Planners approve redesign requests to allow food store

FAYETTEVILLE — The Planning Commission approved a few variances to city code so Ozark Natural Foods can build its new location as proposed.

Commissioners voted 6-1, with Matt Johnson voting against and Leslie Belden abstaining, to allow the organic foods cooperative a few exceptions to the city’s design standards. The variances mostly had to do with the outside appearance, not the building, of the property.

The property being discussed was the longstanding site of IGA at the southeast corner of College Avenue and Lafayette Street. Plans have been in the works since last year to move Ozark Natural Foods from Evelyn Hills to the location. The cooperative bought the property at 380 N. College Ave. in October for $3.6 million.

Alli Quinlan with Flintlock Architecture & Landscape presented the requests for variances in code to the commission. Quinlan’s firm, along with Modus Studio and BLKBOX, have been working on the property’s redesign.

As proposed, the front entrance to the store would face College Avenue, rather than Lafayette Street as it does now. A pedestrian area with patio seating would go

directly in front of the entrance. The entrance would have steps and a roof extending from the building to provide shade.

A gap in the trees would lead people from the sidewalk along College Avenue to the front entrance. Chairman Matt Hoffman asked some kind of bumped material be placed there so cars don’t confuse it for curb access.

Michael Maulden, who lives immediately east, asked that the aging fence separating the building and parking lot from nearby residences be replaced. Commissioners agreed, and included substantially rebuilding the fence into their conditions for approval.

Commissioner Rob Sharp said it was clear the fence needs to be replaced.

“This is pretty heavy commercial next to residential,” he said. “This is a case where a good, strong barrier would be useful.”

In other business, the commission approved 8-0 a use permit for cluster housing north of Old Farmington Road, near the planned Centennial Park west of Interstate 49. The nearly 5-acre piece of land that stretches northsouth would have 24 homes with courtyards.

The homes would be about 588 square feet and have one bedroom and one bathroom, according to a letter sent to the city’s planning staff. Brian Teague with Community By Design, representing the property owners, said each home would be similar to the Ozark vernacular style, with front porches and private parking space.

“We really think they’ll feel like a truly single-family house,” he said.

Three residents spoke, expressing concerns about flooding in the area. Mary Ann Westphal, a local attorney, said she owns a rental house on Old Farmington Road that started flooding after homes were built to the east. She worried more development would exacerbate the problem.

“You keep allowing additional developments to go in,” Westphal said. “I don’t have a problem with that, as long as you fix the water problem.”

Teague showed the commission a conceptual drawing of the development and said there were a number of opportunities for detention ponds, rain gardens, permeable pavement and other flood-mitigating measures.

Planning Director Andrew Garner said a drainage study is included as a condition for the use permit’s approval. Planning staff will review the specific measures during the development phase, he said.

“Sometimes when the development happens, it can actually improve the drainage situation,” Garner said. “There may be some problems that have been in this area for a long time, but we actually get a study with this project and it might be a minor thing that can be fixed.”