FAYETTEVILLE -- A plan for a guest ranch that drew the ire of dozens of residents when it first came up in the summer passed the Planning Commission unanimously Monday with two residents speaking publicly against it.
Piney Creek Ranch would bring eight rental cabins, a 3,600-square-foot events and activities lodge, a renovated existing 1,600-square-foot barn and 40 parking spaces to about 7 ½ acres off Finger Road, on the southwest edge of town. Elm Springs couple Jeremy and Andi Pratt own the land with their family members owning about 20 surrounding acres.
Planning commissioners on Monday voted 8-0 to approve the development plan for the site. Commissioner Ryan Noble was not present.
Neighbors along Finger Road and otherwise concerned residents have pointed out the property falls under the city's Enduring Green Network designation, which serves as a guiding principle for land use but has no regulatory teeth. Public comment also has focused on a stream crossing near the area and the potential impact from increased traffic.
David Brooks, a resident of Finger Road who addressed the commission in June on the same topic, said Monday water runoff, open campfires, the smell from the ranch's septic systems and traffic up and down the narrow road all present problems.
"The size and the scope of this thing does not fit in," he said. "It's mind-boggling to see how that could fit into this area."
Another resident, Barbara Moorman, also spoke against the plan, saying she worried fires could spread to her woods and water pressure for nearby residents likely would diminish.
Commissioner Matt Hoffman said the commission's narrow scope of what it could legally consider with the plan didn't cover many of the residents' concerns. He also noted subdivisions usually serve as a typical pattern of development on the periphery of town.
"If I were a neighbor of this proposed development, I would very much prefer what's being proposed here to something like what I just described," Hoffman said. "I think it's important to keep those relative impacts in mind."
The Pratts have said the intention of Piney Creek Ranch will be to provide a rustic area to enjoy nature with minimal environmental impact. Commissioners exempted the development from having to put in sidewalks or pave the parking lot to maintain that purpose.
In June, the commission approved a series of permits to allow temporary agritourism events at the site, such as pumpkin patches, petting zoos and "cowboy cookouts." Commissioners also approved permits for barn dancing, nature summer camps and observation programs, weddings and some amplified music.
The approved permits were a scaled-back version of the original request for permits the commission considered May 22. The revised proposal took out a pavilion, an amphitheater and two cabins. Music time was limited to Fridays and Saturdays with a cutoff time at 10 p.m.
The ranch still has to get its grading and building permits, Senior Planner Jonathan Curth said.
NW News on 09/26/2017