'Bel Air Asheville': East Buncombe boutique glamping OK'd, pickleball denied

ASHEVILLE - Two developments on the outskirts of Buncombe County — one focusing on "missing middle housing" and the other offering a new opportunity for glamour camping, or "glamping" — were approved by the county's Board of Adjustments Dec. 13.

"Bel Air Asheville" in East Buncombe and "Cypress Village" in Fletcher were approved during the BOA special meeting, where both developments faced questions from the board regarding final site plans, traffic and possible amenities.

Bel Air glamping development says 'no pickleball'

Bel Air Asheville received some questions from the board, notably about the programming provided by the location.

The development was proposed by Bel Air Resorts Group, a Miami-based international resort group. Bel Air owns resort and glamping developments in Canada, the Bahamas and a planned future location in the Dominican Republic. The Asheville proposal is the only current U.S. location for the resorts group.

One major question for the development was the inclusion of pickleball — a paddle sport that has grown extremely popular in recent years. Since submitting plans for the development, Bel Air Resorts had chosen to remove proposed pickleball courts.

Board Member Joel Mazelis noted the noise associated with the sport, to which Attorney Derek Allen, representing Bel Air Resorts, explained that pickleball was no longer part of the programming, as the developers aim to present a "peaceful experience."

"If we need to amend it to put in a 'no pickleball' in the conditions — that might be the first 'no pickleball condition' ever," Allen said. "That's not the intended programming now."

Board Member Carla Barnard brought up the lack of final detail on some of the developments proposed amenities.

"I will say that it is concerning to me that you're presenting a site plan and you're like: 'Well, this could be a petting zoon, an amphitheater — well, maybe that's not the right word,'" Barnard said. "We really want a complete site plan and know what it is we are approving."

Bel Air Project Overview: "The planned unit development will be used as a glamping resort with various uses such as hiking trails, a farm with a community farm and community garden," the development narrative reads. "The purpose of the development will be to highlight the existing natural environment, spacious views, and tranquility of the surrounding rural area."

Location: Off Major Mountain Road, near Black Mountain.

Project size: Submitted plans indicate the glamping site will bring 89 commercial units to a 104-acre property. Of those units, 65 will be reserved for glamping, along with eight dedicated to on-site employee housing. Other units include spas, a grocery store, a zen garden, a yoga and fitness amphitheater and a community garden.

Standing applications: Four standing applications were received against Bel Air Asheville, but were retracted after conditions were reached between the developer and those with standing prior to the Dec. 13 meeting. The conditions were added as part of the development's approval.

Vote: Approved 4-2, with Board Members David Weinstein and Carla Barnard voting against. Board members Joel Mazelis, Carol McCrory, Greg Phillips and Damien Vacaflor voted for the development.

Are South Buncombe townhomes the 'missing middle'?

During the meeting, "Sheehan Townhomes" was approved as a new development to sprout up at 145 Sheehan Road in Fletcher.

Attorney Derek Allen, who was also hired on behalf of the Sheehan Townhomes developer, said the plan is "right in line with what we've been reading about" regarding missing middle housing reports from the city of Asheville and the recent Thrive Asheville report.

"Not only is this that, but this is less impactful from all standpoints ," Allen said of the development.

Missing middle housing is house-scale buildings with multiple units in walkable neighborhoods, housing types that have been largely missing from the residential housing market over the last 70 years, such as duplexes, cottage courts, triplexes, fourplexes, multiplexes and townhomes.

Cypress Village Project overview: A dog park, playground and a passive trail system are all proposed for the location, along with the installation of new roads to connect the buildings. The three-lot property is currently vacant, but is adjacent to several residential buildings and a sits next to a train track owned by Blue Ridge Southern Railroad.

Location: 145 Sheehan Road in Fletcher.

Project size: Plans indicate the construction of 29 new residential structures on the property, which will include a total 131 new townhomes. Submitted plans indicate all homes will be for sale.

Cypress Village will be managed by a new homeowners association. The land is currently under contract to be purchased by the developer after the county approval, according to planning documents. The development has been proposed by Milo General Contractor LLC, along with landowners Stone Haven Farms Estate LLC and Eldon and Peggy Anderson.

Standing applications: Neighbor Haim Cotton applied for standing against the development, noting that increased traffic would lead to increased noise — interfering with his work as a professional jazz piano teacher.

While Cotton did not find standing, worries about traffic persisted through the witness testimony section of the hearing, leading to recently appointed Board Member Greg Phillips making a statement on the difficulty of weighing traffic issues with new developments.

"Traffic is always a hot button, and you are not wrong," Phillips said of those worried about traffic related to the project.

Phillips noted that traffic is often "just not in our hands" as board cannot make decisions as traffic as a result of developments, as plans to manage roads or traffic is the responsibility of the North Carolina Department of Transportation — not the county.

Board Member Carla Barnard noted the difficulty of being on a planning board that often hears about traffic issues.

"We live here, too, and we drive these roads and we know what gets backed up — and we can only make a decision based on certain criteria," Barnard said.

Vote: Approved 5-1, with Board Member Damien Vacaflor voting against. Board members Mazelis, McCrory, Phillips, Barnard and Weinstein voted for the development.

Next Board of Adjustments meeting

The next Board of Adjustments meeting will consider the 74-unit development titled "Wilderness Ridge." The development has been subject to hot debate from the developments neighbors leading to the creation of Save Reeves Cove, an advocacy group against the development.

The project is seeking a special use permit from the county's Board of Adjustment, a quasi-judicial process during which board members decide how current laws apply to an application, obtain evidence and review ordinance standards.

Board members may not take subjective observations or personal preferences into account when making a decision about project applications, they may only look at facts, sworn testimony and laws. The Board of Adjustment will meet at noon Jan. 11 at 200 College St. in the Board of Commissioners Chambers.

More: Glamping site proposed for East Buncombe includes 'Cloud Dome' tents, spas, pickleball

More: What to know about townhome project proposed for South Buncombe; how many units for sale?

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: 'Asheville Glamping' in East Buncombe, 131 Townhomes in Fletcher OK'd