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Over the last five years, new communities have appeared on a regular basis, and growth in the county has migrated toward high-end developments --- with hundreds of new luxury homes being built. This growth has impacted all areas of the county, from upscale condominiums in downtown Asheville to million-dollar homes in Black Mountain.

Overall, I believe that growth of this nature, done responsibly, is good for our community. The additional revenue has provided new funding for our schools, constructed a $25 million addition to the county detention center, as well as issued over $60 million in debt to fund other capital projects. Without this significant ad valorem tax base growth, the county would be forced to either raise taxes or cut funding to schools, public safety, and vital human services programs.

While the growth our community has experienced over the last few years has had many positive benefits, there remains the concern that its pace will ultimately diminish the unique scenic beauty of our county.

Almost ten years ago, when the county first started the process to create our current Land Use Plan, the primary concern was the fear of that what are termed "unwanted land uses" (businesses such as asphalt plants, racetracks, adult entertainment stores and shooting ranges) would locate in the community; today, the concerns center around urban sprawl, steep slope development, and fast-paced urbanization.

People in Western North Carolina have long treasured property rights, and there remains a strong tradition of independent thought and freedom from excessive government intrusion. The citizens of Buncombe County have consistently expressed opposition to county-wide zoning regulations over the last thirty years. In 1999, the General Assembly authorized a referendum on whether zoning regulations should be imposed in the county: with over 40,000 people voting, the referendum was defeated overwhelmingly, with more than 70% of those living in unincorporated areas of the county voting against enacting zoning regulations.

Buncombe County can adopt an effective Land Use Plan that does not impose mandatory zoning on our citizens and minimizes the regulatory burden on property owners. The reality is that standard zoning regulations will not effectively control urban sprawl and other negative impacts from increasing urbanization. Unless the county is willing to impose large minimum lot sizes of five to ten acres, the rapid pace of development will continue as long as macro economic factors are conducive. This fact is readily apparent in the county’s Limestone Township, which has been zoned for over twenty years, and where the most significant levels of urban sprawl have really taken place.

There is a better way. The county can enact a Land Use Plan that helps guide the extension of public infrastructure (including utilities, roads, and schools) while protecting the scenic beauty of our community, preserving our environment, and minimizing the regulatory burden on our citizens.

For more information on the county's Land Use Plan and zoning, click here.

Rural Land Conservation

Zoning regulations will simply not stop the rapid pace of development that some areas of the county are experiencing. The most such regulations could do is to mandate large minimum lot sizes: however, unless the county is willing to impose five to ten acre minimum lot sizes, zoning will be completely ineffective as a means to preserve rural character.

For example, the Town of Mills River is mandating a ¾ acre minimum lot size --- with the stated intention of maintaining the rural character of the area. I grew up and still live and work on a farm, so it's difficult for me to see how a hundred homes on 75 acres of land preserves much of anything rural. And with large minimum lot sizes, our county’s zoning ordinance will be more stringent than almost every jurisdiction in North Carolina.

The only means to effectively promote land conservation is to promote the use of voluntary conservation easements. The county’s Land Conservation Board has identified areas in the community most suitable for conservation, and the county could allocate funding to encourage landowners to place their property in a conservation easement.

Already, thousands of acres of land are being placed under conservation easement in the county, with prominent examples including the Woodfin Watershed, the Montreat Conference Center, Progress Energy’s Sandy Mush property, and the Bleeker Farm. As Chairman, I have strongly supported these efforts and county funding has assisted landowners in placing around 1,000 acres each year into a permanent conservation easement.

As a result of these efforts, the county received the 2008 Conservation Partner of the Year award from NC Land Trusts and North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler has singled out Buncombe County as the statewide leader in farmland preservation. Including federal, state, and local lands, approximately 20% of the land area in the county (over 80,000 acres) is off-limits to future development.

Utility and Road Extensions

Development is often driven by the close proximity to public utilities and convenient highways. In many cases, the existence of a public sewer will allow for extremely high-density development and the broadest range of potential land uses. In areas without a public sewer, land density is minimized because of environmental health regulations (which require at least a half acre in good soil for private septic systems) where public water is available.

If public water is not available, then the lot sizes must be at least ¾ acre in good soil. Buncombe County should designate certain areas of the county as being the most suitable for urbanized development. In these areas, the county should assist in utility extensions since good development would necessitate high densities in areas where all these utilities are present.

The county should insist that the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the North Carolina Department of Transportation follow this infrastructure plan with any future road improvements and expansions. The designated high-density areas would not be eligible for county land conservation funds and potential areas for high-density development would include those areas currently served by the Metropolitan Sewerage District (MSD) and areas deemed suitable for future expansion of the sanitary sewer system.

Steep Slope Development

The county has enacted a steep slope development ordinance in conjunction with our current subdivision ordinance. While I support the concept of the steep slope ordinance, and I voted for the initial version, I did not vote for the latest amendments. These amendments impact all land subdivisions with a slope of 25% or greater. Between 25 and 35%, only 30% of the lot can be disturbed and over 35%, only 15% of the lot can be disturbed. Disturbance means any tree cutting or grading.

There were several problems with these amendments. First, I did not believe this ordinance should impact low elevation development, since the average slope of the county is 31%. These rules should only impact properties above a certain elevation. This is how the city's steep slope ordiance works. At these lower elevations, we are negatively impacting affordable housing.

Second, while 25% slope certainly is not flat, in our mountains this slope is not considered particularly steep. These rules, in my opinion, should not have begun until 30% slope. Even with these revisions, the county steep slope ordinance would still be more stringent than the Land of Sky Regional Council recommendations for steep slope development.

Stormwater Ordinance

Buncombe County currently has a fairly comprehensive erosion control ordinance, which limits the movement of sediment from all development sites of one acre or more. However, once the development is complete --- with full ground cover in place --- our erosion control rules are in many cases simply not adequate to address stormwater flows onto adjacent properties.

Stormwater from neighboring properties result in the greatest number of complaints to the Commissioners and the Planning Department. As Chairman, I supported the enactment of a countywide stormwater ordinance. Now all developments that disturb one acre or more, must submit a stormwater control plan to the county which must be approved by the county engineer. The county should continue to work to improve the implementation of these rules.

Downtown and Riverfront Development

The county should encourage, to the extent possible, that the City of Asheville's downtown area be developed with the highest density and value possible. This will assist in reducing the development pressure on our rural communities and will most effectively utilize our existing infrastructure.

While the planning jurisdiction in downtown Asheville rests with the City of Asheville, the county has numerous properties and many tools to encourage development in these areas. The county has constructed a new parking deck on county-owned property along College Street adjacent to the Health Center, and we're discussing options for county property on Coxe Avenue near the Department of Social Services. Parking structures are the lifeblood of downtown development, and the county can assist the private sector by adding more spaces.

The county’s HUB economic development plan includes proposals for development along the French Broad River in a way that will minimize future flood impacts. In my opinion, much of this area is underutilized and needs better development; the City of Asheville can encourage development in these areas by minimizing the regulatory burden that these potential developments face.

Master Plan for County Parks and Greenspace

The county has enacted a master plan to prepare for future community needs for parks and other natural areas, in cooperation with our municipalities and our school systems, to make it as comprehensive as possible. These projects include future parks, recreation areas, sports facilities, and greenways. Download a PDF of the master plan by clicking here.