Planning and Zoning Commission (In-Person) (Oct 7, 2026)

Meeting Overview The Asheville Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) convened in person on October 7, 2026, under the chairmanship of Jeffrey Barton. The meeting opened with a formal land acknowledgement recognizing the historical displacement of the Cherokee people from the land now occupied by Asheville. The commission addressed legislative updates, reviewed the draft annual report, and conducted public hearings for two significant zoning matters. The session concluded with unanimous votes on both zoning requests, which will now proceed to City Council.

Key Decisions and Votes The commission approved the minutes from the September 2 meeting unanimously. Regarding substantive zoning actions, the PZC voted unanimously to recommend approval for two properties. First, for the property at 264/274 Enka Heritage Parkway and 1455 Sand Hill Road, the commission recommended conditional rezoning from Commercial/Industrial (CICZ) and Commercial Expansion (COM EXP) to Commercial Expansion (COM EXP). This recommendation included a specific condition to revise the Tree Canopy Preservation requirement, removing the explanatory reasoning while retaining the 13% preservation mandate. Second, the commission recommended approval for an amendment to the conditional zoning at 21 London Road, which seeks to increase unit counts, building height, and parking spaces. This recommendation included conditions to retroactively eliminate a prior federal procurement standard, add publicly available bike parking, and require the applicant to work with city staff on resilience measures regarding flood elevation and safety. Both items are scheduled to go before City Council in October 2026.

Discussion Highlights A significant portion of the meeting focused on administrative updates and future planning priorities. Staff reported on a recent Housing and Community Development committee discussion regarding the potential elimination or consolidation of the RS2 zoning district, noting that most such areas are environmentally encumbered or already occupied. The commission agreed to place a formal discussion on RS2 zoning on the November agenda, with staff providing GIS data and procedural details. Additionally, staff announced that City Council has authorized a contract with Opticos Design Inc. to lead a two-and-a-half-year Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) update. Staff urged the commission to pursue incremental updates during this period rather than pausing all work. Commissioners also discussed the commission’s annual report, emphasizing flood protection/resilience and anti-displacement as top policy priorities for the upcoming UDO rewrite. Commissioner Faircloth noted discomfort with proceeding further without seeing "legitimate progress" on anti-displacement commitments.

Community Input Public comment was received during the hearing for the Costco project. Sharon Summerall of the National Neighborhoods Coalition raised concerns regarding the Tree Canopy Preservation (TCP) calculation, arguing it appeared to apply only to the disturbed 25-acre portion of the site rather than the full 39.6 acres. She recommended that the applicant work with the Urban Forester to ensure the 15% standard is met and that building impact trees are included. No public comment was received for the 21 London Road hearing. The transcript summary does not indicate that the commission responded directly to Summerall’s specific technical arguments, though the motion did include a condition to revise the TCP requirement’s explanatory text.

Follow-ups and Next Steps Staff agreed to several follow-up actions for the November 4 meeting. Planner Sam Starbaum will place an informal discussion on RS2 zoning on the November agenda, providing GIS layers for steep slopes and floodplains. Planner Vidula Satvika will attend to present data and make a recommendation. Staff will also share the scope summary of the Comprehensive Plan update in advance of the next meeting. Commissioners and staff agreed to review the annual report’s policy recommendations, specifically regarding anti-displacement and flood protection, with the goal of finalizing them for the November meeting. Additionally, staff agreed to bring a representative from the Asheville Development Authority or Housing Authority to a future meeting to discuss affordable housing initiatives. The Costco zoning item is scheduled for City Council on October 13, 2026, and the 21 London Road item is scheduled for October 27, 2026.