Wednesday, September 27, 2000
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Wednesday, September 27, 2000 |
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Groundbreaking near for major F'ville project By
MONROE ROARK
Developers of The Village in Fayetteville are looking to turn back the clock and produce a neighborhood that they say is reminiscent of the way towns were built nearly a century ago. Ground is expected to be broken on the 110-acre planned development within the next month or so, and residential lots should be ready for home builders by next spring. A presentation by developers to city officials at a luncheon last week left both sides very encouraged about the prospects for this unique project. "It's basically a self-contained community," as City Manager Joe Morton put it. "I think it will be a unique development. The city is fortunate to have it here." The primary developer, Fayetteville Village LLC, has laid out a master plan with a number of parks, amenity areas and quiet one-way streets that wrap around both residential and commercial property, giving residents the opportunity to "live, work and play" at the same location. Using design techniques that they say have not existed since before World War II, the developers plan to design, build and market the entire site as a team. Rather than simply putting in the infrastructure and then selling off lots to builders to construct as they please, they put together an extensive master plan that was presented to the city as a single project and considered for several months before the city approved it earlier this year. For city officials, this kind of organization makes things run much more smoothly, especially if any problems come along as the project is underway. "It works great for everybody to have one person overseeing the development," said Morton. Walter Rekuc of Eagle Real Estate Advisors in Suwanee, who led the presentation of the master plan last week, said that he wants The Village to be "another flagship community of ours. We want to show what an old-style neighborhood can look like." One of Rekuc's most recent projects, the 465-lot Rivermore Park in Suwanee, won several awards from the Georgia Home Builders Assocation, including Best Site Plan, and some national awards are still a possibility, he said. Also currently participating in a "Street of Dreams" project in Suwanee as well as a Southern Living home, the company has worked with the Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation on several developments with regard to various nature-related aspects, Rekuc said. The Village centers on 202 proposed residential units a combination of estate lots, townhouses and village lots on the site, which is bordered on the south by Ga. Highway 54, on the east by Tiger Trail, and on the north by Fayette County High School. In addition to the retail and office space available within the project itself, the close proximity of schools is expected to be a major selling point for potential residents. At least three town-square-style parks, similar to what is seen in the historic section of Savannah, are planned in an attempt to bring together the various land uses in a traditional neighborhood setting. Residential streets will have an unusual look due to the fact that most of the homes will have parking in the rear with access via alleyways. Some of the streets leading through these neighborhoods and into the town square areas could be one-way streets, Rekuc said, with bike lanes throughout. The developers are hoping to have 20 percent green space on the overall site. The emphasis will be on residential construction while the infrastructure is put in place, and retail marketing and construction is expected to pick up after the streets and parks are completed. Some of the residential units are expected to include loft apartments over certain commercial spaces. The main entrance from Ga. Highway 85 will be on what is now LaFayette, which will lead directly into the main boulevard that runs throughout the development. A day care center is planned for the corner of LaFayette and Tiger Trail. A traffic light is proposed for Hwy. 85 at LaFayette, but that has not yet been finalized. A light is also planned for the Village's primary southern entrance off Hwy. 54. Negotiations between the developers and the city are ongoing with regard to that intersection, as city officials want to be certain it will line up with an office development now being built on the opposite side of Hwy. 54. Both Rekuc and Morton said last week that they believe the details on that aspect of the plan will be worked out fairly soon. Another traffic signal is planned for Hwy. 54 at the southern end of Tiger Trail, next to a portion of the site that the developers hope will eventually contain a hotel and conference center. Estate homes are expected to be in the 3,000-sq. ft. range, on 30,000-sq. ft. lots. Cottage homes, starting at 2,250 square feet, will sit on lots of about 7,000-8,500 square feet. Village homes, on slightly smaller lots than cottage homes, will be a minimum of 1,850 square feet. Attached townhomes, in traditional Brownstone style, start at 1,200 square feet and are 25 feet wide.
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