Asheville City Council preview: from Haywood to Avalon

Posted on by David Forbes

From visions of the future of the Haywood Road corridor to the Avalon housing development, Asheville City Council will face both still-forming designs and more concrete building efforts at its meeting tomorrow, Feb. 25.

After months of planning, the Haywood Road corridor plan is coming to Council for approval. The plan recommends a variety of changes to the area, including better infrastructure and more parks. One of the biggest changes recommended is the adoption of a form-based zoning code, regulating development based on the size and scale of buildings instead of their use. This form is generally more friendly to mixed-use development and city staff claim it can make for a more predictable development process. If successful, the city may use the Haywood plan as a model to overhaul zoning rules in other major neighborhoods around the city.

Council will also take another look at the Avalon development, 192 units of housing in South Asheville. In December, Council had expressed doubts about the Avalon’s location on property currently zoned for industrial development and its lack of affordable housing. However, since then city staff found the site was an unlikely one for future industrial development, and endorsed the project based on the level of dense housing development it brings to the area.

Asheville City Council meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25 on the second floor of City Hall.

 

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