Summary: Council will consider a rezoning on Deaverview Road that would allow additional residential density on a vacant parcel. We support this proposal.

The Facts: The proposal would rezone a vacant property on Deaverview Road from RM-8 to RM-16, allowing higher-density residential development. City staff argue that the proposal is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and would support the City’s housing goals by allowing additional residential units.

The property is currently vacant and no existing residents would be displaced by the rezoning itself.

You can see the staff report on this issue here and the presentation slides here.

Our Assessment: Asheville needs additional housing, and vacant sites are often among the most appropriate locations for increasing supply.

While every development proposal deserves careful review, this project appears fundamentally different from situations where housing construction directly displaces existing residents or businesses. The fact that the property is currently vacant reduces many of the concerns that arise in other development debates.

At the same time, housing decisions should not be evaluated solely on the number of units created. The anti-displacement analysis framework currently being developed by the City and GAP and other community partners should help provide a more complete understanding of how projects affect surrounding neighborhoods and residents over time.

Things to do: No action is needed at this time.

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