Fayetteville City Council Work Session Recap – June 2, 2025
Published on June 06, 2025
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Fayetteville City Council met June 2 in the city hall for the monthly City Council work session to discuss matters relevant to the city.
Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Jensen called the meeting to order at 2:02 p.m. followed by the invocation offered by Council member Derrick Thompson and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Mayor Pro Tem Jensen and City Council.
During the City Manager’s Report, Assistant City Manager Jeffrey Yates provided updates to City Council on the FY 2026 Operating and Capital Budget. The budget is set to go on the June 9 agenda for the City Council regular meeting for adoption.
Council member D. J. Haire moved to APPROVE THE AGENDA. This was seconded by Council member Lynne Greene. The motion PASSED UNANIMOUSLY (9-0).
6.01: City Council received a presentation from Ben MacKrell of Pallet Shelter, a company that provides transitional shelter villages designed to support individuals experiencing homelessness. On April 3, the Homelessness and Mental Health Committee received the presentation by MacKrell and the Homelessness and Mental Health Council Committee voted to move the information presented to a City Council work session for consideration. There was a consensus from City Council to request this item be presented at the next City-County Liaison Committee meeting.
6.02: The next item presented to City Council was a presentation the Project Delivery Approach for Fire Station 16. The project team for Fire Station 16, which includes the Owner's Advisor Cumming Group and Designer Davis Kane, recommended using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method over the traditional Single-Prime Lump Sum. CMAR offers a qualifications-based selection process, potentially attracting more experienced contractors and ensuring better project outcomes. The project is currently at 30% design and will be a 10,500 sq. ft., two-bay fire station on Cedar Creek Road. The City Council reached a consensus to proceed with the CMAR method and authorized staff to begin procuring a CMAR for the project.
6.03: At Council’s request, City staff conducted a review of the current Bicycle Lane Ordinance. Staff returned with proposed amendments aimed at clarifying the use of bicycle lanes and formally defining multi-use lanes. These recommendations were informed by a peer review of ordinances from Charlotte and Greensboro, along with guidance from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and applicable state laws. The review also included a historical overview of the City’s bicycle infrastructure planning, which began with the 2011 FAMPO Bike and Walk Plan and led to the adoption of the Fayetteville Bicycle Plan in 2020.
Staff found that bicycle and multi-use lanes have generally been implemented during resurfacing projects or in response to citizen requests, rather than requiring individual Council approval. Multi-use lanes, which began in the Haymount area as part of a Capital Improvement Project, have since expanded across the city wherever roadway conditions allowed. The most recent example is the conversion of a bicycle lane on Hilliard Drive to a multi-use lane to broaden its intended uses within the neighborhood.
Currently, the City’s Code of Ordinances does not explicitly define bicycle lanes. While bicycles are categorized as vehicles under Chapter 16, existing provisions only indirectly address bicycle lane usage and parking restrictions. Staff have interpreted language prohibiting interference with marked lanes to mean that parking in bicycle lanes is not permitted. However, to eliminate ambiguity and support consistent enforcement, staff proposed amending Chapter 16, Article I, Section 16-1 to include or revise definitions for terms such as “bicycle” and “multi-use lane.”
Following the presentation, Council reached a consensus to direct staff to bring back a process for residents to request no parking along a multi-use lane in a neighborhood, similar to the existing process for requesting speed humps. Council member Deno Hondros opposed this motion.
Additionally, Council reached a consensus to approve the proposed Code of Ordinances amendments and place them on the consent agenda for adoption. Council members Haire and Thompson were opposed to this motion.
6.04: The City of Fayetteville, in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), conducted an update to its Comprehensive Pedestrian Plan to improve pedestrian safety and expand multimodal infrastructure across the city. The planning process included technical analysis, community engagement, and coordination with local and state agencies. The result is a proposed network of 144 pedestrian projects—covering approximately 146 miles of sidewalks—with an estimated total cost of $769.51 million. These projects include both intersection enhancements and corridor-wide improvements, and are prioritized as Near-, Medium-, or Long-Term initiatives.
Following two rounds of public input and a detailed evaluation of existing conditions and plans, staff recommended the plan for adoption. Council reached consensus to approve the Comprehensive Pedestrian Plan Update, including the addition of Hoke Loop Road, and to place the plan on an upcoming consent agenda for formal adoption.
6.05: To enhance the City of Fayetteville's updated Pedestrian Plan, staff conducted a Supplemental Pedestrian Plan Study focused specifically on improving pedestrian safety and connectivity around K-12 public schools serving the city. This City-funded effort analyzed infrastructure near 64 public schools (excluding private schools) to identify safety gaps and prioritize areas for investment based on factors such as enrollment, walking rates, crash history, population density, and traffic patterns.
As a result, 26 schools were selected for targeted improvements, with detailed recommendations and cost estimates developed for 12 of the highest-priority sites. The total estimated cost for improvements at these 12 schools is approximately $27.9 million. The study also included engagement with school and district representatives and allowed feedback to shape project recommendations.
Council reached consensus to approve the Supplemental Pedestrian Plan Study, place it on an upcoming consent agenda for adoption, and allow additional time for schools that did not initially respond to provide feedback to staff.
6.06: City Council was asked to receive a report on development incentives offered by the City of Fayetteville compared to peer cities across North Carolina. This presentation, initially shared with the UDO/Housing Committee in May, outlines six key categories of development incentives—affordable housing, sustainability, open space, transit-oriented and mixed-use development, historic preservation, and zoning flexibility. The comparison includes eight North Carolina cities. Staff emphasized ongoing efforts to expand incentive opportunities. Council reached a consensus to receive the report.
6.07: City Council reviewed proposed updates to the Temporary Use Standards for Special Events and a new Nuisance Party Ordinance. The proposed changes would require the Police and Fire Department to review special event permits on private property to improve public safety coordination. Additional provisions, such as limiting bags to clear ones and prohibiting masks unless medically necessary, were also discussed.
The City is also addressing challenges posed by nuisance parties, which currently fall outside existing enforcement powers. A recommended ordinance was proposed to Council to address nuisance parties. Council reached a consensus to move forward with the recommendations and add them to the next agenda for adoption. Council member Mario Benavente opposed the motion.
There were two City Council Agenda Item Requests from Mayor Mitch Colvin.
6.08: Mayor Colvin’s request was in regard to Fayetteville’s secondary downtown fire district, established after the 1834 fire, which imposes additional restrictions beyond the standard fire code. He expressed concern that these regulations are hindering investment and development in the downtown area, which the City is actively trying to improve.
City Council reached a consensus to have staff return with updated information and recommendations concerning the downtown fire district.
6.09: Mayor Colvin’s second request was for Council to reconsider the location of the Historic District, raising concerns about its economic impact. He noted only two historic tax credits have been used recently and questioned whether the district’s current boundaries are hindering downtown development. He requested a review to assess if the location remains economically viable or should be limited to residential areas. City Council reached a consensus to have staff bring back information and updated recommendations for the Historic District location. Council member Benavente was in opposition to the consensus motion.
Meeting agendas, supporting documentation and minutes are publicly available at FayettevilleNC.gov/CityCouncil.
The next City Council Regular Meeting will be held on Monday, June 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Fayetteville City Hall’s Council Chambers. Meetings also air live on Spectrum Channel 7, at FayTV.net and on the FayTV app available on your streaming device.
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