TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Telly C. Whitfield, Ph.D. - Assistant City Manager
Dr. Gerald Newton, AICP - Development Services Director
FROM: Jennifer C Baptiste, CZO - Planning and Zoning Division Manager
DATE: May 23, 2022
RE:
Title
TA22-03: Proposed Text Amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance to allow the adaptive reuse of hotels/motels into multi-family dwellings, requested by David Mitchell of GoodHomesCo.
end
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
All
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Strategic Operating Plan FY 2021
Goals 2026
Goal 2: Responsible City Government Supporting a Diverse and Viable Economy
• Objective 2.4 - Sustain a favorable development climate to encourage business growth
Goal 3: City Investment in Today and Tomorrow
• Objective 3.2 - Manage the City's future growth and strategic land use
Executive Summary:
According to the applicant, the national demand for housing is on the rise. This Text Amendment Application has been submitted by the GoodHomesCo, LLC. The applicant is requesting a change to the City’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to allow the conversion of existing hotels/motels into multi-family residential developments.
According to the applicant, the proposed text amendments will allow for the adaptive reuse of older, dilapidated hotels by transforming them into vibrant multi-family housing, which is critically needed in Fayetteville for the work force and military residents.
This is the second request of this type to be made to the City. The first request was completed as a Conditional Rezoning request, P21-42, on Owen Drive. Currently, the UDO only allows the conversion of hotels to multi-family residential uses if the site complies with all the development standards of a multi-family residential use or by Conditional Use.
Background:
The applicant is requesting a change to the City’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to allow the conversion of existing hotels/motels into multi-family residential developments without having to obtain a Conditional Use zoning.
The City of Fayetteville’s UDO defines a “hotel or motel” as means a building or a group of buildings in which sleeping accommodations are offered to the public and intended primarily for rental for temporary occupancy by persons on an overnight basis, not including bed and breakfast establishments or a rooming house. Such uses may include microwaves and refrigerators for each guest unit.
The City of Fayetteville’s UDO defines a “dwelling, multi-family” as a building containing five or more individual dwelling units, with the units often stacked one above the other in a vertical configuration, sharing common vertical walls and/or horizontal floors and ceilings.
In the UDO, the proposed changes include the following sections:
- Section 30-4.B.e. Adaptive Reuse
- Section 30-5-H.4. Multi-family Design Standards
Issues/Analysis:
Text amendments
After review of the applicant’s request, the Planning Staff has put together the following text changes that staff believes will be more equitable for the entire city, accomplish the applicant’s goals, and protect neighboring properties by adding the following standards to the UDO. Although this application was submitted by an individual, this change will affect all developments of this type if adopted.
30-4.B. Use Classifications, Use Categories, and Use Types
e. Adaptive Reuse
2. Permitted Uses
c. In the case of a conversion of a building from a hotel/motel use to multi-family residential use, the structure is subject to the development and design standards provided in this section and condition established in the Neighborhood Compatibility Permit as well as the conditions and design standards identified for multi-family residential developments.
1. Hotel/motel conversions allowed in the Multi-family Residential 5 (MR-5), Office/Institution (OI), Limited Commercial (LC), Community Commercial (CC), Mixed Use (MU), Downtown 1 (DT-1), Downtown 2 (DT-2), and Business Park (BP) zoning districts.
2. Conversion is only allowed for hotel/motels who have been in operation for over ten (10) years) or are currently not operating but have operated in the past ten (10) years as a hotel/motel.
3. Development and design standards
a. Application. The provisions of adaptive reuse shall be limited to the reuse of existing principal and accessory structures and shall not apply to new construction of principal or accessory structures except as provided herein. Adaptive reuse structures shall have unique characteristics that promote neighborhood or community character, are essential for economic development, or otherwise contribute to the surrounding area such that their preservation is justified under the provisions of this section.
b. Multistory structures. For multistory structures in single-family and multi-family zoning districts, at least one story shall be devoted to residential use.
c. Reduction of required off-street parking. The Planning Commission may allow up to a 25 percent reduction in the minimum amount of require off-street parking for adaptive reuse projects.
d. Location of off-street parking. Parking shall be located in the rear of the site and shall be screened with vegetation from adjacent single-family uses. The vegetative screening shall consist of the planting required for a Type A buffer unless a more extensive buffer is required by the Planning Commission. On-street parking or parking in the front or side of the lot may be approved by the Planning Commission provided that any off-street parking area can be adequately screened from adjacent residential uses and:
§ The topography of the site or the placement of the principal structure makes it impractical to access the rear of the property; or
§ The majority of the residentially-zoned properties on both sides of the street on the block on which the proposed use is to be constructed have a similar amount or area of parking located in the front or side.
e. Maintenance of architectural character. The architectural character of principal and accessory structures, including fenestration (i.e., door and window openings), shall be maintained with regard to any facade that faces a street or is prominently visible from adjoining properties.
f. Expansion. The gross floor area of principal and accessory structures may be increased by up to 25 percent provided that such expansion maintains the architectural character of the structure(s) pursuant to (e.) above.
Hotels converting to multi-family residential can exceed the maximum multi-family residential density allowed for the zoning district by 50 percent provided that the amount of required parking for the multi-family use meets or exceeds the minimum amount identified in subsection c above.
g. Compliance with building and life safety codes. The structure(s) shall comply with all applicable building and life safety codes.
h. Buffer and landscaping requirements. The Planning Commission may reduce or waive buffer and landscaping requirements to maintain consistency in appearance with the surrounding neighborhood.
i. Compatibility. The Planning Commission may establish conditions regarding lighting. landscaping, hours of operation, signage, and other operational and site design features necessary to maintain compatibility with surrounding properties.
For existing hotel structures converting to multi-family residential uses, please refer to Section 30-5.H.4 Multi-family Design Standards of this Unified Development Ordinance.
Budget Impact:
N/A
Options:
In accordance with City Code, the City Council shall hold a public hearing on the application. After the close of the hearing, the Council shall consider the application, relevant support materials, the City Council Action Memo, and any comments given by the public. The Council, by a majority vote of a quorum present, shall take one of the following actions:
1) Adopt proposed text amendments as written;
2) Deny the proposed text amendments;
3) Adopt the proposed text amendments with revisions; or
4) Remand proposed text amendments back to Staff for further consideration.
In making its decision, the City Council shall adopt a written Statement of Consistency that describes whether the decision is consistent with all City-adopted plans that are applicable.
Recommended Action:
The Planning Commission and Planning Staff recommends Option 1: Recommend to City Council adoption of proposed text amendments.
Attachments:
1. Ordinance Amending 30-4
2. Ordinance amending 30-5
3. Consistency Statement