Practically all the previous neighborhood opposition to the Grove Park residential development on Ga. Highway 314 had evaporated by the time the issue got to Fayetteville City Council members Jan. 5. The occasion was the first reading of the proposed development.

Addressing the council, developer Bob Rolader relayed the progress that had been made in bringing the 60-home development closer to fruition. Slated for marketing to home buyers 55 years and older, the proposed DR-15 development would be situated on approximately 19 acres along Hwy. 314 near White Road. Rolader said he had met with neighboring residents to address many of their concerns.

“This had been a long and interesting process,” said Rolader. “We didn’t realize how many factors were going on with the neighboring communities that would be affected by this project."

Rolader said the proposal had been discussed at four Planning and Zoning meetings and one with the neighboring residents.

“A major objection was that we were coming out on White Road. We’ve done away with that.”

Rolader said an alternative plan, approved by Georgia Dept. of Transportation, will have access to the development on Hwy. 314 at the traffic light at Lowe’s.

“We’ve met with DOT and have been able to bring the the size down from a monster commercial intersection to a residential entrance which we think will be beneficial for everyone,” Rolader said.

Rolader said thousands of flyers were distributed months ago stating that the development would contain cheap, small houses. That would have been good reason for concern had the information been correct, he said. Rolader promised, as he had done on previous occasions, that the minimum home size would be 1,800 square feet with lot prices starting at $65,000 and home prices ranging from $250,000-300,000.

Drainage concerns surfaced by numerous residents in previous meetings were also resolved, Rolader said. A detention pond that had been planned near the Clairmont subdivision has been removed from the plans, he said. The detention pond located at the southwest side of the property will be enlarged, he said.

The issue he could not control, Rolader said, were complaints of the sewer smell noted by residents in earlier meetings. Some residents had previously stated that the obnoxious odors had been present for years. Though city staff has recently addressed the problem, one local resident at the Jan. 5 meeting said the problem had not been resolved.

If the site was developed commercially as allowed under current zoning, accommodations such as being made by his company would likely not occur, Rolader said.

Several area residents addressed the council during the public hearing portion of the meeting. Nearly all spoke in favor of the residential development, citing the number of positive changes made by Rolader at residents’ request. Continued oversight by the city was urged.

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