Asheville-area landowners propose personal landing strip, residents worried for safety

ASHEVILLE - Two landowners in Sandy Mush are looking to bring a grass landing strip to their property just off of Big Sandy Mush Road, noting the effort is "just for fun" and would allow them to fly a vintage 1941 plane to and from the property.

Yet, the application has brought concerns of safety from several local landowners, among them Joseph Ross, who says a plane would likely fly directly over his property.

The application to establish a personal landing strip was heard by the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment during their Feb. 14 and March 13 meetings. The item will be picked up again at the next meeting.

The new personal landing strip would be located off of Big Sandy Mush Road, an area where only "small aircraft traditionally used for agricultural purposes" would be used on the property.

Travis and Rachel Brown are the owners of Big Sandy Landing LLC, the company that owns the land.

The Browns say they do not intend to impact neighbors with the landing strip.

"We, the applicants, have lived and been a part of the Sandy Mush community for over 21 years, so we have no intention of disrupting or in any other way negatively impacting the people that have been our neighbors for over two decades," the application for the landing strip reads.

However, this has not stopped concerns about the development. Four neighbors of the development applied for standing against the grass landing strip.

Travis Brown said the landing strip is to enjoy flying — a hobby he's had for 12 years.

"It's mainly for fun. It's not business related at all. It's something I love to do and all the airports around here — they're far away. So, we're trying to put something together closer," he said.

"We are not doing this to upset our neighbors," Rachel Brown added.

Ross, who has lived at the property across the street for 35 years, is worried about a crash.

"I don't want the stress on my life living there in that house worrying about whether you are going to fly into my house or not," Ross stated during his board testimony on the landing strip.

Safety concerns? rentals next to landing strip?

Sandy Mush is a township of around 1,172 in West Buncombe, an area that has seen significant conservation efforts in recent years on behalf of various local stakeholders. The proposed landing strip site is near a church, community center and fire department.

Ross isn't the only landowner who would see a plane flying overhead.

Donna Trunk, a resident who lives on a property adjacent to the proposed development site, said the danger lies in safety.

Trunk wondered how Travis Brown would be able to land "properly with the winds and how close he will be flying to my property."

"It's a safety issue and a change of the community," she continued.

The concerns have led to land use and litigation attorney Clint Cogburn being hired to represent the neighbors in the development.

During the Feb. 14 meeting, Cogburn asked how the home on the property would be used, specifically whether or not it would be a short-term rental.

"It could happen. That could that's a possibility, but that hasn't been decided at this time," Travis Brown responded.

The Federal Aviation Administration recommended that power lines on the north end of the site be lowered or spherical markers placed to highlight the obstruction, along with recommending the property owners reach out to the Asheville Air Traffic Control center to receive further guidance on the project. The FAA approved the project in April 2023 and has added it to it's master record effective Jan. 25.

197-unit Brevard apartment project, other developments

The Apex at Brevard, a proposed multifamily apartment complex, was also before the Board of Adjustment during their March 13 meeting. The development would bring 197-units to a almost 15-acre parcel just off of Brevard Road and was approved 6-1, with Board Member Joel Mazelis voting against.

One of the major concerns expressed about the project by board members was the lack of play equipment for kids at the development.

"Speaking from experience, seeing kids only having the empty Toys-R-Us parking lot to play in is sad," board member Carla Barnard said.

Board member Joel Mazelis brought up the concern of traffic, where the application included a 122-page traffic impact analysis study on the project. The project is estimated to add 1,332 unadjusted daily trips to the area.

Applicant representative Warren Sugg from Civil Design Concepts said they would include new traffic elements, such as new stop signs and pedestrian walkways. NCDOT approved the development in October 2023.

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Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville-area personal landing strip proposal brings safety concerns