ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Asheville City Council will consider several proposed zoning changes Tuesday that could expand opportunities to build duplexes and accessory dwelling units while eliminating minimum off-street parking requirements for new development.
The council’s meeting begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, with public hearings on three proposed amendments to the city’s Unified Development Ordinance.
The changes come as Asheville continues to look for ways to expand its housing supply and reduce regulatory barriers to development.
Duplexes could become allowed in more districts
One proposal would allow duplexes as a by-right use in several zoning districts where they currently are not permitted, including RS-2, RS-4, RS-8, NB, RAD-NT, RAD-LYH and RAD-RES.
The proposal also would revise rules for townhouses, allowing a maximum of two attached townhomes in the RS-2, RS-4 and RS-8 districts.
City staff said the changes could expand the amount of land available for duplex construction and allow individual ownership of duplex units.
From April 2025 through April 2026, the city received 18 applications to permit duplex construction, according to the staff report.
The proposal is supported by Asheville’s 2024 Affordable Housing Plan and 2023 Missing Middle Housing Study, which include recommendations aimed at reducing regulatory barriers and expanding housing options.
The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval of the amendment 6-1 on Aug. 5.
ADUs could get bigger
Council also will consider changes to the city’s rules for accessory dwelling units, commonly known as ADUs.
Under the proposal, the maximum size would increase from the current limit of 70 percent of the primary structure’s gross floor area or 800 square feet, whichever is less, to a maximum of 1,000 square feet or an area smaller than the principal residential structure, whichever is less.
The proposal also would eliminate the requirement for an on-site parking space for an ADU.
Other proposed changes would allow one ADU on a lot containing a duplex, rather than limiting ADUs to lots with detached single-family homes.
The proposal also would allow ADUs, but not other accessory structures except garages, to be placed in front of the primary structure and would establish a 25-foot maximum height for detached ADUs.
The city received 29 applications to build detached ADUs between April 2025 and April 2026, according to the staff report.
City staff said the proposed changes would increase flexibility in ADU construction and promote additional housing options.
Minimum parking requirements could disappear
The third proposal would eliminate the city’s requirement that new development provide a minimum number of off-street parking spaces.
The city would continue to regulate the maximum number of parking spaces allowed, but the minimum requirement would be removed.
Unlike the ADU size proposal, this change is directly tied to a recent change in state law.
House Bill 162 became state law July 6, 2026, and amended North Carolina law to prohibit local governments from requiring a minimum number of off-street parking spaces for development or structures, regardless of use or occupancy, according to the city’s staff report.
City staff said there are no exceptions in the new statute for communities outside the state’s coastal area.
The city held a stakeholder engagement session May 20, 2026, with representatives from neighborhood organizations, home builders, realtors and other stakeholder organizations.
What happens Tuesday
All three items are scheduled for public hearings during Tuesday’s meeting.
City staff is recommending approval of each of the proposed zoning amendments.
The changes do not all have the same origin. The parking amendment is being proposed to bring Asheville’s ordinance into compliance with state law, while the duplex and ADU changes are local zoning proposals intended to expand housing options and reduce regulatory barriers.
Council members will have an opportunity to hear public comment before deciding whether to approve the amendments.
