From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. —  Asheville’s Design Review Committee recently asked developers of a proposed 524-unit apartment project at 120 Swannanoa River Road to redesign the buildings so they look less generic and more local, with one member urging them to build “less ‘Charlanta’ and more Asheville.”

The ADRC made the comments during an informal review meeting on Oct. 15.

Key details of the project and feedback are as follows:

• The project: Known as the Britt Drive Multi-Family Development, the $75 million proposal from an Atlanta-based developer calls for 524 apartments across four multi-story buildings (four to five stories) split into three phases.

• Location: A 7-parcel site along Swannanoa River Road (near Kenilworth) that was heavily flooded and damaged by Tropical Storm Helene in September 2024.

• Design criticisms: Committee members noted that the early architectural renderings looked like uniform, mass-produced apartment complexes typical of rapidly growing Southern metros. They recommended that the developers:

• Break up long, flat rooflines

From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Buncombe County District Attorney-elect Martin Moore is facing a legal malpractice and negligence lawsuit filed by a former client, Joseph Wayne Riddle. 

The lawsuit, filed on Oct. 14 in the Buncombe County Superior Court, seeks up to $5 million in damages for psychological distress and other alleged losses.

The core allegations are as follows:

• Missed deadlines: The lawsuit alleges that Moore missed multiple critical filing deadlines in an appellate case, leaving some cases between one month and a year “out-of-time” and putting incarcerated clients at risk of having their appeals dismissed.

• Lack of oversight: The suit also names Glenn Gerding, the head of North Carolina’s Office of the Appellate Defender, alleging insufficient oversight of Moore’s work.

• State bar complaint: In addition to the civil lawsuit, a deputy appellate defender filed a formal grievance against Moore with the North Carolina State Bar regarding his handling of the appellate cases.