Riceville resident charles Wykle says the creek that runs adjacent to his property often overflows its banks due to its location in a natural floodplain. In previous times of heavy rain, the water has risen high enough to flood Old Farm School Road and to knock over trees on the riverbank, Wykle says -- leading him to worry that runoff from a neighboring development would cause even higher waters and damage to his house and property. (Photo by Carrie Eidson)
Colliding visions coggins faRm pRoposal could BRing maJoR cHange to Riceville by Carrie Eidson | ceidson@mountainx.com
charles wykle has lived in Riceville for most of his life. His parents bought their property, on the now aptly named Wykle Road, around 1945 and built a house there six years later. In 1968, Wykle and his wife, eleanor, built another home where they raised their three daughters and where Eleanor died in 1999. “I know the property very well — every rock, nook and cranny all around here,” says Wykle. “It was a delightful place to grow up, for myself and for my daughters.” Wykle’s property adjoins a plot of land known as the Old Coggins Farm, on Old Coggins Place off Old Farm School Road. Owned by the Coggins family for more than two centuries, the largely untouched, 169 acre tract consists of gentle hills, streams and pastures resting in the shadow of Mount Mitchell. Now, however, it could be facing major change. After two years on the market, the property is under option, and an ambitious development proposal aims to create a substantial residential community in the midst of this rural area. Like much of the rest of the country, Western North Carolina experienced a real estate boom in the early 2000s that peaked, in the Asheville area, in 2007. But the following year, the bubble burst, and the market declined 8
JanuaRY 22 - JanuaRY 28, 2014
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sharply. Foreclosure rates rose, and many luxury home developments here filed for bankruptcy, leaving behind stalled construction, abandoned houses, environmental damage —and major hassles for people living nearby. Amid signs that the market is recovering, however, some observers say sites like the Old Coggins Farm may soon host a resurgence of residential development, with significant implications for neighboring residents. Big plans On Dec. 2, 2013, the Buncombe County Planning and Development Department notified Wykle and other neighbors that a developer, then called Case Enterprises LLC, had submitted a proposal for the Coggins property. Nine days later, the developer hosted a public meeting at the Riceville Community Center where lead developer david case addressed residents’ concerns. There was immediate opposition from some neighbors, who had long hoped to see the property placed in a land trust, says Wykle. But others had expected that the land would be developed and weren’t concerned about the plans — at first.
“When [Case] was talking about his initial development plan, I thought that was great,” Wykle recalls. “He started out saying he was only going to put 106 units in there. Then it became 200, 250. Now it’s 382 units: It’s highly dense.” The proposal the county Planning Board approved on Dec. 16 would allow Coggins Farm LLC (the developer’s current name) to build 382 units on the property, a mix of condominiums, single-family homes and retail space. The developers say their approach is unlike anything seen in the area before, emphasizing sustainability and responsible land use, and the Planning Board seemed to agree. The proposal passed unanimously, with board member Josh holmes calling it “everything we’ve been asking for.” Although the zoning would allow up to 12 units per acre based on the water/sewer capacity, slope and other topographical factors, the proposal calls for an average of fewer than three units per acre. The projected price per residential unit is less than $250,000, which the Planning Department considers accessible to average families. There are also plans for a community school, greenhouses and condominiums designed to help seniors age