“But the solution to our overlapping affordability and climate crises can’t be to try to freeze our city in time, to shut our borders or to blame anyone who hasn’t lived here long enough to earn the right kind of Asheville cred.”
Tag: density
Showing 1-12 of 12 results
Letter: Open-space protections under threat
“This is effectively a giveaway to developers under the guise of providing affordable housing.”
A Devil’s Dictionary of Development
“When The Market is ‘up,’ sacrifices of mature trees, wild animals and poor people must be offered in order to win Its favor.”
Commentary: Highest and best use? Or absolutely the worst use?
Editor’s note: The issues of density, zoning, Smart Growth and quality of life in the city of Asheville continue to generate interest and concern among Mountain Xpress readers. Recent letters to the editor on the topics have generated multiple comments and new letters, along with a lively thread on the Facebook group Asheville Politics, which […]
Letter writer: Will Asheville make Oregon’s density mistakes?
In the late ’70s, Oregon embarked on a strategy to limit urban sprawl and became the first state to adopt an aggressive “Smart Growth” methodology of zoning. Its goals were exemplary but failed to anticipate that the most “efficient” way to populate the cities was directly opposed to the way that people actually wanted to […]
Plans for controversial Chestnut Street development withdrawn
A proposed Chestnut Street development that sparked a major debate about the clash between neighborhood preservation and the need for more housing will not happen, as the developer withdrew the project yesterday due to neighborhood opposition and a number of issues with the development process.
Survey says: developers tell city commission why they don’t build affordable housing
As part of a major effort to examine Asheville’s lack of affordable housing and possibly overhaul the way city government approaches the issue, the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee interviewed a range of developers to find out why many don’t build affordable housing. They replied that the costs of land, a lack of infrastructure, insufficient transit, city rules inhibiting denser development and neighborhood opposition all play a role in why many of them don’t build more affordable units.
‘A conflict of goals’: planning commission narrowly approves Chestnut project
After a discussion about conflicting city goals, the need for more density and the precedent for growth throughout Asheville, the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission narrowly approved a proposed 16-unit housing development on Chestnut Street at tonight’s meeting.
Candidates question each other, development at CIBO forum
The five Asheville City Council candidates squared off at the Council of Independent Business Owners’ forum yesterday afternoon as this year’s campaign entered its final stretch. Many of the topics discussed had been dealt with at previous forums, with some exceptions. In this case, the candidates questioned each other, and spoke frankly about their thoughts on development and NIMBYism.
Putting numbers to Asheville’s housing crunch
It’s commonly said that housing’s hard to find in Asheville. Numbers from the U.S. Census and elsewhere shine a light on exactly how hard.
Density, money, state politics on Council’s radar for this year
At their retreat yesterday, Asheville City Council members discussed a variety of topics facing the city, focusing especially on density, budget issues, the effect of state legislation, and even a possible overhaul in the way city government deals with the arts.
Asheville City Council preview: of densities and developments
At its meeting tomorrow, Sept. 28, Asheville City Council is set to take up two matters that involve the ongoing debate over how the city should develop: the 100-unit Caledonia Apartments in Kenilworth and extending incentives for workforce housing.