ASHEVILLE – City Council delayed its vote on a proposed 279-unit Arden development planned for one of the several peninsulas of land that extend into Lake Julian, a 300-acre public lake in South Asheville.
Several council members expressed a lack of appetite for the project as proposed, voicing a desire for more affordable and family size units and greater dedication to renewable energy, particularly given that the parcel qualifies for an energy community tax credit bonus due to its proximity to the retired Lake Julian coal plant, which shut down in 2020.
Anyone installing a qualifying renewable energy system in that area is eligible for a 50% tax credit, said Clay Mitchell, an urban planner with the city. “That’s a dollar for dollar credit against your taxes.”
As proposed, the project does not include any solar or other renewable energy.
“It’s a little bit of uncharted territory for us,” said Tom Burr, vice president of development for the Flournoy Development Group, which is behind the project. “We’ve been kind of learning as we’ve gone. We haven’t really implemented this on any projects in our footprint in the past.”
He noted the project will include bike parking, maximized windows for “passive energy efficiency” and around 20 electrical vehicle charging stations.
“Those, very soon, like within the next couple years, are going to be super bare minimum,” council member Kim Roney said. “And especially because this lot has such an amazing potential, I’m surprised that it’s not a selling point, also, for folks who want to live in this new neighborhood. For me, electric charging and bike parking is literally a 10 years ago conversation.”
City Council unanimously voted to continue the conditional zoning request Nov. 14. It will be taken up again Dec. 12.
Mayor Esther Manheimer recused herself from the vote and discussion as the applicant is represented by attorney Craig Justus, who practices at the Van Winkle Law Firm, where Manheimer is also an attorney.
On Butler Road,…
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