The Buncombe County Board of Adjustments postponed a decision on the Crossroads development until the January meeting. After 7.5 hours of testimony, additional time was needed.
See the Asheville Citizen-Times coverage of the marathon meeting:
Maybe the fourth time will be the charm?
After a marathon seven-and-a-half-hour meeting on Dec. 11, mostly on the proposed 802-unit Crossroads at West Asheville apartment complex, the Board of Adjustment agreed to continue the quasi-judicial hearing on the proposal to January.
The meeting convened at noon but the official hearing didn’t start until almost 1 p.m. By 7:30 p.m., the board had heard from a slew of experts and nearby residents offering sworn testimony, as well as detailed questioning by both sides’ lawyers. When it became clear the hearing — not to mention public comment and board deliberations — would continue for several more hours, Chairman Martin Moore suggested postponement.
“Even if we’re going at this pace, there’s a good chance we’re going to be here until 1 o’clock in the morning,” Moore said.
Board Member George Lycan said the proposal, which also calls for 14,400 square feet of retail space, 50,400 square feet of office space and 64,000 square feet of self-storage, is “the biggest project we’ve ever had in this county.
“It’s very complex — it’s upwards of half a billion dollars,” Lycan said. “It’s just too important to rush this and run into heavy fatigue and work until we’re all worn out, and not do it properly for both sides of this issue.”
So, the Board of Adjustment, which has the final say on the project, will hold a special session at 9 a.m. Jan. 23.
The proposal has been controversial, with neighbors and residents of nearby Malvern Hills saying it’s just too large, will drastically increase traffic and could have negative environmental impacts, including harm to Hominy Creek.
At the hearing, developers said they are addressing water runoff concerns with retention ponds and by building a mile of public greenway through the project. Also, siting the 20 buildings away from the creek and leaving 42% of the property undisturbed will reduce the environmental impact, they said.
The 68-acre property, bordered by South Bear Creek and Sand Hill roads and Interstate 240, lies just outside the Asheville city limits. Buncombe County has it zoned “public service,” which allows for apartments. But that is a conditional use that requires board approval.
Read the full article HERE.