By MONROE ROARK
mroark@thecitizennews.com

Tuesday night's action by the Fayetteville Planning and Zoning Commission tabling developer Bob Rolader's annexation and rezoning request was an indicator that while the city is not at all opposed to at least considering the plan, the process will be a long and thorough one.

When about 90 minutes of discussion ended Tuesday night, all sides agreed that a number of questions must still be answered before the city can sign off on Rolader's proposal, which concerns 873 acres on the western end of Fayetteville along the south side of Ga. Highway 54, at Lester and Huiet roads.

Rolader restated his position that bringing the Deer Pointe subdivision into Fayetteville would allow some 454 homes to be hooked up to the city's sewer system, which he suggested is more environmentally sound than putting close to 500 homes on septic tanks, which would be allowed under the current county zoning.

Also on the table is Rolader's offer to donate a 215-acre portion of the tract to the city for open space, and give the city water rights to the two lakes on the property.

His development plan clusters the homes together in a fashion that allows for 43 percent of the property to remain open space.

In a meeting last Sunday night with area residents, Rolader said several issues of concern were discussed, such as donating land for a fire station and moving the development's amenity area away from Huiet Road, where floodlights could be a problem for some current residents. The entrance to the entire development could also be moved farther away from Lester Road. All of those items are now being considered, he said.

Rolader said that he has already conducted a traffic study for the area, which has received an F grade. A traffic light at Hwy. 54 and Lester Road, which he has agreed to install, would improve the situation, his study indicates.

A number of area residents addressed the commission and indicated that they were not in favor of rezoning or annexation under any circumstances. Several speakers emphasized that they want the city and the county to stick to all current zonings and the develop the rest of the county that way.

Traffic, school overcrowding, water capacity, and other traditional topics associated with growth and increased density were repeatedly cited by the audience members.

“I'm just asking not to annex or rezone until the politicians fix the problems they've already caused,” was how Bob Craft put it.

Craft, who does not live in the city but has 150 acres near the site in question, said that annexation and rezoning should only be done if and when a clear benefit to all of the county's citizens can be shown.

Commissioner Al Lipscomb said that the 215-acre open space area can be a large benefit, provided it is not altered by a future governing body.

She suggested that the city look into the possibility of turning that portion of the land over to the Southern Conservation Trust, which would guarantee that it remain in its present state and not be rezoned by a city council years down the road.

Commissioner Allen Feltman agreed, saying that the 215 acres should never even be touched by the city but go straight to the Trust if possible.

This will require study to determine the legal ramifications of such a move, making it one more of the many questions on the minds of the commissioners and the residents.

“I came in here tonight with a list of questions,” said chairman Myron Coxe. “After hearing from you [the audience], that list has doubled.”

While voting to table the request, the commission informed Rolader that he can continue to work with city staff to fashion various portions of what would eventually become a development agreement, should the city decide to approve his request.

Any development agreement reached between Rolader and the city would be legally binding and could not be altered even if the property were sold to someone else, the commissioners said.