Asheville City Council relaxed development rules on nearly 41 acres of the Asheville Mall at its Tuesday meeting.
Overriding the recommendations of both city staff and Asheville’s Planning and Zoning Commission, Council members voted 4-2 to rezone the mall as Regional Business. The move strips “Urban Place” requirements for housing and walkable design that the city had imposed for any redevelopment of the property in 2021.
City planner Vaidila Satvika told Council that the rezoning would be inconsistent with Asheville’s desires for denser, mixed-use development along transit corridors. Although the mall’s owners did not have to disclose their development plans as part of the rezoning, he said that the change could lead to more car-oriented businesses like gas stations and car washes…