At the March 12th annual meeting of the community association, Michelle Decker and Steve Scholl were elected to the board and re-elected incumbents included Bruce Black, Barber Melton, Renate Rikkers, Christina Maggi and Chris Pelly. See board member bios. Chosen as officers for 2024 were Bruce Black, Treasurer, Steve Scholl, Secretary, Christina Maggi, Vice President and Chris Pelly, President.

Highlights from 2023 were reviewed including: 
– Installation of a Little Free Library at Spruce Hill Apartments
– Installation of a kiosk at Masters Park
– Installation of a new ‘Welcome to Haw Creek’ sign at the Crockett Road entrance
– Launch of the Haw Creek Park Greenway campaign
– Leadership of the community response to the 767 NHC development project
– Multiple public programs including the first-ever Haw Creek Heritage Festival, Living with Black Bears program, Chili Cook Off, Game Days, yard sales, and park cleanups
– Organizational improvements such as standing committees, the website, expansion of social media and membership growth

Plans for 2024 were discussed including:
– Landscaping around the new welcome sign
– The first-ever Haw Creek 5K run/walk set for April 20th
– Plans to complete the Haw Creek Park Greenway campaign
– Continued community advocacy on the 767 development project
– Many new events related to gardening, community-led hikes, and more

Attendees were encouraged to join any of the four committees that manage much of the association’s day-to-day work. The four committees and their leaders are:
– Clean & Green Committee – Chair, Storms Reback
– Community Outreach Committee – Chair, Michelle Decker
– Sidewalk, Greenways & Pedestrian Safety Comm. – Chair, Chris Pelly
– Communications & Development Committee – Chair, Liz Polfus

The meeting, attended by 75 residents, closed with a dessert social.

With a review process that stretches over several months, it can be difficult to keep track of the status of the 767 development project. Rest assured we are and this progress report has the details.

What We've Heard From Our Haw Creek Neighbors

You have told us that it's important this project be scaled back—that 95 homes are too many on this site. You have told us that the developer's plan to cut the tree canopy from the current 53% to just 12% is excessive and the trees need to be protected. You have told us that the community wants better pedestrian connections, both around and within the development, including sidewalks and greenways that will connect to each other. We have heard your concerns and will be sharing them with City Council members in individual meetings over the next few weeks.

Haw Creek Traffic Study Complete

We have received the final report of the experts we retained to conduct a traffic study on the impact of the 767 development project. Our experts concluded that “the proposed development will adversely affect the health or safety of persons residing or working along New Haw Creek Road in the vicinity of the proposed development from a traffic engineering perspective.” We encourage you to read the full report. Each of the intersections that were studied are stressed today. As the city makes its decision on whether to grant conditional zoning to the developer to build 95 housing units, it needs to consider the incremental impact of the traffic it would be permitting. Hopefully, the report of our experts will help guide the city’s zoning decision.

Technical Review Committee (TRC) Findings 

The 12 page TRC staff report from the February 5 initial review of the 767 development plan contains useful analysis as we prepare for the next step in this campaign. Although no public comments were allowed, there were 145 people on the video call during the proposal review, the most TRC has ever experienced, thanks to the many engaged Haw Creek community members.

Planning & Zoning Commission to Hold Public Hearing March 20th 

The first opportunity for public testimony on the "Meadows at Haw Creek" will be Wednesday, March 20, 5 pm at Harrah's Cherokee Center Banquet Hall. All residents will have three minutes to speak and this is your opportunity to be heard. Even if you're not interested in speaking, your presence is important so please plan to join us. The Planning & Zoning Commission, a City Council-appointed board, will review the development proposal, hear public testimony, and then make a recommendation to the City Council. 

City Council to Vote April 9th 

City Planning staff have indicated that the City Council will likely be taking up the "Meadows at Haw Creek" development at their April 9 meeting, which will begin at 5 pm in City Hall. Again, there will be a public hearing at which residents will have three minutes to speak. More details to come. 

Soil Testing at 767 New Haw Creek 

We've received word that the developer is having soil compaction analysis undertaken at various spots on the 26-acre site. We have been assured that the equipment you might observe on the property is only for these purposes. No construction is allowed before City Council action.

What You Can Do to Help

We need Haw Creek residents to continue to reach out to the City Council and the media. Your letters-to-the-editor have an impact so please keep it up. Same for letters and emails to the City Council members. Details and talking points are available here.

We have received the Final Report of the experts we retained to conduct a traffic study on the impact of the proposed development at 767 New Haw Creek Road (“The Meadows at Haw Creek”). The study we requested focused on traffic flow and safety at four significant intersections in Haw Creek, which most of us encounter daily: (1) New Haw Creek Road at Bell Road (Evergreen School), (2) Old Haw Creek Road at Bethesda Road (Haw Creek Elementary School), (3) New Haw Creek Road at Beverly Road, and (4) the New Haw Creek Road intersection with Route 70. 

While each of these intersections are problematic today, the report concludes that the increased traffic from the proposed development would exacerbate those problems. Our experts concluded that “the proposed development will adversely affect the health or safety of persons residing or working along New Haw Creek Road in the vicinity of the proposed development from a traffic engineering perspective.” 

With respect to traffic flow and safety at Evergreen School and Haw Creek Elementary School the report documents the steps the schools have taken to mitigate traffic queuing on New and Old Haw Creek Roads (e.g., staggered drop-off and pick-up times) but finds that the increased traffic from the proposed development would result in more significant queuing on both roads.

The report calls out the safety issues at the Beverly Road and New Haw Creek Road intersection, specifically the inadequate line-of-sight distances for cars making left turns onto Beverly Road from New Haw Creek Road or from Beverly Road onto New Haw Creek Road. With respect to the Route 70 intersection with New Haw Creek Road the report concludes that back-up times at peak hours will increase. 

We encourage you to read the full report. Each of the intersections that were studied are stressed today. As the city makes its decision on whether to grant conditional zoning to the developer to build 95 housing units at “The Meadows of Haw Creek” it needs to consider the incremental impact of the traffic it would be permitting. Hopefully, the report of our experts will help guide the city’s zoning decision.

On Monday, February 19, before an audience of 160+ community members, a group of 7th and 8th graders from Evergreen Community Charter School introduced and asked questions of the candidates running for Asheville City Council this year. 

Led by poised and polished student moderators, the 767 development plan was the first question asked. Other questions focused on the long-delayed New Haw Creek Road sidewalk, homelessness, community reparations, public funding of charter schools, inadequate infrastructure maintenance, district elections, drug treatment, and climate change. 

The six candidates participating in the forum included Charles (CJ) Domingo, Kevan Frazier, Roberto (Bo) Hess, Tod Leaven, Kim Roney, and Sage Turner. Watch the forum and hear the responses from each candidate on the school's youtube channel.

The March 5 primary election will determine which six of the eight candidates running for the three open Council seats will advance to the general election in November.

The Haw Creek Community Association was pleased to co-sponsor this community event.

The developer of the 767 New Haw Creek Road property officially filed plans with the City on January 10. The 12-page document is available here and on the HCCA Rezoning and Development Process webpage.

The "Meadows at Haw Creek" plan details the site layout for 95 homes with open flood plain pasture and new greenway, one new access road ("Haw River Drive"), landscaping, tree preservation, water, sewer and storm drainage. The plan is currently being reviewed by the Technical Review Committee (TRC), the first official step in the Conditional Zoning approval process.

We have added a link to a Development Guide on our Rezoning and Development Process page. This comprehensive document, published by Mountain Xpress, explains how projects get approved in Buncombe County and features tips for effective public comment.

In addition, we have added a new Frequently Asked Questions page that answers the most common questions related to this project.

HCCA has prepared a list of questions regarding the proposed development plan and will be meeting with the City’s planning department on Monday, January 22, to get clarification on a number of points.

Together with the 767 Working Group, we are designing a unified and winnable response to City Council. We have a plan to organize and mobilize the community to oppose this development as it is proposed. See our 767 Development page for details.

Thanks to a neighbor who wishes to remain anonymous, funding has become available for an independent traffic study designed to evaluate the impact of the proposed 95-unit subdivision at 767 New Haw Creek Road. New Haw Creek Road will be studied to determine the operational and safety impacts of the development. In addition, four locations of interest will be evaluated. 

Specific areas of interest:

New Haw Creek Road at Bell Road. Located 850' from the proposed driveway for the development, this two-way stop intersection presents queue spillback issues during school drop off and pickup from Evergreen Community Charter School. 

Old Haw Creek Road at Bethesda Road. This two-way stop intersection presents queue spillback issues during school drop off and pickup from Haw Creek Elementary School. 

New Haw Creek Road at Beverly Road. Located approximately one mile from the proposed driveway, this two-way stop intersection presents queue spillback issues for those traveling on Beverly Road. 

New Haw Creek Road at Crockett Avenue. Located approximately 1.6 miles from the proposed driveway, this location is composed of a signalized intersection at US70 and Crockett Avenue and a closely-spaced downstream two-way stop intersection at Crockett Avenue and New Haw Creek Road. The left turn queue along US70 frequently spills back to the end of the turn lane. Additionally, left and right turning vehicles regularly queue at the yield/stop sign of the northbound approach of Crockett Avenue at New Haw Creek Road, which could spill back to US70.

Scope of Work: 

Task 1: Trip Generation and Distribution. This task will estimate the expected number of trips generated by the proposed development and the resulting trip distribution. 

Task 2: Data Collection. Each of the four locations of interest have been identified as having queue spillback issues. As such, our team will deploy a contractor to collect turning movement counts and queue lengths in 15-minute intervals during peak hour travel times for each intersection. 

Task 3: Intersection Sight Distance. This task will review potential intersection sight distance concerns at New Haw Creek and Beverly Roads. 

Task 4: Memorandum detailing findings. Our team will provide a report detailing the findings from each task. A web-based meeting will be utilized to provide details on the findings to supplement the report. 

The study results are expected by March 1, 2024.

Many residents celebrate the holiday season by putting on a light show for all to see. We’ve scouted the area and want to share this list and a few photos of the spectacular holiday lights around our neighborhood.

~ New Haw Creek Road at Maple Drive, includes the fire station and an impressive display at 893
~ Ozark Spring subdivision off Bell Road 
~ Rhododendron Circle off Old Haw Creek Road
~ Willowbrook Road off Old Haw Creek Road
~ Huntington Chase subdivision off New Haw Creek Road
~ The Whale at New Haw Creek and Beverly Roads

Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!

Read all the latest news about Haw Creek in the HCCA newsletter that mailed on December 12 to all Haw Creek households as part of our community outreach efforts.

This issue highlights the development plan for 767 New Haw Creek Road and why HCCA is actively opposing this proposed plan. There are also stories on several completed projects, like the Little Free Library, Masters Park kiosk, and the new Welcome to Haw Creek sign. And there are brief reports on our fall events, including the inaugural Heritage Festival.

Another feature is the announcement of the Haw Creek Park Greenway Campaign, an effort to bring the first-ever public greenway to Haw Creek.

We've had a busy year working on projects, programs and events as we continue our work to improve our quality of life, protect our natural beauty, and promote safety throughout the Haw Creek valley.

At the second meeting of the 767 Working Group on December 11, the Community Outreach Committee decided it would create and circulate a petition for signatures in support of stopping the proposed development at 767 New Haw Creek Road. 

The petition targets the “Conditional Zoning” requested by the developer, which if approved by City Council would allow for 95 homes to be built on this 26-acre property—essentially doubling the number of homes allowed with the current zoning regulations.

Our goal is to demonstrate broad-based community opposition to help convince City Council members to vote against rezoning this property. Please sign the petition and take a few minutes to provide your feedback regarding future development in Haw Creek, an option that is available at the end of the petition.

HCCA has added the petition to our 767 Development web page and will use our social media accounts to maximize our outreach. The committee is planning additional outreach efforts, including door-to-door canvasing throughout the neighborhood.

This petition is an important step in our campaign to protect our neighborhood from a proposed high-density development plan.

Quickly mobilizing to respond to broad-based community concerns, the Haw Creek Community Association has created a Working Group to respond to the proposed 95-unit Meadows at Haw Creek subdivision for 767 New Haw Creek Road. This action follows a November 28 public meeting at which 200+ residents expressed overwhelming opposition to the developer's plan.

Although there is broad-based resistance to the Meadows at Haw Creek project as proposed, points of opposition will be fact-based and built around evidence supporting our concerns. The 767 Working Group comprises community leaders with relevant professional and personal experience who will serve on the following committees: architectural design, communications, community outreach, engineering, and legal process. 

We will conduct a comprehensive review of the project proposal as soon as it is finalized and submitted to the city. Plans are underway for an independent traffic study to measure the project's impact.  

We expect to recommend any future development on this property be on a scale significantly less extensive than currently proposed. Although we cannot guarantee success, HCCA and the 767 Working Group will strive for an outcome that balances private property rights with the interests of the surrounding community.  

If you wish to become actively involved with the 767 Working Group, please email info@hawcreekavl.com with your contact information and areas of expertise and skills that would be valuable to this effort.