Buncombe County officials decided to move forward with a plan to transform county-owned land on the South Slope into an affordable housing development.
On Tuesday, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted to choose a 200-unit affordable housing project for county-owned properties at 50 and 52 Coxe Avenue. Commissioners had the choice between the 200-unit plan, or a smaller 130-unit proposal that would only use the 52 Coxe Avenue property.
The units would be designated for those who make 80% or less of the area median income – $47,600 for a one-person household.
But the project is still a long way from construction. The county has to find a private developer who is willing to partner with them on the work.
The county is working with the UNC School of Government Development Finance Initiative (DFI), a group that works with local municipalities to help attract private investment for major projects.
“We bring that real estate development expertise. Our goal is to really try and bridge that public and private, those interests which can align given the right assumptions. We come at this from a neutral, non-partisan, responsive view,” DFI Associate Director Sarah Odio explained in a presentation.
The DFI will lead the effort to find a private partner by fall 2024.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $59.1 million. After low-income housing tax credits and private developer loans, the county will need to fund between $9.8 and $16.1 million or identify a charitable source for the remainder.
A portion of Sawyer Street would need to be permanently closed to vehicular traffic between Coxe Avenue and Ravenscroft Drive once construction begins.
Odio said DFI will solicit more community engagement on the project while negotiating an agreement with the chosen developer. Construction is tentatively slated for 2026.
Sheriff’s Office is watching?
The Sheriff’s Office requested $250,000 to purchase “surveillance equipment.” The money comes from $263,323 of an unanticipated forfeitures deposit from 2010. The commissioners did not discuss the item, and then moved to unanimously approve the request.
In an effort to learn more about what the "surveillance equipment" entailed, BPR reached out to commissioners Amanda Edwards, Brownie Newman and Terri Wells. No one replied by publication.
Aaron Sarver, a spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office, told BPR in an email that the designation as surveillance equipment "was a mistake."
"This money has not been allocated to any purchases at this time," he said.
Legislative agenda gets the ok
Like other counties, Buncombe County pays for lobbyists to push their agenda at the state level.
At the April 2 meeting, county commissioners gave the green light to the proposed legislative agendawhich prioritizes seeking state funding for K-12 and community college education, water and stormwater infrastructure, additional Medicaid Innovations waivers, and resources to make repairs at McCormick Field.
The agenda opposes any measure that would limit local government ability to regulate short-term rentals or online marketplaces. It also seeks a General Assembly study for property tax relief and supports methods to “modernize NC House Occupancy Tax guidelines to meet the evolving visitation and infrastructure needs of Buncombe County.”
Commission Chair Brownie Newman also requested that the lobbyists advocate for the state to reimburse the county for a $300,000 city-county school merger feasibility study that it forced the county to commission.
Lobbyist Whitney Campbell Christensen said that her firm has been in contact with state senators Julie Mayfield and Warren Daniel about the reimbursement.
“They both have come out publicly to say that they support reimbursement for the study.,” Christensen said. “In light of that, we feel like we all have reason to be optimistic that that reimbursement will come through in the 2024 short session budget.”
She said that due to the “smaller dollar amount,” more follow-up will be necessary to make it happen.
Law firm Ward and Smith receives $75,000 annually to lobby on behalf of the county.
From public comment: short-term rental debate rages on
Short-term rental owners dominated public comment at the meeting, speaking against the county’s proposed changes to rental rules. The commissioners removed discussion of a $400,000 voucher program to incentive short-term rental owners to convert their properties into long-term rentals, noting that the staff member scheduled to present the item was not available.
Nine people who spoke against the proposed change self-identified as short-term rental owners or operators.
Sandra Rogers, a short-term rental owner, said she prefers not to rent to long-term tenants because they “have destroyed the property.” She said rentals in the county have “nothing to do with affordable housing.”
Another rental owner, Cynthia Fraiser, said short-term rental restrictions may encourage people who live in the county part-time to sell their homes.
“If they are no longer allowed to short-term rent their properties, they will not go long-term,” she said. “What they will do is they will then sell their homes, and they will move to another county where they can continue to do what they did here. So we're going to lose good people.”
Community member Josh Kelley was the only speaker who spoke in favor of short-term rental regulations, arguing that reducing the number of short-term rentals would increase the number of long-term rentals on the market.
“Something to limit short term rentals I think could really be helpful,” he said. “It's a delicate issue and people's livelihoods are at stake. But I do think limiting short term rentals could really help county residents, which are, I think, who we should be most concerned about.”
Other tidbits
- Bond package: Commissioners approved $81.5 million in limited obligation bonds to fund $54 million in school capital projects, $17 million in county capital projects and $7 million in county vehicles.
- Recovery housing: After two public hearings where no one spoke on the issue, commissioners voted to proceed with an application for a $1 million grant through the state’s Recovery Housing Program. If approved, the money would go to Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministries. It would support the construction of a four story, 64-unit building half of those units designated for women and mothers in recovery from substance use.
- Fundraising for Deaverview: Commissioners voted to apply for a $4.4 million federal grant from the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership that would commit Buncombe to developing 346 acres of land at Deaverview Mountain into a state park. Buncombe has partnered with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy on the project. A decision on the funding will be made in November.
- Commissioners approved a six-item consent agenda, including a $808,400 contract with Clark Patterson Lee to make plumbing upgrades to the 100-year old Buncombe County Courthouse. The firm will be responsible for providing architectural and engineering design. The county released a Request For Qualification in Nov. 2023 and Clark Patterson Lee scored the highest of the five firms who applied.
Every first and third Tuesday, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meets at 200 College Street, Room 326 in downtown Asheville beginning at 5 p.m. See the full recording and agenda of the April 2 meeting.
