Zoning can be a confusing topic regardless of where you own real estate, whether it’s a large city like Charlotte (NC), a small city like Asheville (NC), or a rural area like Buncombe County in Western Carolina. North. Zoning is a tool used to designate individual areas of land for specific purposes. When used correctly, zoning can help rapidly developing cities and counties create a smart growth plan. This is one of the reasons Buncombe County Commissioners are implementing new zoning in the metropolitan region surrounding Asheville, North Carolina.
The new zoning, adopted in May 2007, affects property owners throughout Buncombe County, as well as prospective real estate buyers, sellers and investors. A clear understanding of zoning ordinances and restrictions is essential if you are buying real estate. It affects the value of your home and the decisions you can make when selling or building your property. This applies to both residential and commercial property owners.
Zoning Rules for Real Estate in Asheville, NC: The Importance of Community Responsibility
In a video titled “Will Zoning Affect You?” on the Buncombe County website, [http://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/Planning/landUse.htm], Deputy County Director Jon Creighton explains the county’s motivation to implement a new zoning in Spring 2007 and outlines the proposed zoning changes. It also confirms that concerns about the growing number of county residents, real estate developers, and homes being built on the tops and slopes of the mountains have forced Buncombe County and City of Asheville officials to act zoning a priority.
Creighton begins by defining an open-use zoning designation. Open use, or OU, is zoning generally found in rural areas. Land considered available for open use means that the property can be bought and sold for a wide variety of residential and commercial purposes with the exception of certain restricted uses. Restricted uses on Open Use land include incinerators, concrete plants, landfills, asphalt plants, chip mills, mining operations, and motorsport facilities.
According to Creighton, these types of businesses have a great impact on the community as a whole, so any investor or real estate owner interested in these endeavors must present a project proposal at a public hearing. This allows other property and homeowners in the Asheville area to hold western North Carolina business and real estate developers accountable for the impact they have on existing neighborhoods and residents.
How does zoning affect buyers and sellers of homes and land in the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina?
Comprehensive zoning throughout Buncombe County and Asheville, NC also changed in 2007. Comprehensive zoning differs from open use because it separates residential and commercial areas into designations such as R-1 and R-2 residential districts, employment districts, and districts. of commercial and neighborhood services. . Buncombe County and Asheville County buyers and sellers can find their property’s zoning designation using the county’s online GIS system. The system can be found at [http://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/Planning/landUse.htm].
Homeowners and real estate investors interested in changing the zoning designation of a specific piece of land can contact the Buncombe County Commissioners and the Board of Adjustment. Public hearings are required if a Request for Variations or Conditional Use Permits or a Request to Amend the text or maps of the Buncombe County Zoning Ordinance is submitted. To obtain a building permit for any zoning district that is not open use, real estate investors and homeowners must apply for the Certificate of Zoning Compliance. The cost associated with these applications varies.
Size does matter! Zoning of the center in question on Merrimon Avenue
The most recent zoning debate to take place in Buncombe County is taking place in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. In an article written by Mark Barrett in the January 15, 2008 issue of the Asheville Citizen Times, the Asheville City Council will explore two important zoning issues in 2008. First, the developers of the Horizons Project, who would construct nine buildings, including two of 10- Story Towers, have requested to postpone a public hearing until July to assess neighborhood opposition and economic conditions.
Barrett also writes that the “Asheville city council is scheduled to hear from city staff on zoning proposals for the 2.4-mile stretch of Merrimon between Interstate 240 and the North Asheville Library near Beaver Lake.” “The city had considered creating a new zoning district for much of the property along the street that would encourage the construction of taller buildings closer to the street,” continues Barrett, “but several homeowners and some residents objected. “.
As Buncombe County moves into the future, growth is inevitable, but the real effects zoning will have on real estate in Asheville, North Carolina, have yet to be seen. Local buyers and sellers can be more successful in real estate the more they educate themselves about zoning restrictions and changes. For more information on zoning or buying and selling real estate in Asheville, NC, visit http://www.MarkGJackson.com.
