News

Home for women veterans wins city zoning approval

Alyce Knaflich, the founding director and board chair of Aura Home Women Vets, spoke during Thursday’s City Council meeting on her plans for a home for women veterans.

By Amy McCraw, Published: September 6, 2024

City Council on Thursday voted to approve a request to rezone property near the historic Druid Hills community to make room for a rehabilitation facility for homeless women veterans.

The unanimous vote came after council again heard from Alyce Knaflich, the founding director and board chair of Aura Home Women Vets.
Knaflich told the council she had encountered several unexpected problems with locating the facility on the property. But was trying to work through them.
“It’s been a mess. I’ve learned a lot,” she said. “I hope the project goes through.”
City Council in August delayed the rezoning request for the Felicia Reeves Home.
Council members said the delay was to give the property owners more time to address concerns about the property’s location in the floodplain. A public hearing on the proposal was also continued to Thursday’s meeting. Knaflich and one supporter spoke in favor of the project on Thursday. Several speakers supported the project during the public hearing in August.
Knaflich asked City Council in April to rezone .69 acres at 1744 Meadowbrook Terrace from a residential zoning district to a conditional zoning district.
The zoning change will allow Knaflich to renovate a former 8,020 square feet retirement home for women veterans who need housing.
Once renovations are complete, the facility plans to house 11 female veterans and one director. It will also include a kitchen, exercise room, tv/game room, counselor’s office, classroom, laundry room, security room and pantry.
Council’s decision in August to delay voting on the zoning change came after a public hearing that began on July 10 continued during the August meeting.
Aura Home Women Vets operated a three-bedroom complex in Asheville that helped 36 women before Covid restrictions made keeping the facility open impossible, officials with Aura said during the August public hearing.
The home’s goal is to help women veterans be able to live independently.
The property is entirely within the 100-year floodplain and will be required to obtain floodplain related approvals, according to a staff report on the proposed rezoning.
The staff report recommended that the developer be required to bring the property up to current flood protection standards.
When Knaflich spoke to council in August, she said was trying to consider how to address those concerns.
Before council’s vote on Thursday, City Manager John Connet told Knaflich that if the project is approved, she will need to work with city staff on floodplain issues, building codes that need to be followed and zoning issues.
“It’s not going to be an easy process,” he said.
Several people who attended Thursday’s meeting applauded after council voted to approve the rezoning request.