Do something to break up the “big box” look of the anchor, get rid of some of the parking and add more greenspace, make a commitment to the maximum number of luxury office/apartments and provide elevations that the council can rely on.

That was the word to Heritage Creek Development’s Wayne Kendall on April 3 after the Fayetteville City Council got a look at the proposal that would put 162,850 square feet of retail/office/residential space on 13.7 acres at The Villages at Lafayette on Ga. Highway 54 between Meeting Place Drive and Lafayette Avenue.

The site is southwest of Fayette County High School.

To date, there has been no objection to the proposal to shrink the number of buildings contained in the 2000 Planned Community Development (PCD) agreement from 13 to seven and to shrink the square footage from 175,000 to 162,850.

The main sticking point, but not the only one, has been the size of the proposed 45,100-square-foot anchor store, up from 33,000 in the original plan.

City officials agreed from the outset that the grocery store called for in the 2000 agreement would not fly in today’s saturated grocery market.

Kendall’s proposal is to locate a fitness center, probably LA Fitness, as the anchor if a deal can be struck.

City Planning Director Eldridge Gunn at the April 3 meeting provided the council with an overview of the suggestions by the city’s Architectural Review Committee that had previously weighed in on the project, citing virtually the same concerns expressed minutes later by the council and by Planning and Zoning commissioners in March.

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3-2 to recommend approval of the rezoning with the understanding that the anchor be tied to a fitness center.

Gunn noted the committee’s comments that the 45,000-square-foot anchor was thought to be out of scale with the overall development, though it could be architecturally treated to break up the space and make the building appear smaller.

Also needed was architectural treatment of the two three-story retail/office/residential buildings on the property’s east side.

Other recommendations included accentuating the landscaping along Lafayette Avenue and Meeting Place Drive, breaking up the very large parking area where most of the 557 parking spaces in the proposal are designated for the anchor, the inclusion of significant greenspace scattered throughout the development and maintaining pedestrian connectivity across the development.

Many of those issues could be addressed during the development process, Gunn said.

Council members were quick to agree with the committee’s comments, with Mayor Ken Steele initially providing a review of the spirit of the original PCD agreement.

“We’re committed to the PCD and seeing it through to fruition,” Steele said. “Speed is not of the essence, but quality is. The proposal tonight represents a bit of a change, but not a dramatic one.”

Kendall agreed with the council that the two three-story retail/office/apartment buildings should be articulated, including with overhanging balconies or sun-rooms, to break up the straight-line look of a single building.

Approximately 44 one- and two-story luxury apartments and offices over the first floor retail would range from more than 1,200 square feet up to 2,400 square feet, he said. The office/residential spaces would be constructed so that they can be easily transformed into condos once the local market returns, said Kendall.

In all, the proposal would locate the 45,100-square-foot anchor on the northwest side of the property with a large parking area immediately to the east.

The two three-story retail/office/residential buildings would be located on the east side of the property, adjacent to the large square and fountain across from Hampton Inn.

Four 5,500-square-foot retail buildings would be located on the east central portion of the site with a 1.13-acre out-parcel on the southwest corner of the property.

During the public comments portion of the hearing, a number of Villages residents offered opinions on the proposed development. The comments of Mark King were representative of many.

He said neighbors support the basic idea contained in the plan. Their concerns, he said, are with quality and how the project is executed.

“As long as the quality is assured, we support it,” King said.

Other neighbors noted some concerns over the large expanse of parking in front of the anchor building. Still other neighbors said they were happy to see a development proposal initiated for the property.

By meeting’s end, Heritage Creek had the point brought home that council members wanted to stay as close to the original PCD agreement as possible.

The council said Heritage should include architectural treatment for the anchor and retail/office/apartment buildings, adjust the anchor parking with more greenspace, make a commitment to the number of office/apartments and provide elevations for the next meeting.

Kendall said he was hoping to get a go-ahead prior to late May, asking if he could return to the council April 17 or May 1. Steele said Heritage could try for the first meeting in May.

The proposed changes to the PCD document are currently under review by the city attorney.

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