News and Events

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News

Update on Sulphur Springs Park Parcel (Hi Alta Woods)

The sale of the 4-acre Hi Alta woods parcel closed Nov 14. The sale price was $800,000, well below the list price of $980,000.

The good news here is that the new owner, Andy Brokmeyer (principal of both LLCs listed on the Buncombe County property card) is in the grading business, but has never done larger scale or multi-unit development. He hired an engineer who told him it would cost $500,000 to $700,000 just to put in a road, which is not an investment Andy is prepared to make. And due to Asheville’s Tree Canopy Preservation Ordinance and section of the Unified Development Ordinance that prohibits land disturbance without an approved development plan, Andy can’t proceed to grade or disturb the land until the city approves a development plan for the parcel.

So Andy shared with me in a phone conversation that he closed on the purchase because he thinks the parcel is a good investment in land likely to appreciate in value over time. At some point he may sell the land or partner with developers prepared to proceed to permitting, but that may be years from now as the parcel is no longer listed for sale and the For Sale sign has been removed. Andy says his current back-up plan if the land doesn’t appreciate in value, or no developer offers to purchase it and he needs his money out, would be to build 14 single-family homes on the parcel (1 per lot in the original plat currently on file).

The bottom line is that the woods seem safe from development for now, and hopefully for many months or years to come, and that Andy said he would be in touch if/when he decides to do anything other than hold onto the land hoping it appreciates in value. So while parcel ownership has changed, the woods itself will most likely remain as it is for some time.  

4)  Follow Up on Nov meeting with City Transportation Director Ken Putnam:  

Asheville City Traffic Engineer Christopher Cairns informed Carol that Hi Alta Ave is on the list of city streets to be scheduled for centerline restriping this spring.  If you know of other neighborhood streets with severely fading double-yellow centerlines, please let Carol know.  (revcarol1@earthlink.net)

5)  Coalition of Asheville Neighborhoods (CAN):  SSNA Officially Joined CAN Last Fall; Carol represents SSNA on the CAN Board

CAN’s Board of Directors voted in December to move forward with a proposal to professionalize the organization, which entails finding funding partners to support hiring professional staff to expand and carry out CAN’s work on behalf of member neighborhoods.  Research shows that neighborhood association coalitions with paid staff in other NC cities are much more effective and powerful than coalitions like CAN the have relied entirely on volunteers to run the organization and carry out its mission.  You can find many helpful resources on the CAN website at the preceding link.