Fayetteville City Council Dec. 7 voted to deny an amendment request from Summit Point subdivision builder Jeff Betsill that would allow the addition of vinyl siding as one of the exterior building materials allowed. The council voted instead to hold to the South Side Master Plan development agreement.

Betsill asked to have vinyl siding included as an allowed building material to help offset costs, thus enhancing the affordability of homes in the subdivision.

Homes currently range from $260,000 and above, Betsill said. Installing vinyl siding on the exterior rather than hardi-plank siding would accommodate a cumulative reduction in price of $10,000-15,000, he said. The move would make homes more affordable to first-time and other home buyers.

Betsill said he began construction in the 50-home subdivision two years ago. He has completed several homes but has only closed on two.

“We’re trying to lower costs without compromising aesthetics,” Betsill said. “I feel today’s vinyl is superior to anything except brick.”

Betsill added that he had deep roots in Fayetteville and would not do anything to hurt the subdivision or the city.

Vinyl Siding Institute’s Dewayne Williams accompanied Betsill, speaking to the merits of vinyl siding currently in use and noting that application of the product is done by the same workforce that applies hardi-plank.

If the workmanship in applying vinyl siding was shoddy, he said in response to a comment from a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, the application of hardi-plank would also be shoddy.

Williams also responded to a city fire department statement that vinyl provides no barrier during a fire and that a grass fire involving vinyl can damage a home’s exterior. Vinyl is Class A rated like hardi-plank and vinyl adds no fuel to the fire, Williams said.

Prior to the vote to deny the amendment, Mayor Ken Steele suggested that home’s square footage might be reduced by 100 square feet to provide the means to reduce overall pricing, thus negating the need for the amendment allowing vinyl siding.

The vote came with a consensus that the South Side Master Plan development agreement should be followed. That agreement did not allow vinyl siding as an exterior material.

Both Planning and Zoning commissioners and city planning staff recommended a denial of the request.

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