Asheville City Council
June 24, 2025
Regular meeting
Other City businessHelene recoveryStreets and transitBudget and taxesPublic safetyHousing
What it did
- Motion to approve the rezoning request for the property located at 99999 Trade St failed.Failed.
- Changes City law, Chapter 7 of the City Code.Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
- Approves the submission to HUD of the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan, the 2025-2026 Annual Action Plan and Amendments to prior year Annual 6-24-25 Page…Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
- Approves a $250,000 grant to the Asheville Buncombe Community Land Trust to fund the purchase of 32 Grail Street and 32 Olive Street…Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
- Votes recorded
- 19
- Voted on separately
- 5
- Routine items, one vote
- 14
- Votes that split
- 0
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
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
Proclamation proclaiming July 2025 as “40th Anniversary of Parks & Recreation Month”
“Councilman Hess read the proclamation proclaiming July, 2025, as the “40th Anniversary of Parks & Recreation Month" in the City of Asheville.”
CONSENT AGENDA
14 routine items, passed together in one vote.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Public hearing to consider rezoning 99999 Trade Street from river arts district - Neighborhood Transition to RM-8 Residential Multi-Family Medium Density District
“Principal Planner Will Palmquist said that this is the consideration of an ordinance to rezone 99999 Trade St from River Arts Form District - Neighborhood Transition (RAD-NT) to RM-8 Residential Multi-Family Medium Density District.”
Public hearing to consider amendments to Chapter 7 of the code of Ordinances to reinsert sections 7-11-8 (c) (d), (e) and (f) which were inadvertently removed during the recent zoning text amendment adopted in
“ORDINANCE NO. 5127 ON MARCH 11, 2025 ORDINANCE NO. 5151 - ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 7 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES TO REINSERT SECTIONS 7-11-8 (c) (d), (e) AND (f) WHICH WERE INADVERTENTLY REMOVED DURING THE RECENT ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT ADOPTED IN ORDINANCE NO. 5127 ON MARCH 11, 2025 Principal…”
Public hearing Regarding submission of the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and the 2025-2026 Annual Action Plan for the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) to the U.S. dept. of…
“The City of Asheville is an entitlement community and participating jurisdiction with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and receives formula funding through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME).”
NEW BUSINESS
Resolution approving a $250,000 grant for the Purchase of 32 Grail Street and 32 Olive Street by the Asheville-Buncombe County Land Trust to allow the homes to be sold to qualifying households at or below 80% AMI and be permanently…
“AFFORDABLE Affordable Housing Officer Sasha Vrtunski said that this is the consideration of a resolution approving of a $250,000 grant for the purchase of 32 Grail Street and 32 Olive Street by the Asheville Buncombe County Land Trust (ABCLT) to allow the homes to be sold to qualifying households…”
Resolution approving a Development and Lease Agreement with Laurel Street Residential LLC for the Development of mixed-income and Affordable Housing at 319 Biltmore Avenue (3 & 4 John Walker Avenue); a re-affirmation of: Page 36
“ON NO. 22-184 TO SELL THE PROPERTY TO LAUREL STREET RESIDENTIAL LLC VIA LONG-TERM GROUND LEASE; AND APPROVAL OF A HOUSING TRUST FUND LOAN AND TAX GRANT TO LAUREL STREET RESIDENTIAL LLC FOR THE SAME DEVELOPMENT 6-24-25 Page 36 Affordable Housing Officer Sasha Vrtunski said that this is the…”
Boards & commissions
“Vice-Mayor Mosley, Chair of the Boards & Commissions Committee, said that this is the consideration of appointing members to the Asheville-Buncombe Historic Resources Commission.”
INFORMAL DISCUSSION AND PUBLIC COMMENT
Public comment
- urge the City to adopt a resolution opposing UNC-Asheville’s plan to bulldoze a 45-acre urban forest in a quiet neighborhood to build a 5,000 seat mixed-use stadium and concert venue, market-rate housing and retail
- ask for Council support of the Healthy Opportunities Pilot 6-24-25 Page 46 Program
- not to stifle board public engagement and professional expertise while trying to streamline the boards and commissions structure to align with City Council’s priorities
Voted on separately
Each of these had its own motion and vote.
Motion to approve the rezoning request for the property located at 99999 Trade St failed.
Failed.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “The purpose of the Residential Multi-Family Medium Density (RM-8) district is, “to permit a full range of medium density multi-family housing types along with single-family detached and attached residences.”
- “The rezoning petition consists of one property totalling 0.27 acres and located at 99999 Trade St (PIN 9638-98-2953).”
- “The property is currently zoned River Arts Form District - Neighborhood Transition (RAD-NT).”
- “The property is currently vacant.”
Changes City law, Chapter 7 of the City Code.
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “This proposed zoning text amendment will restore the sections removed inadvertently to what existed prior to the adoption of Ordinance 5127, while retaining the intended change to not require sidewalks when the use of a building has ceased for a period of more than 180 days.”
- “He said that staff concurs with the Planning & Zoning Commission and recommends approval of the proposed zoning text amendment.”
- “The text amendment provided does not include the additional fee-in-lieu criterion proposed by the Planning & Zoning Commission because the City Attorney’s Office has concluded it would not be a legally permissible part of the conditional zoning process.”
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
More from the minutes
- “Along with preservation and adding to our small but growing ecosystem of permanently affordable housing, these are among the reasons she is thrilled that these properties in East End/Valley Street and Southside are on our Council agenda tonight!”
Passed. Everyone present voted yes.
More from the minutes
- “The following is the proposal summary: Entire Project: 221 units”
- “Phase I - 109 units with 33 project-based vouchers”
- “Phase II - 112 units - 4% LIHTC”
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.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “The award of this contract will result in the resurfacing of 4.32 miles of City streets.”
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with Tarheel Paving and Asphalt in the amount of $1,850,118.10 plus a 15% contingency of $277,517.72 ($2,127,635.82 total) for the FY 25 Asphalt Resurfacing contract.”
- “The project scope consists of resurfacing 21 streets for a total of 4.32 miles and upgrading of 26 ADA ramps in the work zone.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Motion authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with Haynes Electric Utility, a division of MB Haynes Corporation in the amount of $399,350 with a contingency amount of $59,900 for a total not to exceed contract amount of $459,250.”
- “Several multi-family housing units located off of Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive (MLK) have been developed over the past few years, increasing the amount of traffic turning from MLK onto S. Charlotte Street, and increasing the pedestrian traffic needing to cross at the intersection.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “City Staff and NCDOT have agreed to enter into a new funding agreement with a higher cost reimbursement in the amount of $150,000.”
Makes technical changes to the budget.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- The money, in the minutes' words: “Action Requested: Adoption of a Technical Budget Amendment in the amount of $4.2 million in the City’s Multi-Year Enterprise Funds for year-end clean up related to Tropical Storm Helene budgets adopted earlier in the fiscal year, and in the amount of $776,000 for debt refunding expenses in the Transit Services Fund.”
- “At the end of September 2024, the City of Asheville experienced large-scale devastation and destruction as a result of Tropical Storm Helene that has affected residents, businesses and city-owned property and infrastructure.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Enters into a Round 2 cashflow loan agreement with the State of North Carolina.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “The loan is designed to be a cash flow bridge until FEMA reimbursements are received, which will then be used to pay back the loan.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
More from the minutes
- What the minutes say it will do: “This contract provides revenue for the City of Asheville that is greater than the cost of services.”
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
Passed with the routine items, in one vote, without discussion.
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.