FAYETTEVILLE -- The Planning Commission wants to look at changes to code before considering how to rezone College Avenue.
The commission voted 8-0 to table for two weeks rezoning College Avenue from Maple to North streets. Commissioners similarly tabled the item during their April 10 meeting.
Next meeting
5:30 p.m. May 8
Room 219, City Hall
113 W. Mountain St.
Commissioner Alli Quinlan made a series of suggestions to change the zoning code to help achieve the intended effects of the rezoning. Changes included setting building height requirements by stories instead of feet and creating design standards to guide the number of stories.
Several residents, largely from the Wilson Park and Washington-Willow neighborhoods, cited concerns over potential building height during the April 10 meeting. Many spoke against the prospect of large, student-occupied apartments towering over the adjacent neighborhoods.
The original proposal would rezone much of that stretch of College Avenue to an urban thoroughfare. Smaller lots along the stretch would be designated for community services. The entire proposal would bring a mix of pedestrian-friendly residential and commercial development to an area that historically has seen predominantly retail business, gas stations, hotels and restaurants with large parking lots and curb cuts along the way.
Building height requirements for the proposed zoning largely mirror the current zoning. Currently, seven-story businesses are allowed. The urban thoroughfare zoning could allow eight-story apartments.
To address residents' concerns, planning staff came up with an alternative proposal to zone the area almost entirely for community services. The difference in zoning designation would cap building height at five stories. Additionally, sections on the east side would have a zoning limiting building height to 45 feet, the same as the residential areas nearby.
Staff further suggested if the commission preferred not to go with either proposal, it should table the item so planners can come up with a zoning district specifically for the corridor. Commissioners decided to go with the first proposal but make changes to the urban thoroughfare and community services districts.
Nearly a dozen residents spoke Monday, most of whom cited concerns with traffic that would flow from College Avenue into the neighborhoods. Many wanted the city to address traffic control in some way.
Planning Director Andrew Garner said the city has rules on parking and access and staff would closely monitor the potential traffic effects as development proposals come through. Traffic is likely to increase no matter what the zoning designation is, he added.
Commissioners questioned the need for the buffer zone between development and neighbors. A form-based designation, like what staff has proposed for College Avenue, places buildings closer to the street. That placement would create a sound barrier from noisy highway traffic with parking behind buildings, creating space from the neighborhoods, Commissioner Matt Hoffman said.
Commissioner Tom Brown brought up creating a design overlay district for that area of College Avenue, meaning a set of architectural and design standards on top of the zoning. Quinlan said that could become confusing for developers.
Garner told the commission changing the zoning code would require separate City Council action.
Assistant City Attorney Blake Pennington compared the discussion to when the city adopted its downtown plan, which involved hiring a consultant and holding multiple public input sessions. He advised the commission two weeks wouldn't be enough time to do something similar.
NW News on 04/25/2017