Letter: Woodfin board should address development concerns

Posted on by Letters
Graphic by Lori Deaton

The community has serious concerns about the proposed development on Richmond Hill. I feel the Woodfin Board of Commissioners should publicly address these concerns in a formal statement through the local media well before the zoning variance hearing:

1. Who will be responsible to pay for the bridge?
2. Who will be responsible to pay for expanding River Road to cover the increased traffic flow?
3. Has the town of Woodfin made any concession to the developer, such as tax cuts?
4. Who will be required to cover costs if things don’t go as planned?
5a. Richmond Hill is a residential neighborhood in the city of Asheville lacking connections that could handle increased traffic flow. How will Woodfin commissioners prevent traffic to this development from being directed through Richmond Hill?
5b. If commissioners fail to prevent traffic through Richmond Hill, what plan do they have to compensate the city of Asheville to manage the infrastructure load?

Please respond publicly before the zoning variance hearing.

— Karl Kuhn
Asheville

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5 thoughts on “Letter: Woodfin board should address development concerns”

  1. NIMBY

    Same old mentality.
    We want affordable housing! But not in my backyard.
    We want better paying jobs! But not in my backyard.
    We want progress! But not in my backyard.

    The writer asks some reasonable questions. Answers are needed. But we also need the development and growth. The poorest among us require it. The progressives among us should advocate for it.

    2
      • kw

        Zero…and no amount of affordable housing would justify 500-1000% traffic increase.

    • Mike

      The Bluffs on RiverBend proposes 1500 luxury townhomes. It worsens our affordable housing problems. Basically, it’s a second Biltmore Park.

      Go drive Richmond Hill Drive or Riverside from Broadway to Silverline. Then, tell me how it’s reasonable that those two roads can support thousands of more vehicles per day.

      The developer of this project says “3,000 vehicles per day”; that’s hogwash. 1500 luxury town homes plus a retail center plus a 250 room hotel plus an amphitheater equals at least 10,000 vehicles per day- 2 per household, at least 2 trips per vehicle, plus hotel guests, employees, deliveries- you get the picture.

      Thanks!

      1
    • MV

      You’re so wrong, NIMBY. There is absolutely no amount of affordable housing that would justify what they are proposing.

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