Commissioners Defy Staff to Push Lot-Size Reform; Habitat Homes Advance
Planning and Zoning Commission • AshevilleSeptember 2, 2026
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Asheville's Planning and Zoning Commission overrode staff objections on Sept. 2, 2026, to hold an unscheduled debate on shrinking minimum lot sizes. Commissioners want to influence reform before City Council committees take up the issue this month. The commission also unanimously recommended a 23-home, all-affordable Asheville Habitat for Humanity project in Shiloh.
- Lot-size debate: One commissioner's analysis found only 129 starter homes built in a decade.
- Staff vs. commission: A unanimous vote added the discussion despite staff concerns about public notice and mixed messaging.
- 23 affordable homes: Habitat's Shiloh rezoning heads to council with unanimous backing.
- Annual report: Commissioners flag a stalled flood ordinance and infrastructure costs blocking infill.
The basics: Minimum lot sizes set how much land each home must sit on. Asheville requires 16,000 square feet in RS-2 zones, 8,000 in RS-4 and 4,000 in RS-8. The city reduced those standards in 2017.
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