Sans Souci is the location of our bicycle shop, Velo Valets, and it is like a second home. We spend more time in Sans Souci than in our own home, so of course, we take a great interest there and have many different initiatives within the neighborhood. We work closely with the Sans Souci Neighborhood Alliance and with the members of the community to focus on changes we think the community needs and wants.
Sans Souci
Sans Souci Initiatives
MURAL
We have the great fortune to be in the geographic center of Sans Souci, and our building (2901-2905 Old Buncombe Road) stands apart in a way that makes its left side very visible from Old Buncombe and Gridley roads. We have worked with artist Adam Schrimmer, who designed a mural that we think captures the feel of sans souci (French for “no worries”). We have also received funding from a private donor, the Metropolitan Arts Council, and in-kind donations from Sherman Willams and Spectrum (thank you, Jorge Franco and Chris Folks!). With these pieces in place, the mural will be completed in late September 2017.
OLD BUNCOMBE ROAD
The one-mile stretch of Old Buncombe from Pete Hollis to Blue Ridge Drive is obviously unsafe for anyone who drives it. It’s why drivers always seem to stagger themselves — it is very uncomfortable to drive next to another vehicle. Old Buncombe is also crossed regularly by people on foot, and sometimes in wheelchairs. The curve in the middle adds to the danger. We are working with the county and state to make this a safer place. There need to be pedestrian crossings, and there need to be fewer lanes. We’re not sure what the final result looks like, but if you would like to comment on this initiative, follow this link to sign our petition, or to comment against any changes.
POP-UP SATURDAYS
We have been having Pop-Up Saturdays the first Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to noon since October 2016. We always have a Village Wrench site, where we do free bike safety checks, and often fix bikes for free. We are working to add other activities each month, so if you’re interested, please get in touch through our volunteer link.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
We’re working on façade improvement and a parklet (or small park) for all to use in front of 2901-2905 Old Buncombe Road. These, along with the changes already made by Velo Valets, would help spark other businesses to move into the area, we hope. We are working to recruit new businesses that fit the Sans Souci community. We think businesses that keep to the local community model, that support the human scale that still exists in Sans Souci, would be wonderful. In our own building, we’re interested in seeing something like a coffee shop and a local grocery — but we’ll have to wait and see what happens.
ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY
We’ve also adopted the first two miles of Old Buncombe through the Adopt-a-Highway program. We plan to clean up at least four times a year. We’ll provide trash bags, reflective vests, grabbers, coffee, and sometimes snacks, so come out and lend a hand! Keep an eye on our Facebook page for date and times.