After months of preparation, city of Asheville staff will present a new “form-based” zoning plan for the Haywood Road corridor at a meeting tomorrow night, Thursday, March 27. The new plan is a very different approach from the city’s previous development rules, and could provide a model for overhauling other neighborhoods’ zoning as well.
As a renewed push to move the Interstate 26 connector forward continues, Asheville City Council gets its turn on Tuesday, March 25, to consider a joint resolution seeking to make the long-delayed highway overhaul a reality, even as a number of community groups vocally oppose the plan. Council will also consider what to do with vacant property on Haywood Street across from the Basilica of St. Lawrence, another contentious issue.
Report shines light on Asheville’s housing problems, possible solutions.
Today Asheville City Council appointed Robin Currin as the new city attorney, formally swearing her in at a special meeting. Currin, a Raleigh-based attorney with experience in local government, land and zoning law, will take office on May 1. Photo by Alicia Funderburk.
Late last month, Asheville City Council passed the Haywood Road Vision Plan, a years-long effort by community members and city staff to outline the future of the corridor. It’s not a one-time event either: Such plans for different areas of the city are a main way city leaders hope to shape the Asheville of tomorrow, and it’s a plan they want to extend to more neighborhoods. Sometimes, however, these plans can also prove controversial.
Buncombe County Commissioners voted along party lines March 4 to approve $90,000 for Moogfest.
After a back-and-forth on the usefulness of the city’s housing policies, Asheville City Council signed off on the 192-unit Avalon development tonight, though not without some dissenters. Council was more unified in endorsing a plan to improve the Haywood Road corridor.
From grand plans for the future of the Haywood Road Corridor to the Avalon housing development, Asheville City Council will face both still-forming designs and more concrete building efforts at its meeting tomorrow, Feb. 25.
After months of development, a new plan for the future of West Asheville’s major corridor comes to Asheville City Council at its next meeting, Feb. 25. The plan calls for a new form of zoning, improved pedestrian infrastructure and keeping the area’s historic feel to make “a neighborhood leader for sustainability in the city.” If successful, other neighborhoods might get similar development overhauls.
The rezoning request for Coggins Farm, a mixed-use development planned for a 169-acre tract in Riceville known as Old Coggins Farm, has been withdrawn by the developer, Coggins Farm LLC. It was scheduled to go before the Buncombe County Commissioners on Feb.18.
At their Feb. 18 meeting, Buncombe County Commissioners will consider a $90,000 incentive package for Moogfest.
Provided snow doesn’t intervene, Asheville City Council is starting off the week with two back-to-back meetings: first with a rare joint meeting with the city school board tonight, Feb. 10, and its regular meeting Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Despite the snow, Asheville City Council met Jan. 28, wrapping up its business in an extraordinarily short 19-minute session. With a small agenda, Council passed new lighting and zoning records rules.
Initially, next week’s upcoming Asheville City Council meeting, on Jan. 28, promised a showdown over a controversial development near downtown. With that matter withdrawn, however, the remaining items on the agenda are changes to the city’s rules to encourage less light pollution and modifications to development guidelines to bring them in line with new state laws.
A proposed Chestnut Street development that sparked a major debate about the clash between neighborhood preservation and the need for more housing will not happen, as the developer withdrew the project yesterday due to neighborhood opposition and a number of issues with the development process.
On Jan. 14, Asheville City Council approved an overhaul of development oversight along with a new infrastructure plan for the River Arts District, Council also created a City-County African-American Heritage Commission and rezoned a small development on steep slopes in North Asheville.
In their first meeting of the new year, Asheville City Council turns its attention to the River District, voting on an ambitious infrastructure improvement project and an overhaul of the way development in the area is reviewed.
What’s needed to solve Asheville’s housing crunch? Fewer development hurdles, a city “land bank” to preserve property for affordable housing, more density and a hard “target number” for units that need to be created each year— these are some of the ideas to come out of a recent meeting of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.
As part of a major effort to examine Asheville’s lack of affordable housing and possibly overhaul the way city government approaches the issue, the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee interviewed a range of developers to find out why many don’t build affordable housing. They replied that the costs of land, a lack of infrastructure, insufficient transit, city rules inhibiting denser development and neighborhood opposition all play a role in why many of them don’t build more affordable units.
The tourism industry already brings in $2.3 billion annually to Buncombe County. That’s up from roughly $183 million 30 years ago. But to continue to grow local visitation, government officials and business owners need to “anticipate trends that are shaping the future,” says Mike Konzen, a leading global consultant.
A new Asheville City Council met Dec. 10, with Esther Manheimer sworn in as mayor, Marc Hunt chosen as the new vice mayor, three development decisions postponed and neighborhood leaders raising concerns about issues in East Asheville. (Photo by Alicia Funderburk)
