'Dangerous plan': Traffic, affordability lead to no-go for 279-unit Lake Julian apartments

ASHEVILLE - Housing affordability, lack of tree preservation and a "dangerous" traffic plan were cause for concern regarding the presentation of a proposed 279-unit Arden development at the Oct. 4 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.

The 279-unit apartment complex is proposed for Butler Road in Arden — just off the shore of Lake Julian.

In a split 3-3 vote, the Planning and Zoning Commission did not recommend City Council conditionally rezone the project.

Despite not receiving a positive recommendation from the commission, the proposal will move forward in the conditional zoning process. The developers have requested a Nov. 14 meeting time to go before the City Council.

The applicant, Georgia-based Flournoy Development Group — which has also worked on other Asheville developments like "The District" on Fairview Road — proposed the development.

On the site now are several single-family homes and a small mobile home park, which would be demolished in order to construct the apartment complex. The units are vacant, Vice President of Flournoy Development Group Tom Burr said.

The project would be at the intersection of Plott Place and Long Shoals Road, planned for nearly 9 acres between a Bojangles and a State Employees Credit Union.

The development would include five separate residential buildings. Four would include 45 units each, alongside a central building including an additional 99 units, according to planning documents. The project would have a variety of one- to three-bedroom units, along with a pool, a fitness facility, a car wash and a dog spa.

The project is estimated to cost roughly $30 million to $50 million, according to planning documents, with a maximum of 382 surface parking spots. The complex would also include 10-foot sidewalks that connect to Long Shoals Road, where the development is adjacent to a city bus stop.

Traffic, affordability and trees

The commission mentioned the gate planned for the development — which would bar travel between the residence and an adjacent commercial area — may create danger for travelers.

Commissioner Jenifer Bubenik said the traffic plan, including the gate, was a concern.

"I see that gate broken pretty soon," Bubenik said. "People are going to be cutting through trying to get to the Ingles — trying to get to the new Huey Magoo's."

"I just want us to have some sort of safety backup plan," she said. "As well as speed bumps — that type of thing — because it seems like a dangerous plan."

Will Buie, the applicant's representative at the meeting, said a traffic study has been completed on the project, which indicated that Plott Place, the road adjacent to the project, would have to be improved as part of the construction process.

The traffic study had not been brought as part of the project's package for the meeting.

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The development, as submitted, would include 32 units — roughly 10% of the total units — as affordable for those earning at or below 80% area median income for a minimum of 20 years. That’s a salary of $47,600 for one person or $54,400 for two, according to the city’s affordable AMI index.

During the project presentation, questions arose about the desire to have only 10% of the units set at an affordable rate, while similar projects in the area have 20% of their units set at a city mandated affordable price.

"This is located in the most expensive school district, right across from the three schools," Bubenik said. "So, we are bringing in housing, but no one can afford to live there. So we must ask ourselves, 'What are we actually doing for our community?'"

Commissioner Joe Archibald mentioned the lack of tree line along the southern tip of the development as a possible concern, where no trees on the southern part of the development would be mandated to remain in the current proposal.

Buie noted that the applicant may have "pushed the easy button" by asking for no requirement to keep the trees, but that it wasn't their intent.

"We felt like it was important to present how we would meet your tree canopy ordinance," said Buie, civil engineer for the applicant. "We were not comfortable, portraying at this level of design, how many trees we could save on that southern end."

"I do believe that we will save trees on that southern end."

While the commission recommended against the project, additional conditions like electric vehicle charging stations and improvements to a bus shelter were added to the project.

Carter Street hotel to be voted on Nov. 1

A six-story 22 Carter St. hotel was on the Planning and Zoning Commission agenda but was moved to the Nov. 1 meeting. If approved, the hotel would be the second planned to come to Carter Street.

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The hotel would take the place of the Sycamore Temple, which sold the 0.67-acre property to Milan Hotel Group in July 2022 for $3 million. In September, Milan Hotel Group had a hotel, proposed for 68 Carter St., approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

If both hotels are built, they would add to an area of Carter Street and Haywood Street where two hotels have already been built with another — the Embassy Suites — scheduled to be completed in December. Another hotel was proposed at 215 Haywood St. in September.

If all are built, the two streets would have a total of six hotels, largely concentrated on the Carter Street and Haywood Street intersection. Carter Street and Haywood Street are collectively no longer than a mile, according to Google Maps.

The project is seeking a Level II city approval and would not need approval from City Council.

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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: 279-unit Arden apartments get no-go recommendation from planning board