Wednesday, October 16, 2002
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Wednesday, October 16, 2002 |
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Fayetteville studying downtown improvements
By MONROE
ROARK
A group of citizens and business owners is having a hand in deciding how downtown Fayetteville should take shape. Buoyed by a $75,000 Livable Centers Initiative grant, city officials have organized a series of workshops to determine how that money, along with an $18,500 city match, should be spent. The city was required to guarantee a 20 percent match to be eligible for the grant. The area being studied includes the entire Main Street District, in addition to the Ga. Highway 85 north corridor to Ga. Highway 314. City officials formed a steering committee, consisting of people who live and/or work in the downtown area, but participation in the last two meetings has been widespread, according to city planning director Jahnee Prince. Participants have been asked, "What do you want downtown to be like?" The first step in answering that question came during the first meeting, when an outside consulting firm took a visual survey, showing slides of various styles and ideas concerning landscapes, buildings, streetscapes, civic art, and other features such as park benches. Other questions were asked, such as what types of businesses are needed downtown and what should not be located there. A market study by another consulting firm showed that Fayetteville contains more retail space than the city alone can support, although many people come from outside the city to shop there, and there is also a considerable amount of vacant space. "We're trying to balance land uses," said Prince. The second workshop meeting, which convened last week, saw the results of the initial survey unveiled. Prince said that there was considerable support for heavy landscaping and parks in the downtown area, and there was also some sentiment in favor of single-family homes downtown. Many people also like the idea of two- and three-story buildings right up against the street, with retail on the ground floor and residential space on upper floors. During the latter part of last week's meeting, the participants formed small groups and discussed how these various uses should be configured, and what should go where. Areas where those groups agree will form the basis of whatever recommendation is made to the City Council. The next public hearing will take place sometime in November, after which a presentation is made to the City Council, Prince said. The next step, whatever it is, will require another grant application. The entire amount of the first grant was for planning and studies, and a construction grant will be applied for after a concept is approved. That will be harder to get, Prince said, as the process is very competitive and Fayetteville would go up against many other municipalities. A number of homeowners associations are being represented during the workshops, but the city does not have contact information for every neighborhood, Prince said. All homeowners associations in and around Fayetteville are encouraged to register with the city's Planning Department so that they can be informed whenever important events such as these meetings are taking place.
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