Residents objected to high-density residential, but liked the shift to offices —
What had originally been proposed for apartments on Ga. Highway 54 West across from Piedmont Fayette Hospital was rezoned on Feb. 21 for office space at the request of the owner.
The Fayetteville City Council on Feb. 21 accepted the request of property owner Terwilliger Pappas Multifamily Partners, and to the liking of nearby residential neighbors, rezoned the 31-acre property to OI (office institutional) for future office space.
Adjacent to the Togwatee Village office and retail area, the Dogwood Forest assisted living facility and the Emory Springs subdivision, the 31.55-acre property was proposed in June 2018 for 240 apartments and 12,000 sq. ft. of office space.
Planning commissioners and council members in previous meetings agreed with neighbors, noting that apartments are more suitable, per city plans, to be located nearer to the downtown area.
Meantime, the Fayetteville Comprehensive Plan placed the property in the Business Park character area.
The property had been zoned for single-family residential, though questions arose in past meetings about the likelihood of it being developed for such a purpose given that it fronts Hwy. 54 West, is surrounded by retail, office and medical institutional spaces to the east and west and by Piedmont Fayette Hospital and other medical offices to the north.
Things changed on Jan. 17, when the applicant requested the property be zoned office-institutional, noting that the property could be marketed for that purpose.
The Feb. 21 vote to rezone the property to OI was unanimous.
