Rezoning gets planners’ OK in Fayetteville

Panel hears residents’ concerns; proposal heads to City Council

FAYETTEVILLE — A rezoning proposal for about 15 acres on the northeast side of town gained support from the Planning Commission on Monday despite opposition from residents concerned about the environment, traffic and neighborhood character.

Commissioners voted 5-2 to support rezoning 14.7 acres southeast of Oak Bailey Drive and Old Wire Road. The easternmost portion of the land includes the floodplain along Niokaska Creek.

The City Council will have final say on the rezoning. If approved, it would change most of the land, about 9½ acres, from a residential single family zone allowing up to four units an acre to a neighborhood conservation zone. A neighborhood conservation zone allows the same residential uses as the current zone but with smaller lots, shorter setbacks from the right of way and higher density.

The property could be developed under the current zoning with 32 dwellings, while rezoning to neighborhood conservation would allow up to 95 dwellings, said Donna Wonsower, city planner. The request also would realign the split zoning boundaries to match the floodplain, leaving 5.75 acres as undeveloped natural area.

Mitch Wei gel with Downtown Properties said the rezoning is intended to increase opportunities for housing in the city.

Seven people spoke to the commission in opposition to the request, both in person and online. Mary Anne Kull, who lives nearby, said she didn’t want to see the forested area lost and wanted to see an environmental impact study.

“Our densely wooded paradise could be transformed into a dense development,” she said.

Commission Chairwoman Sarah Sparkman supported the request and said the land could already be developed under the current zoning. Many of the public concerns seemed to center around the land being developed at all, she said.

“We need more housing in Fayetteville, and we cannot achieve it just by cramming it all into downtown and way off the dead end of Wedington,” Sparkman said. “We have to look at other places closer to the center of town.”

Commissioner Jimm Garlock voted against the rezoning and said he believed the request was not in line with the city’s future land use map and was incompatible with existing nearby neighborhoods. Mary Madden joined him in voting against.

Commissioner Joseph Holcomb recused from the vote. Commissioner Quintin Canada was absent Monday.

In other business, commissioners voted 80 to approve a development plan for Pigskin RV Park on 43½ wooded acres southwest of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Finger Road. The plan includes 165 recreational vehicle parking stalls, community pool, pavilion, sports courts, playground, dog park and bathrooms.

Taylor Lindley with Crafton Tull presented the proposal to the commission and said the Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Emergency Management Agency will inspect environmental aspects of the project. Farmington Branch, which is part of the Illinois River watershed, bisects the eastern portion of the site.

Commissioners in October granted changes to the project’s conditional land use permit that allowed additional amenities. Planning staff received public comment at the time expressing concerns over the impact to the environment, traffic and the potential for trespassers on nearby private property.

Lindley said the project will have fencing around it, creating a sort of gated community.

Additionally, commissioners split a pair of requests related to Cobblestone Farms, an attainable housing project northeast of Wedington Drive and 54th Street. The development plan for the project includes 108 residential units. The development plan expired, and the commission agreed to extend it for a year by an 80 vote.

A second request involved removing a tree preservation area from the northeast portion of the site. Lindley presented both requests to the commission and said the tree preservation easement could pose complications for a future phase of development.

The request to remove the tree preservation area from the project was denied 53. Commissioners Andrew Brink, Porter Winston and Mary McGetrick voted in favor.