The president of a real-estate company vandalized Thursday morning has responded to an e-mail message that claimed the acts were in defense of the environment.
In an e-mail of his own (which is reproduced in full below) Beverly-Hanks & Associates President W. Neal Hanks defends the company’s environmental record and notes that the influx of new residents to the area as the reason for new development.
The Asheville Police Department is reporting no new leads in the investigation of the vandalism of Beverly-Hanks & Associates and Private Mountain Communities offices in downtown Asheville. APD Officer Vic Mormon told Xpress that the apparent motivation behind the attacks would not affect charges against any apprehended suspects.
“It wouldn’t change the crime in itself, based on the [perpetrators’] intentions,” Mormon said.
Hanks’ e-mail statement is posted below.
— Brian Postelle, staff writer
_____________________________________________________________________
From W. Neal Hanks Jr., President/Owner of Beverly-Hanks & Associates:
“During the early hours of June 14th, Beverly-Hanks & Associates, Realtors office at 300 Executive Park in downtown Asheville was vandalized. Bricks were thrown through windows, the door locks were filled with glue and paint was sprayed in front of the entrance doors.
Evidently, a group that is against the development of new home communities is responsible for the vandalism. We regret that some people would break the law in their attempts to express an opinion.
Beverly-Hanks takes great care to work with responsible builders and developers, many of whom reserve considerable green space, and use green building techniques and environmentally friendly approaches in their communities.
The beauty of Western North Carolina and the warmth of its residents make it a popular destination. Many people will continue to move to our region to enjoy the quality of life that we all enjoy. That’s unlikely to change. As active involved citizens of our community, we take great pride in working with our fellow citizens to make our communities better places to live.”
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.