By DAVE HAMRICK
dhamrick@thecitizennews.com

Residents of the first two phases of Stonebriar subdivision in Fayetteville will have to cross Lester Road to get to the neighborhood recreation area in phase three.

That's a problem for two members of the Fayetteville Planning Commission, who voted against approving a preliminary plat for the 38-acre third phase last week.

But the plan was approved 3-2 with Allan Feldman and Kevin Bittinger voting against.

“I would not send a child across Lester Road,” said Feldman, but commission Chairman Myron Coxe argued that city laws don't require a recreation area at all. He said the commission should consider altering its laws later.

“It might behoove us to look closer at these relationships with the amenities packages in future,” he said.

Michael Lorber, representing developer Peachtree City Holdings Inc., said a junior Olympic size pool is planned for the development, and that's plenty big for the 263 homes in all three subdivision. People rarely walk to recreation areas, even in their immediate neighborhoods, he said.

“People will not walk,” he said. Plans also include a cart path and striped cross walk for those who do decide to cross the road on foot or bicycle, he said.

Commissioners also approved Ray Mitchell's request for a variance to allow his family to sell three lots in Mitchell Estates subdivision.

“Our father passed away, and we have to sell the land to pay the taxes,” said Mitchell's brother, Harry.

When the land was annexed into Fayetteville in 1973, he said, the lots in the subdivision met the standards at that time. But now city law requires that each lot have 150 feet of road frontage, and the Mitchells' three lots have 106, 145 and 143 feet. Twenty-five of the 42 lots in the subdivision don't meet the road frontage standard, he said.

“I don't believe this will be detrimental to any citizen in teh city,” said commission member Feldman.

“We have the right to make the call,” agreed Bittinger. The group approved the request unanimously.

In other action, commissioners:

Approved development plans for a wholesale plumbing warehouse and showroom for Ferguson Enterprises on Robinson Drive at Ga. Highway 54, with the stipulation that storage areas be screened with a wood veneer fence and stored pipe be stacked low and out of sight.

“This is an industrial area, but it's basically the introduction to everyone coming into Fayetteville,” said commission Chairman Coxe.

Unanimously voted to recommend rezoning out-parcels in the Magnolia Park office development from C-2 (commercial) to O-I (office-institutional) and other parcels from C-2 to C-1 (lighter commercial). The commission's earlier approval of the office park was conditioned on the out-parcels being rezoned for less intensive uses.

Unanimously voted to recommend denial of rezoning for Stone Ridge, a proposed Bob Adams Homes empty-nester subdivision on Ga. Highway 54 (see related story).

The Fayetteville City Council will discuss the rezoning requests June 5 with plans to vote on the requests June 19. Both meetings are at 7 p.m. at City Hall.