The proposed regulations would ban new whole-house short-term rentals in the unincorporated parts of Buncombe County unless they were located within five commercial zones or in the county’s residential open-use zone. Existing short-term rentals would not be affected by the changes but would require a county permit.
Xpress worked with Asheville-based data journalist Elliot Patterson to explore homestay permit data. The resulting analysis gives insights into how the market has changed over time, where homestays are located and who’s operating them.
Asheville City Council deferred a vote on an amendment that would have revised the definition of a kitchen for short-term rentals out of concern that the change would have led to negative impacts on Asheville’s long-term housing availability.
On Aug. 13, the Planning & Economic Development Committee recommended that staff throw out the kitchen sink from the current definition. Council members Gwen Wisler, Vijay Kapoor and Julie Mayfield moved to adopt a new “maximum flexibility” definition for kitchen spaces.
Discussions on whether and how Asheville should regulate short-term lodging in residential neighborhoods will return to City Council on Tuesday, April 25.
City Council postponed a decision on Pritchard Park improvements, approved affordable housing grants of over $500,000 for a controversial South Asheville apartment complex, retained the city’s existing ban on homestays in accessory dwelling units and pitched in to support a planning collaboration that aims to expand access to preschool to all children in Buncombe County.
City Council will meet Tuesday, July 26 to discuss the 2016 city bond referendum and hear reports on the city’s Homestay program and the Mayor’s Development Task Force. Public hearings on a land-use incentive grant for an affordable housing development project and a request for special consideration for signage at the Ingles Market at 863 Brevard Rd. are also on the agenda.
Short-term rental issues returned to Council chambers as the city’s elected officials considered allowing the use of accessory units for homestays. While Council decided not to approve the proposed expansion of the homestay program, it will appoint a task force to study the issue and make recommendations.
In December last year, City Council directed city staff to analyze the potential impact of expanding the city’s homestay program for short-term rentals to separate living units known as ADUs. Six months later, much more information is available, but little if any consensus has emerged from the process. On May 17, Council will vote on a measure to allow homestays in ADUs, but the outcome of that vote is up in the air, meaning that another long night of testimony on the issue seems inevitable.
The debate over short-term rentals continues on May 4 at City Hall. The Planning & Zoning Commission will vote on a proposed zoning amendment to include accessory dwelling units in the city’s homestay ordinance.
“Neighborhoods with character, walkable to city centers — parks and playgrounds, and of the size families need — will no longer be neighborhoods inclusive of families.”
City Council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, March 22 at 5 p.m. will be preceded by a budget worksession at 3 p.m. in the first floor conference room of City Hall.
In its first full meeting since three newly-elected Council members were seated, City Council moved in new directions on a public space for a city-owned lot on Haywood Street and on including some accessory dwelling units in the city’s homestay ordinance for short-term rentals. Council also considered downtown development review standards and passed a resolution on the I-26 connector project.
Asheville City Council passed revisions to the city’s Homestay ordinance for short-term lodging and approved an extension of the management contract for the Asheville bus system at its Nov. 17 meeting. Outgoing Councilmen Jan Davis, Marc Hunt and Chris Pelly were honored for their service.
The Asheville City Council meeting scheduled for Nov. 17 boasts a full agenda featuring two hot topics – utility substations and changes to the city’s Homestay ordinance. Citizens wishing to comment on those issues may want to arrive at the Council chamber on the second floor of City Hall earlier than the 5 p.m. start time, as a full house seems likely.
At its Tuesday, Nov. 10 meeting, city council will hear public input on a proposed self-storage facility rejected by the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission. Council also will consider a request from the Eagle Market Place housing project to modify the terms of city loans to enable the project to obtain additional bank financing.
In a brief session, city council appointed Guillermo Rodriguez and Tony Hauser to vacant seats on the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission. Council’s next meeting will be Nov. 10.
Council members may get home at a reasonable hour after their regular formal meeting on Oct. 27. No public hearings are scheduled, and the list of presentations and business items is short. Those interested in the resumption of council’s deliberations on changes to the Homestay ordinance will want to mark their calendars for the next […]
“There are no one-size-fits-all solutions in planning: Each place is very different,” says Todd Okolichany, who began work as Asheville’s new planning director Sept. 8. “That’s a key value for me as a planner: recognizing the differences and uniqueness of each place.” Okolichany, 36, comes to Asheville from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he was principal […]
From real estate investors to neighborhood advocates to homeowners trying to make ends meet, just about everyone in Asheville has a dog in the ongoing fight over short-term vacation rentals. At the Tuesday, Aug. 25 Asheville City Council meeting, citizens representing a variety of viewpoints crowded City Hall.
City Council packed its chamber and then some on Tuesday, Aug. 25 as it heard public comment on two hot topics: proposed changes to the rules for Homestay guest accommodations and increased fines for violations of the city’s existing prohibition on short-term housing rentals (STRs).
