Board approves 159-unit Mountain Housing Opportunities development with 45-year affordability and transit access conditions

The Buncombe County Board of Adjustment on Tuesday approved a special-use permit for Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO) to construct a 159-unit, 100% affordable apartment development on Old County Home Road.

The board granted the permit after hearing a staff presentation, expert testimony, and public comment and after the project team agreed to conditions including a deed restriction that the units remain affordable for 45 years and a commitment to provide ADA-accessible pedestrian access to the nearest transit stop.

Jillian Phillips, long range planning division manager for Buncombe County, told the board the application proposes 159 units across three apartment buildings on a 7.44-acre parcel served by City of Asheville water and MSD sewer commitments. Phillips said the applicant requested deviations for building height — from 35 feet to 55 feet — and a parking reduction from 1.75 to 1.0 spaces per unit. She noted the project was submitted under the county’s Community Oriented Development (COD) density matrix.

Derek Allen,…