House and (affordable) home

At their first meeting of 2011, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners dove into a variety of issues, including the safety of a retaining wall in Reynolds, work-force housing, a new park and more. Here's a summary of the Jan. 4 session.

Wall done?

Engineering Inspections Coordinator Matt Stone reported on a stop-work order issued earlier that day against a massive retaining wall being built along Highway 74 in Reynolds. Citing visible cracks in the structure, Stone said an in-depth analysis is needed to determine whether it’s safe.

The 88-foot-high wall is part of an apartment complex being developed by the Greensboro-based Carroll Investment Properties. Four apartment buildings and a parking lot are planned for land above and adjacent to the wall. Engineers affiliated with the project have emphasized that some cracking is normal. But while Stone said he didn’t think the wall was in imminent danger of collapsing, he noted that the cracks have grown over the last few months to the extent that further study is needed.

The commissioners concurred.

"For all the citizens who drive [Highway] 74, it's good news that work is going to be done on that to protect people," said Commissioner Carol Peterson, noting that she and a number of her colleagues live in the area.

One of them is board Chair David Gantt, who called the wall "a monstrosity" and voiced concern that the cracks could get worse if buildings are erected on top of it.

After the public meeting, the commissioners went into closed session with County Attorney Michael Frue to discuss the county's options going forward. The county plans to develop a formal policy on retaining walls later this year.

Work-force housing policy approved

The board unanimously approved an incentives policy aimed at encouraging developers to build affordable rental housing.

When the Frontier Syndicate requested $1.8 million in tax breaks for its Montford Commons work-force-housing development in October, the commissioners expressed support for the project but said they needed to have an overall policy in place before making a decision (see “But What’s the Policy?” Nov. 3, 2010 Xpress).

The goal is to help police officers, nurses, teachers and other moderate-income workers find adequate rental housing that costs no more than 30 percent of household income. The policy applies to households with incomes between 80 and 140 percent of the median for the area (currently $55,400, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development). Thus, eligible households would have incomes between $44,300 and $77,560. Qualifying rents are capped at $716 for an efficiency, $809 for a one-bedroom, $903 for a two-bedroom and $997 for a three-bedroom unit. Both the rent caps and the income levels will be adjusted annually, based on HUD’s figures.

Developers would have to offer 50 or more such units to full-time county residents for at least 15 years. An earlier draft of the policy had called for lower rents and 100, rather than 50, qualifying units. The changes, County Planner Cynthia Barcklow explained later, were based on input from developers, in hopes of making the incentives more attractive to a wider variety of them.

Participating developers would be rewarded with substantial benefits: For investments of $10 million or more, for example, up to 85 percent of the tax valuation of the new construction would be waived for five years. Each development will be considered on a case-by-case basis, however, and the board will have final say over which projects will be subsidized. In some cases, the commissioners might decide to offer a no-interest loan up front to help cover construction costs.

After the vote, Vince Smarjesse of Frontier Syndicate praised the board's action while citing concerns about the rent caps and how the incentives will fit with those offered by the city of Asheville. "I think this is a good working platform, and I think that's what they intended — a basic starting point," he said, adding, "We'll be the first ones to enter into serious dialogue." Asheville’s incentives package is contingent on the county’s offering the project equivalent or greater support.

A park for posterity

The commissioners unanimously approved a $353,500 grant application by the Buncombe County Parks, Greenways and Recreation Services Department. The money, which would come from the state’s Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, would be used to buy a 30-acre wooded tract in Mills Gap; the county would have to raise about $92,500 in matching funds to close the deal and convert the site into a public park.

Robert Collier said he's willing to sell the land to the county for $300,000 — about half its market value — to ensure that his 10 children and 46 grandchildren will get to enjoy it after he and his wife are gone. "We wanted to preserve it for posterity, and we thought this would be a great way to do it," he explained, garnering applause from the commissioners.

What’s in a name?

In other business:
• The board unanimously approved rezoning a .70-acre parcel at 904 Riceville Road to allow a mobile home or mobile-home park. Both the Planning Department and the Planning Board recommended changes, saying it should be consistent with other housing in the area.
• The commissioners also voted 5-0 to revise the county’s policy on naming property. Buildings may now be named in honor of living people as well as the deceased, and the commissioners can give separate names to individual rooms and other portions of buildings.

— Jake Frankel can be reached at 251-1333, ext. 115, or at jfrankel@mountainx.com.