Business

Developer seeks city OK for 67 homes on Howard Gap

A landowner is seeking the city's permission for 67 homes on Howard Gap Road near Nix Road.

By Bill Moss, Published: November 24, 2017

Thirty acres of farmland on Howard Gap Road near Nix Road would become a gated community of 67 cottages if the city of Hendersonville OKs a rezoning change and an application for annexation.

RDV Development has applied for a rezoning from Henderson County's R-1 residential to planned residential development for the Cottages at Cypress Run, a development of 67 cottages about 1,600 square feet each. City planners will hold an initial public hearing on the application at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at the City Operations Center, at 305 Williams St. The request would go to the city Planning Board and then the Hendersonville City Council. The property owner is seeking annexation in order to tie into the city sewer system — a requirement under city policy.

The 16.7-acre subdivision would be on a larger 30.2-acre parcel of land owned by Mitchell Gaither (Mountain Bean Growers of Horse Shoe). The houses, 26-foot wide subdivision roads, driveways and sidewalks would cover 200,000 square feet, or 27 percent of the overall acreage. A site plan shows a single gated entrance onto Howard Gap Road, 5-foot sidewalks along Howard Gap and in the development and a playground that would be owned by the homeowners association.

The property, on the west side of Howard Gap Road between Nix and Big Pine roads, is assessed at $282,400 but has a taxable value of $1,418 because of an agriculture-use exemption, county land records show. RDV plans to buy the property from Mountain Bean Growers Inc., said Mike Anderson, an Asheville engineer handling the zoning application.