FAYETTEVILLE — A plan to build on one of the city’s sprawling plots of largely undeveloped land cleared its first hurdle Monday.
The Planning Commission took up a project from Specialized Real Estate Group to build within the nearly 144 acres it owns at Markham Hill, which includes Pratt Place Inn and Barn.
Two requests came before the commission. One was to rezone the property from a residential, single-family zoning to a different type of residential zoning encouraging a variety of housing types called residential intermediate-urban. The other proposal was to reduce the size of the planned zoning district, which features in the inn and barn, at the top of the hill.
The proposal entails a hotel of no more than 85,000 square feet, an additional 12,000 square feet of commercial space and 5,000 square feet of event space. A cottage would be converted to a cafe, cabins would be added, with homes built in clusters throughout.
Commissioners voted 8-1 to forward both requests to the City Council with a recommendation of approval. Commissioner Zara Niederman was the sole no vote each time. He proposed tabling the items.
Seth Mims, partner and president of Specialized, said the idea is to bring conservation and development together. The developers included a bill of assurance to preserve about 44 wooded acres mostly at the western edge of the site, plus about 15 acres within a developed area of homes.
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“A conservation community basically means you take the same amount of land that traditionally would have been developed in a grid-type pattern, and you condense the footprint,” he said. “You provide clusters of density which allow to preserve more natural area.”
The current zoning allows development of about 300 homes with large lots. Mims said the proposal would allow a little more than 470 units, of different housing types, within about 75 acres. Additionally, 43 homes would be included within the 24-acre planned zoning district. Homes would be built in phases over 15 to 20 years, Mims said.
A petition on change.org to halt any development on the entire tract had about 900 signatures as of Monday evening. About 20 neighbors, many from the nearby University Heights neighborhood, spoke against the proposal. Most cited concern over degradation of the green space and losing the historical heritage of the area.
Marsha Scott said she recently moved to the city and said normally she would support a vibrant, mixed housing approach to development.
“However, now it’s in my front yard. And it’s scary,” she said.
Scott said she fears the area will lose its natural beauty.
Commissioners discussed the proposal for more than an hour. Commissioner Leslie Belden said she values preservation, and it would’ve been nice if the area at some point had become a state park. She said she was glad to see the developers prioritize the idea of conservation in their plans.
“The city doesn’t have the right to take away someone’s ability to do on their property what our regulations allow,” Belden said.
In other business, commissioners voted 7-2 to allow JJ’s Beer Garden and Brewing Co., at 3615 N. Steele Blvd., additional concerts for the remainder of the year. Sloan Scroggin and Niederman voted against the measure.
The decision was part of a review of the establishment’s compliance with its permit allowing music. The commission approved a proposal from the business July 23 allowing it to enclose its concert space, shielding the sound from neighbors in a nearby subdivision.
The city’s planning staff received no complaints since that meeting, said Jonathan Curth, senior planner. Previously, staff documented violations of the parking conditions for the business and sound checks outside the limited hours for concerts. The original permit only allowed music 6-9 p.m. Thursday.
The commission in June agreed to allow sound checks at certain hours and overflow parking.
The regular concert season is over, but the business will be allowed to have shows on the Friday and Saturday of Bikes, Blues & BBQ this year, Sept. 28 and Sept. 29. It also can hold live music for the six Razorback football game days on Saturday this year, no earlier than 3 p.m. and no later than 9 p.m.
Commissioners discussed for some time another request for smaller, amplified shows for local acts. Commissioner Porter Winston made a motion to allow such events on Saturday, pending a review in November.
The commission also voted 9-0 to forward to the City Council a rezoning request for a property at the northeast corner of Lawson Street and Gregg Avenue. The parcel less than half an acre with two houses on it.
The request is to rezone from single-family to higher density. A petition against the rezoning from the VA Hill Neighborhood Association has about 50 signatures on it.
Stacy Ryburn can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @stacyryburn.