Chapter 7 DEVELOPMENT

ARTICLE I. - AUTHORITY, PURPOSE, JURISDICTION, AND LEGAL STATUS PROVISIONS

Sec. 7-1-1. - Authority; title. 

Sec. 7-1-2. - Purpose. 

Sec. 7-1-3. - Jurisdiction. 

ARTICLE II. - OFFICIAL MAP, RULES OF CONSTRUCTION, AND DEFINITIONS 

Sec. 7-2-1. - Official zoning maps; identification. 

Sec. 7-2-2. - Interpretation of district boundaries. 

Sec. 7-2-3. - General rules of construction. 

Sec. 7-2-4. - Conflicting provisions.

Sec. 7-2-5. - Definitions. 

ARTICLE III. - DECISION-MAKING, ADMINISTRATIVE AND ADVISORY BODIES 

Sec. 7-3-1. - Asheville City Council. 

Sec. 7-3-2. - Asheville Planning and Zoning Commission. 

Sec. 7-3-3. - Board of adjustment. 

Sec. 7-3-4. - Historic resources commission. 

Sec. 7-3-5. - Technical review committee. 

Sec. 7-3-6. - Specifications review committee. 

Sec. 7-3-7. - Urban forestry commission. 

Sec. 7-3-8. - Asheville Downtown Commission. 

Sec. 7-3-9. - City of Asheville Planning and Development Department. 

Sec. 7-3-10. - Asheville-Buncombe Riverfront Commission.

Sec. 7-3-11. - Asheville Design Review Committee. 

ARTICLE IV. - COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 

Sec. 7-4-1. - Role of the comprehensive plan. 

Sec. 7-4-2. - Review of and amendments to the comprehensive plan. 

ARTICLE V. - DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCEDURES 

Sec. 7-5-1. - Permits and approvals. 

Sec. 7-5-2. - Zoning permits. 

Sec. 7-5-3. - Temporary use permits. 

Sec. 7-5-4. - Uses by right, subject to special requirements. 

Sec. 7-5-5. - Special use approvals.

Sec. 7-5-6. - Reserved. 

Sec. 7-5-7. - Manufactured housing community (MHC) approval. 

Sec. 7-5-8. - Subdivision plat approvals. 

Sec. 7-5-9. - Site plan review for development projects except those on parcels zoned Central Business District and located in the Downtown Design Review Overlay District (CBD/DDR). 

Sec. 7-5-9.1. - Development approval process on parcels zoned Central Business District and located in the Downtown Design Review Overlay District. (CBD/DDR) 

Sec. 7-5-10. - Design Review. 

Sec. 7-5-11. - Certificate of appropriateness approval. 

Sec. 7-5-12. - Floodplain development. 

Sec. 7-5-13. - Erosion and sedimentation control plans. 

Sec. 7-5-14. - Stormwater discharge permits. 

Sec. 7-5-15. - Zoning vested rights approval. 

Sec. 7-5-16. - Sign permits. 

Sec. 7-5-17. - Driveway access permits. 

Sec. 7-5-18. - Reserved. 

Sec. 7-5-19. - Certificate of occupancy. 

Sec. 7-5-20. - Notices and public hearings. 

Sec. 7-5-21. - Reserved. 

ARTICLE VI. - VARIANCES, ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS 

Sec. 7-6-1. - Variances. 

Sec. 7-6-2. - Appeals of administrative decisions. 

Sec. 7-6-3. - Variances for reasonable accommodations. 

ARTICLE VII. - TEXT AMENDMENTS AND MAP AMENDMENTS 

Sec. 7-7-1. - General. 

Sec. 7-7-2. - Initiation of amendments. 

Sec. 7-7-3. - Petition requirements. 

Sec. 7-7-4. - Review by the Asheville Planning and Zoning Commission. 

Sec. 7-7-5. - Action by the Asheville City Council. 

Sec. 7-7-6 - Reserved. 

Sec. 7-7-7. - Waiting period for subsequent applications. 

Sec. 7-7-8. - Conditional zoning. 

ARTICLE VIII. - GENERAL USE AND EXPANSION DISTRICTS 

Sec. 7-8-1. - Enumeration and description of districts; designation of districts on official zoning maps. 

Sec. 7-8-2. - RS-2 Residential Single-Family Low Density District. 

Sec. 7-8-3. - RS-4 Residential Single-Family Medium Density District. 

Sec. 7-8-4. - RS-8 Residential Single-Family High Density District. 

Sec. 7-8-5. - RM-6 Residential Multi-Family Low Density District. 

Sec. 7-8-6. - RM-8 Residential Multi-Family Medium Density District. 

Sec. 7-8-7. - RM-16 Residential Multi-Family High Density District. 

Sec. 7-8-8. - Neighborhood Business District. 

Sec. 7-8-9. - Office District. 

Sec. 7-8-10. - Office II District. 

Sec. 7-8-11. - Office/Business District. 

Sec. 7-8-12. - Community Business I District. 

Sec. 7-8-13. - Community Business II District. 

Sec. 7-8-14. - Resort District. 

Sec. 7-8-15. - Institutional District. 

Sec. 7-8-16. - Highway Business District. 

Sec. 7-8-17. - Regional Business District. 

Sec. 7-8-18. - Central Business District. 

Sec. 7-8-19. - River District. 

Sec. 7-8-20. - Commercial Industrial District. 

Sec. 7-8-21. - Light Industrial District. 

Sec. 7-8-22. - Industrial District. 

Sec. 7-8-23. - Urban Village District. 

Sec. 7-8-24. - Neighborhood Corridor District. 

Sec. 7-8-25. - Urban Residential District. 

Sec. 7-8-26. - Urban Place Form District. 

Sec. 7-8-27. - Airport District. 

Sec. 7-8-28. - Haywood Road Form District. 

Sec. 7-8-29. - River Arts Form District. 

Secs. 7-8-30—7-8-39. - Reserved. 

Sec. 7-8-40. - Central Business Expansion District. 

Sec. 7-8-41. - Commercial Expansion District. 

Sec. 7-8-42. - Residential Expansion. 

Secs. 7-8-43—7-8-46. - Reserved. 

ARTICLE IX. - OVERLAY DISTRICTS 

Sec. 7-9-1. - Resource Management Overlay District. 

Sec. 7-9-2. - Historic Preservation Overlay District. 

Sec. 7-9-3. - Downtown Design Review Overlay District. 

Sec. 7-9-4. - Manufactured Housing Overlay District. 

Sec. 7-9-5. - Manufactured Housing Community Overlay District. 

Sec. 7-9-6. - Blue Ridge Parkway Overlay District. 

Sec. 7-9-7. - Hotel Overlay District. 

Sec. 7-9-8. - Head of Montford Transition Overlay District. 

Sec. 7-9-9. - Conditional Use District. 

Sec. 7-9-10. - Charlotte Street Transition Overlay District. 

Sec. 7-9-11. - Reserved. 

ARTICLE X. - GENERAL DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS 

Sec. 7-10-1. - Number of principal buildings per lot. 

Sec. 7-10-2. - Required setbacks; allowable encroachments into required setbacks. 

Sec. 7-10-3. - Fences and walls. 

Sec. 7-10-4. - Reserved. 

Sec. 7-10-5. - Retaining walls. 

Sec. 7-10-6. - Navigable airspace. 

Sec. 7-10-7. - Reserved. 

Sec. 7-10-8. - Neighborhood-scale multifamily design standards. 

ARTICLE XI. - DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN STANDARDS 

Sec. 7-11-1. - General. 

Sec. 7-11-2. - Parking, loading, and access standards. 

Sec. 7-11-3. - Landscape and buffering standards. 

Sec. 7-11-4. - Open space standards. 

Sec. 7-11-5. - Zoning vested right. 

Sec. 7-11-6. - Traffic impact analysis. 

Sec. 7-11-7. - Flexible development standards. 

Sec. 7-11-8. - Sidewalk requirements. 

Sec. 7-11-9. - Emergency wireless communications. 

Sec. 7-11-10. - Outdoor lighting standards. 

ARTICLE XII. - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION STANDARDS 

Sec. 7-12-1. - Flood damage prevention.

Sec. 7-12-2. - Stormwater, soil erosion and sedimentation control, illicit discharge and connection ordinance. 

Sec. 7-12-3. - Protected mountain ridges. 

Sec. 7-12-4. - Steep slope and ridgetop development. 

Sec. 7-12-5. - Reserved. 

Sec. 7-12-6. - Stormwater services utility and enterprise fund. 

ARTICLE XIII. - SIGN REGULATIONS 

Sec. 7-13-1. - Purpose and scope. 

Sec. 7-13-2. - General provisions. 

Sec. 7-13-3. - Signs prohibited or requiring additional standards in all zoning districts. 

Sec. 7-13-4. - On-premises signs. 

Sec. 7-13-5. - Off-premises signs. 

Sec. 7-13-6. - Maintenance. 

Sec. 7-13-7. - Structural and construction requirements. 

Sec. 7-13-8. - Nonconforming signs. 

Sec. 7-13-9. - Variances. 

Sec. 7-13-10. - Reserved. 

ARTICLE XIV. - ACCESSORY AND TEMPORARY USES AND STRUCTURES 

Sec. 7-14-1. - Accessory uses and structures. 

Sec. 7-14-2. - Temporary uses and structures. 

ARTICLE XV. - SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS 

Sec. 7-15-1. - Subdivisions. 

ARTICLE XVI. - USES BY RIGHT, SUBJECT TO SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND CONDITIONAL USES 

Sec. 7-16-1. - Uses by right, subject to special requirements. 

Sec. 7-16-2. - Special uses.

ARTICLE XVII. - NONCONFORMITIES 

Sec. 7-17-1. - Nonconformities—Purpose, application and definitions. 

Sec. 7-17-2. - Dimensional nonconformities. 

Sec. 7-17-3. - Nonconforming uses. 

Sec. 7-17-4. - Maintenance, repair and replacement. 

Sec. 7-17-5. - Replacement of manufactured homes. 

ARTICLE XVIII. - ENFORCEMENT 

Sec. 7-18-1. - Duties regarding enforcement. 

Sec. 7-18-2. - Penalties for violations. 

Sec. 7-18-3. - Notice of violation and citation procedure. 

Sec. 7-18-4. - Action for recovery of civil penalty; action for institution of criminal process. 

Sec. 7-18-5. - Summary removal of signs/sign structure; remove orders for signs/sign structure. 

Sec. 7-18-6. - Injunctive relief and other remedies. 

ARTICLE XIX. - TREE CANOPY PRESERVATION. 

Sec. 7-19-1. - Applicability. 

Sec. 7-19-2. - Tree canopy preservation requirements. 

Sec. 7-19-3. - Calculation of tree canopy area. 

Sec. 7-19-4. - Documentation and plan review. 

Sec. 7-19-5. - Payment in lieu of compliance. 

Sec. 7-19-6. - Permitting. 

Sec. 7-19-7. - Enforcement. 

Appendix 7-A. - Public Benefits Table. 

Appendix 7-B. - Reserved 

APPENDIX 7-C. - RECOMMENDED SPECIES LIST 

APPENDIX 7-D. - DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES FLOW CHART 

APPENDIX 7-E. - HISTORIC DISTRICT BOUNDARIES 

ARTICLE I. AUTHORITY, PURPOSE, JURISDICTION, AND LEGAL STATUS PROVISIONS

Sec. 7-1-1. Authority; title.

This chapter is adopted pursuant to the authority vested in the City of Asheville by the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina in provisions of the North Carolina General Statutes, which include, but are not limited to, Articles 8, 15, and 19 of Chapter 160A; Articles 4 and 14 of Chapter 113A; and Part 6 of Article 21 of Chapter 143 and in the Charter and Related laws of the City of Asheville.

(Ord. No. 2369, § 1, 5-27-97)

Sec. 7-1-2. Purpose.

These regulations have been adopted in accordance with the comprehensive plan for the City of Asheville, North Carolina, as adopted, in order to promote the health, safety, morals, good order, general welfare and diversity of the community; in order to encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the city's jurisdiction; to provide for sound, orderly, systematic urban development; to create a balance between the rights of the community and the rights of the individual; to lessen congestion in the streets; to secure safety from fire, panic, and other dangers; to insure a fair and adequate distribution of light and air among buildings; to prevent the overcrowding of land while discouraging urban sprawl; to facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks, and other public services; to conserve the value of buildings and land; to promote the economic and industrial prosperity of the city, to preserve the city's unique scenic character; to conserve the natural and historic resources and environmental quality of the city; to encourage the continued use and reuse of existing buildings, to control accelerated erosion and sedimentation in order to prevent the pollution to water and other damage to lakes, watercourses, and other public and private property by sedimentation; to safeguard the natural resources of the city by regulating stormwater run-off; to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions; and, to protect and conserve the heritage of the City of Asheville.

(Ord. No. 2369, § 1, 5-27-97)

Sec. 7-1-3. Jurisdiction.

(a)   Jurisdiction; general. The provisions of this chapter shall apply within the corporate limits of the City of Asheville, North Carolina, and within the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction, as identified on the map of the territorial jurisdiction of the City of Asheville. This territorial jurisdiction map will be, after the effective date of this chapter, recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds for Buncombe County and filed in the Office of the city Clerk of the City of Asheville.

(b)   Asheville Regional Airport. All provisions of this chapter shall apply to that property which is known as the Asheville Regional Airport and which is more particularly described in 1979 N. C. Sess. Laws Ch. 256. The heights of any manmade structures on this property shall be governed and approved, however, by the applicable rules and regulations administered by the Federal Aviation Administration.

(Ord. No. 2369, § 1, 5-27-97; Ord. No. 2860, § 1a, 10-10-01; Ord. No. 3381, §§ 1(a), (b), 7-25-06; Ord. No. 4233, § 1a, 9-24-13)

ARTICLE II. OFFICIAL MAP, RULES OF CONSTRUCTION, AND DEFINITIONS