After

more than a year of planning and discussion,

Fayetteville leaders may act on a proposed

110-acre mixed-use development in the heart of

the city next week.

The

Village, which includes 203 homes plus a hotel,

offices, a neighborhood shopping square and

several parks, is hailed by some leaders as a

defining development that will ensure future

quality of life for the city center. But the city

Planning Commission has unanimously recommended

that City Council deny a rezoning application

from developers Argonne Properties, saying Ga.

Highway 85 can't handle the traffic.

City

Council will discuss the plan during its work

session tonight and could vote yea or nay during

its business meeting Monday.

Public

comment will be invited at both meetings.

Using

a plan drawn last spring by a city-paid

consultant, Argonne proposes to build 203 homes,

plus 117,900 square feet of offices, a

neighborhood shopping area, a hotel and several

parks. The retail portion would include a

150-child day care facility, 25,100 square feet

of restaurants, 135,400 square feet of

neighborhood shopping and a 5,400-sq. ft. bank.

The property, at Tiger Trail and Ga. Highway 54

next to Fayette County High School, was purchased

recently from the McElwaney family, which had

owned it for more than 100 years.

Developers

are asking that its zoning be changed from R-22

(which would allow a subdivision of about 150-200

homes but nothing else) to PCD (which would allow

the proposed mixed uses).

PCD

(planned community development) zoning doesn't

exist, but council is expected to approve an

ordinance creating the new category Monday as

well. The category is designed specifically for

large-acreage, master-planned projects like The

Village.

According

to planning director Maurice Ungaro, PCD will

give the city an additional tool to encourage

well-planned, creative developments as opposed to

"cookie-cutter" subdivisions.

"It

allows for a master-planned community,"

Ungaro told council in an earlier work session.

Developers are required to submit a complete plan

showing street layouts, amenities, lot lines and

all other details, he said, adding that without

an umbrella zoning category, "We cannot hold

someone's feet to the fire. There's no guarantee

they'll be constructed like that."

Under

PCD, he said, "Anything submitted with the

application runs with the land," so even if

the property is sold, the new owner will be bound

Planning

commissioners recommended approval of the new

category, and had high praise for Argonne

Properties' plan for The Village, but

commissioners said they couldn't support building

The Village so near Hwy. 85. Commissioner Segis

"Al" Lipscomb added that traffic on the

road already is at levels predicted for 2010.

"Great

project, wrong place," said commission

member Allan Feldman.

City

Council members haven't discussed the project

yet, but council voted last May to approve the

plan "in principle" before developers

began the expensive process of drawing more

detailed plans.

Tonight's

and Monday's council meetings are at 7 p.m.

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