Thank you for your continual support of our effort to save Markham Hill from development and make it a nature and wildlife preserve under a permanent conservation easement.
On Tuesday March 26, 2019 at 1:30pm in Judge Doug Martin's courtroom at the Court House (in Fayetteville, on the corner of Dickson and College) is the hearing on whether the amendment to our appeal application of the Markham Hill rezonings will be accepted. If so, our lawyers can proceed with our case for an appeal of the rezonings of the 144-acre Markham Hill (currently owned by out-of-state RMD Properties). You are welcome to attend. Only the lawyers (no witnesses) will be addressing the judge.
The former zonings were compatible with our lower density RSF-4 neighborhood as well as containing 140 acres of woods, pastures, wildlife, natural habitat, unsurveyed Native American sites, rock formations, several hiking and cross-country running trails, etc. The rezonings converted historic, wooded Markham Hill to 100 acres of impervious surfaces containing an 80-room hotel, restaurant, other commercial buildings, and 530 "living units" meaning duplexes, triplexes, and quadraplexes with some single family homes, parkings lots, pavement, traffic, etc.
You may recall that at the Planning Commission meeting on Aug 27, 2018, the Planning Commission and the public treated Markham Hill as one project even though the developer split it into a 120-acre RZN 18-6317 and a 24-acre C-PZD 18-6318. The chairman said, "I've elected to hear the next two items in tandem. The process for this will be that I will read both items. Mr. Thompson will give both staff reports. We will hear from the applicant one time. And request that we only hear from each member of the public one time as well." When the residents spoke, they spoke about the entire Markham Hill project. Likewise, at the Sept 18, 2018 City Council meeting the mayor said that this is really one project, so let's have everyone only speak once.
The amendment to the appeal application clarifies that the appeal is for the entire 144-acre Markham Hill project and not only for the 24-acre C-PZD 18-6318.
Please pray the amendment to our appeal application is accepted so we can proceed with our case for an appeal of the Markham Hill rezonings. Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Lisa Orton