Neighborhoods, students and alumni urge city support to preserve 45-acre UNC Asheville woods

Several residents, faculty and alumni urged the Asheville City Council to publicly support preserving a 45-acre urban forest owned by the University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNCA), and asked the city to pass a resolution backing conservation of the site.

David Clark, a botanist and UNCA faculty member, described the site as a contiguous natural area that contributes to habitat connectivity, urban biodiversity and neighborhood recreation. "I am here asking for your help on this issue," Clark said. He and other speakers said they discovered exploratory clearing and drilling on the property and that the campus's designation conversations and a so-called 'millennial campus' status could enable public-private development on the woods.

Speakers widely requested that the council pass a resolution urging UNCA to preserve the site, accelerate public involvement, and resist commercial redevelopment. Former and current students, alumni and neighborhood organizers said the woods are used daily by neighbors and students for recreation and study and described mental-health and ecological benefits of mature urban forest. Heather Rayburn, a UNCA alumna and 30-year resident of the 5 Points neighborhood, said students, faculty and staff had packed listening sessions and urged greater campus responsiveness.

Why it matters: The 45-acre tract is adjacent to built neighborhoods one mile from downtown Asheville. Preservation or redevelopment would affect neighborhood access to green space, stormwater and climate resilience, wildlife habitat, and local recreation. Speakers argued that whatever private or public development might be proposed would not necessarily increase the city's tax base but would reduce environmental and community benefits.

Claims and legal context

Commenters raised concerns about UNCA's use of the "millennial campus" designation and invoked state-level governance and public-private partnership rules. Speakers referenced an "Umstead Act" in the conversation and said millennial-campus revenues may compete with private taxpayers; those legal and fiscal assertions were presented by speakers as arguments for caution and do not represent a finding by the council.

Community requests and next steps

Speakers asked the council to: adopt a resolution supporting the preservation of the UNCA woods; request transparent information from UNCA about plans for the site, including any development scenarios and environmental assessments; and to join community listening sessions and the public charrettes already organized by neighborhood groups. Several speakers asked the council to help ensure resident involvement in selection of any future plans and to press UNCA for public notice before exploratory site work.

Ending

Council members expressed concern and asked staff to follow up on public records and engagement options. No ordinance or formal council resolution was adopted at the meeting; community speakers said they would continue organizing and requested a formal statement from the city in support of conservation.