Helping You Navigate Asheville’s Development Process
The City of Asheville created a Development Liaison position to provide added support for people experiencing significant difficulty navigating the City’s development review and permitting process. This time-limited role was created in response to recovery needs following Tropical Storm Helene and recommendations from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Advisory Services Panel.
The Development Liaison enhances — not replaces — the City’s existing development review process. The focus is on clarity, coordination, and predictability during recovery.
What the Development Liaison does
The Development Liaison serves as a single point of contact for complex development cases. Support may include:
- Helping applicants understand City development and permitting requirements
- Assisting with prolonged review timelines, conflicting standards, or unique property hardships
- Coordinating across City departments to help resolve complex issues
- Providing clear, consistent guidance to reduce confusion
- Supporting safe rebuilding and long-term economic recovery, especially for storm-damaged properties
The Development Liaison cannot: approve permits, waive regulations, bypass required reviews, or guarantee faster or favorable outcomes.
Who this service is for
This service is intended for complex projects experiencing significant difficulty, including:
- Storm-damaged property owners and business owners
- Contractors and builders
- Architects, engineers, and design professionals
- Developers and land-use attorneys
- Property owners with unusual site constraints or hardships
If your project is moving through the standard review process without major issues, please continue working through normal permit application and review channels.
When to contact the Development Liaison
Contact the Development Liaison if:
- Your project has experienced unusually long or stalled review timelines
- You are receiving conflicting guidance from different departments
- Your property has unique hardships, such as flood damage or site-specific constraints
- You are unsure how to move forward after repeated attempts through standard channels
This role is not intended for routine permit questions, application help, or status checks.
Contact the Development Liaison
Development Liaison – City of Asheville
- Email: cmitchell@ashevillenc.gov
- Meeting Requests: Book a 45-minute virtual appointment
When reaching out, please include a brief project description and any relevant permit or case numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Development Liaison a replacement for Development Services or Technical Review Committee (TRC)?
No. This role enhances the existing process but does not replace Development Services, TRC, or other review bodies.
Can the Development Liaison approve my permit or speed up my project?
No. The liaison cannot approve permits, bypass reviews, or guarantee faster outcomes.
Is this a permanent position?
No. This is a time-limited role created to address complex recovery-related challenges. This position is not a new full-time staff position; it is a reallocated resource. In line with the ULI recommendation, this role will report directly to the Assistant City Manager.
What qualifies as “significant difficulty”?
Examples include prolonged review timelines, conflicting standards, or unique property hardships.
What if my question is routine?
Please use standard Development Services customer service channels.
Why did the City create this role?
The establishment of this position is a direct response to the recovery needs following Hurricane Helene, specifically to balance the safe reconstruction of flood-damaged properties with a sustained economic recovery for Asheville. The role was identified as a creative way to provide a higher level of service to the community and was recommended by the Urban Land Institute Advisory Services Panel to support secure rebuilding efforts and long-term economic recovery.
Contact
Clay Mitchell
Development Liaison
City of Asheville
cmitchell@ashevillenc.gov
Book a 45-minute virtual appointment
When reaching out, please include a brief project description and any relevant permit or case numbers.