New Plans For Fayetteville's Ruskin Heights Subdivision

FAYETTEVILLE -- A new developer is trying to breathe life into an abandoned subdivision along Mission Boulevard called Ruskin Heights.

Fayetteville's Planning Commission on Monday approved preliminary plans for 63 lots in what's now being called Mission Heights, about a half-mile west of Crossover Road, across from Westwood Gardens.

The new project would use streets and utilities put in place before the Ruskin Heights development went belly up.

According to Washington County land records, Metropolitan National Bank foreclosed on the nearly 29-acre property in 2010. A company called R&L Properties bought it for $1.55 million in September.

The developer for the project is identified in engineering documents as East Mission Boulevard LLC. The company is registered to Tommy Lasiter, CEO of Little Rock-based Doyle Rogers Co. and a board member at the former Metropolitan National Bank for decades.

Residents in surrounding neighborhoods sought assurances Monday that the subdivision will be built at an appropriate density, trees will be preserved and drainage issues will not be exacerbated.

"I encourage this body, and I encourage the developers to do something intelligent with it," Ron Burton, who lives in the adjacent Park Place subdivision, said.

Preliminary plans show 57 single-family houses and six townhouses in the first phase of the project. No commercial development is identified at this time, but it's unclear what might be built in subsequent phases. Zoning along Mission Boulevard allows for a mix of houses, apartments, restaurants and other businesses.

Jesse Fulcher, senior city planner, emphasized Monday a bill of assurance filed in 2011 guarantees no more than 139 residences and 30,000 square feet of commercial space will be built on the entire 29 acres. That's about half as dense as what would have been allowed in the original Ruskin Heights plan.

Thirty percent of existing trees will have to be preserved in areas included in the city's hillside-hilltop overlay district.

And Tracy Hoskins, commission chairman, said two stormwater detention ponds appear to be sufficient for the first phase of the project.

"We're looking at this part of the project tonight, not any future part of the project," Hoskins said.

According to planning documents, the subdivision will eventually connect to Greenview Drive, near a Eureka Pizza location. Several residents requested right turns only onto Greenview, so traffic will funnel toward Mission Boulevard -- not existing neighborhoods.

A final plat will be reviewed administratively before construction can begin.

Also on Monday, commissioners recommended rezoning 14 acres southwest of Steele and Joyce boulevards, across from Malco Razorback Cinema. Fayetteville-based Specialized Real Estate Group is planning a multifamily apartment complex, and possibly commercial storefronts, on the property as part of the CMN Business Park.

Company CEO Jeremy Hudson said following Monday's meeting it was too early in the development process to discuss further details of the project.

"We at Specialized believe in healthy buildings and connected communities with an emphasis on sustainability, and those values will certainly be employed with this project as well," Seth Mims, company president, said during Monday's meeting.

The rezoning will require approval by the Johnson City Council, because the property borders a subdivision that lies within Johnson city limits. It's up for Fayetteville City Council consideration Sept. 2.

Another rezoning request by Specialized Real Estate Group, at Duncan Avenue and Treadwell Street, was tabled without discussion Monday until the Planning Commission's Aug. 25 meeting.