Five years ago, a request for a zoning change was made by Walmart for the property on Smoky Park Highway next to the existing Lowe's.
Wal-Mart wants West Asheville storeThe application for a zoning change that would have allow the building of a Super Walmart was withdrawn because city council had the majority votes against the resolution. This was after a sustained protest by community anti-Walmart activists. Asheville lost millions in tax revenue, 400-plus jobs and a great place to shop on a prime co-location site.
by Mark Barrett, Asheville Citizen-Times | November 10, 2005
ASHEVILLE — Discount giant Wal-Mart Stores wants to put what would be its second Asheville Supercenter store just west of the Lowe’s home improvement warehouse on Smoky Park Highway in West Asheville.
The proposal for a 184,000-square-foot store could be the subject of one of the first major development votes taken by a new City Council after a fall campaign in which growth issues were prominent.
Zoning for the “vast majority” of the 25-acre site allows big box retail stores, but part would require rezoning and the project requires council approval because of its large size anyway, Joe Heard, city director of development services, said Wednesday.
“I really feel sorry for the trailer park residents who were going to be paid $7,500 apiece to defray their moving expenses,” said store proponent and city resident Tim Peck, referring to relocation assistance Wal-Mart offered. “Now they’re going to still have to move out when the next developer purchases that property, and they’re going to get nothing.” -Asheville Citizen-TimesAsheville City Council will vote February 22, 2011, on a conditional zoning application by Ingles Super Markets to build a new mega-Ingles on Smoky Park Highway. [City Council Documents]
Proposed
New Ingles Store: 105,175 SF
Future Retail: 32,060 SF
Car Wash: 2,280 SF
Gas Canopy/Convenience Store: 8,745 SF
Total Shopping Center: 253,173 SF
[source: city council documents]
No two-year-long protests. No news coverage. No public discussion or notice. No Warren Wilson students coming out of the woodwork.
What changed?
UPDATE
Asheville City Council to decide Ingles supermarket proposal
Mark Barrett | Asheville Citizen-Times | Feb 18, 2011, 9:29 PM
ASHEVILLE — Critics and the city's planning staff said approval of a large new Ingles supermarket on Smoky Park Highway as currently proposed would undermine city development rules...
Council's call an opportunity for better plan for new store
Editor | Asheville Citizen-Times | Feb. 23, 2011
Asheville City Council's no-call regarding the construction of a new Ingles grocery store on Smoky Park Highway on Tuesday night was the correct call...
Bigger Ingles eyed in Asheville, but same issues cited
Mark Barrett | Asheville Citizen-Times | Feb 25, 2011
ASHEVILLE — Ingles Markets is considering nearly doubling the size of its supermarket on Brevard Road near Biltmore Square Mall, but a company official says the application is just a trial balloon for now...
RELATED
Wal-Mart Forum
Tim Peck | December 20, 2005
Last night, the development team for the proposed west end Wal-Mart Super Center held a public forum at the West Asheville Community Center to share their plans for the project and field questions and concerns and take any other input on their large development initiative that the community might want to provide.
Wal-Mart Gets, Like, Totally Zoned
By Tim Peck | Mountain Guardian | March 8, 2006
The final Planning & Zoning Commission hearing on the rezoning of a few parcels in west Asheville for a new Wal-Mart Super Center was held on March 1st.
Meeting: No Wal-Mart
Tim Peck | March 22, 2006
Attended a meeting of the local Wal-Mart Watch group. David Roat, who worked on Robin Cape's campaign, arrived late but when asked how things seemed to be going he appeared very confident that the Wal-Mart project would not survive city council.
Public Comment [video]
Tim Peck | April 11, 2006
Attended the city council meeting for April 11, 2006. This was to be the Wal-Mart meeting but Wal-Mart withdrew its application for a zoning variance at the last minute. I spoke about this during the public comment portion of the meeting. Here is the text of my comments.
Wal-Mart drops West Asheville store plans
By Mark Barrett | April 12, 2006 | Asheville Citizen-Times
Wal-Mart Stores dropped its proposal for a West Asheville Supercenter store Tuesday just hours before a scheduled City Council vote that may well have gone against it.
The High Cost of Low Motives
By Tim Peck | Mountain Guardian | April 28, 2006
In a recent city council discussion on taking private property for public use, council member Holly Jones said, "I will say that probably calling something socialism is not really helpful in going forward with an open mind."
Wal-Mart Clarification
By Tim Peck | Mountain Guardian | June 16, 2006
Thomas N Rightmyer wrote: "The proposal is for a 204K building (larger if I remember correctly that the West Asheville proposal) with 917 parking spaces."
Board of Adjustment: Wal-Mart
Buncombe County Board of Adjustment | June 14, 2006
Agenda: Wal-Mart request for three zoning adjustments regarding parking spaces and loading docks.
