Finding

space for an "empty-nester" subdivision

in Fayetteville appears to be a difficult task.

After

giving up last year in its attempt to establish a

low-maintenance neighborhood for seniors on

Beauregard Boulevard, Bob Adams Homes is asking

City Council to approve a change in zoning to

allow a similar subdivision on the south side of

Ga. Highway 54, east of Burch Road Office Park.

Council

will discuss the proposed Stone Ridge subdivision

in its work session tonight and business meeting

Monday, with plans to decide on the rezoning

Monday, June 19.

But

the city Planning Commission is unanimously

recommending denial, and residents of the area

are strongly opposed to the notion of putting 48

homes on 19.3 acres at the site.

"It's

far too dense for this area," said Bob

Davis, who lives next to the property in

question, expressing a feeling that was repeated

Commission's meeting last week.

The

proposed development is actually even more dense

than the 48 homes to 19.3 acres would suggest. A

small pond on the property will take up some

space, and so will streets, and part of the land

is unusable because it's in the flood plain of

Gingercake Creek. The homes actually would occupy

about 14 acres, each lot less than a third of an

acre.

But

that's not necessarily a bad thing, argued

Beverly Holder, representing Bob Adams Homes. If

the parcel received a similar zoning to other

neighborhoods in the area, it could have about 34

homes, Holder pointed out. But in Bob Adams

communities, there are fewer people per

household, so that while a normal community of 34

homes would have 93 people, the proposed 48 homes

would have only 72 people, she said.

Eighty-four

percent of residents in Adams communities are 50

or older. "It is a specific type of

community that requires a maintenance-free

life-style," she said. That's why the homes

are on smaller lots.

City

resident Dan Rossi warned that approval of such a

dense neighborhood would fly in the face of new

Atlanta Regional Commission goals of reducing

suburban sprawl, but Holder said the proposed

community is exactly in line with what ARC and

Gov. Roy Barnes are recommending.

"This

far exceeds the open space levels in the state

recommendations," she said.

But

other residents argued that all of the open space

in the Adams proposal is unusable anyway, because

it's in the flood plain.

Planning

Commission members said the neighborhood as

proposed might be a great thing for Fayetteville,

but not in its proposed location.

"We're

trying to encourage higher density neighborhoods

closer to the center of town," said

commission member Kevin Bittinger. "This is

on the outskirts of the city. This might be a

great development closer to the city," he

said.

The

city's land use plan calls for medium- to

low-density residential development on part of

the property in question, and office or

commercial development on other parts.

"This

isn't in accordance with our land use plan,"

said Planning Commission member Segis

"Al" Lipscomb, adding, "You can't

guarantee that there are going to be retirees

living there. I think this is

unsupportable."

Council

meets tonight and Monday at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

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