208-unit apartment complex proposed for London Road near Burial Forestry Camp

Will Hofmann, Asheville Citizen Times
·2 min read
A new apartment complex has been proposed for 7 London Road in Asheville.
A new apartment complex has been proposed for 7 London Road in Asheville.

ASHEVILLE - A new apartment complex has been proposed for London Road, not far from Burial Forestry Camp and the London Road and Sweeten Creek Road intersection.

The developer, Raleigh-based development and management firm Zapolski Real Estate LLC, has proposed 208 multifamily units for the 7 London Road site. The six story building will include the installation of new sidewalks, a pool and three courtyard areas for tenants.

Options for tenants will include studio, one bedroom and two bedroom apartments. Currently, 230 parking spaces are proposed to go under the apartment complex.

The 7 London Road site was a garage until earlier this year, when the site was sold and the garage demolished, according to city planning documents. The apartments will have a new address of 21 London Road.

A master plan map of the proposed 21 London Road apartment complex.
A master plan map of the proposed 21 London Road apartment complex.

In order to develop the site, the proposal will follow the conditional zoning process. The proposal is seeking to be zoned to "residential expansion."

The development is currently seeking a technical modification for zoning requirements to allow for 79.1 units an acre. Under residential expansion zoning, developments with 50 units an acre are eligible for approval if at least 20% of units are affordable at 80% area median income.

The area median income, for Asheville is currently $59,500 for one person, according to the city of Asheville affordable AMI index. Those earning 80% of Asheville's AMI earn around $47,600 for one person or $54,400 for two.

The land was sold earlier this year for $4.25 million from Classic Acquisition LLC to London Asheville LLC, a subsidiary of Zapolski Real Estate.

The firm owns real estate in North Carolina, California, South Carolina and Maryland. Another Asheville-based property owned by Zapolski Real Estate is the Asheville Market, located at 4 South Tunnel Road.

Proposed street elevations for the 21 London Road apartments. All plans are preliminary and subject to change.
Proposed street elevations for the 21 London Road apartments. All plans are preliminary and subject to change.

The work is estimated to cost around $30 million.

The first step in the development process is meeting with the Technical Review Committee, where city staff will provide feedback prior to the development heading to the Design Review Committee.

As a conditional zoning request, the project will go to both Planning and Zoning Commission and Asheville City Council. Ultimately, council has final say.

All planning documents are preliminary and can be subject to change.

A new apartment complex has been proposed for 7 London Road in Asheville.
A new apartment complex has been proposed for 7 London Road in Asheville.

Neighborhood meeting

Civil engineers from Civil Design Concepts, the engineering firm hired to create plans for the developer, met with interested neighbors and the Shiloh Neighborhood Association on Nov. 6 to discuss the development.

Community members asked questions about construction, traffic impact from construction and the visual appearance of the apartments.

Due to the early application process of the development, renderings and visuals of the apartment complex have not been finalized, according to the meeting summary.

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Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: New 208-unit multifamily apartment complex proposed for London Road