Asheville Home Builders organize a zoning swarm

Posted on by Cecil Bothwell

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on proposed zoning on Tuesday, April 24, and the Asheville Home Builders Association is recruiting members to make a strong showing at the event. Below is the text of an e-mail sent to the organization’s membership.

— Cecil Bothwell, staff writer

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AHBA Member – Call to Action

On Tuesday, April 24th at 5:00PM, the County Commissioners will be holding a public hearing at the Asheville campus of AB Tech (Ferguson Auditorium) to discuss county-wide zoning in Buncombe County.  We plan for this to be a time for business people to talk about the many ordinances that are being passed which adversely affect jobs and the economy of our area. These ordinances directly impact the building and construction industry.

In addition, there is a major effort by several people in Buncombe County to encourage the County Commissioners to pass a complete building moratorium. If the Commissioners decide to implement such a moratorium, this will have a devastating impact on our economy.

Our goal is to have builders, contractors, subcontractors, etc., to show up in full force at this meeting.  We want guys to show up with their dump trucks, worn work clothes, etc. to show the impact of such extreme proposals. If you need more information or explanation, call the AHBA Office at 828-299-7001 and speak with Caroline.  This is an opportunity for the families who depend on the construction industry to come out and let their voices be heard together.  Believe me, if enough people come out…it will get the Commissioners attention.  But if the no-growth groups have their way, we will all wake up and wonder what just happened to business in Buncombe County and why the jobs are gone!  Currently, there are more voices being raised for the moratorium than against, and the Commissioners definitely count warm bodies in the room.

Please let us know via email or fax (299-7008), how many people you have contacted and/or the name of the organizations or groups you have contacted so that we can have a rough estimation of how many people will show up at the meeting.

We really want to show the Commissioners that the every day working people depend on them making sound responsible decisions!

Thanks in advance for your help,

Contact Caroline for additional information – 299-7001 or caroline@ashevillehba.com

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About Cecil Bothwell
A writer for Mountain Xpress since three years before there WAS an MX--back in the days of GreenLine. Former managing editor of the paper, founding editor of the Warren Wilson College environmental journal, Heartstone, member of the national editorial board of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, publisher of Brave Ulysses Books, radio host of "Blows Against the Empire" on WPVM-LP 103.5 FM, co-author of the best selling guide Finding your way in Asheville. Lives with three cats, macs and cacti. His other car is a canoe. Paints, plays music and for the past five years has been researching and soon to publish a critical biography--Billy Graham: Prince of War:
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2 thoughts on “Asheville Home Builders organize a zoning swarm”

  2. Chuck Connors

    The Cashiers/Highlands Board of Realtors did the same thing here in Jackson County. We have four sympathetic (to the Subdivision,Stormwater & Steepslope ordinances) commissioners. The chair of the commissioners is a shill for the realtors (he’s on the board of the Balsam Mtn ‘Preserve’). The fight for sane, sustainable growth has only begun though.

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