Haw Creek Rezoning: A Letter Highlighting Community Disapproval
TL/DR –
The proposed rezoning of 26 acres of land in Asheville’s Haw Creek community, from RS-4 to allow 95 homes, conflicts with the community’s interests and the city’s comprehensive plan completed in 2018. The rezoning proposal, which includes removing 80% of mature trees, does not meet any of the six main themes in the comprehensive plan, including the Livable Built Environment, Harmony with the Natural Environment, and a Resilient Economy. The community’s main concerns, which include inadequate infrastructure, walkability/bikeability, stormwater management, access to recreation/green space, traffic, and infill housing, would be exacerbated by the proposed rezoning.
Asheville Housing Concerns: Potential Conflicts with Comprehensive Plan
Asheville’s documented housing shortfall highlights the necessity for new home construction. Yet, Kevin Jackson’s conditional zoning request for The Meadows at Haw Creek, which involves rezoning 26 acres of farmland and forest from RS-4 to a zoning allowing 95 homes, seems to contradict the community’s interest.
This rezoning request directly conflicts with Asheville’s 2018 comprehensive plan. The Haw Creek community actively participated in this plan’s creation, expecting its principles to guide future rezoning.
Six fundamental themes of the comprehensive plan outline the city’s development trajectory. The proposed project, involving rezoning for 95 homes and eliminating 80% of mature trees, fails to align with any of these themes:
The Livable Built Environment theme emphasizes targeted growth, quality development, preserving neighborhood character, increasing walkability, and improving transportation ease.
Harmony with the Natural Environment underscores the synergy between built and natural environments and supports climate-responsive redevelopment.
The Resilient Economy theme emphasizes affordable housing and public interest promotion across the built environment.
Healthy Community and Interwoven Equity themes focus on public safety enhancement and strategic support for neighborhood livability respectively. Lastly, Responsible Regionalism theme focuses on preserving regional environmental systems.
This proposed rezoning would contradict all of these planning guiding principles.
During the comprehensive planning process, local neighborhoods highlighted main concerns for future growth, captured in the Neighborhood Plans on a Page (Appendix C). In 2018, the Haw Creek community emphasized inadequate infrastructure, walkability, stormwater management, access to green spaces, traffic, and infill housing concerns. The proposed rezoning would exacerbate all these issues.
As a resident of Asheville and Haw Creek, I question why our City Council would consider a rezoning proposal so opposed by the community and in conflict with our comprehensive plan.
The Haw Creek community is not against all development. Past support for apartment and new home developments proves this. However, residents insist on reasonable development that aligns with the vision of a healthy, livable, and connected community. I urge the City Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council to reject the proposed conditional zoning request for The Meadows at Haw Creek.
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