Board of Adjustment approves special-use permit for Spirit Cove project in Hendersonville

Dean Hensley, Hendersonville Times-News
·3 min read

The Henderson County Zoning Board of Adjustment unanimously voted on Feb. 23 to allow Spirit Cove a special-use permit for the project.

That's despite opposition from residents along Evans Road near Kanuga Conference Center who were against TimberKnolls Spirit Cove's proposed facility for animal-assisted therapy programs for people suffering from PTSD.

A sign against a pet-therapy facility for people suffering from PTSD sits along Evans Road in Hendersonville.
A sign against a pet-therapy facility for people suffering from PTSD sits along Evans Road in Hendersonville.

The vote came after two meetings that lasted just over a total of nine hours, according to Henderson County Business and Community Development Director Chris Todd. Evans Road residents attended both meetings and had more than 200 signatures on a petition to stop the construction of Spirit Cove's facility.

Spirit Cove purchased 16 acres from Kanuga Conferences Inc. just before the end of 2023. The organization had applied for a special-use permit for a 4.76-acre plot of the land to use as its home for the 4,000-square-foot therapy center, according to a news release.

"The Zoning Board of Adjustment reviewed the application in a quasi-judicial process as outlined by state law. The board heard from both the applicant and opposing party to determine its final decision," Todd told the Times-News on Feb. 24. "The board heard facts and witnesses from both parties. The board reviewed the facts as presented during the more than nine hours of meeting time. At the end of this process, the board found that the requested use met the three standards of a special-use permit as outlined by state law."

Those standards are as follows:

  • The use will not materially endanger public health, safety or welfare.

  • The use will not substantially injure the value of property or improvements in the area.

  • The use will be in harmony with the surrounding area.

"The facts of each special-use permit are individually reviewed to determine that the standards of the process can be met," Todd said.

More: Evans Road residents against TimberKnolls Spirit Cove's special-use permit

Evans Road residents have been fighting against the Spirit Cove facility for months and formed a website, KeepEvansRoadRural.org, which has information about the project and also letters from residents written to the board.

Richard Freudenberger is a member of the group and said it "is standing against disruptive land use and the running roughshod over the zoning rules established in our Land Development Code."

"This case, in particular, is about personal safety, traffic, and is setting an odious precedent for special-use actions. Future cases could be even more far-reaching and destructive," he said. "The neighborhood is still considering its options. Clearly we are disappointed in the decision ... the neighborhood is more united than ever to protect the rural nature of our county for future generations."

Todd said since the special-use permit has been approved, the board will next draft an official order with the finding of facts from the case. The order will then likely be approved at the next Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting, which is set for March 27, he said.

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Board approves Spirit Cove's special-use permit after 2 meetings