Letter: Haw Creek rezoning ignores community concerns

As feared, the Asheville City Council has approved the Meadows at New Haw Creek development, despite vociferous opposition from Happy Valley residents. This 84-unit residential project, with prices projected up to $550,000, is seen by Mayor Esther Manheimer as the panacea for Asheville’s housing crisis. With logic-defying finality, the mayor suggested these high-priced homes will somehow address the city’s homelessness and housing scarcity. It’s like suggesting a Rolex sale to solve the community’s need for affordable watches.

The mayor’s logic is a farcical comedy of errors: proposing that half-million-dollar homes will provide affordable housing is akin to proposing that a yacht sale will ease commuter rush hour. The suggestion that the developer coordinate with Habitat for Humanity to build two simple structures within the development is an anemic nod to “affordable housing” and is clearly a cynical attempt to manipulate public opinion. As if the “public” is too dimwitted to see right through that farce.

The mayor’s attempt to make valid community concerns disappear with a wave of her rhetorical wand didn’t amuse the residents of Happy Valley. The neighborhood denizens are not laughing. We continue to raise several critical issues that the City Council cannot simply wave off; here are just a few:

• Health and safety: Increased traffic will significantly increase hazards to both.
• Community character: The project is overly ambitious, poorly conceived (what’s up with those two hovels in the back lot?) and threatens the neighborhood’s aesthetics, charm and natural beauty.
• Economic benefit: The development clearly benefits the developer and the city’s tax base at the expense of the community’s needs.

This isn’t the Council’s first foray into tone-deaf decision-making. Notable historic examples include:
• The hotel development moratorium: Ignoring community input led to widespread discontent and feelings of exclusion.
• Short-term rentals: Mishandling regulations alienated residents and exacerbated disputes within the communities.
• Stormwater mismanagement: Poor planning has led to significant flooding and environmental damage throughout Asheville.
• Vance Monument destruction: A costly and contentious project with minimal public outreach that left many questioning the city’s priorities and mental health.

While the Council may think it’s wrapped up this act, the show is far from over. Happy Valley residents are rallying for a development process that genuinely addresses Asheville’s housing needs without compromising environmental and community integrity. We refuse to strike the colors.

— Jane Spence-Edwards
Asheville