Planners forward rezoning request for motel site

FAYETTEVILLE — The former site of the Hi-Way Inn and Motel, once owned by the Fayetteville Housing Authority’s development nonprofit, could have more land uses made available under new ownership.

The Planning Commission voted 7-0 on Monday to forward a request to rezone the 0.6-acre property to the City Council with a recommendation of approval. The property includes Cafe Rue Orleans and a former motel the Housing Authority most recently used to relocate public housing residents during renovation of Hillcrest Towers downtown.

The authority sold the property to AMR Architects, with offices in Springdale and Little Rock, for $900,000 in December. Ownership of the property is listed under Parti Investments LLC, in Washington County property records.

The authority’s development nonprofit bought the property in 2019 for $670,000 with the intention of renovating the motel and eventually housing veterans. The plan never came to fruition. A year ago the authority’s board decided to sell the Hi-Way Inn property, along with other properties it owned under the development nonprofit, to recoup financial losses incurred during the covid-19 pandemic.

The City Council granted the current zoning, called community services, in 2019 so the authority could make residential use of the property. The rezoning request the Planning Commission supported Monday, called urban thoroughfare, allows the widest variety of land uses, said Gretchen Harrison, city planner.

The city is in the middle of an effort to rezone stretches of College Avenue as a redevelopment strategy under its 71B corridor plan. Engineers right now are focusing on the area from North to Sycamore streets, which includes the Hi-Way Inn property, Harrison said.

“The results of this rezoning will provide some valuable insight into the potential to rezone other portions of the 71B corridor in the future,” she said.

The new zoning would allow many of the same uses as the current one, such as a variety of single- and multifamily residences, offices and eating places. The urban thoroughfare zone also allows hotels, gas stations and drivein restaurants, commercial recreation and liquor stores.

Neither zoning has a density limit. The current zoning allows buildings to stand as high as five stories. The requested zone would allow

buildings farther than 15 feet from the street to be as high as seven stories.

Adam Day with AMR Architects told the commission the development plan for the property aligns with the city’s goals.

“Our redevelopment plans for the property are still a work in progress,” Day wrote in a letter to city planners. “However, we know the finished product will be mixeduse, engage the planned streetscape improvements along 71B corridor and contain a small motel component the property is originally known for.”

A motel use is conditional under the current zoning and only allowable with a permit from the Planning Commission.

No one from the public spoke about the request. Commissioners who spoke expressed enthusiasm for the development potential.

“I think this is a project that needs some love,” Commissioner Andrew Brink said. “I look forward to seeing what the applicants can do.”

Commissioner Mary McGetrick, who once served as long- range planner for the city, said staff have been working on ideas for that portion of College Avenue for a long time.

“I think it’s really a step in the right direction for the redevelopment of the 71B corridor,” she said.

Commissioners Matt Johnson and Quintin Canada were absent Monday. The City Council will have final say on the rezoning.