Learn more about the different types of development review in Buncombe County and the government boards responsible for each.
City of Asheville development boards
Three governmental bodies are critical to the fate of large-scale development in the city: Asheville City Council, the Design Review Committee and the Planning and Zoning Commission. Find out more about what each group does and how to weigh in on its decisions.
City of Asheville development process
Learn more about the different types of development projects in the city of Asheville and how local government reviews each of them.
How to keep abreast of proposed development projects
Both Asheville and Buncombe County offer a number of tools to help residents avoid getting caught off guard by development. The following resources give early notification of development proposals and provide more information about each project’s movement through the overall approval process.
How to participate effectively in land-use decisions
The following guidelines are best practices for getting public officials to tune you in if you are involved in a development issue. Each piece of advice is based on interviews with people who used to turn thumbs up — or thumbs down — on development projects and others with experience in the field.
How zoning, land-use rules work
Court rulings and state laws sometimes mean local governments can’t adopt zoning rules their constituents might like — and in some cases, it’s uncertain just how much authority municipalities have, say Asheville City Attorney Brad Branham and other lawyers working in the field.
Development Guide
Mountain Xpress, with support from the American Press Institute, is excited to offer a fully linkable online version of the Development Guide — your companion to local government land-use planning.
Waste reduction and smart design help extend landfill life
Landfills tend to fall in the “out of sight, out of mind” category — unless you’re living next to one. But Buncombe County’s recent move to prepare additional landfill space for both construction and municipal debris is a reminder that such facilities have a finite life.
Buncombe proposes land conservation goal
At the recommendation of the county board’s Environment & Energy Stewardship Subcommittee, which includes board Chair Brownie Newman along with Commissioners Parker Sloan and Terri Wells, members will vote on whether to commit to conserving 20% of Buncombe’s total acreage by 2030.
Buncombe’s unsheltered homeless population doubles in a year
Buncombe County’s latest Point-In-Time count — meant to record every resident sleeping on the streets, at a shelter or in transitional housing on a single night — found 232 unsheltered residents in January 2022, up from the 116 people counted a year before. Overall homelessness in the county increased by about 21% over the same period.
Council to hear $11.7M in ARPA requests
A week after the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners doled out about $4.9 million of its own American Rescue Plan Act allotment, Asheville City Council will consider over $11.7 million in ARPA projects Tuesday, May 10.
Development roundup: Airport expansion up for county approval
The Buncombe County Board of Adjustment will consider a special use permit for a proposed terminal expansion at the Asheville Regional Airport Wednesday, May 11.
From CPP: Asheville council will be asked to approve list of nonprofits to receive millions in ARPA funds
The city used a scoring system to winnow the field of applicants, but at least one council member questions the fairness of that approach.
Voters may decide on $70M in Buncombe borrowing this year
During an April 19 briefing, the county Board of Commissioners heard a presentation by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land about the feasibility of issuing $70 million in bonds for housing and land conservation, which in this case would require approval through referendums of Buncombe voters.
From CPP: Shoring up Lake Tomahawk dam with ARPA funds
Black Mountain hopes to extend the life of a 90-year-old earthen dam using $300k from its share of federal American Rescue Plan Act money.
Buncombe considers affordable housing partnership with UNC
As outlined in an April 5 presentation to the Board of Commissioners by Tim Love, Buncombe’s director of economic development and governmental relations, the county is exploring a nearly $221,000 contract with the school’s Development Finance Initiative.
From CPP: Tackling stormwater with ARPA funds in Brevard
The city in North Carolina’s rainiest county is putting much of its federal American Rescue Plan Act funds toward stormwater infrastructure.
Development roundup: Ingles to redevelop Patton Kmart site
The company intends to construct an 89,000-square-foot Ingles Market at the former Kmart location on Patton Avenue, along with a 6,500-square-foot Ingles pump station and 55,000 square feet of additional retail space.
District attorney candidates address CIBO
Security, crime and justice took center stage during a Council of Independent Business Owners breakfast April 1. The Asheville-based trade group’s meeting served as a forum for the three Democratic Buncombe County district attorney candidates: current DA Todd Williams, prosecutor and former Assistant DA Doug Edwards and assistant public defender Courtney Booth. (Attorney Joe Bowman […]
Asheville airport to borrow $275M for improvements
According to minutes from a March 17 meeting of the airport authority, work to be financed with the revenue bonds includes expansion and modernization of the terminal, construction of a central energy plant and a new air traffic control tower. While none of the debt will be the responsibility of Buncombe County taxpayers, the county Board of Commissioners must still approve the bond issue.
Buncombe plans hiring push for next fiscal year
As presented to the Buncombe Board of Commissioners during a March 29 work session, County Manager Avril Pinder hopes to expand her current staff of over 1,600 employees by more than 70 in the next budget cycle, which starts in July.