Politics

County again denies Hoopers Creek rezoning request

For a second time, county commissioners denied a rezoning request to develop a 10-acre site surrounded by the Livingston Farms subdivisions in Hoopers Creek.

By Bill Moss, Published: January 7, 2025

Henderson County commissioners for a second time said no to landowners seeking to develop 10 acres of land on Hoopers Creek Road.

Landowners Kenneth and Alline Rhodes sought a rezoning from residential two rural (R2R) to conditional zoning to allow 38 townhomes on land surrounded by three sides by the Cove and Reserve at Livingston Farms.

Homes in the Cove at Livingston Farms are on quarter-acre lots while lots in the Reserve are just over one-third acre.

Developer Brett Basnight of Longbranch Development LLC said the proposed townhome development, at 3.8 units per acre, would be compatible in density with the adjoining subdivisions.

His plan called for three- and four-bedroom units starting at around $400,000, though countertop, shower, garage, fireplace and flooring add-ons that could bump the total to as high as $660,000.

"The proposal before you offers a diverse housing option that's comparable to the surrounding uses,” Basnight told commissioners.

The unanimous vote by the Board of Commissioners to deny the request on Monday night came despite a 5-1 vote of the Planning Board to recommend approval of the request and a planning staff analysis that said the development “would help to accomplish” a goal in the newly adopted 2045 comp plan to “diversify housing choices and increase availability” of housing.

Helene ‘a wakeup’ call on development

Livingston Farms homeowners who filled about a third of the room applauded enthusiastically when their neighbors expressed opposition to the development request.

“The hurricane caused Hoopers Creek to become a river, which caused extreme flooding to homes, streets, our playground and picnic shelter and the trail system within our community,” Phyllis Benbow said. “This is a wake-up call that perhaps development could result in even worse flooding than we have already experienced.

“My second issue is that this property was zoned as it is for a reason. I don't begrudge the landowner for wanting to retire and sell his property but I feel certain that the landowner and developer could make a very healthy profit developing the property as it is zoned, which would result in less traffic congestion, noise and possibly less flooding. Please, don't allow the overdevelopment of our community.”

“I do not believe that our community is against growth in the area,” Cottages at Livingston Farms homeowner Deborah Barrette added. “We are, however, concerned with doubling or tripling what is currently allowed and overdeveloping the area. We can all see that there is already a lot of growth in Fletcher, as well as other areas of Henderson County and neighboring portions of Buncombe County.”

Newly elected commissioner Jay Egolf said by his calculation 38 townhomes would add roughly 100 people to the rural community.

“If we put 100 people on every ten acres we’re going to transform Henderson County and Hoopers Creek. I don’t want a Mecklenburg County and that’s how I will vote,” he said.

Commissioners voted 4-0 to deny the request. Chair Bill Lapsley was recused from the discussion and vote after he declared that he had been involved in the Livingston Farms development during his career as a civil engineer.

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