The Fayetteville Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 25 sided with neighbors who objected to annexation and rezoning requests that would lead to the construction of a 270-home development of 62 acres on the city’s south side.
Planning commissioners voted 4-0 to recommend denial of the project.
Originally proposed during the summer, the item was held up until arbitration could be completed after the Fayette County Commission objected to the request.
A five-person panel appointed by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs recently reviewed the objection and declared it invalid, allowing Rolader to proceed with the request.
The property is located west of Jimmy Mayfield Boulevard, south of the Ga. Highway 92 Extension and a short distance to the east of Ga. Highway 85 South and the Ingles shopping center.
An application by Rolader and Sheffield Fayette Ventures requested the annexation and rezoning of 29.63 acres currently zoned R-40 (two acre lots) residential and only the rezoning of 32.53 acres zoned C-3 (commercial) and 36.4 acres zoned C-3, OS (open space) and R-THC (residential townhouse/condominium) since those parcels are already located in the city.
In total, the request involves approximately 270 residences, the majority of which are single-family detached homes.
The meeting room was essentially full for the Oct. 25 agenda.
Several residents from nearby subdivisions spoke in opposition to the development, citing traffic increases and congestion and the need for the city to follow the previous Southside Development Agreement which called for commercial zoning on a portion of the property. Other speakers thought townhomes would be better suited near the downtown area.
Once commissioners weighed in, Derryll Anderson asked, “Why now?”
“We’ve waited for 46 years,” Rolader responded, noting that the area was not developing as originally thought and adding that he pays $45,000 per year in property taxes.
Prior to the vote, others on the commission had questions about aspects of the proposal such as traffic and square footage. Rolader said he would be happy to have homes of 1,800 sq. ft. being a condition of an approval.
Chairman Sarah Murphy on several occasions had to ask the audience to refrain from interrupting Rolader and commissioners.
For his part, Rolader said his family has owned the property for 46 years. Rolader said his family developed a number of nearby subdivisions and, citing the current request, he said commerce has not occurred in the south Fayetteville area and “It doesn’t look like it will in the near future.”
Rolader said he did not believe the townhome component is ready for development at this time, adding that he also owns additional property in the area.
