Proposed Master Street Plan to be Presented at Farmer's Market

The proposed update to the current Master Street Plan will be available for public comment on Saturday, June 23 at the Town Center Plaza from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The rationale behind the update, the proposed street cross-sections and the proposed map will be displayed, so that citizens can take a self-guided tour of the project and provide written comments. The Master Street Plan provides a tool for classifying streets by the land use they serve and the volume of traffic they are designed to accommodate. The map also determines where future connections and streets should be built as Fayetteville grows.

Significant changes to the Master Street Plan are reduced right-of-way requirements for most street cross-sections, greater sensitivity to context and better accommodation of cyclists and pedestrians. For example, Collector streets currently require 70 feet of right-of-way. The proposed Master Street Plan would only require 70 feet of right-of-way at intersections and 58 feet for the remainder of the street. Developers and staff will also have more options for urban areas of town that emphasize walkability and greater density, and the proposal includes an option for low-impact development that utilizes bio-swales. Where the Master Trail Plan calls for on-street linkages, bike lanes are designated for Minor and Principal Arterials.

The City Council directed staff to update the Master Street Plan in order to make the Plan consistent with City Plan 2025 goals and the Future Land Use Map. The proposal was presented to the Street Committee on May 31, 2007. After the open house, staff will incorporate citizen comments and bring the proposal to the Planning Commission.