City of Asheville staff to present updated hotel development ordinance to Planning and Zoning Commission

Press release from the City of Asheville government:

Following two City Council work sessions, the City of Asheville Department of Planning and Urban Design has further analyzed the proposed hotel development regulations and will be holding a public hearing to present the revised regulations at 5 p.m. Jan. 21 the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.

At the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting , City staff will present the updated information and discuss feedback gathered from the Downtown Commission and the Riverfront Commission meetings in November.  The changes presented reflect feedback the department received from City Council. Residents will notice changes in the Public Benefits Table, the overlay map and the proposed ordinance.

• Changes to the Public Benefits Table include:
  • Deepening of affordability options;
  • The addition of an option for contracting with minority- and women-owned business enterprises.

• Map amendment revisions include:
  • The removal of the Asheville Mall until new zoning amendments are adopted;
  • The removal of the River Ridge Shopping Center;
  • The removal of the area east of South Charlotte Street between Woodfin and College streets;
  • The expansion of the overlay for small hotels to include the west side of Coxe Avenue in the South Slope area.

• Ordinance amendment revisions include:
  • The elimination of a lot width requirement for adaptive reuse projects;
  • A threshold trigger requirement for Council review at 115 rooms.

The Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on these revisions and will vote at the following meeting on a recommendation to the City Council.  Once the Planning and Zoning Commission have made their recommendation, the proposed ordinance, map and appendices will go back to City Council for final approval in late January or early February.

Background
In September 2019,  Asheville City Council approved a temporary moratorium on the approval of new hotels, which means that no hotel development applications will be approved for a year. The purpose of the moratorium is to allow the City time to further study the issues surrounding hotel development and assess the impacts, both real and perceived. Before the moratorium expires, the Asheville City Council intends to adopt new rules for hotels that will guide any further hotel development in the city.

Find more information at this link.