Things are looking up again

in Fayette Christian School's quest to obtain the use of the old A&T

Market property in downtown Fayetteville.

The school expressed a desire

last month to use the building and grounds for a kindergarten and day

care facility, citing the fact that its existing campus on the northern

edge of the city does not have sufficient space to meet its needs.

The Fayetteville Planning and

Zoning Commission discussed the school's variance request and revised

elevations at Tuesday night's workshop meeting, but school administrator

N. Phillip Woods said then that the issue might be moot.

Negotiations with the property's

owners, the Meier family of Marietta, were not going well, Woods said

at the workshop, as some conditions he termed "unreasonable"

resulted in a lease price that was roughly double what had been previously

discussed.

But Woods told The Citizen

Thursday that school leaders had met again with the owners and a much

more reasonable offer had been discussed. "It looks much better now,"

he said.

As far as the city is concerned,

the school does not appear to have any problems. The variance request

is for a reduction in the required square footage of outdoor play area

per child, so that the 4,697 square feet available next to the Market

building can accommodate the 138 children that could be housed in a building

that size. These figures already meet state Department of Human Resources

regulations, Woods said.

The school has proposed to

construct a 24-by-24-foot canopy in front of the building, to meet city

codes, for dropoff and pickup of children. Some chain link and cedar fencing

would also be raised so that the outdoor play area is completely fenced

in. A door would be installed on the west side of the building to allow

direct access to the playground.

As for the unfinished clock

tower on the southeast corner of the property, city officials have made

no secret of the fact that they would love to see it torn down. But the

city is not holding the school responsible for that, and Woods said Tuesday

night that the school wants the property owners to take care of it.

City staff recommended approval

of the variance and elevations provided all agreed conditions are met

prior to the March 27 regular P&Z meeting.