Lawyers

are still working out the details of a complex

development agreement for The Village, a proposed

mix if homes, businesses, offices and parks that

is expected to transform the face of downtown

Fayetteville.

City

Council Monday night tabled action on a rezoning

request for the development. Council members want

the development agreement in hand before deciding

whether the project can go forward.

Development

firm Neo Main Street LLC is seeking PCD (planned

community development), a new zoning category

that provides for mixed use developments like The

Village.

The

company's plan includes 203 homes of varying

densities, plus a neighborhood shopping square, a

day care center, a class A office complex, a

hotel/conference center and several neighborhood

parks on the 110-acre McElwaney property at Ga.

Highway 54 and Tiger Trail.

Council

members in the past have enthusiastically

endorsed the concept, which was designed by

consultants hired by the city to master-plan the

tract. But concerns over traffic have surfaced in

more recent discussions, with some council

members asking for traffic impact studies

extending over most of the city's main

thoroughfares.

During

last week's work session, developer Bob Rolader

asked council members how far he should go in

studying traffic impact, and got varying answers.

Councilmen

Larry Dell and Bill Talley said they thought it

would be sufficient if Rolader studies the

traffic impact around LaFayette Avenue at Ga.

Highway 85, at Tiger Trail and Ga. Highway 54,

and at the main entrance to The Village, which is

also on Hwy. 54.

But

Councilman Al Hovey-King said he wants a lot more

information than that. Rolader should provide the

city with a traffic impact study that encompasses

everything on Ga. Highway 85 from Ga. Highway 92

on the south side to Jeff Davis Drive on the

north, and everything on Ga. Highway 54 from

Gingercake Road on the west to Jeff Davis Drive

on the east.

"That's

basically the whole town," Rolader

protested. "It's going to impact the whole

town," replied Hovey-King.

Rolader

said it's almost impossible to predict traffic

impact several miles away from the project, but

Hovey-King said he should use existing data from

the state Department of Transportation and try to

put together at least a rough picture.

"It's

easy to say why you cant - it's a little bit

more difficult to figure out how you can,"

he said.

The

matter will next appear on council's agenda for

its April 26 work session and May 1 business

meeting.

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