Traffic studies, which are required by the state and the county for certain projects, are prepared by engineering firms to forecast additional traffic associated with a development and identify possible problems. But some neighborhood groups question the benefits of research paid for by the very people who stand to benefit from a proposed project.
Enka Partners of Asheville requests an amendment to the conditional zoning on 45.5 acres on Enka Heritage Parkway to allow for new site plans. Because a tenant expected to lease the space — widely suspected to be online retailer Amazon, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times — backed out, the plans have been redesigned to call for over 585,000 square feet of spec space.
“The thinking used to be, you put some architects on there. And you’d want to have a real estate investor, or a developer, or someone who’s a real estate agent, or you’d have some prominent business owner,” says Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer. “We’ve recognized that you need a Planning and Zoning Commission that’s more reflective of your community.”
Fairhaven Summit Apartments would bring a 77-unit multifamily affordable housing complex to 7.68 acres off Sweeten Creek Road. All of the 12 one-bedroom units, 25 two-bedroom units and 40 three-bedroom units planned for the development would be guaranteed as affordable for households earning between 30% and 80% of the average median income for a minimum of 30 years.
People who go to a meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment might not realize the bland room where the board gathers is a first cousin to a court of law. Learn more about how quasi-judicial bodies work to govern development in North Carolina.
Buncombe County is a relative newcomer to land use regulation, and many outlying areas still remain under open use zoning. For parts of the county where development is more regulated, these three boards have the greatest say.
The Buncombe County Board of Adjustment will consider a special use permit for a proposed terminal expansion at the Asheville Regional Airport Wednesday, May 11.
The company intends to construct an 89,000-square-foot Ingles Market at the former Kmart location on Patton Avenue, along with a 6,500-square-foot Ingles pump station and 55,000 square feet of additional retail space.
At its regular meeting that evening, the Board of Commissioners will invite public input on its application for $750,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Presentations by the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment and Planning Board, both delivered to the county Board of Commissioners on Feb. 2, emphasized the need for changes in how the county handles its zoning and land use policy.
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chair Brownie Newman lists land use policy as a top priority for the new commission, sworn in on Dec. 7. Board members will likely revisit the county’s land use plan, a document originally developed in 1998 and last updated in 2013, in response to rapid community growth.
The Farm at Pond Road, to comprise 575 apartments, 80 townhomes and 32 single-family homes, will be one of the largest residential projects in Buncombe County in recent years. It is to be built in two stages over the next few years.
Fall Line Development wants to build 585 apartments or condominiums, 80 townhomes and 32 single-family homes on Pond Road, not quite half a mile north of the road’s intersection with Sardis Road in Enka. Neighbors have raised concerns about the development’s potential impact on traffic and the character of the area.
After hearing roughly seven hours of testimony on Dec. 11, the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment continued its deliberations on the approval of Crossroads West Asheville until Thursday, Jan. 23. The project could bring over 800 apartments, as well as retail and commercial space, to 68 acres off South Bear Creek Road.
“I can’t help but wonder why they would say no to the East Asheville development but approve a another development that mirrors it in so many ways …”
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to increase ambulance service fees for the first time since 2011.
A proposed change to the Buncombe County zoning ordinance would require developers to submit a traffic impact study for any residential development with more than 75 units. The Planning Board discussed the issue at its Feb. 5 meeting and will invite public comment later this month.
Buncombe County could change its zoning code to require developers of residential projects above a certain number of units to perform a traffic impact study.
“While affordable housing is important, shoving developments through in a covert manner is not the way to present new housing solutions to the community at large.”
During its first meeting of 2018, the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment approved a conditional use permit for Mission Health to build an offsite health care facility on U.S. Highway 70.
“The ordinances, as they stand today, are written in such a way that any developer can easily take advantage and get approved with guidelines that are shortsighted for today’s standards and sustainability plan.”
