Biltmore Farms is requesting the city change a policy to help make it more eligible for poverty discounts. Of interest is Biltmore Park, which is sort of like the La Jolla of Asheville.

I have commended Biltmore Farms in the past for their ability to run a very profitable organization. So profitable are they, they are able to afford lawyers who can lobby for legislation to protect them against unfair legislation harming other citizens. It is difficult to get angry at Biltmore for acting in accordance with the law. The problem is that the rest of the citizens cannot afford the luxury of writing their own special legislation. That puts the lowlife that can’t afford power attorneys at a terrible disadvantage, having to navigate contorted legislation asbestos they can.

Now, Biltmore Farms is requesting tax relief for building LEED-certified workforce housing. The city developed its Land Use Incentive Grant policy to help the poor and green the environment. The plan allows for developers to receive a discount on taxes equal to the net gain in tax value caused by the development. The number of years for which the grant is received is determined by a point system of awards for greenness. Lots of points may be accumulated by pursuing LEED certification, a process which several developers in recent years have foregone because they can implement numerous green features for the cost of certification. In addition, grant winners will be eligible for 10% reductions in zoning, building, driveway, and grading permits; plan reviews; and water connection fees.

Again, I’m not blaming Biltmore Farms for using its profits to survive a crazy maze of regulations. I would like the city to make fairness (e.g., not punishing hard-working middle classers who neither wish to take advantage of government programs nor hire expensive lawyers) a higher priority.