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Council approves APD presence at Tanger Outlets, chief says Haywood Road station will remain
Summary
The Asheville City Council approved placing a staffed APD presence at the Tanger Outlet facility while retaining the department’s footprint at 970 Haywood Road, after council and residents debated outreach, security upgrades and whether the arrangement would reduce street-level policing.
Council voted to approve consent-agenda item f, authorizing Asheville Police Department (APD) to operate a staffed presence at the Tanger Outlet facility while maintaining its existing location at 970 Haywood Road. The vote followed public comment, city staff testimony and questions about outreach and costs.
Michelle Myers, chair of the East West Asheville Neighborhood Association, urged council to reject the change, saying a move to a private-business corridor could "bifurcate our community" and reduce the street-level presence she and nearby businesses want. "You need to get out of your car. You need to interact with the people on the street," Myers said in public comment, arguing for more foot and bike patrols and mental-health alternatives rather than relocation.
APD leadership told council the department is not abandoning 970 Haywood Road. "APD is not moving out of 970 Haywood Road," Chief Steff said during the council discussion, adding the Tanger site is intended to expand and modernize services. He said the Haywood Road facility is about 1,800 square feet while the Tanger facility offers roughly 4,000 square feet and will provide a civilian-staffed front desk during business hours to accept walk-ins and police reports. Chief Steff said 35 officers work in the West Asheville district, with five additional supervisors, and described a 15% increase in proactive patrol hours year over year—about 3,000 hours.
Council members asked about funding and outreach. A council member said some in the community believed the city would spend $1 million on renovations; Chief Steff confirmed that Tanger Outlets is donating upfit funds for the facility and that the city will furnish the site using existing furniture where possible. One council member raised a budget-transparency concern, noting an $837,000 lease expense cited in staff materials and saying she would register a no vote tonight to press for greater clarity and more investment in street-level responses.
Council closed debate and approved the item by voice vote as part of the consent agenda; the mayor then recorded that the consent agenda was completed. The record shows staff and APD committed to continued outreach in West Asheville and to work with capital-improvement staff on security upgrades at the Haywood Road location.
