Weaverville – Requests for building permits declined below 100 for the first time in five years, according to a report given to the Weaverville Town Council at January’s monthly meeting. However, if you think that the construction boom for the North Buncombe area is over, you might think again.
Town Planner James Eller reported only 98 total residential and commercial permits issued in 2022, which is the lowest since 2016 when 87 were issued. While there “may appear to be a significant reduction,” that’s not the case, said Eller.
In his report, Eller stated there were 82 residential permits granted and 16 commercial, for a total of 98 in 2022. His report also offered a comparison all the way back to 2014, breaking the permits down by residential and commercial:
2021: Residential, 155; Commercial, 27; Total, 182
2020: Residential, 101; Commercial, 25; Total, 126
2019: Residential, 102; Commercial, 25; Institutional, 2; Total, 129
2018: Residential, 100; Commercial, 23; Total, 123
2017: Residential, 102; Commercial, 18; Total, 120
2016: Residential, 79; Commercial, 8; Total, 87
2015: Residential, 27; Commercial, 4; Total, 31
2014: Residential, 49; Commercial, 4; Total, 53 (with ETJ): 63
His report also reflected the types of permits issued in 2022, which included 13 zoning permits, one new single-family home, ten additions or upfits to single-family homes, and two commercial additions or upfits.
Then why the drop?
If the drop in zoning permits doesn’t mean less building, then why the drop? Eller explained to the board “a story of how zoning permits are issued,” saying a single-family home would be considered one permit, but a project where multiple units were being built by the same developer in apartments or townhouses would still be considered one permit.
“What I believe this number represents is the type of structures being developed rather than a lessening of the number of units being constructed,” he told the board. “There is a tremendous shift in the type of units being constructed in town rather than a reduction.”
What does it mean for the town?
Weaverville has always been a town of single-family homes, with a few exceptions when it comes to apartments. Based on Eller’s report, Weaverville can expect fewer single-family home permits and more permits for apartments, condos, and townhouses to fill the area’s landscape, which will do nothing to relieve the town’s already high level of concern over its water supply.
The council asked no questions of Eller about his report about such a “tremendous shift in the type of units being constructed,” which seems to indicate the shift is not a concern to the council members.
According to a 2023 updated article by Amy Bergen on Moneyunder30.com, “Condos are more affordable and require less direct maintenance from their owners than single-family homes.” But traditional home values increase at a faster pace than condos and inherently offer their owners more space, privacy, and freedom.
The article goes on to say, “Condos are typically less expensive than homes, though the difference in price varies by geography.” A breakdown from Zillow shows that the median sale price for single-family homes consistently outpaced condos in 2019 and 2020. “A condo can be a more realistic path to homeownership in a higher-cost market.”
The article also states, “While most condos do generally appreciate in value over time, the same Zillow study referenced above shows that condos don’t appreciate in value at the same rate homes do—oor at least, they didn’t during the two-year period in which Zillow conducted its research (January 2019 to January 2021).”