High-end rental cottages up for vote in Fayetteville

The Feb. 20 meeting of the Fayetteville City Council will include the State of the City address by Mayor Ed Johnson and the second public hearing and potential vote on the rezoning request by OneStreet Residential to construct a 63-unit active adult rental cottage development on 8 acres at Ga. Highway 54 West and Lafayette Avenue near the city center.

Mayor Ed Johnson at the beginning of the meeting will present his annual State of the City address.

Also on the agenda will be the second hearing and likely vote on a proposal by OneStreet Residential, developer and manager of the adjacent Hearthside Club Lafayette senior apartments, for a 63-unit, active adult cottage development situated on 8.13 acres near downtown on Ga. Highway 54 West at Lafayette Avenue/Campaign Trail.

City planning staff at a Jan. 27 work session on the proposal noted that the property was previously zoned in 2014 for a 30-unit memory care building, a 60-unit assisted living building and 24 single-family independent living homes, totaling 114 units in all. The current proposal represents a significant decrease in density.

OneStreet representatives on Jan. 27 said the intent was to modify the current development agreement to provide a less intense, active adult (55 years and up) community, with all the cottages being rentals.

OneStreet Senior Managing Partner David Dixon noted that the plan, for which OneStreet continues to see a market, is to provide a residential alternative for active, discretionary renters age 55 and older, without having to opt for an apartment.

Though plans call for 63 cottages, the development footprint calls for approximately 50 1- and 2-story buildings. The exterior grounds would include amenities such as walking trails, resident gardens, pet areas and grilling stations. The cottages will include comprehensive and maintenance-free living.

Floor plans will range from 1,138-1,864 sq. ft. and carry a rental price of $1,900-2,600, with an average of $2,300.

The price point puts the cottages at 15 percent higher than the rent at the adjacent Meridian at Lafayette Apartments without living in an apartment.