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BY THE RECORDASHEVILLE
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Asheville City Council

February 25, 2025

Regular meeting

Other City businessHelene recoveryStreets and transitHousing

What it did

Votes recorded
11
Voted on separately
5
Routine items, one vote
6
Votes that split
1

Why it matters

Regular meetings are where Council votes on laws, the budget, contracts and zoning. Routine items pass together in one vote, called the consent agenda.

The recording

From the City of Asheville's YouTube channel. Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play.Open on YouTube
Agenda Minutes The City's meeting page

Everything on the agenda

From the minutes, in the order the City lists them. Each item's first lines are the minutes' own words.

PROCLAMATIONS

  1. Proclamation proclaiming the week of February 24-28, 2025, as “Invasive Species Awareness Week ”

    “Councilwoman Ullman read the proclamation proclaiming the week of February 24-28, 2025, as "Invasive Species Awareness Week " in the City of Asheville.”

  2. Proclamation proclaiming March 2025 as “procurement month”

    “Councilwoman Roney read the proclamation proclaiming March, 2025, as "Procurement Mont/h " in the City of Asheville.”

CONSENT AGENDA

  1. 6 routine items, passed together in one vote.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

  1. Public hearing to consider rezoning 94 Grandview Road from Residential Multi-Family Low Density District and Commercial Industrial District to Residential Multi-Family Low Density District

    “Principal Planner Will Palmquist said that this is the consideration of an ordnance to rezone 94 Grandview Road from Residential Multi-Family Low Density District and Commercial Industrial District to Residential Multi-Family Low Density District.”

  2. Public hearing to consider rezoning 1289 Sand Hill Road from Commercial Industrial District - Conditional Zone and Industrial District to Commercial Industrial District

    “Principal Planner Will Palmquist said that this is the consideration of an ordnance to rezone 1289 Sand Hill Road from Commercial Industrial District - Conditional Zone and Industrial District to Commercial Industrial District.”

  3. Resolution authorizing the use of a portion of an approved Housing Trust Fund loan allocation for the purchase of Land at 99999 Oak Lodge Road and 99999 Dogwood Road for the Pine Lane project being constructed by Roers Company,…

    “Affordable Housing Officer Sasha Vrtunski said that this is the consideration of a resolution to use a portion of an existing $3,879,366 Housing Trust Fund loan to fund the purchase of land for the affordable housing project at 99999 Oak Lodge Road and 99999 Dogwood Road.”

  4. Public hearing to consider conditional zoning of 3183 Sweeten Creek Road from RM-16 Residential Multi-Family High Density District to Residential Expansion - Conditional Zone

    “ORDINANCE TO CONDITIONALLY ZONE 3183 SWEETEN CREEK ROAD FROM RM-16 RESIDENTIAL MULTI-FAMILY HIGH DENSITY DISTRICT TO RESIDENTIAL EXPANSION - CONDITIONAL ZONE ___ Sam Starr-Baum said that this is the consideration of an ordnance to conditionally zone 3183 Sweeten Creek Road from RM-16 Residential…”

NEW BUSINESS

  1. Public comment on Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget priorities: Budget performance

    “Manager Lindsay Spangles said that this is a public comment session prior to development of the City of Asheville’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26 Proposed Annual Budget.”

INFORMAL DISCUSSION AND PUBLIC COMMENT

  1. Public comment

    • opposed to HR 32
    • need for affordable housing
    • must pay living wages
    • need to increase public transit
    • environmental and invasive species should be rolled into clean-up

Voted on separately

Each of these had its own motion and vote.

  1. Rezones 3183 Sweeten Creek Road, with conditions, from Residential Multi-Family High Density (RM-16) to Residential Expansion - Conditional Multi-Family High Density with the following additional conditions to be added to the project conditions on Exhibit E: (1) The project shall…

    Passed. Voted no: Sage Turner, Maggie Ullman.

    More from the minutes
    • “Regarding the site plan, (1) 18.64 Ac.; (2) 304 MF residential units proposed - 280 Apartments; and 24 Townhouse units; (3) 492 vehicular parking spaces, 9 ADA parking spaces, 24 bike parking spaces; (4) Access by two new driveways into site from Sweeten Creek Road; and (5) 5’-wide sidewalks internally.”
    • “Staff concurs with the Planning & Zoning Commission and recommends approval of the proposed conditional zoning with the revised conditions and technical modifications outlined in the document titled “Exhibit E”.”
    • “In response to Councilwoman Roney, Mr. Starr-Baum provided the unit mix and said that the applicant can speak to how they have been in contact with the 22 occupied units that will be displaced.”

  2. Approves the request to use $2,050,000 of the $3,879,366 Housing Trust Fund loan to purchase the land located at 99999 Oak Lodge Road…

    Passed. Everyone present voted yes.

    More from the minutes
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “The developer is requesting to use HTF monies in the amount of $2,050,000 to purchase the land.”
    • “Allowing the City’s HTF loan to be used for land acquisition will allow this project to move forward and provide our community with much-needed affordable units.”
    • “However, if the project falls through, the land will still have to be used for affordable housing, and the City will be in first position to be paid back our funds if needed.”

  3. Rezones 94 Grandview Rd from Commercial Industrial (CI) and Residential Multi-Family Low Density (RM-6) to Residential Multi-Family Low Density (RM-6).

    Passed. Everyone present voted yes.

    More from the minutes
    • What the minutes say it will do: “The purpose of the Residential Multi-Family Low Density (RM-6) district is, “to permit a limited range of low density multi-family housing types along with single-family detached and attached dwellings.”
    • “The rezoning petition consists of one property totalling 3.38 acres and located at 94 Grandview Rd (PIN 9617-97-6674).”
    • “The property is currently zoned Commercial Industrial (CI) and Residential Multi-Family Low Density (RM-6).”
    • “The property is currently vacant.”

  4. Rezones 99999 Oak Lodge Road, with conditions, from Commercial Industrial (CI) and 99999 Oak Lodge Road from Residential High Density Single Family (RS-8) to Residential Expansion - Conditional Zone (RES EXP - CZ), as well as an amendment…

    Passed. Everyone present voted yes.

    More from the minutes
    • “The project site is currently undeveloped.”
    • “New building construction includes a total of 126 units.”
    • “The 126 units are within 4 multi-family buildings that are 3- and 4-story buildings.”

  5. Rezones 1289 Sand Hill Rd from Commercial Industrial - Conditional Zone (CI-CZ) and Industrial (IND) to Commercial Industrial (CI).

    Passed. Everyone present voted yes.

    More from the minutes
    • What the minutes say it will do: “The purpose of the Commercial Industrial (CI) district is, “to provide areas for a wide range of commercial and industrial uses including: light manufacturing, wholesale, warehousing, services, retail sales, offices, and residential uses.”
    • “The rezoning petition consists of one property totalling 7.24 acres and located at 1289 Sand Hill Rd (PIN 9617-52-5087).”
    • “The property is currently zoned Commercial Industrial - Conditional Zone (CI-CZ) and Industrial (IND).”
    • “No. 3921 and proposed a large, mixed-use project across 192 acres in the City and County.”

Routine items, passed together

The consent agenda: items Council approves in one vote, without separate discussion. A member can ask to pull an item out for its own vote.

  1. Extends the contract with Biltmore Farms Hotel Group to extend the Contract period from 60 to 100 days and to increase…

    Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.

    More from the minutes
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “This contract amendment adds $43,000 to the existing contract, for a total of $415,009.70.”

  2. Signs an agreement with the N.C. Historic Preservation Office to accept a Historic Preservation Fund federal pass-through grant for the purpose…

    Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.

    More from the minutes
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “The Historic Resources Commission/City of Asheville has been awarded an Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) federal pass-through grant in the amount of $7,000; the grant was awarded in August 2024.”

  3. Resolution authorizing City council to accept grant funds for the Public Transit Apprenticeship Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2026 from the N.C. dept…

    Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.

    More from the minutes
    • The money, in the minutes' words: “The City provides 10% of the cost, not to exceed $5,718.”

  4. Applies to the N.C. Dept. of Transportation - Integrated Mobility… for Section 5303 Metropolitan Planning Program annual funding to fund a portion…

    Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.

  5. Approves, after the fact, an agreement with the N.C. Dept. of Transportation for the Fiscal Year 2025 State Maintenance Assistance Program (SMAP) grant funds…

    Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.

  6. Applies to the French Broad River Metropolitan Planing Organization for the annual Section 5307 Job Access Reverse Commute Grant Program to fund…

    Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.

The plain-language lines are written by fixed rules from each item's official title, which is on each decision's page. Every vote the minutes record is listed; procedural motions, like approving the minutes or adjourning, are left out.