Have you been to Richmond Hill?
Most likely, you’ve visited the gem and heartbeat of our street: Richmond Hill Park. The view from the hill of the forested, multiuse public space looking toward distant mountains as you reach the street’s end is breathtaking. You may have visited the Western North Carolina Baptist Home or other nursing facilities in the community, or witnessed a National Guard contingent jogging up the street.
More than this, we are a quiet and diverse multiracial community of public school teachers, mental health professionals, military veterans, artists, caregivers, families with children, retirees and dogs! Many of our tenderly renovated homes have gardens, solar panels and metal roofs. You will often see us out walking, alone, with children, with dogs, even bicycling and skateboarding with our beloved pets!
We look after all of our neighbors, human and otherwise. You might see the local turkey flock trotting down the street, or a mother deer and fawn foraging in one of our yards. We take time to admire them, and we have a respectful truce with neighborhood bears.
The Bluffs megadevelopment being proposed would obliterate much of the forest between our beloved park and resurgent neighborhood, and is completely “out of harmony” with our community and even what Asheville espouses itself to be.
Imagine five years of logging trucks and heavy construction equipment chugging past our homes, followed by open racing season as thousands of renters with no investment in the community move into the first 1,500 apartments of what we’re told would only be Phase I of a much larger and more devastating plan.
Though the Florida developer with no ties to our community has made vague promises to build a bridge from Riverside Drive to access the site, no easements or permits have been granted, yet he is already seeking approval to begin the seven five-story building construction in what many are calling a reckless disregard for taxpaying citizens who have been here for as many as 60 years.
Without the bridge, Richmond Hill will be torn apart — both figuratively and literally. Our community will bear the burden but not one benefit. If you love Asheville, protect it.
— Deborah Kelly
Asheville
Thank you to author Molly Horak for illuminating yet another egregious assault upon the Asheville we love. And thank you, too, to letter-writers Noah Poulas and Deborah Kelly for addressing the macro and micro impacts, respectively.
I’ve never understood why wealthy developers need to make even more money. I suppose it’s because they CAN: Ms. Horak explained that Woodfin doesn’t have steep-slope protection, and that current zoning allows 17 units per acre and buildings 35 feet high. So, legally, the developer CAN, but why do they have to? Are they not wealthy enough? Naive question, I know.
I’ve never understood why our local officials allow anyone in here to exploit our beauty and our peace. How can it not be apparent that this is killing the goose that laid the golden egg? Another naive question, I guess.
These projects benefit a very small group of people: the shareholders. To the developers to try to convince anyone that this is good for our town, I point to the name of this development: the dictionary says that “to bluff” is to attempt to deceive.
Folks–I’ve been hearing a lot about the Bluffs project and feel a need to respond. Projects of this magnitude serve only the shareholders of the corporate interests that develop them. Basically, these projects are incorrect and damaging in myriad ways, chief among them being ecological, aesthetic, societal, and even financial/community concerns. The developers, motivated only by the drive to earn profits, care nothing for our communities, our lands, water, and are at best only rapacious exploiters who vow to protect the natural beauty of our environs and swear promises to improve our infrastructure, while generally despoiling all they touch.
The problem, however, does not necessarily rest entirely with these corporate interests. Where are our representatives–the council people who sit on the various community boards that approve or reject construction projects and grant permits? Are they listening to us and standing up for the best interests of our community, or are they slowly slipping down the all too familiar slippery slope of corruption?
A few years ago a gaggle of Asheville “community leaders” were jailed for taking bribes from unscrupulous developers. Make this behavior only a shameful thing of the past–stand up, please, for our community, our children, our interests, and put the brakes on this sort of ill-thought out and greedy rush to “develop” our precious lands. Respectfully, R.C. Cafaro (33 year resident of WNC)
For updates regarding The Bluffs…
https://mountaintrue.org/stop-the-bluffs-at-river-bend/
The other reason that Woodfin, NCDOT, Asheville, Buncombe County, whoever should require the bridge be fully approved, permitted before the development proceeds- I predict if it’s not, the developer will later say oh I’m sorry yes the bridge is still necessary but shucks I ran out of money…so now you all are going to have to pay for it.
It’s a version of “bait and switch.” Don’t fall for it.
That’s an excellent point! Especially since developer Holdsworth from Apollo Beach, Florida, has a history of bankruptcies in both Florida and North Carolina.
He has never completed a development of any size in North Carolina and in fact dumped one in Yancey County. Can you imagine if he razed the pristine Richmond Hill forest, polluted the French Broad River and then just walked away and left poor little Woodfin (and taxpayers) holding the bag?
Hard to imagine? Not after he called Woodfin P&Z Board members ‘a bunch of scumbags’ during a public hearing on 4/5/21.
This letter paints an intimate picture of what “neighborhood” really means. I WILL go visit now, and see what is actually at stake of being destroyed.
Well written.
James, could you also visit our public FB page and sign the petition to Stop The Bluffs!?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/richmondhillriverrescue/
Could you please share with like-minded humans?
Our next hearing with Woodfin P&Z Board is scheduled for May 3rd at 6:30pm. Stay tuned!
Great letter from a wonderful lady and one of my favorite neighbors!
To help Stop The Bluffs, visit our public FB page below (even if you’re not on social media) and SIGN THE PETITION TODAY!
Woodfin residents especially encouraged to help stop the madness. Enough is enough!!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/richmondhillriverrescue/