“The name of the proposal is the ‘open space amendment,’ and the goal is to dramatically slash, and in some cases, eliminate, the open space that developers are now required to provide with larger construction projects.”

“The name of the proposal is the ‘open space amendment,’ and the goal is to dramatically slash, and in some cases, eliminate, the open space that developers are now required to provide with larger construction projects.”
“The primary purpose of zoning laws should be to mitigate these externalized costs, to prevent development from being a burden on the community.”
“I hope that city leaders are also levying infrastructure fees on all past and future developers/landlords to pay for upgrades to city systems that are already stressed by all the new arrivals to our area.”
“Why can’t we have both? Sensible development with a conscience?”
“As someone who drives this stretch of road every day, I understand both sides of this controversy.”
Eight candidates are vying for three seats on the governing body for the town of roughly 8,000 people to the northwest of Asheville. Challengers and incumbents alike agree that concerns over development, particularly The Bluffs at River Bend proposal, are driving interest in a normally quiet race.
As part of the Local News Ideas-to-Action Series, the Virginia-based national media nonprofit American Press Institute awarded Xpress a $9,300 grant to create a guide to local government decision-making for land development. The guide will cover the stages of review that projects face on their way from concept to final approval, what aspects are considered at each step and what avenues exist for public input.
“City Council, we demand that you comply with the Unified Development Ordinance and deny the Killians’ request for a conditional zoning permit.”
“Downtown did need help, but it didn’t need to be turned into the tourist-oriented, overbuilt, overdeveloped mess that it has become.”
“We must protect our future and stop The Bluffs. In fact, the best use of Tourism Development Authority marketing dollars would be to buy the tract and put it into land conservation for future generations.”
“Ultimately, favoritism is handed toward developers and bottom lines, while major impacting projects are slipped past under the radar. People don’t get a fair chance to oppose such, let alone win.”
“The development is to be built on a main road, in the middle of a long-established commercial strip; it will not destroy some quiet neighborhood.”
“Every visionary city plan with citizen input here was created exactly to prevent this type of intrusion and destruction.”
“I love the area, and there is a great deal of room, just not necessarily ‘in Asheville,’ but all surrounding areas.”
“Once a lovely, quaint town, it is overdeveloped.”
“The debate over impact is ongoing, so maybe the question is how many are too much; the only thing going forth and multiplying harmoniously is the virus.”
“We’re losing why people want to move here: nature and beauty.”
“The more people we pack into the urban center will eventually ruin our town and lead to the worst traffic imaginable — forever — and for everyone.”
“Can we allow for growth and address our affordable housing needs while also combating climate change and maintaining the character of our neighborhoods?”