Asheville, NC Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

City Code Section 8-5 governs how Asheville and Buncombe County name a historic landmark. S. Chapter 160D, Article 9, Part 4. Subsection (c) sets what that designating ordinance must contain: a description of the landmark, the name of the property owner, the elements integral to its historic value including the land area covered, and, critically, a mandatory 365-day waiting period before the landmark can be demolished. If the Historic Resources Commission has already voted to recommend a property for designation but the city council or county commissioners haven't taken final action yet, the commission can independently delay any demolition of the property for up to 180 days or until the governing board rules, whichever comes first.

Once designated, Section 8-5(c) also requires the ordinance to provide for a sign on the landmark noting its status: it goes on the landmark itself if the owner agrees, or on the nearest public right-of-way if the owner objects. Section 8-6 then lays out the procedural steps, investigation and report to the State Historic Preservation Officer, published notice for two successive weeks, and public hearings, that must happen before any designation ordinance can be adopted, and Section 8-7 requires a certificate of appropriateness before a designated landmark can be materially altered, restored, moved, or demolished.