Woodfin mayoral candidates now up to 3: Airbnbs, traffic safety, development loom
For years, Woodfin has seemed like a sleepy suburb of Asheville, with some residents even oblivious to the fact that they lived in a separate municipality with its own government and own rules ― something that changed dramatically over the past several years as new residents arrived, Airbnbs sprang up and large development projects roiled neighborhoods.
Woodfin elections, likewise, were marked by low interest. But they are now beginning to mirror heightened civic activism in the rapidly growing town of 8,000 with another candidate joining what potentially could be a historic three-way mayoral race that for nearly two decades featured only an unchallenged incumbent.
Vice Mayor Jim McAllister this month told the Citizen Times he is running for the top office, currently held by Jerry VeHaun, mayor for more than 20 years. VeHaun has not yet declared if he will seek a sixth four-year term, telling the Citizen Times March 28 he is undecided.
Already declared is mayoral candidate Josh Blade, a 35-year-old protection services specialist. Blade, a nearly 20-year Woodfin resident, has not served on a government body, though was appointed to the Crimestoppers Board of Directors in 2012.
Candidate filing for the November election officials starts July 7. Woodfin's elections are nonpartisan and do not have primaries.
McAllister, 68, a retired international bank support systems sales executive, has lived in Woodfin just seven years. But he jumped quickly into town government, serving on the Planning Board and Board of Adjustment. In 2021 he and two other first-time candidates endorsed by the Sierra Club won Town Council seats in an election dominated by development and land use issues. Sparking the new movement was the Bluffs development project that sought to construct nearly 1,400 units on an 82-acre riverfront property near Richmond Hill Park, which sits on the Asheville side of municipal boundaries.
"When development proposals came forward, people started asking, 'You can't really build on a slope like that, can you?' And then people realized, yeah, you can," he said.
With McAllister and the other new council members, steep slope rules changed along with substantial new restrictions on Airbnbs and the switchover to a council-manager form of government, which replaced the mayor as overseer of all departments with a full-time hired executive, increasing efficiency and transparency, McAllister said.
"In past years, the town operated basically behind the curtain. You could go to a town commission meeting and make public comment. But I had people tell me, 'I've gone and complained. I've written letters and made phone calls. But no one will even respond to me,'" he said.
Vehaun, 80, under whom the town began major projects, including the $10.1 million Riverside Park expansion and whitewater wave project for kayakers and surfers, has said supporters "encouraged me to run again."
McAllister said as mayor he would focus on both long-simmering and new issues.
"We're in dire need of a new Town Hall. Our community center is falling apart. Fortunately, we do have some savings that we can count on. We're still a little bit short on the Greenway and Riverside Park. We're trying to raise that money but we may have to dip into savings. But that is what savings are for."
More: With projects planned for Enka and Woodfin, what's next for Buncombe County greenways?
More: Woodfin neighbors vs. developer: Appeal process continues for steep-slope development
With the anticipated opening of the wave project, McAllister said the town lacks amenities such as restaurants. He said he supports more tourist lodging ― though not short-term vacation rentals ― with businesses such as medium sized hotels not far from the future Interstate-26 exit.
Traffic and safety issues along Riverside Drive loom very large, he said, with places such as the River Walk neighborhood dealing with dangerous road angles and vehicles speeds, particularly for school buses. Two serious accidents have alarmed police, but McAllister said strained relations with the North Carolina Department of Transportation have stymied progress.
"And working on that is the kind of thing that as mayor I'm going to do, I'm going to spend time in Raleigh, and maybe even Washington because we should know those people. We want to have a Riverside Drive safety summit," he said.
Woodfin facts
Population: 8,000.
Government: Mayor (non voting, except as tiebreaker) and Town Council. Oversees town manager who oversees police, finance and other department heads.
Property tax: 33 cents per $100 in tax-assessed value. ($300,000 home pays $990 in annual town taxes. Asheville property tax is 40.3 cents. Municipal residents also pay county property tax)
Best known feature: French Broad River access.
Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Woodfin mayor candidates up to 3: Airbnbs, traffic safety, development
