News

Haywood Road rezoning request triggers NIMBY uprising

More than 100 homeowners who live on and around Haywood Road filled the council chambers and an overflow room on the third floor of City Hall during a neighborhood compatibility meeting on a proposed 180-unit rental development between Maplewood Court and Blythe Street. [BILL MOSS/Hendersonville Lightning]

By Bill Moss, Published: July 1, 2025

Opponents of a proposed 180-unit residential development on Haywood Road filled two rooms at City Hall on Monday during a hearing in which they expressed concerns about traffic, stormwater runoff, loss of trees and wildlife habitat.

The neighborhood compatibility meeting was the first opportunity for the public to hear about and comment on the proposed Cottages at Hendersonville development, a planned community on 21 acres on the two-lane road between Maplewood Court and Blythe Street. The city planning board and city council will both hold public hearings when they take up the rezoning request in the coming weeks.

The applicant is Advenir Azora Development LLC, a Miami-based development company that has built 2,300 residential units and has 5,000 more units valued at $1.2 billion in the pipeline.

Scott Weathers, Advenir’s development and construction manager, spent most of the almost two-hour long meeting describing the project and responding to residents’ questions and objections.

Scott Weathers, Advenir’s development and construction manager, describes the Cottages at Hendersonville development during a neighborhood compatibility meeting Monday at City Hall.Rents would be “aligned with class A apartment communities,” he said, at $1,399 for a one-bedroom unit to $1,999 for two bedrooms. The development would be made up of single to quadplex units.

“Our neighbors do not have someone above or below them. They have more of a home,” he said. “Every home gets their own private backyard.”

Landscaping and things like changing porch lightbulbs are all taken care of, he said. Because its developments are “vertically integrated,” the company keeps and manages the communities.

“People living in our communities are moving in and staying longer,” Weathers said. Tenants are vetted and on-site managers ensure that no loud parties or other disruptions occur, he said.

“We are increasing our stormwater retention capacity to exceed the requirements and also looking to incorporate underground stormwater retention to preserve the natural landscape along the creek bed as much as possible,” he said.

The development would also have sidewalks, a dog park, pool and  fitness center; the dwellings have quartz countertops and upgraded bathrooms. The 800-square-foot one-bedroom units have 15½-foot vaulted ceilings “that make them look bigger,” he said. The mix of tenants at Advenir properties is 26 percent young singles, 18 percent young families and single parents and 36 percent retirees, he said.

Homeowners say no

Residents weren’t buying the pitch.

“I like what you’re selling but not where you’re selling it,” a resident of Druid Hills said. “We are bonded, we are all ages and the reason we have this is we go outside. Everyone is going to have to come out (from the cottages) onto Haywood Road. Druid Hills is right there. There is no way for all these people to get out without disturbing our loving community. I am afraid of us losing our community.”

Barbara Glassman, who has lived in the area for 24 years, said the zoning hearing was “traumatic” to homeowners who fear the development jeopardizes their largest investment.

“There are so many reasons why this is not compatible with our community,” she said.

When a homeowner said that the tenants won’t take care of the property, Weathers responded, “I disagree that they don’t care. This is their home. That is their space, that is where they live. We require our renters to be good renters.”