Weaverville – The Town of Weaverville will supply water to 168-unit low-income housing projects on the condition that the development voluntarily be annexed into the town and go through a conditional zoning process.
The vote was four to two, with Councilmembers Andrew Nagle and Catherine Cordell voting against the project. Councilman Doug Jackson recused himself from the vote as his son-in-law is the real estate agent for the sale of the property.
The vote came after citizens once again had their voices heard in public comment. Eight residents spoke against supplying water, while one voiced their support for the project.
The low-income development
The 168-unit low-income housing project at 171 Monticello Road is being developed by LDG Multifamily LLC, which is asking the town to provide 56,600 gallons per day (GPD) for the proposed apartment complex, which is not currently within the town limits. According to plans, the apartments would be contained in seven buildings on a little over 10.5 acres of property.
Landon Cox with LDG told the board at their August meeting that 58 of the units would be for people making 30% of the median income in the Asheville area, meaning the household income would have to be between $15,000 and $24,000 a year. Another 52 units would be set aside for people making between $28,000 and $46,000. The balance of 58 units would be for people who made between $39,000 and $63,000.
During the discussion of the council at Monday’s (Sept. 26th) meeting, both Nagle and Cordell pointed out that the project would only use about 11,000 to 12,000 GPD. The high estimate is due to the state making water systems use a 400 GPD per unit figure for water use. The town says the average home uses more like 75 GPD.
The development, even if annexed, would provide no property tax to the town since it would be owned by a nonprofit. Cordell and Nagle expanded on this point, claiming that the project would only cost the town in fire and police resources, forcing other taxpayers to cover the additional costs.
Buncombe County Commissioner and Vice Chair Amanda Edwards, who represents Weaverville and the North Buncombe area on the board of commissioners, said at Weaverville’s August council meeting that the commissioners were in favor of the project and had already pledged $1.5 million toward the project in the form of a low-interest loan.
Residents voice their opinions
Resident Jennifer Young kicked the comments off, telling the council she understands the need for low-income housing since she owns low-income apartments on S. Main Street. “I’m not opposed to affordable housing. What I am opposed to is the location and the proposal.” She went on to discuss traffic congestion, crime, and the impact it will have on residents living nearby.
Thomas Veasey, who likewise opposed the project, said he agreed with Young’s comments and added crime statistics from Asheville to his argument, saying the Asheville crime rate is 197% higher than the national average.
Tosha Vandermeer spoke tearfully about growing up in a low-income housing project. “At age 18, I ended up living in a project, low-income housing,” paused as she got emotional. “What’s really scary…I mean, I had one of the hardest times of my life living there.” She went on to name the drugs, crime, and prostitution that went on there. She left the project saying, “It was safer to live on the streets than there.”
While another five people voiced their opposition, resident Mark Kendall said he supported the development and believed it would benefit the residents, businesses and town. He cited rent costs in Weaverville. “You, the council, have the opportunity to promote community and business sustainability by voting for the Monticello Road affordable housing project.”
Councilmembers said something not quite right about it
After public comment and hearing an update about the new community center usage (see the article about the rest of the meeting on page 2) the council started discussing supplying water to the low-income undertaking.
As the council called for the discussion and after Jackson recused himself, Nagle asked to speak to questions that had been asked during public comment. He said the town had approved high-density housing before. The town also has low-income housing. “You ask we do our homework, we do our homework. This has nothing to do with how I’m going to vote. You got to understand this job is unforgiving and we now know it seven years later and [I] won’t be running for re-election…we do our homework, the problem is you guys don’t know it. ” He recommended those there run for office.
Mayor Patrick Fitzsimmons thanked Nagle for his work and added his comment about the crime residents had been citing. “I asked our police chief to do some research. So he compared the calls and responses to affordable housing in the City of Weaverville now compared to other areas. He discovered that there were no higher levels of crime or calls for affordable housing than usual. He also said the chief called a colleague in August Georiga, where one of the developments like LDG is located, and also said there is no great level of crime at that one. “This thing about crime is simply being exaggerated.”
“I have some things I’d like to say,” said Cordell. She addressed the fact that the R-16 project was being dropped into a neighborhood with R-1 homes, which “does not feel comfortable to me.” She said when people say they want affordable homes, they want a home to call their own, and “they really don’t want to raise their kids in a project.” She said if it were a senior citizen development, she would be voting yes. “Yes, this job kind of stinks, and we need your prayers every time that we are sitting up here.”
She then pointed to who she believes is behind the push to put the project here—the county commissioners. “If you’re Buncombe County Commissioners are the ones who are pushing this and giving $1.5 million to this company who wants to come in here and build the affordable homes, then think really hard about who you are voting for when you vote for commissioners because I’m telling you, Weaverville may not be the main deciding factor here.” Adding,” And maybe I get fired tomorrow.”
Councilwoman Michele Wood thanked the public for their emails and said she would be voting for the project, noting her reasons for doing so, including several heartwrenching stories.
A resident from the audience spoke up and said she was under the impression this was a project for homeless people. Fitzsimmons responded by saying, “No, these are working-class people.” He went on to talk about the financial requirements for living there.
Vice Mayor Jeff McKenna was the next to speak about why he was voting for the project. “I don’t know what the perfect solution or perfect location for the next affordable project in the area is. I do know that I’ve been told that they did surveys and found this particular location is almost perfect for a number of areas…There is a problem in the region that we all have to work together to address.” He said Weaverville was the “oldest, richest, most educated people in the region. Which is great in one sense, but I don’t think we necessarily want to stay in exactly that place forever. I think we want to mix it up a bit and get some younger people in.”
Just before the vote, Nagle made one more comment, this time laying the blame for the project’s secrecy at the feet of Buncombe Commissioner Amanda Edwards. “It’s going to get developed whether you like it or not unless you change who’s on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. We found out about it not much longer before [you], OK. ‘Oh, we’re [county commissioners] going to give them $1.5 million, but we’re not going to tell the people that live there. So I’m pissed at my county commissioners and I vote too. ”
When it came to the vote and Fitzsimmons called for a motion, no one made one until Fitzsimmons made a motion to approve the water request on the condition that the developer seeks and acquires annexation. This means the project would also require conditional zoning approval. The motion was seconded by Woods, with the rest of the board voting for it except for Cordell, Nagle, and Jackson.