It has been nearly six months since the large Folia Crossroads mixed-use development along Ga. Highway 54 West in Fayetteville was proposed. The item was tabled again at July 19 meeting of the Fayetteville City Council, though it expected to be back on the agenda on Aug. 2.
Folia Crossroads, a mixed-use development situated along Ga. Highway 54 West and South Sandy Creek Road and bordering Lake Bennett, is proposing 265 detached homes, 100,000 sq. ft. of retail and 50,000 sq. ft. of office space.
The project represents the largest mixed-use proposal since the approval of Pinewood Forest a short distance away on Veterans Parkway.
Folia was tabled at the July 19 to allow additional work on the development plan.
Folia recently completed the DRI (development of regional impact) process through the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority.
The project received a recommendation for approval at the May 22 meeting of the Fayetteville Planning and Zoning Commission, though with a number of conditions.
A potential sticking point is the staff recommendation that single-family homes be situated on minimum 7,000 sq. ft. lots. The developer is proposing a 4,000 sq. ft. minimum.
Folia would be located on the west side of Lake Bennett. Neighbors on the east side of the lake are arguing for a 100-foot buffer.
As previously presented, the retail and office component of the 145-acre property would be located along Hwy. 54 and would include restaurants, a brewery, commercial space, retail space, a drug store, boutique hotel and theater.
The residential component would be situated on the north and west portions of the property and would include 265 detached homes. Homes would range from 1,500 sq. ft. to more than 4,000 sq. ft., with price points from the $300,000s to the low $400,000s.
The total capital investment, including development and construction costs, is estimated at $102.48 million.
Also contained in the economic impact report were the number of jobs expected to be created. Those include, 250 retail jobs, 200 office jobs, 133 restaurant jobs, 74 theater jobs and 31 hotel jobs, for a total of 688 employment opportunities.
The Williams property site, on which Folia Crossroads is proposed, was part of 1,200 acres annexed into the city August 2013. The properties prior to the annexation were slated to develop as hamlets with a mixture of residential and commercial.
City Manager Ray Gibson told council members he expects the proposal to be back on the agenda on Aug. 2.
