City bans most lodging along Haywood Road

Coming on the heels of the city blocking short-term rentals in the River Arts District, City Council voted against allowing such lodging throughout the Haywood Road corridor. At its Nov. 28 meeting, City Council placed heavy restrictions on lodging along Haywood Road in West Asheville, specifically targeting whole-unit short-term rentals such as those offered through Airbnb.

Neighborho­od battles against business intrusion

Homeowners on Vermont Avenue in West Asheville see their neighborhood as a quiet, special residential pocket of the city — and they intend to keep it that way. Residents implored the Planning and Zoning Commission to stop a property owner from opening an art gallery in a house on the street. That issued tied into a discussion of short-term rentals and whether Asheville wants tourists “in every nook and cranny.”

City Council talks tough on short-term lodging

Asheville City Council appears committed to holding the city’s line on any potential expansion of short-term rentals. Council members put the kibosh on a proposal to allow short-term rentals on a stretch of Haywood Road in West Asheville, while also instructing city staff to explore banning the practice in all areas of the city, including the River Arts District and downtown. Homestays, a type of accommodation where the primary resident is home during a guest’s short-term stay, would remain legal.