Fayetteville Council rezones land for planned middle school

FAYETTEVILLE -- The City Council agreed Tuesday the site of a planned middle school on the west side of town is appropriate, and approved a rezoning request from the School District.

About an acre at the site will remain open to some type of development.

The council voted 8-0 to rezone about 22 acres as an institutional zone for a planned middle school on the east side of Rupple Road, near Catalpa Drive. Just more than an acre fronting Rupple Road will be reserved for community services, which can include eating places, homes, shopping and other uses.

Megan Duncan, associate superintendent for support services with the School District, presented plans for the layout of the school. The plans were revised following a Friday meeting with the council's Transportation Committee.

The committee looked at ways to help slow speeding cars on Rupple Road by having features closer to the street. A previous plan showed the school set back away from the street, with a guest parking lot in between. Those features remained in the new plan, but with the parking lot narrowed, and about an acre along Rupple left open for a potential development.

Duncan said the School District will retain ownership of the acre under community services. The plan leaves it as open space with any future development subject to the School Board's approval.

The district still has to go through the development process with the city for the school, as well as other processes with the state, and final approval from the School Board, Duncan said.

Council member Matthew Petty said he felt the discussions provided a solid foundation for the city and School District to work on future projects. He praised the district for testing the waters of a potential public-private partnership for a future development.

"If we can figure out the legal issues and come up with something that's a win-win in the next few months or maybe a little bit longer, I think we'll learn a lot of great lessons we can apply on the larger parcels the School District owns," Petty said.

In other business, the council held a pair of items related to an annexation and rezoning request for about 80 acres east of Zion and Crossover roads.

Development Services Director Jonathan Curth said the city's streamside protection ordinance includes a map of protected areas. If annexed, the land would be new to the city, and not included in the language of the original ordinance, he said.

City Attorney Kit Williams recommended the council amend the streamside ordinance before potentially annexing the land. He said he would draft an amendment to the streamside ordinance for the council to consider at its next meeting. As such, the council decided to hold the items.

Seven residents spoke during the meeting, which was held online on Zoom. Many expressed concerns over the effect of potential development near Hilton Creek, which runs into Lake Fayetteville.

Nicholas Anthony said although the developer may propose measures to improve the health of the creek, whatever happens at the land will impact Lake Fayetteville.

"Putting a high density development over what is something that is supposed to filtrate the water that goes into Lake Fayetteville, can you possibly think this is a positive step?" he said.

The development proposal is for 370 lots with a variety of housing types mixed with greenspace south of the creek. The northern portion of the land facing Zion Road would remain vacant as a park. A commercial area is proposed next to Crossover Road on the west side of the property. Architect Alli Quinlan showed the council plans to improve the health of the creek, including widening it and removing impediments to the water flow.