Asheville Citizen-Times coverage of Crossroads development (#2)

A second article about the Crossroads developed was published in the Asheville Citizen-Times on October 9, 2019.

Crossroads at West Asheville Hearing Postponed neighbors cite “flawed system”

At the developer’s request, the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment agreed to postpone a quasi-judicial hearing on a major housing development until the board’s Nov. 13 meeting.

About 20 concerned neighbors had shown up for the noon meeting on Oct. 9 downtown, and they expressed concerns about what they consider a deeply flawed approval process for such a major development. The Buncombe County Planning & Development office received the application for the conditional use permit on Sept. 9, but neighbors said they only heard about the proposal in late September.

The Crossroads at West Asheville, planned for 68 acres on South Bear Creek Road, would comprise 802 total living units, including apartments, vacation rentals and senior housing, according to plans on file with Buncombe County. It would also have 14,400 square feet of retail space, 50,400 square feet of office space and 64,000 square feet of self-storage.

“The whole thing reveals a huge flaw with the zoning ordinance,” said Kate Millar, the incoming president of the Malvern Hills Neighborhood Association. “That the largest (multifamily) development (in Western North Carolina) could get built, with a week’s notice and no oversight except by the Board of Adjustment, it’s crazy.”

Read more here: Crossroads at West Asheville Hearing Postponed

CANCELLED: Crossroads permit at Board of Adjustments meeting on Wed. Oct. 9

The developers of the Crossroads property have been granted a continuance and will not be on the agenda of the Board of Adjustments meeting on Wednesday October 9. The meeting will not accept comments regarding the development at the October 9 meeting. The next meeting is November 13. We will provide an update if the Crossroads property is on the agenda.

Board of Adjustments Meeting (10-9 @ 12:00 pm) and FOHCG Board of Trustees meeting (10-9 @ 7:30 am)

Please consider attending the Buncombe County Board of Adjustments meeting this Wednesday 10-9-19 concerning the project. The FOHCG is inviting and encouraging anyone with a question, concern or opinion to show up and participate in your community’s growth and evolution.

Here are the details:
12:00 P.M.
October 9, 2019
30 Valley Street, Asheville, NC

The Friends will be having our monthly meeting this Wednesday morning at 7:30 am at Odd’s Cafe in West Asheville. Its an open meeting, feel free to drop by if you want to meet the board.

FOHCG Statement on Crossroads at West Asheville development

The Friends of Hominy Creek Greenway has concerns about the scope of the Crossroads at West Asheville development and its impact on Hominy Creek and the Hominy Creek Greenway.

  • Our organization’s mission is to protect the 14 acre community green space and City of Asheville park we have managed and been the stewards since 2011.   
  • The overall size and scope of the development will have an impact on the viewshed due to the placement and height of the structures.
  • The development is on a unique parcel of land within the Hominy Creek watershed and will impact the water quality due to run off from parking lots and construction.
  • An increase in traffic flow in the surrounding neighborhood will impact public safety among pedestrians who use the Hominy Creek Greenway. 

The Friends of Hominy Creek Greenway seek the opportunity to work with the developer, the State of North Carolina, Buncombe County, and the City of Asheville to implement the following:

  • That the developer repair the eroding stream bank on their property and create a substantial buffer of woody plants along Hominy Creek to protect it from runoff and other impacts during and after construction of the development. 
  • That the developer examine how the size and placement of structures and parking lots will impact the viewshed of users of the Hominy Creek Greenway and adapt to minimize the impact on the viewshed.
  • That the developer use low-impact construction practices and building techniques to capture and filter stormwater runoff to minimize the impact on Hominy Creek.
  • That Buncombe County require the developer build a section of greenway that is open to the public. A new or established community group, such as the Friends of Hominy Creek Greenway, could serve as stewards.
  • That Buncombe County and the City of Asheville add and improve pedestrian infrastructure to accommodate the potential increase in use of the Hominy Creek Greenway by the residents of the development and members of the community surrounding the Hominy Creek Greenway.  
  • That the State of North Carolina consider improvements to I-240/I-26 access ramps and an additional access ramp at Bear Creek Road and I-240/I-26 to minimize traffic flow onto side streets in the surrounding community.

Please contact FOHCG Inc. president Bryan Tomes for comment.

CONTACT: Bryan Tomes, 828-772-5542 or bryantomes@yahoo.com

Crossroads at West Asheville development information

Stay updated on the Crossroads at West Asheville development on our blog. The proposed development is in Buncombe County, but outside of the Asheville city limit.

These are the plans submitted to the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment for the Crossroads Conditional Use Permit:

Buncombe County Commissioners contact information:

Chair (Buncombe County at-large):
Brownie Newman: 243-0197, brownie.newman@buncombecounty.org
District 1: (our district)
Jasmine Beach-Ferrara: 250-4004, jasmine.beach-ferrara@buncombecounty.org
Al Whitesides: alfred.whitesides@buncombecounty.org
District 2:
Amanda Edwards: 250-4005, amanda.edwards@buncombecounty.org
Mike Fryar: 250-4007, mike.fryar@buncombecounty.org
District 3:
Joe Belcher: 250-4008, joe.belcher@buncombecounty.org
Robert Pressley: 215-4077, robert.pressley@buncombecounty.org

You can find out more about Commissioners’ contact information, agendas and more  here.

Other useful contacts:

Buncombe County Director of Planning: nathan.pennington@buncombecounty.org

Crossroads at West Asheville development

Last week, several past and present FOHCG board members attended an open house at Crossroads Baptist Church to review plans for a development on the land on the opposite side of the Hominy Creek Greenway. The proposal includes 384 apartments,  50 low-rise apartments, 56 vacation rentals, 150 senior housing units, 64 single family units, 11,000 square feet of retail space and 40,000 square feet of office space.

The FOHCG have numerous concerns due to the size and scope of the project. The FOHCG Board of Trustees are in the process of developing a position statement on the development.

The developer will present at the Buncombe County Board of Adjustments meeting on Wednesday October 9 at 12:00 pm at 30 Valley Street in Asheville.

From the Board of Adjustments agenda:

Warren Sugg of Civil Design Concepts, on behalf of Catalyst Capital Partners, has applied for a Conditional Use Permit pursuant to the Zoning Ordinance of Buncombe County, Sec. 78-641(a), 678(b)(6), and 678(b)(9) Conditional Use Standards, to establish a Planned Mixed Use Development (Level 1) for multi-family residential, commercial, and vacation rental developments on tax lot PINs 9627-79-7125 and 9627-89- 6780 (20 S. Bear Creek Rd);

Click here to review the site plan: CrossroadsSitePlan.