Apple Seeds looks to grow its operation

Fayetteville planners OK changes to group’s permit

FAYETTEVILLE — Apple Seeds is growing its operation.

Planning commissioners voted 7-0 Monday to change the permit the nonprofit group was granted in 2015. The permit allows Apple Seeds to use a house at 2648 N. Old Wire Road as its office and teaching kitchen. Last year, the commission approved a change to the permit to include a greenhouse on site.

Apple Seeds seeks to educate children about healthy eating through gardening and cooking. The group bought the property with the house from the city for $200,000 and leases about 2 acres from Gulley Park for a teaching farm.

With the newest change to the permit, Apple Seeds will be able to expand its office by about 1,000 square feet. It also will be able to build a second greenhouse of about 300 square feet. The request also includes a covered patio next to the teaching kitchen and a 200-square-foot tool shed.

The group’s programming also will change under the amended permit. Eight events per year with up to 300 people and ending at 10 p.m. will be allowed. The previous rule was three annual events ending at 11 p.m. Apple Seeds also will be able

to hold culinary experiences such as tastings, dinners and small group gatherings until 9 p.m.

Planning Director Andrew Garner said the city hasn’t received any complaints about Apple Seeds.

Mary Thompson, director of Apple Seeds, said the teaching farm exists because of cooperation with the city.

“We’ve reached 10,000 students in one year,” she said. “They come out for field trips, for cooking classes, for gardening and connections to where their food comes from. It helps with encouraging green solutions in the city.”

A neighbor brought up the parking situation during Monday’s meeting. The group has an agreement with the Parks and Recreation Department for school buses to park at the Gulley Park parking lot. Thompson said the group met with parks staff to put out clear signs for bus drivers.

Commissioner Porter Winston said he was glad to hear there haven’t been complaints.

“It’s very heartening that the neighborhood supports this,” he said.

In other business, the commission approved accepting a combination of park land and money in association with the Homes at Willow Bend project. Under the agreement, the city will receive under a half an acre for a park and $36,931. The nonprofit developer, Partners for Better Housing, would pay about $54,000 without the land dedication.

New residential developments in the city have to either dedicate land for a park or pay a fee instead, or some combination of the two. Parks staff uses a formula to determine how much land and/or money is required.

Willow Bend broke ground in 2017. About 80 homes will go on nine acres east of South Washington Avenue, three blocks from Walker Park. Two-thirds of the homes will be reserved to families at or below 80% median income for the region.

Parks staff recommending against accepting the park land because of the development’s closeness to Walker Park and other amenities. Keaton Smith, chairman of the board for Partners for Better Housing, said the group envisioned a central green with a small lawn, soft surface trail, green stormwater features and educational opportunities.

Commission Chairman Matt Hoffman said the city should encourage small park areas that police themselves and use good urban design. Hoffman disclosed his wife is on the Partners for Better Housing Board, but he has no financial involvement in the project.

“I think this could be an excellent case study for the kind of small, neighborhood park we would like to see elsewhere in town,” he said.