Who Lives Here
Asheville and Buncombe County: a community already under pressure from housing costs, climate impacts, and post-Helene recovery.
Five Points Neighborhood
Directly adjacent to the forest and immediately downstream along Reed Creek. The 2018 Five Points Neighborhood Plan explicitly called for keeping the urban forest intact. Unanimous neighborhood opposition to development. During Helene, Five Points was not listed among the City's most-damaged areas (which were concentrated in Biltmore Village, Swannanoa, and the River Arts District) — though individual residents did report flooded crawl spaces and basements. A screening-level SCS-CN model estimates the forest retained 3.7–7.0 million gallons of stormwater during the Helene event, serving as functional flood infrastructure.
Potential stadium impacts on Five Points: typical match crowd noise ~90–120 dB with goal-moment peaks higher (general professional-soccer-stadium range); on-field professional-soccer lighting commonly 500–1,500 lux per ANSI/IES RP-6 with stadium-class luminaires (peripheral light-trespass values depend on shielding); DarkSky / IDA-IES Model Lighting Ordinance light-trespass limits at residential property lines are typically 0.0–0.5 lux depending on zone [DarkSky guidelines]; potentially up to ~284 event nights per year depending on scheduling intensity (model assumption, not project disclosure); modeled stormwater runoff increase of 5.4–6.8 million gallons per major storm under SCS-CN screening.
Stakeholder Map
Key stakeholders organized by category, role, and documented position. Stance reflects published statements, votes, and organizational missions. "Unknown" means no public position found in the research corpus.
University System
| Name | Role | Stance | Contacted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kimberly van Noort | Chancellor, UNCA (since Jan 2024) | Neutral "Open to a different plan" (Feb 2026) |
Unknown |
| Peter Heckman | BOT Vice Chair; MC Commission co-chair | Opposed Voted for 99-year lease |
Unknown |
| Swadesh Chatterjee | UNC Board of Governors member | Allied "I have not seen anywhere, by building a soccer stadium, that we attracted more students." |
No |
| UNC Board of Governors | Approved 99-year lease (8-1 vote, Jul 25, 2025) | Opposed | No |
| Adam Walters | MC Commission co-chair (NC State) | Unknown | No |
City / County Government
| Name | Role | Stance | Contacted |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Asheville | Owns 31 parcels near site; CRS Class 8; zoning authority stripped by HB 926 | Likely Allied | Unknown |
| Amanda Edwards | Chair, Buncombe County Commission | Unknown | No |
| Buncombe County | Land-swap partner; service provider | Unknown | Unknown |
Community Organizations
| Name | Role | Stance | Contacted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Save the Woods / FOTW | Primary advocacy campaign; 17,000+ petition signatures | Allied | Yes |
| Kerry Graham-Walter | Community organizer, Save the Woods | Allied | Yes |
| Five Points Neighborhood Assoc. | Adjacent neighborhood; unanimous opposition | Allied | Unknown |
| Scott Burroughs / This Land Studio | Architect; proposed innovation/arts quarter (Oct 2025) | Allied | Unknown |
| Spencer Beals | Artist; "Batland" installation (Dec 2025) | Allied | Unknown |
Developer
| Name | Role | Stance | Contacted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark McCullers / McCullers Group | Developer; Asheville Stadium District Real Estate Project LLC (registered Nov 2024) | Opposed | No |
Academic / Research
| Name | Role | Stance | Contacted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. David Clarke | UNCA Biology; NSF PI; most-cited faculty voice | Allied | Yes |
| Dr. Andrew Laughlin | UNCA Ecology; SRS co-author; field courses in forest | Allied | Yes |
| USFS Southern Research Station | Federal research HQ adjacent (200 W.T. Weaver Blvd); ~300 employees | Unknown Threatened by consolidation to Fort Collins |
No |
| NEMAC | Climate modeling center on UNCA campus | Unknown | No |
Federal Government
| Name | Role | Stance | Contacted |
|---|---|---|---|
| FEMA | Flood mapping, disaster recovery; $324M approved for Buncombe | Neutral | No |
| USACE Nashville District | Post-Helene flood assessment; 2,587 high-water marks | Neutral | No |
Indigenous Nations
| Name | Role | Stance | Contacted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians | Sovereign nation; potential Section 106 standing; 12,000 years of habitation | Unknown | No |
| Russell Townsend | Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, EBCI | Unknown | No |
Conservation Organizations
| Name | Role | Stance | Contacted |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAHC | Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy; 95,000+ ac protected since 1974 | Allied | Unknown |
| MountainTrue | Environmental advocacy organization | Allied | Unknown |
| Appalachian Tree Alliance | Documented old-growth trees in UNCA forest | Allied | Unknown |
The Community Response
The proposal to develop the 45-acre forest triggered one of the strongest community responses in recent Asheville history.
Organizing Structure
Save the Woods / Friends of the Woods (FOTW) is organized around working "pillars," including a Viable Alternatives strategic pillar developing conservation-forward proposals. The organization has conducted direct outreach to City Council and the Millennial Campus Development Commission.
5 Points Plan on a Page (2018)
The 5 Points Plan on a Page (2018) is a community vision document prepared by the 5 Points Neighborhood Association (document design: Kenny Armstrong, J.M. Teague Engineering & Planning) and listed in the City of Asheville's neighborhood-plans catalog. It is a neighborhood-level vision document — not a council-adopted small-area plan — and reflects the documented priorities of the Neighborhood Association. In the Sustainability section (page 15), the plan states the neighborhood will: “Work with UNCA and residents to keep the Urban Forest intact and encourage users of the forest to be stewards and advocates.” HB 926 (October 2025) does not override the plan's existence, but does exempt the university from the local zoning authority that would otherwise be one channel for the community to act on the plan.
Spencer Beals and "Batland"
In December 2025, artist Spencer Beals installed "Batland" in the forest — a collaborative art piece involving 25 artists. UNCA administration removed it in January 2026, triggering a student walkout of over 100 students. The incident became a galvanizing moment for campus opposition and was widely covered in local media.
Scott Burroughs Alternative Vision
Architect Scott Burroughs of This Land Studio presented an alternative vision in October 2025: an innovation/arts quarter that preserves the forest while activating the already-cleared Millennial Campus parcels. His proposal demonstrated that economic development and forest preservation are not mutually exclusive.
University Precedents
Six universities have faced campus forest development conflicts. In every case where a transparent, evidence-based process was followed, preservation prevailed — and the institution benefited.
UNCA Process Quality: 0 of 5 Benchmark Elements Met
Against the five elements that define a credible campus forest decision, UNCA's process fails on every count:
- Third-party ecological assessment: Not done. Long-term research plots destroyed January 2025.
- Mixed-stakeholder committee: The 12-member Millennial Campus Development Advisory Committee (announced via UNCA's own news channels in January 2026 with HR&A Advisors retained as consultant; see UNCA announcement) is composed predominantly of UNCA Board members, alumni, and institutional affiliates. Named current trustees: Stephen De May, David Meyer; plus co-chair Peter Heckman (BOT Vice Chair) and Lou Bissette (former trustee, former mayor, former UNC BOG chair). Co-chair Adam Walters is a UNCA alumnus at NC State. Other members include Victoria Isley (Explore Asheville / BCTDA CEO — a potential funder of either the proposed stadium or an alternative), Dr. Keith Krumpe (UNCA Interim Dean of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences; Senior Administrator of Space Planning), Rick Lutovsky (former Asheville Chamber CEO), Lakesha McDay (alumna), Chuck McGrady (former NC State Rep; former National President, Sierra Club), and Charles Tessier (real estate consultant). The committee meets in closed sessions through May 2026; HR&A Advisors will synthesize the recommendations into the Millennial Campus Action Plan. The composition raises an independence question that a transparent process would resolve by publishing recusal policies and deliberation criteria. (See also Asheville Watchdog reporting.)
- Written alternatives analysis: Not done. No public feasibility study despite $204M commitment.
- Named place identity: Partial. "Save the Woods" campaign exists but no formal reserve designation.
- Ongoing stewardship posture: Not started. No stewardship plan, endowment, or management framework.
The Process So Far
A timeline from Hurricane Helene through the present, showing how decisions were made, by whom, and what remains unresolved.
Advisory Committee Composition
The Millennial Campus Development Commission was created August 14, 2025, with 14 members. Its composition raises questions about independence:
- Save the Woods / FOTW
- City of Asheville officials
- Buncombe County officials
- Five Points neighborhood
- UNCA faculty
- HR&A Advisors
- Phase 1 began November 2025
- Phase 2 ends May 2026
- Deliverable status: unknown
HB 926: The Zoning Override
North Carolina House Bill 926 (S.L. 2025-94), passed October 6, 2025, exempts the UNC System from all local zoning authority on Millennial Campus land. The City of Asheville retains only a "consultation" role — not approval authority. This sets a statewide precedent that could affect any municipality with a UNC institution.
However, HB 926 cannot override federal regulations. The FEMA floodway designations within the forest (10.6 acres SFHA, including 4.15 acres of floodway) remain enforceable regardless of state zoning exemptions.