The

city of Fayetteville will soon consider a major

annexation proposal that a local developer thinks

is a win-win situation. The parcels to the west

of Fayetteville, however, have a controversial

history, including a previous annexation that

rocked the city government more than a decade

ago.

The

land is part of a larger area that was first

annexed, then de-annexed in the mid-1980s in a

major upheaval in Fayetteville that ended with

several council members losing their seats in

recalls and subsequent elections. Some of the

current council members won their seats initially

Known

then as the Signa property, the land is getting a

fresh look by well-known Fayetteville developer

Bob Rolader.

Rolader

is asking that the city bring in 610 acres for

his Deer Pointe residential development on Ga.

Highway 54 West, Lester Road and Huet Road. In

return, he is offering a wealth of green space,

including 215 acres for a city park, to the city

for free.

The

plan, which includes a rezoning request to R-30

and a PUD, is on the agenda for Tuesday night's

Fayetteville Planning and Zoning Commission

meeting.

Rolader

estimates that 30-40 percent of the total

development would be green space, and he plans to

cluster the 454 homes he proposes for the

development to make those open areas larger and

more appealing.

With

annexation, Rolader gets something from the city

that he feels is very important for a development

this size - sewer hookups. "Sewer is a

big factor because of the size of the site,"

he said.

He

is also planning to let the city use several

small lakes on the property as a water source if

the city agrees to his proposal. "The city

has tried to purchase those water rights in the

past," he said. "I'll give it to

them."

Under

the current zoning as part of unincorporated

Fayette County, Rolader says he could build 518

homes on the property right now, with septic

tanks. He added that the smaller number of homes

with sewer would be much more environmentally

positive than having "500 septic tanks

leeching into the ground," as he put it.

Rolader

also said he wants to bring the home sizes up to

around 2,000 square feet, considerably larger

than the minimum under the site's current zoning.

This

land was part of a huge site that was annexed

into Fayetteville back in the 1980s with some

2,500 lots in the total plan. When the dust

settled, the land was deannexed by the state

legislature and some local elected officials were

recalled by outraged local citizens. Subsequent

litigation resulted in the overturning of the

state recall law and the adoption of a recall

process that many believe makes it harder to

remove elected officials from office.

City

Manager Joe Morton said that Rolader's proposal

will be looked at closely by Fayetteville

officials, and the process could take several

months. The city is under no legal obligation to

even consider an annexation, unlike a zoning

request, but because Fayetteville does not have a

moratorium on annexation like Peachtree City,

projects like this can be considered on a

case-by-case basis.

"It's

an opportunity for us to take a look at it and

see what the benefits would be to the city,"

said Morton.

Rolader

says it is an opportunity for a development that

"is a winner for the city and does not harm

the county either. This gives us 454 lots that we

know will work."

If

this proposal does not pass, Rolader said the

property will still be developed in the county,

but he will not be involved.

"Somebody

will develop this property," he said.

"It can either develop the old-fashioned way

or we can do it better."

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