On March 21, the Fayetteville City Council meeting included recognition of two county public safety officials with a Veterans of Foreign Wars Public Safety Employee Award.
Fire Captain Josh Collins and police officer Kenneth Marcucci received the award.
Following the recognition, council unanimously denied a rezoning request for a proposed development at the intersection of Highway 54 West and Gingercake Road, requested by Rochester and Associates | DCCM, represented by Den Webb.
Council then heard from NexxMetro Communities, LLC, which seeks to construct 254 detached rental homes with the properties designed around a ring road with two access points.
Consideration of council was separated into two requests. The first was an amendment to the Future Land Use Map, changing the land use from neighborhood center to neighborhood residential 2. The second request was to rezone the property from neighborhood commercial to residential multi-family, with purpose of having a neighborhood community rather than industrial use.
The price range of these units is estimated to be around $250,000, and the 254 units were suggested by Webb as potentially beneficial for local businesses like Piedmont Fayette Hospital.
"It’s my understanding they can’t staff that hospital because the nurses can’t find a place to live, but that is most certainly our demographic,” said Webb.
In attendance were five citizens in opposition. The main concerns about the project centered around affordability, increased traffic, and environmental impacts that potentially will come with construction.
"I don’t want to trap the next generation in expensive rental properties that make it impossible to build long-term home equity,” said Fayette resident Monk Robinson.
Fayette resident Melodie Goodridge Green spoke in favor of the development regarding her own personal struggle of finding quality housing that is affordable and available.
"Much like myself, a young family who has to make a decision between tee ball, working late, or coming to these types of meetings to advocate for how much we need to live closer to where we work,” said Green. "I grew up here and want to be close to my family.”
In other news, the city council approved a request presented by planner Nicole Gilbert to rezone property located on North 85 Parkway by amending the Future Land Use Map from business park to industrial and rezone the property from neighborhood commercial to light industrial.
