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Residents urge Asheville City Council to act on "missing middle" housing study and pair it with displacement protections
Summary
At an Asheville City Council meeting, more than a dozen residents and advocates urged the council to implement the 2023 missing middle housing study to expand housing options, curb displacement and reduce sprawl, while several speakers asked the city to pair changes with clear protections for legacy neighborhoods.
At a meeting of the Asheville City Council, residents and community groups urged the council to move from planning to action on the 2023 missing middle housing study and to couple any zoning changes with explicit protections for legacy neighborhoods.
Andrew Paul of Asheville for All, marking the study's two‑year anniversary, told the council that modest multiunit housing kept him in his neighborhood after displacement: "That apartment existed because of the historic middle housing possibilities that decades ago went missing," he said, urging the council to "get some movement on middle housing in the coming year." Several other speakers from Strong Towns, Asheville for All and neighborhood groups echoed that call.
Speakers presented multiple arguments for action: Scott Adams cited zoning maps and Buncombe County tax-parcel data to show that nearly half the city's residential acreage is single‑family plus ADU zoning and urged the council to convert policy into decisions in 2026; Marty Benson (Strong Towns) said regulatory uncertainty pushes development to the county, increasing sprawl and costing the city tax revenue; and Joel Schuman described sidewalk and greenway investments that would be complemented by nearby missing‑middle housing.
Speakers also stressed the need to protect long‑time residents. Seiko Coleman of the Legacy Neighborhoods Coalition asked the council to "pair it with clear concrete protections for the neighborhoods that have borne the brunt of past displacement," and outlined six actions the coalition has proposed, including legacy neighborhood preservation districts, a targeted CDBG and capital prioritization policy, displacement impact reviews for major projects, formal partnership status for legacy neighborhoods in engagement, stronger development notifications, and a public‑art and history program tied to capital work.
Laurel Radley, representing AARP, cited post‑storm housing impacts and demographic trends, saying that recovery from Tropical Storm Helene left many older homeowners displaced and that the region is projected to see a 20.3% growth in households headed by people 75 and older between 2024 and 2029. "Missing middle housing provides a solution for this crisis," she said, and announced an AARP community conversation on Jan. 14 to discuss age‑friendly housing options.
Other public comments connected missing‑middle policies to pedestrian safety, transit frequency and affordability. Michael Small (Eco Foresters) linked more housing choices to safer streets; Natasha Schwade urged the council to consider alternative electrified transit like trolleys when weighing bus operations; and Chris Fink, a volunteer ombudsman with County Health and Human Services, warned separately that Medicaid cuts are putting small residential treatment facilities at risk.
Council members thanked the speakers and several said they supported both advancing missing middle options and protecting legacy neighborhoods. The vice mayor noted staff memos and said the Housing and Community Development (HCD) team will discuss related items in January; the mayor and council committed to bringing policy options forward and working with the incoming city manager.
The public comments filled the scheduled general comment period; the council did not take immediate legislative action on missing‑middle zoning at that meeting but acknowledged the demand for prioritized follow‑up in upcoming work sessions and HCD agendas.
