FAYETTEVILLE -- A street connection included in the city's overall plans but not with a proposed development of an office building the Planning Commission considered Monday prompted several neighbors to fill City Hall's chambers.
The city's street plan calls for East Stearns Street to connect to North Vantage Drive. The connection would create an east-west route from Old Missouri Road to Joyce Boulevard. It has been on and off the street plan for about 30 years, Jonathan Curth, senior planner, said.
Other items
Fayetteville’s Planning Commission on Monday approved:
• A preliminary plan for the 169 single-family lot Magnolia Park subdivision immediately west of the proposed connection of Rupple Road.
• Rezoning about an acre southeast of West Avenue and Prairie Street so the property owners can request an outdoor music space. Allowing the music will require a permit from the Planning Commission.
Source: Staff report
Planning commissioners had on their agenda a development plan for a 38,000-square-foot, two-story office building on about 2 ½ acres east of where Vantage and Stearns already meet. Stearns dead-ends farther east, with the proposed property sitting in the gap between the two pieces.
Dozens of neighbors from mostly north of the property came to the meeting for fear the connection would be made in association with the development.
Curth said planning staff reviewed traffic generation numbers and determined the connection isn't needed yet. Rather than build the connection, developers of the office building will pay $3,389 dollars to put into an account to make the connection at some point.
Assistant City Attorney Blake Pennington said any proposed development touching one of the connections included in the city's plan has to help build or put money toward building the street. The developer gets the money back after seven years if the street is never built.
Five residents spoke, but several more sat in the audience. Hank Gardner said concern over the possibility of the extension brought the neighbors out.
"That extension is going to ruin two neighborhoods," he said.
The city has the right of way to build the connection. Part of it has already been built, Curth said, with about 250-300 feet left.
Andrew Garner, planning director, said it's possible the city could partner with a developer to build the connection. The City Council would then have to approve the contract.
Pennington said removing the connection from the street plan would require action by the City Council. The Transportation Committee usually hears those kinds of items first. The committee is comprised of half the City Council, with a representative from each ward.
The Planning Commission approved the development plan for the office building unanimously.
Commissioner Leslie Belden said the city has a lot of committees and commissions, which can make it confusing for residents to know who decides what, and when.
"It's difficult for the public to know who to come talk to," she said.
Commissioner Ron Autry said he empathized with the neighbors' concerns over the connection.
"But now you've kind of been pre-warned," he said. "This could've been done 20 years ago."
NW News on 03/26/2019