A couple of years ago, Revol Church — led by Pastor Matthew Coleman and Michelle Coleman — was donated over 10 acres of open fields in the Beaverdam Valley.
This land was given freely with the understanding that it would serve the church and the Beaverdam community — not be treated as a private asset or sold for development. It was entrusted to the church to be stewarded along with their building, so that whoever occupies the church could use the land for ministry and community benefit.
Revol Church is now in discussions to potentially sell this land to Red Tree Builders for residential development. The 10+ acre property was originally listed in October, but was taken down within a day due to floodplain and covenant issues with the land. Since the listing went up, members of the Beaverdam community have reportedly been working to preserve the land from development, but have been unable to reach an agreement.
Of the 10+ acres, only a portion of the land is buildable due to floodway and floodplain restrictions. The original property covenant also restricts the number of buildable lots. Revol is currently staking out these buildable lots for potential development. Because of potential contamination concerns in the ground, soil tests are now being conducted on the buildable portions.
Beyond the broader community concerns, there are significant environmental factors associated with this property to consider. Development adjacent to designated floodway areas raises important questions about stormwater management, erosion control, wildlife habitat, and long-term flood resilience for the Beaverdam valley. Clearing vegetation, grading, and adding impervious surfaces such as roads, rooftops, and driveways increases stormwater runoff and reduces the land’s natural ability to absorb water. In areas like the Beaverdam valley, this can contribute to faster runoff, greater stream bank erosion, and increased downstream flood pressure. Open fields along creek corridors often serve as natural flood buffers, groundwater recharge zones, and important wildlife movement corridors. Wildlife habitat preservation is more important than ever, as more of our greenspaces disappear every year due to overdevelopment. As extreme weather events increase and flood mitigation becomes more important across the region, the potential environmental impacts of developing land next to protected flood areas deserve careful examination.
This field has served the community for decades as open green space. Many residents believe selling it for development contradicts the original purpose for which the land was donated and removes one of the last remaining natural buffers in Beaverdam. The Beaverdam valley and the greater Asheville community care deeply about protecting open space and strengthening environmental safeguards. Coming together as a community to raise awareness and shine a light on important matters is crucial.
• Contact local news outlets and request coverage
• Reach out to city officials and ask for help
• Encourage environmental review and public discussion
• Share this information respectfully with neighbors
• Share this reddit post with those in Asheville and the surrounding areas
• Reach out to the parties involved and respectfully express your concerns
Community awareness matters!
Asheville Watchdog
Phone: (828) 423-0534
Email: bark@avlwatchdog.org
Asheville Citizen-Times
Email: news@citizen-times.com
Mountain Xpress
Email: news@mountainx.com
Phone: (828) 251-1333
WLOS
Email: news@wlos.com
Phone: 828-684-1340
Asheville City Council
Email: ashevillenccouncil@ashevillenc.gov
If you are having trouble finding the right words, feel free to use or modify the sample message below:
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing regarding the potential sale of the green space property at 408 Beaverdam Rd by Revol Church for residential development. This land was donated to Revol a few years ago to support ministry and serve the Beaverdam community, and it has functioned as open green space for decades.
Given the property’s proximity to designated flood areas, the potential environmental impacts of adjacent development — including stormwater runoff, erosion, loss of natural buffer land, and impacts to wildlife habitat — deserve careful examination and public transparency. Many in the community believe preserving remaining green space is an important priority for Beaverdam’s long-term environmental resilience and neighborhood character.
I respectfully ask that you look into this matter and consider covering the story so the broader Asheville community can stay informed.
Thank you for your time and attention.