News

Public gets a chance to comment on high-density developments

A developer is seeking a county rezoning to allow 30 single-family lots, 120 townhome units in 23 structures and 280 apartments in 10 structures on 56 acres on Asheville Highway across from Jackson Steel. [CITY OF HENDERSONVILLE PLANNING DEPARTMENT]

By Bill Moss, Published: August 18, 2025

One high-density residential development is on the docket for the Henderson County Board of Commissioners this week and another is working its way toward a review by the Hendersonville Planning Board and potentially an up-or-down vote by the city council. If approved the two projects together would add 610 apartments, townhomes or single-family homes.

County commissioners on Wednesday were scheduled to hold a public hearing and take up a request for a rezoning that would allow 430 dwellings on 56 acres of vacant land between the emergency management headquarters and Tar Heel Lanes and across from the Jackson Steel Ferris wheel.

Tranquil Waters Development LLC and Boones Station LLC and their agent, Justin Rohde, are seeking rezoning from Regional Commercial to a Conditional District to allow the dwellings. The land is owned by Nancy and David Bayless and their children. Plans call for 30 single-family lots, 120 townhome units in 23 structures and 280 apartments in 10 structures, for a total density of 7.63 units/acre. Amenities include a clubhouse with rental office, pool, dog park, outdoor common area and sidewalks.

The development would have three driveways on Asheville Highway, a gated access at Randy Drive and two driveways on Halsbury Avenue, 15.1 acres of open space and 7.6 acres of common space. It would be served by Hendersonville city water and sewer. Landscaping would be included as required by the county land development code. The developer also volunteered to set aside an area for an Apple Country Transit stop near the apartments.

Five neighboring residents spoke during a public hearing when the county planning board reviewed and unanimously recommended approval of the development request. As part of the approval, the advisory board added two conditions: a vegetative buffer, requiring the developer to plant a continuous 30-foot deep buffer along the eastern boundary of the property; and vegetative berms along Halsbury Avenue and an additional vegetative berm along with the vegetative buffer along the eastern property line nearest the proposed single-family portion of the subject property. The developer agreed to both conditions.

The project has already gotten a semi-official boost from county commissioners, who inserted the development into a proposed interlocal agreement on joint water and sewer management. The Baystone development was one of two projects to be specifically called out in the agreement. The relevant language requires the city to extend sewer service to the development without requiring annexation.

A ‘stark density mismatch’

Meanwhile, the well-organized opposition to a proposed development of 180 rental units on Haywood Road between Maplewood Court and Blythe Street is scheduled to get a second opportunity to question the developer and express concerns at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Blue Ridge Conference Hall at BRCC.

Opponents cite traffic, stormwater runoff, removal of trees and loss of wildlife habitat as reasons to block what they call a “stark density mismatch” with surrounding single-family homes.

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.

During the first neighborhood compatibility meeting on June 30, homeowners packed two rooms at City Hill to hear about the development.

Scott Weathers, Advenir’s development and construction manager, spent most of the almost two-hour meeting parrying opponents’ criticism.

“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 in response to neighbors’ concerns about flooding of Brittain Creek.

The vacant land at 1741 Haywood Road was purchased by commercial real estate broker and developer Jeff Justus in 2015 for $500,000, land records show. It’s valued on the tax books at $664,900.