Rezoning Request Approved By Farmington Commission

FARMINGTON — The Farmington Planning Commission approved a request June 25 to rezone about 45 acres along U.S. 62, Holland Drive and Alberta Street from A-1, agriculture, to multi-family and highway commercial.

Brett Watts submitted the rezoning request on behalf of Rausch Coleman Development Group.

The commission's recommendation to rezone the property will now go before the Farmington City Council.

The commission's agenda also included a preliminary plat to develop the property but Watts, a project manager for Rausch Coleman, withdrew the plat because the company has a contract to sell about four acres of the land. Watts said the preliminary plat would be amended and come before the planning at a later date.

The commission approved rezoning one lot with 10.18 acres south of Alberta Street and west of Holland Drive as MF-1 and the rest of the land as C- 2 or highway commercial. The MF-1 area is located adjacent to Rausch Coleman's Walnut Crossing subdivision and across the street from its new development called The Cove. Both of these developments are in the Fayetteville city limits.

According to the city's zoning ordinance, an MF-1 zone allows single family and multi-family residential development on lots that must be at least 7,500 square feet. For multi-family units, only duplexes are allowed. The zoning ordinance states that an MF-1 zone serves as a buffer to provide for a transition from higher density to lower density development.

A C-2 zone allows most businesses, including retail stores and office buildings.

No one from the public objected to the rezoning request but one adjacent property owner addressed the commission to ask questions. Cassie Walker lives on Christy Lane and said she received a certified letter about the rezoning request and wondered how the development would affect her property. The land rezoned as MF-1 abuts the back of her property.

Watts said the company is proposing to build about 32 duplexes on the 10 acres south of Alberta Street. He said plans include a 6-foot privacy fence around the duplexes and noted that a 55-foot drainage easement already exists on the western edge of the property behind Walker's house. Walker took notes but did not comment about the rezoning request.

Commissioner Josh Clary asked about tabling the request for a multifamily zone to get more information about the proposed development.

“Does everyone here feel you have enough information to turn that field into 32 duplexes?” Clary asked.

Chairman Robert Mann said he personally felt comfortable with the rezoning.

“We left areas like this A-1 just for this purpose, not knowing what people would want to build there,” Mann said. “In my opinion, duplexes would work there.”

City Business Manager Melissa McCarville pointed out that the developer will have to come before the commission with a large scale development plan for the 10-acre lot.

“It's only being rezoned as one lot and the only way it can be developed is as a large scale development,” McCarville said. “It's not separate lots. It's one large lot.”

Clary responded, “If I were to live next to this, what concerns would I have?”

Mann pointed out that Rausch Coleman delivered letters to all adjacent property owners and only one person came before the commission to ask questions.

The commission, including Clary, unanimously voted to recommend that the city council rezone the property.

After the meeting, Watts said a developer had approached Rausch Coleman about purchasing the property.

He said Rausch Coleman eventually would sell the property and the new owner would develop the property as commercial and multifamily. He declined to name the organization interested in purchasing the property.