In the last meeting before the holidays, the Fayetteville City Council went through a sundry list of new business items, including Oakbrooke subdivision modifications and changes to the commercial recycling program.
The council tabled the ordinance changing the Oakbrooke subdivision’s development plan.
The ordinance modifies a development that was already approved by the council, making way for 174 dwellings, as opposed to 110. The project, which is located adjacent to Rupple Road, primarily includes single-family residential dwellings and with this ordinance, would also include 12,000 square feet of non-residential space.
Jeremy Pate, development services director for the city, said the proposal was “a stronger project” than the one that was approved in 2005.
The discussion stalled, however, when the developer, Tracy Hoskins, requested that the council appeal some of the conditions of approval that the Planning Commission voted on. Hoskins said he did not want the council to approve the ordinance without his changes.
Rather than sending the project back to the Planning Commission, the council tabled the ordinance, giving aldermen time to review Hoskins’ appeals.
Also, the city’s commercial recycling program was adjusted to establish a rate of $5.88 per commercial customer for up to five bins. Previously, the rate had been the same price for each bin.
In other business, the council voted 7-1 to discontinue providing compensation for Planning Commissioners. When the city started paying the commissioners $375.00 a month, they had a heavier workload than they do now, Paul Becker, finance director said.
Robert Rhoads voted against the measure.
An ordinance to clarify the development review code passed unanimously. Amending the code will make the City Council and Planning Commission’s criteria for approving a project clearer, said Pate.
Mayor Lioneld Jordan reiterated the need for the ordinance update.
“If I heard one thing from the campaign and my early days in this office was the development and business community wanted more predictability so they know what’s going to happen and what the process is,” Jordan said.
Mary Robbins is a guest contributor for the Fayetteville Flyer. She declared Fayetteville as her hometown upon moving here for college. She is a Journalism graduate who enjoys live music, the outdoors and attending city council meetings. For more of Mary’s contributions, visit her author page.
