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)