I failed to mention Asheville City Council voted 4-3 Tuesday to approve density bonuses for projects offering affordable housing or green features. The matter will require a second reading. If passed, projects would score points for what council members refer to as “things we want,” like proximity to public transit, proximity to major employment centers, LEED or North Carolina Healthy Built Homes certification, or rent fixing. Density bonuses, like more height, more units per acre, or more subdivisions per acre than zoning ordinances allow, would be awarded on a bracketed scale according to the number of points earned. Developments meeting the “things we want” criteria would be considered a Use by Right Subject to Special Requirements (USSR), and not be subject to a public hearing, as is required currently with the conditional use permitting process.
Angry citizens made enough of a stir to remove the USSR’s from single-family zonings. “What’s the point of zoning?” they asked, if a 70-unit apartment complex could go up in a single-family designation. Councilman Gordon Smith was excited and invited developers to take advantage of the new incentives. Esther Manheimer asked why other council priorities were not considered. Did council want huge apartments going up on steep slopes? Bill Russell asked why no points would be created for workforce housing. Russell was told that could come later.
