Chairman of board that approves Buncombe County housing developments steps down

ASHEVILLE - After being elected to the county's Board of Commissioners in November, Martin Moore has stepped down as chair of the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment, which holds public hearings for multifamily developments in the county.

Moore served on the Board of Adjustment since 2018, and in that time, has held public hearings and voted on all multifamily housing developments with more than eight units that have been proposed in the county. He was sworn in as a commissioner on Dec. 5. The next day he told the Citizen Times that it seemed wrong to remain on the Board of Adjustment after becoming a commissioner.

"Since the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners appoints members to the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment, I don't think it would be in the spirit of our process for me to both appoint and serve on the same board," he said.

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The Board of Adjustment will vote on the next chair at its Jan. 11 meeting since the December meeting was canceled, according to county Planning Director Nathan Pennington. Moore said he did not want to speculate on who was best qualified to follow him as chair because that decision should be up to the board itself, and commissioners have no say in the process.

Andy Ball, current vice-chair of the Board of Adjustment and a realtor at Town and Mountain Realty, said Moore did a "fantastic job" on the board and as chair, but that he did not have a comment on who he thinks could be the next chair.

"I assume that I'll be in the running for chair, but I have no idea if that's going to be the case or not," he said.

Between hours of discussion and developer concessions over a proposed townhouse development at October's Board of Adjustment meeting, residents speaking week after week against the Pinners Cove subdivision at County Commission meetings and concerns around affordable housing, responsible housing development is on the minds of many in the county, and zoning is at the heart of many of these issues.

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"I believe zoning is going to be one of the areas that both our commission and our planning department is very interested in accepting community feedback through the comprehensive plan, so I'm optimistic that the comprehensive plan will give us a chance to accept some community feedback, look at our processes and see what's going to be most appropriate for where we are today," Moore said.

Board of Adjustment members are required by state law to only consider applicable laws and standards when approving or denying developments that come before them in what is known as a quasi-judicial process. In a board meeting in October, Moore told one resident who was frustrated about a townhouse development being considered near his single family home that zoning is "where someone failed you."

Now, Moore will have the opportunity to influence zoning codes himself, with feedback from the community during the 2043 Comprehensive Plan process. The feedback he said he is looking for is about development location and density, two topics he heard a number of complaints about during his time on the Board of Adjustment.

"There is a cost to everything, and I think we have to know what we're dealing with before we make decisions about it," Moore said.

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As commissioners look to review land zoning codes after the comprehensive plan is completed, Moore said he is thankful for his time on the Board of Adjustment, as it gave him the opportunity to learn the rules around development in the county.

"I'm hopeful to apply some of the knowledge that I gained there, both the positives and the areas that we need to improve, and bring that experience with me to commission," he said.

Christian Smith is the general assignment reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Questions or comments? Contact him at RCSmith@gannett.com or 828-274-2222.