# Planning Board Meeting

**Body:** Buncombe County Government — Planning Board
**Date:** November 17, 2025 9:29 AM EST (2025-11-17T09:29:29-05:00)

**Link:** https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/550

## Summary

**Meeting Overview**
The Buncombe County Planning Board held a regular meeting on November 17, 2025. The agenda included the approval of previous minutes, a public comment period, a zoning map amendment hearing for the Rogers property, and a continued review of a lighting text amendment.

**Key Decisions**
The board unanimously approved the meeting agenda and the minutes from the October 20, 2025 meeting. Regarding the zoning map amendment for ZPH2025-00036, the board voted to approve the request by Ricky and Rebecca Rogers to rezone three parcels totaling 13.4 acres from R-1 (Residential Low Density) to R-3 (Residential). Staff had recommended approval, noting the change aligns with the Buncombe County Comprehensive Plan’s future land use map, which designates the area as a mixed-use neighborhood. The transcript summary indicates this request will now proceed to the Buncombe County Commissioners for a final decision.

**Discussion Highlights**
Staff presented information on recently passed state "down zoning" legislation, which introduces complexities regarding local zoning ordinances. In response, the county is taking a cautious approach and delaying significant changes to the zoning ordinance until clarity emerges from state regulations or potential court challenges. During this period, the board prioritized other text amendments related to flood regulations, E911 addressing, and lighting.

The board also continued its review of ZPH2025-00024, a proposed amendment to the lighting ordinance. Key discussion points included the Kelvin rating (color temperature) for vehicular canopies, with a potential shift to 4,000 Kelvin, and adjustments to the foot candle standard for these canopies. The board also discussed the use of lighting affidavits as an alternative to full photometric plans for smaller-scale projects. While the board discussed incorporating amortization to bring non-conforming uses into compliance, they decided to postpone that specific decision for further review.

**Community Input**
During the general public comment period, Bernard Argier, a member of the public, spoke regarding proposed revisions to the county's lighting ordinance. He suggested improvements related to floodlights, Kelvin ratings, and the height of exterior lighting fixtures, emphasizing the importance of dark sky principles and minimizing light trespass. The transcript summary does not report any specific response from board members to his comments.

**Follow-ups**
Staff explicitly agreed to revise the lighting ordinance based on the feedback received and present a final version at the next meeting. Additionally, staff agreed to research amortization options for non-conforming uses specifically regarding the lighting ordinance and present those findings at a future meeting. Staff also confirmed they will continue working on text amendments related to flood regulations and E911 addressing.

**Impact**
The approval of the Rogers rezoning allows for a slight increase in maximum density from 10 to 12 units per acre on the specified parcels, which are adjacent to existing R-3 zoning. For residents, the continued review of the lighting ordinance is significant as it proposes centralized standards for footcandle limits, Kelvin ratings, and mounting heights, including specific limits for residential and commercial property lines and prohibitions on certain fixture types. The board’s decision to pause major zoning ordinance changes due to state legislation indicates that broader zoning updates may be delayed until state-level clarity is achieved.

## Agenda

- [Call to Order](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/550/item/23359)
- [Announcements – Nancy Waldrop](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/550/item/23360)
- [Announcements – Staff](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/550/item/23361)
- [Roll Call of Board Members](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/550/item/23362)
- [Approval of Agenda](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/550/item/23363)
- [Planning Minute Approvals: 10-20-25 Minutes](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/550/item/23364)
- [General Public Comment](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/550/item/23365)
- [ZPH2025-00036 Rogers Rezoning-Haley Madfis](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/550/item/23366)
- [Continue Review of ZPH2025-00024 Lighting Text Amendment – Shannon Capezzali](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/550/item/23367)
- [Adjournment](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/550/item/23368)
- [General Public Comment](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/550/item/23369)

## Video & Transcript

- Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyzS6rPsdhU
- Transcript: https://sunshinemeetings.org/transcript/199/segments

## Documents

- [agenda_packet_2025-11-17.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/550?document=15079)
- [supporting_2025-11-17.pptx](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/550?document=15080)

## Sources

- [YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyzS6rPsdhU)