ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Asheville’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a conditional rezoning application for a proposed Costco on Wednesday night, Oct. 7, clearing the path for a City Council vote.
According to concept plans submitted in September, Costco proposes building an approximately 166,800-square-foot retail warehouse on a 39.67-acre property at 264 and 274 Enka Heritage Parkway, near Sand Hill Road.
The proposal includes a tire center with dedicated service bays and a 32-pump standalone fueling station covered by a protective canopy, along with underground fuel storage tanks. A separate local account put the retail footprint at more than 160,000 square feet with more than 800 parking spaces at Enka Commerce Park.
City Council is expected to consider the plan on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The Planning and Zoning approval does not finalize the project; if council approves the plan, a final traffic impact assessment will still have to be completed, work that is already underway with the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The project has been in the works for nearly two years as the developer, NCDOT and local officials worked through traffic, infrastructure and cost concerns. An earlier application was withdrawn in February after unresolved issues, and officials later worked to bring the proposal back.
Mayor Esther E. Manheimer’s office has been among local leaders pushing to keep the Enka site talks on track. Civic business tied to council votes is handled around Asheville City Hall at 70 Court Plaza.
Commission member Brenton Faircloth said the updated application appears to address some of the earlier delays and called the large-scale commercial operation a potential employment boost for the area if it ultimately clears council.