City of Asheville

The Neighborhood Advisory Committee discussed the anti-displacement and affordable housing project, which aims to pair new housing production with protective anti-displacement measures. Key discussion topics included the project's timeline and goals, the importance of cross-departmental coordination, and community engagement strategies. Members also provided input on potential regulatory changes, specifically concerning the elimination of parking minimums and the need for accompanying infrastructure improvements such as traffic calming, bike lanes, and public transit reliability.

The Commission discussed several administrative items, including a report on legislative actions by the City Council concerning conditional zonings for Caribou Commons and Sweeten Creek Road apartments. Updates were provided on the RFP process for the comprehensive plan and development regulations, with consultant selection anticipated soon. The board addressed the schedule for their upcoming meeting and conducted a public hearing on a map amendment at 8:19 Patton Avenue, which was continued to July 1st. Additionally, staff introduced the Anti-Displacement and Affordable Housing (ADA) initiative, outlining upcoming regulatory changes to the unified development ordinance and the importance of cross-departmental coordination and community engagement.

The council held an agenda briefing work session to discuss upcoming items including a proclamation for National Gun Violence Awareness Month, a budget amendment to implement recommendations from the Pack Square Vision Plan, and authorization of contracts for employee benefits. The session also covered the acquisition of construction easements for the Cox Avenue Streetscape project, a quarterly disaster recovery update, and a substantial amendment to the CDBG-DR action plan involving the reallocation of funds from multi-family construction and infrastructure programs to a single-family home repair program. Additionally, the council reviewed an amendment to the fees and charges manual regarding parking meter expansion in the South Slope area, discussing potential cost comparisons between internal staff and contracted solutions.

The board focused on the allocation of federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to address the significant need for single-family home repairs and reconstruction following the disaster. Key discussions included a proposal to reallocate funds from the affordable multi-family construction program and the infrastructure program to increase support for single-family housing. The board reviewed the current status of the single-family program, applicant demographics, and the necessity of moving funds to assist households in need of reconstruction while maintaining affordability standards.

The meeting involved a preview of the upcoming regular council meeting agenda, including a budget work session, various contract amendments and extensions, infrastructure grants related to recovery efforts, and updates on forensic technology enhancements for local law enforcement. Discussions also covered conditional zoning requests for two properties and previews of upcoming council committee meetings concerning housing, community development, and transit operations analysis.