Fayetteville is home to the new Pinewood Atlanta Studios and the incremental yet steady number of new jobs it will bring. But currently at 88 percent residential build-out, the city has a limited number of residential parcels to accommodate the expected growth in its pre-annexation areas.
Information supplied by the city shows 819 available residential lots. Fayetteville’s current population stands at 16,060 and carries a population estimate of 18,189 at build-out.
Single-family residential zoning comes in several forms: R-22 (Medium Density) permits approximately two units per acre, R-30 (Medium Density) requires a lot size of .69 acre and R-40 (Low Density) requires a lot size of one acre.
The city has 38 R-40 lots remaining. Of those 27 are located in the Bellemeade subdivision off Redwine Road on the city’s south side.
The largest number of potential single-family lots are found in property zoned R-30. Of the 223 lots available, 82 are located on the Oddo property on the south side and 48 are located in the undeveloped Logan Park subdivision off Helen Sams Parkway.
There are a total of 120 lots undeveloped in the R-22 zoning category spread out in several locations around the city.
Another residential zoning category, DR-15 (Two-family Residential), includes 33 lots across the city for potential development.
In terms of Planned Community District (PCD) residential, the city has 323 potential lots. Of those, 188 are high-density apartments and some attached homes for people aged 55 and older, 83 single-family lots are located at The Villages on Ga. Highway 54 West near downtown and 52 are located on the south side of the city off Ga. Highway 85 South.
The city also has the potential for 66 units for townhomes or condominiums on the south side off Hwy. 85. The zoning carries a R-THC designation and is permitted for up to six units per acre.
Finally, there are 16 potential units in the city designated as residential/professional.
It should be noted that, for several reasons, the 819 available parcels is not a hard and fast number. By way of example, that number does not include the 500 acres not under contract by Pinewood Atlanta Studios which are part of the 1,200 acres annexed in September. Yet even with 500 available acres, there exists some sentiment that little if any of that property should be slated for residential use.
The available parcels also include some properties, such as those on the city’s south side, that may or may not be developed in the foreseeable future.
Still another factor present in the mix deals with a small number of properties for which zoning might potentially change. One example is the proposed, and much-beleaguered, residential development on Grady Avenue.
Though originally proposed before the Great Recession for a residential use for people ages 55 and older, the 38-acre site is currently zoned Medical-Office and would require a change in zoning to be eligible for residential use. The site was not included in the 819-parcel list because it does not currently carry residential zoning.
A site across Hwy. 54 from the Grady Avenue area is currently zoned as a PCD project for residents aged 55 and up. The high-density site would carry 188 units, though its future is uncertain since the developer is relying on tax credits for a portion of the funding.
