Developers

seeking to build a convenience store and gas station on Ga. Highway 85

next to Lowe's in Fayetteville are still working with the City Council,

but they have a few conditions to meet.

The matter

is on the agenda for this week's regular council meeting, Thursday at

7:30 p.m. at City Hall.

A special exception

has been requested to operate a 3,952-sq. ft. Racetrac store at this location,

with 20 gasoline pumps. The Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended

denial of the special exception, needed to operate in the C-4 (commercial)

zoning district.

An attorney

representing the developers has told the City Council that the proposed

use is compatible with other enterprises in the area, but some council

members disagree. Council has also been advised of the applicants' constitutional

objection to the P&Z ruling.

A list of seven

council concerns was discussed at last week's council work session. They

include:

Having the

building face the highway and the canopy with the gas pumps on the back

side of the building.

Site lighting

in compliance with city regulations.

Having no

operator cage or pay window at the facility.

Architecture

reflecting the building of influence, which in this case would be Fayette

Pavilion.

Additional

plant materials supplied to augment the highway corridor buffer.

Moving both

curb cuts to the west side of the parcel (the site plan calls for no direct

access from the highway).

Exterior surfaces

made up of brick up to the cornice line.

While the applicants

felt that some of these points could be negotiated, some council members

said that all seven points should be met before the special exception

is approved.

There is also

still some question among council members as to whether this project should

be carried out at all.

"I don't

think this is an appropriate use," said Councilman Al Hovey-King,

citing the applicants' wish to operate around the clock. Hovey-King and

other council members have pointed out that Wal-Mart is the only 24-hour

operation in the area, and land across the highway is zoned for a subdivision

and slated for office-institutional use in the future land use plan.

In response

to one comment about the plan before council being an "industry standard"

as far as Racetrac was concerned, Hovey-King said that was of no concern

to him.

"This

is Fayetteville," he said, adding that if the developers wished to

come and operate here, they would be considerate of the city's standards.

Back

to News Home Page |