By Hayleigh Gowans
Staff Writer
A public hearing regarding a zone change for a proposed retail building on North Burdick Street in Fayetteville continued at the May 22 meeting, where a petition opposing the project was presented to the village board.
The public hearing was opened at the May 8 meeting of the village board, but continued to the May 22 meeting as the board waited on recommendations from its contracted engineering firm and the village planning board.
Mark Shattuck, the developer of the property, again presented his plans to build a 5,800 square foot two-business retail building to the property located across from the Fayetteville Towne Center on North Burdick Street. The front parcel is currently zoned residential-2 and the back parcel open land. Shattuck seeks to change it to traditional business and open land parcels.
Some neighbors of the property spoke at the public hearing, voicing concerns about how the property would impact traffic patterns and the flood plane near all of their properties. A petition signed by village residents opposing the project was also presented to the board.
“I have concerns over the flooding, but also that allowing this project to move forward will turn the whole area into a commercial district. It’s a nice neighborhood and I’m afraid of losing that if this project is approved,” said Kim Butkins. “If you allow this, you’ll have to allow other projects.”
“The traffic in that area is already bumper-to-bumper,” said Sheila Cunningly.
Shattuck said he has already had a traffic study conducted, which showed minimal traffic impacts to the location.
Not related to this project, Mayor Mark Olson mentioned COR Development, the owners of Fayetteville Towne Center, is planning to install a traffic light on North Burdick between the Jos. A. Banks retail store and the Carrabbas restaurant building. This traffic light installation would cause the closing of one of the entrances to Towne Center, the one between Carrabbas and the Kohl’s parking lot.
Olson said a vote would not be made at the May 22 meeting as they had just gotten the comments from their engineering firm and the village planning board regarding the zone change, and the village board would need some time to review the documents. Neighbors of the property will again be notified when the vote is planned at a future board meeting.
For more information about the project, contact the village clerk’s office, 315-637-9864.
