Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Fville studies Roladers Pye Lake development dealBy BEN NELMS Fayetteville Planning and Zoning commissioners continued their evaluation of the Pye Lake Estates rezoning request at the Aug. 9 meeting. The rezoning would change the property from R-22 to R-22 PUD zoning. Though most of the questions about the development of 12 residential lots had been addressed at prior meetings, the board did continue their questions on a few specifics, including the paving of the new Pye Lake Drive to be located on the west side of the development. The development agreement also provides for the donation by property trustee Harriet Pye Parham and Rolader and Scarbrough Development of the 14.46-acre Pye Lake to the city and the sale of a 3.16-acre tract on the southeast side of the property to the city for $50,000. All proposed lots will have direct access from either Hood Avenue or the new Pye Lake Drive, currently configured as Pye Road. Plans call for all existing structures on the site to be removed. The minimum lot width for the development will be 70-feet with a minimum house size of 2,300 square feet, including at least 1,200 square feet on the first floor, said city Planner Eldridge Gunn. The citys Future Land Use Map designates the site for low-density, single family development. During the discussion, developer Bob Rolader said homes on the three lots adjacent to the new Pye Lake Drive will not be built until the street is completed. Referencing the new road, Chairman Sarah Murphy said it made sense not to pave the road until after the dam work is complete but questioned whether the eventual paving work would be at the expense of city taxpayers. The April 7 development agreement does not specify which party will be responsible for the paving, stating that either the city or Parham/Scarbrough and Rolader shall perform the work. During the discussion a nearby resident asked if the city-owned lake would be accessible to other residents. That and other issues will likely be addressed either by the planning board or the city council. The request had been tabled at a prior meeting because the board did not have a copy of the development agreement between property trustee Harriet Pye Parham, Scarbrough and Rolader and the city. Problems with the 39-year-old dam and the threat to life and property downstream surfaced several years ago. Studies showed that the Pye Lake dam had several structural problems. Several homes were damaged in June 2003 and problems identified that year by the state Safe Dams program revealed that a breach during a heavy rain event could endanger nearby residents. The dam is categorized as a Category 1 dam, meaning that its failure has the potential to endanger at least one life. Fayetteville maintenance crews installed a siphon in late 2003 to lower the water level to prevent further weakening. The city has applied for a $1 million FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant that would pay for 80 percent of the cost of the dam upgrade and two culvert upgrades on Cornwallis Way, according to a March 28 memo to council members from city engineer Don Easterbrook. Commissioners will likely make a final decision on the matter at the Aug. 23 meeting after which the request will go before the city council, regardless the decision of Planning and Zoning commissioners. Also at the meeting, commissioners discussed with Rolader a request for a rezoning and variance of approximately 19 acres on Ga. Highway 314 and Old White Road. The site is proposed for the 60-unit, single-family Grove Park residential development that would target adults 55 and older. Current zoning is C-3 Commercial. During the initial discussion of the proposal, commissioners raised concerns about limited greenspace and, specifically, the amount of traffic volume that would be generated. Rolader said he believed the proposed site would also generate significant peak traffic if it were developed commercially. Consideration of the request will occur at a future meeting. Fayetteville Planning and Zoning will meet Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. |
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