740 apartments in 3 projects, all in Arden, on board’s Oct. 13 agenda – Citizen Times

Three projects set for the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment's October meetingcould bring 740 new apartments to Arden, all within a few miles of each other.

While the agenda isn't yet available for the meeting, the county's project portal shows the three proposals, offCrescent Hill Road, Clayton Road and Rockwood Road in Arden, are all set for the Oct. 13 agenda, with 252, 216 and 272 units respectively, and all need special use permits.

A project proposing more than 250 new residential units in 10 buildings on just under 25 acres between Lower Laurel Drive and Watson Road, first went before the board on July 15and has already met opposition with 11 applications for standing on file with the county.

Dubbed Crescent Hill Apartments, the project is an effort by Southwood Realty, seeking a conditional use permit to allow the development, a clubhouse, pool and playground.

Plans show a proposed 10.2 units per acre wouldbe allowed under the current zoning, which allows up to 12 units per acre, but the developer is seeking permission to exceed the normal 35-foot height limit for its three-story buildings that top out at almost 47 feet.

The mostly vacant site is home to several single-family homes, and neighbors voiced a number of concerns about the development, topped by the new traffic load on Watson Road, which they say is already crowded with cut-through traffic between Hendersonville and Airport roads.

More: New Arden apartments: 252 units in 10 buildings set for Crescent Hill Road

A traffic study included in the special use permit application recommends separate right and left turn lines at the intersection of Crescent Hill Road and Hendersonville Road for an expected 1,372 new daily trips once the project is completed.

Jon Fillman, a neighbor representing more than 40 others, said July 15 the project was out of character with the single-family residential neighborhood, and asked the board to allow more time for neighbors to organize.

James Randolph, with Sterling Asheville Apartments, LLC of Mishawaka, Indiana, is looking to build 216 new residential units in three four-story buildings on 18.5 acres on Clayton Road, between Sunshine Chevrolet and the entrance to Biltmore Church, near Long Shoals Road.

It's the company's first foray into Asheville, though they have properties across the Southeast, including in Charlotte, Raleigh/Cary and Wilmington, Randolph said.

"We identified Asheville as being a market we want to be in, because ofthe amazing growth metrics that we're seeing," he said. "We've been hunting a site in Asheville for a while, and the site out there off Long Shoals Road and Clayton Road where we wound up, we thought was a good location as far as proximity to economic drivers."

Randolph mentioned the recently announced Pratt & Whitney plant, locating about 2 miles away.

The applicationon file with the county saysthe site would allow 222 units total based on the 12-unit-per-acre limit for the current Employment District and Public Service Districtzoning. As proposed, thedevelopment would constitute 11.67 units per acre.

Plans show three buildings and associated parking lots in the triangle of land between Thunderland Circle, the entrance to Biltmore Church, and a powerline cut adjacent to The Aventine Asheville apartment complex.

An included traffic study estimates 1,175 new trips per day, including 73 trips in the a.m. peak hour and 93 trips in the p.m. peak hour.

Randolph said while plans are for the rents to be competitive in the market, including even with or below the complex right next to the property, "This is a100% market-rate deal for us," and developers don't have an affordable component programmed as part of the project.

"We're going to be positioned competitively with the concept that's out there, so they will be market-rate," he said.

If all goes well with the Board of Adjustment, Randolph said developers hope to move into further due diligence and design and close on the land, currently owned by Biltmore Baptist Church, early in 2022, with construction starting in the third quarter of 2022.

More: Woodfin Board of Adjustment unanimously approves comprehensive plan

The third phase of Audubon Place Apartments is proposing 272 units on just more than 24 currently woodedacres between Interstate 26 and Rockwood Road, across the street from the first two phases of the apartment complex.

In a total of 14 buildings, plans showfive, 68-foot tall, four-story apartment buildings, eight garages, one 28,000-square-foot clubhouse and associated parking lots along Rockwood Road.

According to the staff report on the application, the property is split between R-3 Residential and Employment zoning districts. Each has different maximum building heights, 35 feet and 90feet respectively.

Along with the height variation, applicant Payne Kassinger with Rockwood Road Land LLC and Flycatcher LLC are seeking to decrease the amount of required parking from 1.75 spaces per unit, or 476 total, to 1.5 spaces per unit, or 408 total.

At 11.29 units per acre, the project density is within the 12-per-acre density allowed in both the R-3 and EMP zoning districts, the application says.

"The majority of the perimeter of the site will not be affected by the proposed development," the application says. "These areas are currently vegetated and will remain in its vegetated state."

A traffic study included with the application shows planned access points from Rockwood Road, and says the project is expected to generate 2,287 daily trips, including 140 a.m. peak-hour and 176 p.m. peak-hour trips.

It recommends lengthening the traffic signal cycle at the intersection of Airport Road and Rockwood Road from 120 seconds to 130 seconds during the p.m. peak-hour timeframe.

The Board of Adjustment will take up all three at itsOct. 13 virtual meeting, starting at noon.

Derek Lacey covers health care, growth and development for the Asheville Citizen Times. Reach him at DLacey@gannett.com or 828-417-4842 and find him on Twitter @DerekAVL.

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740 apartments in 3 projects, all in Arden, on board's Oct. 13 agenda - Citizen Times