Jesse Fulcher, Fayetteville City Planner, discusses the history of the Wedington Corridor Thursday evening at the Fayetteville Boys & Girls Club.
Photo: Todd Gill, Flyer staff
City officials kicked off a series of meetings designed to create a master plan for Fayetteville’s Wedington Corridor on Thursday night at the Fayetteville Boys & Girls Club.
More than 75 people showed up to hear remarks from Ward 4 Alderwoman Rhonda Adams, and a presentation on the history of the area by city planner Jesse Fulcher.
The Wedington Corridor Plan will focus on the more than 350-acre area along Wedington Drive from I-540 to North 54th Avenue, and will be created through a series of public input sessions including a hands-on design workshop and design studios for neighborhood residents to share their concerns and ideas that will help shape future land use, access, and transportation decisions in the Wedington area.
Peter Nierengarten, the city’s sustainability and strategic planning director, said the area was chosen because it’s seen significant sustained development both over the last 15 years and through the last three or four years during the economic recession.
Fulcher illustrated some of that growth in his presentation Thursday night.
“In 1994, there were about 19,000 to 20,000 total residential units in Fayetteville, and west Fayetteville comprised about 10 percent of all of those units,” he said. “In 2010, there are about 30,000 total residential units in Fayetteville, and now west Fayetteville has 7,000. Twenty-five percent of all the housing in Fayetteville now exists west of the bypass in this area.”
Wedington Corridor Plan expected outcomes
The next event during the process is a hands-on design workshop that will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 27 at the Boys and Girls Club. During the workshop, city staff will work with attendees on a series of creative exercises to express their concerns and ideas about future developments in the area. After that, design studios to develop further public input are scheduled from 1-5 p.m. Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Following the events, city staff will develop the outcomes into a vision document for adoption by the Fayetteville City Council sometime in January 2013. City officials expect the finished document will include guiding principals for future development in the area, an short, medium, and longterm implementation plan for infrastructure projects such as sidewalks and streets, among other documents based on public desires for future development in west Fayetteville.
For more information, call 575-8268 or visit the Wedington Corridor Plan page on the city’s website.
Scheduled events at the Fayetteville Boys & Girls Club
Kick-off meeting – Thursday, Oct. 25 at 5:30 p.m.
This event includes a brief presentation about the project and a look at the events scheduled for the upcoming week.
Hands-on Design Workshop – Saturday, Oct. 27 from 9 a.m. to noon
During this event, citizens are encouraged participate and contribute their concerns and ideas about the future development of this area.
Design Studios – Saturday and Sunday Oct. 27-28 from 1 to 5 p.m., and Monday-Wednesday Oct. 29-31 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
During these studios, city staff will be working to develop public input into a plan for the area, and the public is welcome to stop in and check on the progress.
Open House – Monday, Oct. 29 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Similar to the design studio, the public is welcome to stop in and check on the progress of the plan.
Work-in-Progress Presentation – Thursday, Nov. 1 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The results of the previous week will be presented during this event.
