ASHEVILLE, NC (828newsNOW) — Buncombe County commissioners will get an update on a proposed 645-unit development for southwest Asheville on Tuesday, as they prepare to look for a development partner.
No formal action is expected, but they’ll review the Ferry Road Community development solicitation during a commission briefing session at 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, at 200 College St., Room 326, in downtown Asheville.
The briefing session is a precursor the the regular 5 p.m. meeting, where a relatively light agenda includes a county manager’s update on a Language Access Plan, resolutions authorizing the issuance of General Obligation and Limited Obligation bonds, and appointments to the Mountain area Workforce Development Board and Adult Care Home Advisory Committee.
Although no action is scheduled on the Ferry Road development Tuesday, the status review comes at a time when the county is preparing to issue a formal solicitation for development partners.
The county envisions a project that sets aside 55 percent of the 645 proposed units for affordable housing, along with more than 70 acres of conserved lands, buffers to protected waterways, one community green, five smaller “pocket” parks, 1.9 miles of greenway and 1.7 miles of trails. The plan also calls for 22,000 square feet of community service facilities (such as a child care clinic or health clinic), plus a new access road and improvements.
In a draft developer solicitation, the county is expressing is “requirement and preferences” for a private development that includes affordable housing, the acceptance of housing vouchers, and also meets both the conservation requirements and is consistent with conditional zoning.
The county is hoping for a public-private partnership that increases the amount of housing considered affordable to households earning less than 80 percent of the area’s median income.
The county plans to issue a deadline of Aug. 9 to receive development proposals so commissioners can select a preferred partner by the fall to begin negotiations on a memorandum of understanding and ultimate development agreement.
According to a staff report, proposals will be evaluated to assure that they align with public interests and that prospective developers are qualified, experienced in the type of project being proposed, have positive references, the ability to complete a mixed-income community and more.