Weaverville council denies two Reagan Lane rezoning requests, urges conditional zoning talks

Weaverville Town Council voted June 22 to deny two separate petitions to rezone parcels on Reagan Lane from R1 (residential) to C1 (commercial), concluding that conditional zoning would better protect nearby residences and give the town leverage to shape access and allowed uses.

The meeting drew more than a dozen residents who spoke during two back‑to‑back public hearings. "I want to ask that you not consider that at all. Please keep it residential," said a resident who lives two blocks from the site and asked council to honor the recently adopted land‑use plan. By contrast, long‑time resident Robert Woodson told the council he supports C1 for one parcel because it would allow medical and professional services that could serve the community: "I love this town... I believe we can honor that history while also preparing wisely for what comes next," Woodson said.

Property owners Reese and Jan Lasher, who requested C1 for a one‑acre lot, said the site is cleared and buffered and that their intent is low‑impact uses such as medical or financial offices that would act as a transition into downtown. Reese Lasher said he has spoken with Goodwill about a shared entrance design and noted that any driveway connection onto Weaver Boulevard would require NC DOT approval.

Town planning staff told council the planning board had issued mixed recommendations: the unaddressed parcel (near Goodwill) received a favorable recommendation for R1→C1, while the occupied 5 Reagan Lane parcel received a negative recommendation (the planning board preferred conditional zoning). Staff also pointed out that the town’s future land‑use map, which is advisory, contemplates the possibility of nonresidential uses at these locations, but the zoning map currently remains residential.

Council members repeatedly flagged a central policy question: a straight C1 rezoning would permit a broad set of C1 uses and, if approved, would largely remove future town review for allowed uses in that district. As planning staff clarified, C1 would permit many professional and retail uses and would not allow drive‑thru restaurants but could allow a gas station or bar unless restricted by a conditional district.

After questions about DOT access, traffic, and preserving a buffer between Weaver Boulevard commercial uses and Main Street homes, a motion to deny the R1→C1 amendment for the unaddressed parcel passed by voice vote; council then denied the R1→C1 request for 5 Reagan Lane, keeping it residential. Council asked staff to work with property owners on conditional zoning options that would bind permitted uses and address ingress/egress and design concerns.

Next steps: council instructed staff to engage with the landowners about preparing conditional‑use proposals and noted that any access changes on Weaver Boulevard would require NC DOT review and approval. The council’s denials keep current zoning in place while offering property owners a path to negotiate a controlled commercial outcome.

The public hearings and council deliberations underscored community divisions: some residents urged the council to preserve residential character and the integrity of the town’s recent land‑use plan; others argued moderate commercial uses would meet future needs near the coming hospital and the town’s commercial corridor. The council’s preference for conditional zoning aims to balance those concerns and to retain local tools to require design, use and access conditions before commercial development occurs.