Real Estate Blog Asheville, NC

Mud 081407, This article from the Citizen-Times dated Aug 14, 2007 is yet another black eye on the developers in the Asheville area, which ultimately will result in the tightening of restrictions.  As a developer, I agree with the article in that there should be harsher penalties handed out to developers when they are in blatant violation of current regulations.  This would prevent them from just shrugging off their responsibilities.  However, I think the fines should be placed on a sliding scale based on the size and value of the development being planned.  It is ludicrous to fine the same amount to small lot developer who’s return on a project is very small compared to a larger developer who could possibly reaps millions of dollars of profit from a larger scale development.  The small developer could go broke very quickly, while the larger developer could laugh in the face of similar fine and simply pass them on to you the consumer.  I also think that people do need to understand that there are some naturally occurring events that you simply can not plan for and in these cases, if a developer quickly assesses the damages and medicates for those damages then cut the person some slack.  If, however, the developer is not quick to remedy the problem that is created, I think he/she should be fined to the fullest extent.  Development is not going to go away, this area is just too popular.  I do think though that there are proper ways of doing things and some of the developers in this area have no business being in the business.  Their lack of knowledge and general lack of concern for anything other than the bottom line makes them dangerous.  What do you think?

Brian 

Spruce Pine Developer,  When I read this article and makes me wonder how people can be so damn crooked and immoral.  As a Realtor and a Developer I am appalled a what some people will do to benefit themselves.  It seems that there is no extent that some folks will go to in order to increase their bottom line and yet if this SOB is ever caught he’ll probably just get a slap on the wrist and be placed in some country club prison.  I think he should be thrown under the jail or better yet chained to a chair in a room with all the people he swindled.

In its first test of the new subdivision ordinances, Madison County’s Planning Board approved a 692ac development in Trust, 163ac development in Hot Springs, but canned a development in the Wolf Laurel area to be called Wolf Haven.  According to the article in the News-Sentinel, Madison County Subdivision Approval, the standing room only crowd present for the meeting was boisterous and unruly at times causing Ward Scott at one time to call the crowd into order by saying, “order. order. This is not Jerry Springer.”

I think we are going to see that as development continues to move north of Asheville these types of meetings and confrontations between developers and county citizens are only going to increase and with the Planning Board giving themselves new powers in their ability to approve or disapprove subdivision plans under the new subdivision ordinances, that developers will increasingly find themselves at the end of a very short stick. 
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This was the article from the Citizen Times that I mentioned in the previous post.

  

Gated community ban seems very un-American

by Robert Cox

published June 25, 2007 12:15 am

I read with dismay about Asheville City Council’s decision to ban gated communities. Most upsetting is that there was no mention that this ban effects private property.

The roads in the Elk Mountain subdivision are not public, taxpayer supported. They belong to someone else, not me or City Council.

If someone traveling through this subdivision gets injured or killed, who is going to get sued? When these private roads need to be repaved, will the city and taxpayers be responsible?

If the general public is going to use and enjoy someone else’s private property, then the city needs to take the property and compensate the owner. Forcing private property owners to give up their property rights for public use sounds very un-American to me.

I wonder if City Council (members) would mind if I planned a pool party at their houses this summer?

As a land developer, general contractor and real estate broker here in the Madison and Buncombe county area, I feel that is very important to protect our slopes from over development.  However, I think it needs to be done with scientific fact and not emotion.  On a recent visit to a meeting of the Madison Co planning board where they were reviewing and rewriting subdivision ordinances for the county, I was shocked and pretty much amazed that the only people in attendance and on the board had no technical background or experience in the field to qualify them.  Let me back up and say that they did work very hard on these issues, which is very appreciated, and shame on the contractors in the area for not appearing and making their voice heard.  But, to tighten the rules to such a point that it restricts and makes growth cost prohibitive, because you do not want change or more people moving in is simply not a good argument.  You moved and now live in this area, because of a great environment and to say, well that’s great for me, but I do not want to share it, DON’T MOVE HERE, or, DON’T MOVE HERE UNLESS ITS UNDER MY TERMS is simply absurd.  It is reminiscent of an article I read online yesterday where the Asheville City Council was voting on banning gated communities, I’ll find it and post it later… Anyway, all I’m saying, is yes lets protect or mountains and our environment, buts lets be sensible about it and use fact as the basis for our decisions.
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