FAYETTEVILLE -- The economic needs of a big-box store don't mesh with Fayetteville's vision of mixed-use developments, a divided Planning Commission decided Monday.
A Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market can't be integrated into a mixed-use development that combines residential and commercial uses, the commission decided.
The Forest Hills proposal for a development off Wedington Drive in western Fayetteville needed five votes to pass. With two commissioners absent and two more recusing from the discussion, a single "no" vote was enough to sink the proposal.
"There's a serious lack of cohesion throughout the project," said Matthew Cabe, the lone dissenting vote.
Several commissioners expressed concern that the housing aspects of the project were segregated, with condos in a separate area from townhomes, and both separated from houses. The biggest snag, however, was the amount of pavement the proposed Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market would create. Several commissioners thought the parking required for such a big store hurt the walkability and connectivity of the area.
"For this project to be successful, we've got to have the Neighborhood Market. It's the anchor for this project, and you simply have to have parking with a grocery store," said John Alford, managing partner with Forest Hill Partners. "This development tries to meet most, if not all, of the city's 2025 plan, but it's very difficult to incorporate a 40,000-square-foot store into a development like this and still meet the economic requirements of that store."
Full Story: http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/04/14/news
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