Since 2021 Buncombe County has been working to create its first 20-year Comprehensive Plan, which is a broad planning tool that will be used to guide growth and address community needs and priorities over time. Buncombe County is set to adopt its 2043 Comprehensive Plan in Spring 2023. 

Beaverdam Valley (BVNA) is one of over thirty City recognized neighborhood associations, it represents over 2,400 Beaverdam Valley households and about 40% of Beaverdam Valley is in the County which will be affected by the Buncombe County 2043 Comprehensive Plan.

BVNA has carefully reviewed the contents of the Plan. While we commend its approach and admire its humane aspirations, we find it deeply flawed with respect to land use and zoning recommendations for county land in the eastern end of Beaverdam valley. The plan proposes a zoning change from Low Density to High Density, with housing developments of up to 30-units per acre including townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, apartments and condos as well as manufactured homes and home parks.

BVNA can find no evidence that the Plan provides for the environmental, economic, or social sustainability of the whole valley in making this recommendation. We believe it places residents at great risk to future development that would be completely out of character with current development patterns while straining infrastructure, degrading public safety, and depleting natural resources.

BVNA finds the Comprehensive Plan zoning recommendation ill-conceived, and as an organization will request changes to the Plan.