County could sell Ferry Road property for $5M

FERRY ROAD FUTURE: In 2015, Buncombe County paid $6.8 million for 137 acres on Ferry Road in hopes of landing Deschutes Brewery, a deal that did not come to fruition. On Jan. 9, the county agreed to sell the property for private development. Image of the parcel's location and adjacent zoning courtesy of the city of Asheville

A 137-acre tract of undeveloped land off Ferry Road could soon have a new owner if Buncombe County commissioners vote to sell the property for $5 million during their meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

Buncombe County bought the property in 2015 for $6.8 million, which included a $3.4 million payment from the city of Asheville. The county initially purchased the land in the hope of convincing Oregon-based Deschutes Brewery to build its East Coast expansion in the area, but Deschutes ultimately decided to open the new location in Roanoke, Va.

The new potential buyer, Deep River South Development II LLC of South Carolina, has made a deposit of $250,000 (5 percent) on the property, according to the proposed resolution to accept the offer. The company, of which Scott Gillespie is principal, is in the middle of two residential land development projects in South Carolina, according to its website.

The property at 1568 Brevard Road along the French Broad River once belonged to the city of Asheville, which sold it to Henderson County before it ended up in the hands of Buncombe County.

County Attorney Michael Frue told county commissioners during their Nov. 21 meeting that a developer showed interested in the property for a residential project. The following week, Asheville City Council voted to rezone the property from industrial to residential multifamily high-density — an approval that was required because the property is considered a satellite annexation. The city also released the county from a deed restriction that required the county to use the property for the purpose of economic development.

For more information on the Ferry Road property see:

In other business

The commission is scheduled to vote on several grant ordinances as part of the consent agenda, including a two-year grant from the Governor’s Crime Commission for $1.1 million to fund services at the Family Justice Center.

The board is also scheduled to hear a report about the Asheville Humane Society and to consider recommendations for capital funding from the School Capital Fund Commission. It is also scheduled to fill one vacancy on the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and reappoint two individuals to the Nursing Home Board.

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will meet at 5 p.m. Jan. 9 at 200 College St. in room 326. To see the agenda and supplementary materials, click here.

For more of the latest city and county news, check out XpressBuncombe Beat.

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About David Floyd
David Floyd was a reporter for the Mountain Xpress. He previously worked as a general-assignment reporter for the Johnson City Press.

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