Road link might be shrunk to path for Fville subdivision

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

There may be a compromise between Fayetteville city officials who want a road built to add a second entrance to a subdivision and the homeowners who don't want the road at all.

The city has proposed substituting an eight-foot wide multi-use path that would link Highland Park subdivision to the adjacent Pecan Ridge subdivision. The "path" would be built to road standards so it could be used by emergency vehicles if necessary, said Jahnee Prince, the city's director of planning and zoning.

The city council postponed action on the compromise at last week's meeting so it could wait for results of a poll on the matter that will be taken among homeowners of the Highland Park subdivision. The city required the road to be built back when it approved the rezoning for the subdivision several years ago.

A number of Highland Park residents petitioned the council to reconsider the road requirement, saying it wasn't necessary.

The road was originally considered important so public safety vehicles could have a second entry to Highland Park. It would also give them another way to access Ga. Highway 54 West, avoiding the sometimes-crowded Jeff Davis Drive.

Councilman Walt White said the path might create safety problems, particularly if young drivers choose to use it as a regular thoroughfare.

"We could have an accident with somebody trying to cut through and be cute," White said.

But Mayor Ken Steele said the safety issue shouldn't be the council's sole consideration.

"... If they subdivision says overwhelmingly they don't need it, who are we to enforce it?" Steele said.