ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A proposed 312-unit apartment development on Holbrook Road is headed back to the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment next week, with some nearby residents already raising concerns about traffic and infrastructure.
The board is scheduled to continue its discussion of the Orange Capital Apartments at noon Sept. 9 in the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners chambers at 200 College St. in Asheville.
The project, filed under Special Use Permit case No. ZPH2026-00023, calls for 312 apartment units on about 82.6 acres near the intersection of Holbrook and Starnes Cove roads.
The apartments would be spread across 13 buildings. Plans also call for a clubhouse, swimming pool, open space and a dog park.
The developer is seeking approval for a Planned Unit Development Level 1, or PUDI. The application also seeks to allow building heights of up to 45 feet, 6 inches.
The property is currently zoned R-2 and is described in the county’s staff report as residential and vacant land. The surrounding properties are mostly residential or vacant, with R-2 zoning to the north, south and west and R-3 zoning to the northwest.
Construction isn’t expected to start until 2027
According to a business-plan letter submitted to Buncombe County, construction is anticipated to begin in fall 2027, assuming all required approvals are obtained. The developer projects that leasing could begin in spring 2029.
Orange Capital Advisors says all of the units are expected to be leased as part of a professionally managed rental community.
Residents raise traffic concerns
The proposed development has drawn discussion on the Candler Community Too Facebook page, where residents were asked how they felt about the project.
Several commenters focused on traffic and existing infrastructure in the area.
Bethany Coy said she believes the area needs improvements to roads, traffic signals and road width before additional apartments are built.
“They need to do more with the road, red light and widening before adding more apartments,” Coy wrote.
Trina Chapman questioned whether the development would contribute toward school-related costs and pointed to the condition of the Holbrook Road bridge.
“The bridge on Holbrook is in bad need of repair. Don’t we have enough?” Chapman wrote.
Misti Leatherwood also opposed the proposal, citing existing traffic problems near the intersection.
“Absolutely not!” she wrote. “The traffic at that intersection is a nightmare already.”
What happens next
The Board of Adjustment can approve the application, approve it with conditions, deny it or continue the hearing, according to the county staff report.
If approved, county staff recommends several conditions, including that the project be built as shown in the site plan and that the developer obtain additional site-plan approval before construction.
The developer also would have to provide applicable permits from agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, N.C. Department of Transportation and N.C. Department of Environmental Quality before land disturbance and construction, according to the staff report.
