Woodfin council approves conditional rezoning for 13.24‑acre mixed‑use project on Weaverville Road, including nine short‑term rental cabins

The Woodfin Town Council on Jan. 21 approved Ordinance 2025‑O1 to conditionally rezone 13.24 acres at 455 and 467 Weaverville Road to a Community Shopping District 2 conditional zone, allowing a mixed‑use project that includes commercial space, five single‑family lots, nine short‑term rental (STR) cabins, a storage building and one deed‑restricted affordable housing unit.

Applicant Ricky Robinson described a multi‑phase plan that places commercial uses along Weaverville Road and climbs a private road to the steeper upper slopes, where the nine small cabins would be sited. Robinson said the project was conceived in 2020 and that the design seeks to minimize the footprint on steep terrain by using smaller units and revegetation measures.

Town planning staff described the project exhibits and the modifications to the town’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) the applicant requested. Key technical modifications in the approved conditional zone include allowing LED, dark‑sky‑compliant lighting with shielding to prevent light trespass; enlarging the allowable lands‑disturbance cap in steep‑slope areas (staff and the applicant characterized the requested allowance as inclusive of previously disturbed areas and substantially greater than the standard 15% threshold); an increase in allowable impervious surface on the subject property (the applicant requested an increase from 8% to 25%); and a site‑specific approach to revegetation for newly and previously disturbed areas requiring a forestry‑style mixture (staff proposed a planting rate expressed as 12 saplings per 1,000 square feet in disturbed areas).

The council and staff emphasized stormwater controls: the project will trigger engineered stormwater plans and permitting because it is expected to disturb at least one acre; post‑development runoff must not exceed pre‑development runoff, which will require stormwater storage or devices such as underground chambers and other best management practices.

The conditional zone also carries programmatic and procedural conditions: one deed‑restricted affordable housing unit must be constructed and recorded per the approved site plan before certain STR permits are issued; the STR cabins are consolidated on a single parcel and are limited in total number as shown on the recorded exhibit; recorded exhibits (site plan and landscape plan) will be included in the recorded ordinance to bind the project to the conditions; and the property owner must grant a 15‑foot frontage easement for a future multi‑use path along Weaverville Road.

Planning staff noted the Planning Board of Adjustment reviewed and recommended approval in December; staff recommended approval with the conditions in Exhibit D, as amended to add the shielding requirement for lighting.

Councilmember discussion focused on precedent and public sentiment about STRs. Several council members said conditional zoning is site‑specific and does not automatically create a transferable precedent; other members said residents had expressed concern about expanding STRs in Woodfin and they wished more affordable housing were included. The applicant and staff said the location — a narrow corridor adjacent to other commercial uses and existing STRs — contributed to the Planning Board’s recommendation.

The council voted to modify the town’s Woodfin Together future land use map for the parcels and then approved the conditional rezoning ordinance with the amended Exhibit D conditions. Roll call on the rezoning motion recorded six ayes and no nays: Allen — Aye; Mitchinton — Aye; Irvin — Aye; Hahn — Aye; Barton — Aye; Young — Aye.

Ending: The ordinance requires recorded project exhibits and technical stormwater review before issuance of zoning permits; staff will return with permit‑level engineering and construction plans and continued public notices for subsequent permitting stages.