Core Concerns with the Cornerstone Development
[NOTE: This page is being kept for historical reference. The Cornerstone development proposal was abandoned in June 2016]
The Cornerstone condominium proposal is a 184-unit development of four-story structures designed to occupy 114 acres on the Asheville-facing side of Reynolds Mountain. The parcel, identified by PIN 9741-41-0532-00000, is within the town of Woodfin. However, it is bordered and accessed through the North Asheville neighborhood of Sherwood Heights, located downslope of the proposed development.
OUR CONCERNS – SUMMARIZED
The Cornerstone land has been annexed by the Town of Woodfin. Because it is now just outside the Asheville City limits, it is not protected under Asheville’s Steep Slope regulations. Cornerstone has an average slope of 48.8%.
The Cornerstone land has been examined by the NC Department of Environmental Quality and has been classified as having moderate to high landslide potential.
Beaver Lake Dam is classified as a “high hazard dam” by the NC Division of Water Quality; it poses a significant and deadly flood risk to area residents upon failure.
Existing downslope homeowners will face major risks—and are unable to purchase landslide insurance. In addition, many of the Cornerstone units are only 10 feet away from existing residential property lines.
Asheville taxpayers will have to bear the cost of upgrading or replacing the storm drainage infrastructure. They will, likewise, have to pay to repair damage caused to roads because of heavy construction equipment. However, all tax revenues from the Cornerstone condos will go to the Town of Woodfin.
The existing roads in that area were never meant to support the additional traffic—both from construction vehicles/equipment and from Cornerstone’s residents. This raises serious safety concerns.
Steep Slope Development
The land being developed has an average slope of 48.8% and would be protected under Steep Slope regulations if it was subject to Asheville City or Buncombe County regulations, but the parcel was annexed into Woodfin in 2010, where there are no Steep Slope ordinances limiting development of this precarious piece of property.
Runoff and Erosion
Sherwood Heights homeowners already suffer personal financial strain dealing with runoff and erosion issues, but they handle it because it’s their responsibility to do so. Increasing the impermeable surface of this land will worsen the problems, adding additional liability for those downslope to handle runoff caused by Cornerstone.
Asheville taxpayers will also feel the impact since the storm drainage infrastructure will have a much larger burden to bear and will likely require upgrade or replacement. Additional silt and runoff with also affect Beaver Lake Dam. This dam, classified as a “high hazard dam” by the NC Division of Water Quality, poses a significant and deadly flood risk to area residents upon failure.
Landslides
This parcel has been examined by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and has been classified as having moderate to high landslide potential. Since landslide insurance cannot be obtained by residents of North Carolina, the risk of personal loss by those downslope is severe.
Construction
Constructing 184 four-story units on difficult terrain will not be a swift or discreet process. Residents can expect years of disruption from heavy machinery, industrial vehicles, and dozens of day workers flowing through narrow neighborhood streets every workable hour. This raises safety concerns for residents throughout the building process. Many of the units are within 10 feet of existing property lines, bringing heavy equipment and workers in close proximity to their homes and increasing concern over landslide potential during the building process.
Roads and Traffic
Anyone who has driven through Sherwood Heights is familiar with the condition of the roads: they are steep and twisting, offer very little visibility around tight turns, lack protective guardrails, and do not meet the modern NCDOT minimum standard requirements in some places. Access to Cornerstone using these modest roads is a major cause of alarm for residents. There is a single point of entry for each of the two sectors of the development. Beaverbrook Road, a privately held road in parts, will service 72 of the units, quadrupling traffic from the existing 24 single-family residences. Robinhood Road bears the burden for the remaining 112 units. Residents currently navigate these roads with extreme caution and have been successful in avoiding the occasional head-on collision scare, but quadrupling traffic on these roads brings a significant safety risk, not only for residents but also for emergency vehicles. Furthermore, a single point of entry increases the risk of blocked passage for residents of dead-end streets in the event of collisions, vehicles stuck in snowy conditions or fallen debris. Along with safety concerns, this development brings with it additional expenses on Asheville and private residents to maintain roads that were never intended for such high traffic.
Maintenance and Liability
The Cornerstone community is currently planned as a gated community that will be governed by a private HoA. All aspects of the community will be privately owned, operated and maintained, including but not limited to: roads, water detention system, retaining walls, trails, culverts, ditches, and so forth. The maintenance of 114 acres on hazardous conditions is going to be expensive and will require constant diligence. Neighbors are concerned who will enforce the standards of maintenance for this community and what will happen if the homeowners neglect their responsibility.
Rentals
Unless explicitly restricted by the HoA covenants, it is possible that these units will be purchased for occasional use and rented for the remainder of the time. This is a significant concern to Sherwood Heights residents, as short-term rentals invite a constant flow of strangers through the neighborhood.