Representatives of Fairway Village RPC came before the Ocean View Planning Commission on Jan. 17 with a request to amend a previously approved site plan. The revisions to the plan for the community of 166 single-family homes and 166 condominium units off Central Avenue near Beaver Dam Road focused on the community’s common areas — specifically the recreational areas.
Since originally gaining approval for their site plan, Fairway Village has redesigned the amenity area, increasing the size of the pool and clubhouse and better defining a gazebo and children’s play area (now deemed a “tot-lot”). The area still boasts a substantial three tennis courts.
Other than the revisions to the amenities, the plan presented last week to the commissioners also separates the amenity area as a distinct third lot that is now planned to be shared jointly in ownership between the single-family home portion of the community and the condominium organization that had previously been planned as its sole owner and caretaker.
Owners and residents in both portions of the community will have use of and responsibility for the amenities under the new plan.
Though there is no age restriction for ownership in Fairway Village, representatives said plans from Ryan Homes — which will eventually take over the project — are to market the community to a target buyer age 50 or older. The idea behind some revisions to the proposed amenities, they said, was that they would appeal to a person of that age who might want to spend time with grandchildren in an area where they could sit at the gazebo and watch their grandchildren play in the tot lot. Hence some of the refinements to the amenity plan.
Active recreation areas area also called for in the plan, with the tennis courts and pool nearly double the original 600 square foot size, at 1,100 square feet.
Commissioner Dick Logue noted Jan. 17 that he would like the developers to focus some attention on accessibility in the amenity area for those who are disabled — particularly wheelchair access. Logue said he had been frustrated by a lack of such access at many local recreational areas, including the town’s own John West Park.
With that recommendation, commissioners voted 4-0 to return approval of the revised site plan to the town council for its Feb. 5 meeting, with the commissioners’ recommendation for approval.
Commissioners also granted their approval to a subdivision request on Jan. 17, permitting property at 89 West Avenue owned by Robert Kaufman of Atlantic Construction Co. to be subdivided into two lots with the idea of building two single-family homes there. An existing home on the property is to be removed.
Some neighbors of the property, however, said they were particularly concerned about the impact of the development, saying that flooding problems had already been noted in the vicinity and might increase with two homes built there.
“I can’t believe you guys are giving them their lots and then we have water problems, which everyone jokes about,” said neighbor Joe Feely, citing an increase in flooding on his property when Kaufman had previously subdivided another portion of the property.
Town Solicitor Dennis Schraeder said the density issue was moot, as the town had planned for density using minimum lot sizes rather than a set number of parcels. He also noted that no “exception” was being requested.
Commissioner Perry Mitchell tackled the issue of the runoff problem, saying that money was being spent by the town to improve drainage in that area. Administrative Official Charles McMullen noted recent discussions between members of the Savannah’s Landing homeowners association, engineering consultants and town officials on the issue of drainage.
Schraeder noted that the town now has a way to deal with drainage issues resulting from development. Single-lot development and subdivision requirements call for site studies to show neighboring properties will not be negatively impacted when a building permit is applied for, he said.
Commissioners approved the subdivision request on a 3-0 vote, requiring a 10-foot right-of-way for the town on all property lines.
The commission tabled until February a planned hearing on a site plan revision for Bear Trap Commercial LLC that would convert two commercial units in the community to residential use.