City Council Meeting – July 28, 2026

The Asheville City Council is the City’s elected governing body, responsible for establishing policies, adopting the budget, and setting the overall direction of city government. 0:00 – Meeting begins 3:50 – Consent Agenda: Council approved the consent agenda, excluding item I, which was removed for separate discussion. 4:58 – High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Grant: Following discussion, council voted 5-1 to approve the acceptance of the 2026 HIDTA grant. 11:35 – Manager's Report on Transit: City staff presented an update on the Asheville Rides Transit comprehensive operational analysis. The council heard from several members of the public regarding proposed changes to routes and service frequency. 2:46:57 – Zoning Amendment Hearing: The council conducted a public hearing to consider an amendment to the conditional zoning for 301 East Chestnut Street (Princess Anne Hotel). 2:56:54 – Zoning Amendment Hearing (Sweeten Creek Road): Council heard a presentation and discussed a proposal to conditionally rezone 3862 Sweeten Creek Road. 3:39:06 – Mall Rezoning Request: The council approved a request to revert the Asheville Mall property from 'Urban Place' zoning to 'Regional Business' zoning to facilitate potential redevelopment. 4:20:13 – Staff Recognition: The council formally acknowledged the 21-year tenure of staff member Steph Monson Dahl upon her retirement. 4:22:48 – Home Repair Policy Approval: The council voted to approve a new home repair policy and authorized the allocation of $3 million from the 2024 affordable housing bond funds. 4:32:51 – Anti-Displacement Resolution: The council passed a resolution directing the city manager to develop a framework for identifying areas sensitive to displacement and to incorporate anti-displacement strategies into the organization's strategic plan. 4:48:01 – General Public Comment: The session concluded with a period for general public comments. Access the agenda and other meeting materials on the City of Asheville website: https://www.ashevillenc.gov/governmen...