New River Arts District apartments, 5% affordable housing, OK'd by planning commission

ASHEVILLE - A new River Arts District apartment complex project that includes 12 units of affordable housing was approved by Planning and Zoning Commission its July 11 meeting, sending it to the City Council for final approval.

The project at 144 and 179 Riverside Drive, known as the Riverside Residences, would bring 240 new residential units to the River Arts District, with 5% of the units being affordable at 80% area median income.

If approved by City Council, the project will join the likes of The Wyre River Arts, RADView Apartments and The Artful Way Apartments, among others, that have contributed to the rapid residential expansion of the district known for hosting many of Asheville's artists and breweries.

The site had previously been approved for 134 units along with mixed commercial space on the site in 2021. Plans to adaptively reuse an old Asheville Cotton Mill building, which had been described as "ruinous remnants" in the National Register of Historic Places, would've included green infrastructure. That building was demolished in 2023 after it was deemed to be unstable, city permits and county records indicate.

Since then, the new proposal increased the number of residential units on the site by 106 while maintaining that 5% of all units on the site would be affordable at 80% area median income. Instead of multiple buildings, the new proposal features a single approximately 400-foot building across the span of Riverside Drive.

The earning threshold for those to qualify for an 80% area median income apartment or voucher in Asheville is $52,350, according to the latest data from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Commissioner Jason Seickel expressed disappointment that the sustainability elements proposed on the mill building had been cut from the plan and that the project did not seek to find an alternative. The mill building roof would've had a green roof and a rainwater harvesting system.

When the commission brought up whether the site would contain commercial space, land use attorney Jessie Swords said there is dedicated food truck space on the north side of the proposal and the "potential for that sort of commercial activity" at the proposed parking lot across the street.

Though he had expressed he would've liked more affordability in the project, Commissioner Brenton Faircloth noted the project highlights the urgency to build more housing,

"There's a housing crisis. We need houses," Faircloth said, just before making a motion to recommend the project. "I do believe strongly in the affordable housing metric, but I do also believe in just moving housing in general forward in this instance."

After Faircloth made the motion, the board unanimously recommended the project.

Duke Energy communication tower approved

A Special Use Permit for a new Duke Energy communication tower at 555 Brevard Road was unanimously approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission during the meeting, with Duke Energy submitting a memo to the city stating the new tower is located in an area that is "critical for the continued connectivity" of the company's systems.

Duke Energy Senior Project Manager Patrick Bernier said the 195-foot tower would be visible from the Biltmore Estate, which may possibly impact the view from the estate.

However, after a recent "balloon test," where a balloon is flown up to the proposed height of the tower and photos are taken from potentially impacted historic locations, a July 3 letter from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources State Historic Preservation Office indicated that the tower would be approved as long as it's developed with specific conditions.

The conditions prevent Duke Energy from placing a light on the tower and stipulates that Corten steel—a type of steel that will quickly develop a rust-like appearance after a few months outside—would be used to build the 195-foot tower.

Bernier said the Biltmore Estate was most concerned that the type of steel would impair the view from the estate's main residence during the winter, where a regular steel tower would stand out against the backdrop of the hills.

"They felt and we complied that the Corten finish would be a less visual impact," Bernier said.

Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com.Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.