Asheville council previews Oct. 28 business meeting, discusses water upgrades, housing and noise rules; approves closed session

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — At an Oct. 23 agenda briefing, the Asheville City Council previewed its Oct. 28 business meeting, discussed water-system resilience projects, housing and land-use items, and approved a motion to enter closed session.

Assistant City Manager Ben Woody told council the city will seek a 0% interest loan from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, eligible for up to 30% principal forgiveness, to help fund pretreatment design and planning at the North Fork and Bee Tree water-treatment facilities. Woody said staff will continue pursuing FEMA grant funding to support eventual construction of resilience improvements related to Hurricane Helene.

The briefing also highlighted multiple consent-agenda renewals: a street-outreach contract with Home Rebound and a Code Purple winter-shelter agreement with Trinity United Methodist Church; routine repairs and maintenance contracts for Bee Tree Dam (staff said the dam is safe); and a budget amendment to make a required payment to ABYSA under a 12-year lease, which funds upkeep of the JBL soccer fields.

Council was also scheduled to consider a resolution accepting $2,900,000 in grant funding from the Tourism Development Authority to support the Cox Avenue Complete Street project, with construction projected to begin in mid-2026 and an approximate 15-month construction timeline.

On housing and federal funds, staff described a proposed amendment to the city’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) annual action plan that would raise the maximum award for single-family reconstruction and rehabilitation projects and reduce the minimum award for the support-services program from $500,000 to $250,000 so more nonprofits can qualify. James Shelton told council the HCD committee recommended unanimous approval.

An accessory-dwelling-unit amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance was not advanced; staff asked that item be tabled until January to allow more time for work and outreach.

Land-use matters included a conditional-zoning item for 767 New Haw Creek Road. Staff and the applicant described a new private drive and bridge that would provide access off New Haw Creek Road rather than connecting to Sleepy Hollow Drive. Planning staff said the Greenway alignment is largely unchanged and will cross the new bridge; council members and staff noted neighbors’ concerns about hydrology and potential flood impacts following Hurricane Helene and asked the applicant to provide further information.

Council discussed a proposed change to the noise ordinance that would increase the number of sound-exceedance events from 30 to 50. City Attorney Brad Branham said a second reading requires a majority vote; Development Services Director (Mr. Matheny) clarified the level-3 sound-exceedance permit applies only to the Central Business District, and staff said they will tighten ordinance language to avoid confusion with commercial districts.

Campbell said the city reopened the application process for four Hurricane Helene recovery boards, receiving 37 new applications, and plans to bring appointments to a future meeting. Assistant City Manager Jade (Jay) Dundas previewed items for the Policy, Finance & Infrastructure work session, including a finance quarterly report, a council priorities update and an infrastructure recovery board work plan to be presented by Ditai Ditairel McGirt.

On the eight-week agenda, staff said the Nov. meeting will include an ARPA program update; Nov. 18 will include a contract for a temporary skating rink at the Ashland Avenue (Talbot) lot adjacent to the transit center; and the county will present on the 2026 reappraisal process in January 2026. Council asked staff for updated status reports on multiple city-owned parcels that have been acquired for housing projects, naming the Ford Matthews lot on Biltmore, a property near Deaver View, the Talbot Lot and a parcel off Lester Highway.

Although Campbell began the briefing by saying "no formal action or votes will be taken," Councilman Beau Hess moved that the council go into closed session to "prevent disclosure of information that is privileged and confidential" and to "consider the qualifications, competence, performance, character, fitness, conditions of appointment, or conditions of initial employment of an individual public officer or employee or prospective public officer or employee," citing North Carolina General Statute 143-318.10(e) and 143-318.11(a)(6). The motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote in which Sage Turner, Shanika Smith, Kim Roney, Beau Hess and Maggie Ullman voted "aye." The council scheduled the closed session to begin immediately afterward.

The council’s regular business meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, in the Council Chamber on the second floor of Asheville City Hall; the PFI work session is scheduled for 3 p.m. the same day.