality Forward. Any group or organization can help reduce litter by participating. Quality Forward provides bags, vests, gloves and pick-up sticks and asks for four litter pickups per year for your adopted street. The City of Asheville will come out and put up signs to recognize your group’s contribution to a cleaner Asheville. For more information, call Quality Forward at (828) 254-1776.

Street Cleaning
If it’s a street cleaning you think your street needs, you can call Customer Services at (828) 251-1122 to schedule a visit from the street cleaning machines.

Street lights
Speaking of streets, part two: Are all of the street lights on your city street burning at night? The city depends on citizens to report malfunctioning street lights. Before calling, it will help greatly if you get the pole number (on the side of the pole in yellow letters on a black background) of the light in question. Then call 259-5935 to make your report. The city requests citizens report lights that stay on during the day as well.

Abandoned Cars?
Are there old vehicles sitting around your neighborhood that haven't moved in a while? The City of Asheville will remove junked cars from the streets provided they have no current registration and have no means of moving. Janice Williams is the City of Asheville's go-to person for junked cars and she can be reached at 259-5889.

Abandoned houses
Often drug users and other miscreants will seek abandoned houses to do their dirty work. If there is an unoccupied home in your neighborhood that has attracted unwanted attention, you should bring it to the attention of Asheville's Neighborhood Coordinator, Marsha Stickford. Call her at 259-5506 or by e-mail at mstickford@ashevillenc.gov.

What about graffiti?
Quality Forward will provide you with supplies to remove graffiti, and reminds that "... it has been shown that prompt removal of graffiti is the most effective tactic in discouraging vandals." Give them a call at 254-1776

Got an item for the toolbox? Is there something missing? Send it to Dave Russell at drussell@citizen-times.com.