The Asheville City Council’s recent decision has halted a major housing development in Haw Creek, leaving community members divided over the project’s implications. The denied zoning amendment sought to pave the way for 49 single-family homes and 35 townhomes along New Haw Creek Road, featuring a bridge over Haw Creek that would navigate through a floodplain.
Developers had envisioned an entrance from New Haw Creek Road, accompanied by a bridge designed to align with or surpass the 100-year floodplain base flood data. However, the initial access was planned via Sleepy Hollow Drive in the Happy Valley neighborhood, a decision that was met with legal challenges from residents questioning their neighborhood covenants, as reported by the Citizen Times.
Despite support from city staff and a unanimous planning and zoning commission recommendation, the council was swayed by significant opposition from the community, including concerns about the bridge’s potential environmental impact. Mindy Mahar, a science teacher and local resident, argued the bridge would disrupt the natural floodplain functions that help manage water flow and filter pollutants. “The Haw Creek flood plain and wetlands are functioning exactly as they should,” Mahar stated…