Council Approves Affordable Unit Conversion at Asheville’s Historic Church

TL/DR –

The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe is planning to convert a nearly 100-year-old church into affordable housing. The proposal, which was unanimously recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission, is set to be voted on by the City Council. The project, which saved the church from demolition, aims to convert the church into three units of affordable housing.

Asheville Council to Vote on Old Church Conversion into Affordable Housing

A nearly 100-year-old church in Asheville’s historically Black East End neighborhood is set for a vote by the City Council regarding its conversion into affordable housing. The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended the project’s adaptive reuse at its meeting on May 1.

The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe, along with East End/Valley Street Neighborhood Association and Dogwood Health Trust, propose to transform Cappadocia Fire-Baptized Holiness Church into three units of affordable housing. The proposal follows a 2021 move by the groups to save the church from demolition after its purchase by a development firm. (source)

The Preservation Society purchased the building with assistance from the neighborhood association, and together, they hired local firms Native Forms Architecture and Davis Civil Solutions to design the conversion.

In the meeting, city planner Clay Mitchell described the plan as an interesting preservation project. Mitchell discussed the history of Cappadocia, including how it likely got its name from a region in Turkey, as detailed by Dale Slusser in the Preservation Society’s Architectural Tid-bit articles.

Retired Rev. Jim Abbott, an East End resident and assistant treasurer for the association, expressed the neighborhood’s support for the project. He highlighted the conversion’s potential for stemming gentrification in an area previously affected by urban renewal and redlining.

The project seeks a conditional zoning request for a 20-foot buffer to include a retaining wall, garden plots, and new plantings. However, the team is yet to commit to a level of affordability due to possible unforeseen costs.

Commissioner Brenton Faircloth noted that the project could proceed without conditional zoning if it dropped its plan for added parking. Engineer, Nick Bowman, countered that apartments’ accessibility would require the parking slots.

All commissioners lauded the proposal. Commissioner Jared Wheatley described the adaptive reuse as one of the most aligned actions with the Asheville comprehensive plan.

Mitchell stated that the church has a tentative review date of May 28 for the City Council following the unanimous recommendation of the conditional zoning request.

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