Fayetteville City Council Regular Meeting - September 22, 2025
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Fayetteville City Council Regular Meeting - September 22, 2025
The Fayetteville City Council met on Monday, September 22, 2025, at 6:30 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included an invocation by Rabbi Scott Klein, recognitions, public hearings on street closure, street renaming, a solar farm rezoning, and an economic development incentive, as well as approval of a 911 center architectural agreement and denial of a sewer assessment appeal.
Announcements & Recognitions
- The Purple Heart Foundation presented the city with a token of appreciation for its sustained support of the annual Purple Heart Dinner.
- A proclamation was read declaring September 15 – October 15, 2025 as Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month.
- A community member requested a city proclamation standing with the immigrant community, citing local ICE enforcement concerns.
- Condolences were expressed for City Manager Mr. Hewitt on the passing of his mother.
- Upcoming events were announced: the 47th Annual International Folk Festival on Saturday, and the Beth Finch Monument unveiling on Wednesday.
Consent Calendar
All consent items were approved unanimously, except Item 7.0A4 (781 Richardson Avenue) which was pulled from consent and not further addressed. Approved items include:
- Approval of meeting minutes (August 25, September 2, September 8 work session and regular)
- Special Use Permit SUP25-03 for an automotive wrecker service at 3003, 3005, 3009 Murchison Road
- Rezoning P25-42 from SF-10 to MR-5 at Silver Pine Drive
- Demolition ordinances for uninhabitable structures at 820 Zadock Drive (781 Richardson Avenue pulled)
- Speed limit reduction on Ruritan Drive/Campground Church Road to 25 mph
- Adoption of bicycle lane definitions and ordinances
- Acceptance of multiple grants: Federal Transit Administration grants NC-2025-046-00 and NC-2025-049, HUD entitlement funds, NCDOT Airport Improvement Program grant, Juvenile Restitution Program grant, and Governors Highway Safety Program grant
- PWC items: Bond order for up to $230,000,000 in revenue bonds, sole source purchase of a 24” Cla-Val pump control valve ($136,253), bid awards for Interior Structure and Fill Media Replacement ($724,093), BABA Galvanized Steel Transmission Poles ($2,846,722.50), Grays Creek Water Main Extension ($7,500,304.55), and Omni Water Meter Chambers ($507,134.09)
Public Hearings & Testimony
8.01 – Closure of Lowe Street (Legislative Hearing)
- One speaker, David Sykes, supported the closure to allow development of property owned by his late mother. No opposition. Council voted unanimously to close the street.
8.02 – Renaming Five Streets Affected by I-295 (Legislative Hearing)
- No public speakers. Council discussed the cost burden on property owners to change addresses. Councilmember Thompson requested staff contact NCDOT about possible reimbursement. A separate motion to explore reimbursement passed 8-2 (Councilmembers Green and Hondros opposed). The street renaming itself was approved unanimously.
8.03 – P25-47: Rezoning for Solar Farm on Carvers Falls Road (Quasi-Judicial Hearing)
- Staff (Mr. Harman) and PWC (Tim Bryant) presented the request to rezone 40.54 acres from PND (County) to Conditional Community Commercial (CC/CZ) for a solar energy facility. PWC cited state renewable energy standards, customer savings, and a 30% federal tax incentive.
- Nine speakers favored the project, including PWC representatives highlighting 100-foot buffers, additional shrubbery, stormwater ponds, and noise mitigation.
- Nine speakers opposed, including adjacent property owners (the Bryan family of ZipQuest), who argued the area is designated as green space and open space in county plans, that the state park (Carvers Creek) may expand, and that the process was rushed. Concerns included visual impact, noise (up to 80 decibels from inverters), and stormwater.
- Council discussed buffers, noise, solar panel lifespan (30 years), and the RULAC glare study. A motion to approve with conditions (including replacement of dead shrubbery) passed 8-1 (Councilmember Benavente opposed).
8.04 – Project Superman – Economic Development Incentive (Legislative Hearing)
- No public speakers. Robert Van Gians presented a five-year declining grant (max $327,000/year) to retain and expand a steel component manufacturer, adding 42 jobs with average salary over $66,700 and $22 million investment. Council unanimously approved the incentive.
Discussion Items
- 9.01 – PSAP (911 Center) Architectural Agreement: Staff and consultant (Mission Critical Partners) presented plans for a new 18,200 sq ft 911 center with 21 workstations, expandable for potential consolidation with Cumberland County. The agreement with Schrader Group Architects for $1.495 million (plus $275,000 allowance) was approved unanimously. Council agreed to hold a work session on October 6, 2025 to discuss consolidation with the county.
- 9.02 – Appeal of Sewer Assessment (3162 Bittersweet Drive): The appellants did not appear. Council denied the appeal unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Lowe Street closure: Approved unanimously.
- Street renaming (5 streets): Approved unanimously; separate motion to explore NCDOT reimbursement passed 8-2.
- Solar farm rezoning (P25-47): Approved 8-1 (Benavente opposed).
- Project Superman incentive: Approved unanimously.
- 911 architectural agreement: Approved unanimously.
- Sewer assessment appeal: Denied unanimously.
- Next Steps: Council will hold a work session on October 6, 2025 to discuss 911 consolidation with Cumberland County.
Meeting Transcript
Well, good evening, everyone. We'd like to call our Monday, September 22nd, Faithful City Council meeting to order welcome. Thank you all for your patience. As the city council was completing uh some uh close session items and uh put us a little behind on our dinner meeting, but thank you for your patience. Those who are joining us uh in the audience, we welcome you. Those who are joining us remotely, we welcome you. At this time, as with every meeting, we will start with the invocation. Ask that Rabbi Scott Klein, U.S. Army Chaplain. If he could come forward, if everyone could please stand for the prayer. Immediately following the invocation, if we could uh repeat the Pledge of Allegiance in unity. Thank you so much, Mayor, and esteemed uh members of the city council. It is a pleasure to be here, especially on this eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which begins uh this evening. Uh it means literally the head of the new year, and in our tradition, we begin the year 5786. Rosh Hashanah, by the way, is not just a uh time for celebration, it's the birthday of the world and a period of deep introspection. And for the next 10 days, the Jewish community, which Fayetteville has a very proud and of course diverse community and diverse Jewish community. Uh, we are called to look inward and examine our deeds from the past year and to make resolutions together with our entire community to be better people in the year to come. This period is a time to renew our commitment uh to our families, to our neighbors, and to God. And uh again, finally the theme of Russ Hashanah is reflection, repentance, and renewal. It's universal, it's a call to all people, um, regardless of faith, to seek him better, a more just, a compassionate world. And with that in mind, let's turn our hearts and minds to a moment of prayer for our city and our community. Oh, guardian of all, we stand before you on this solemn eve at the cusp of a new year, 5786 as we prepare for Rosh Hashanah. We're gathered as leaders and citizens of Fayetteville, a city that we cherish, a community we are privileged to serve. At this time of reflection, we're reminded that Russ Hashanah is not just a holiday for the Jewish people. It's a time for all of humanity to pause and to consider our actions as we look and we stand in humble awe before the creator, just as we are called to open the books of our lives to account for our deeds, to recognize our faults, to resolve to do better. So to we as a city stand before you and we ask for your wisdom to see our strengths and our shortcomings with clarity, and we pray for the courage to address the challenges that face us. We pray for the ability to listen with open hearts and minds to all the voices in our city. We pray for our leaders that they be granted insight and integrity. We pray for our citizens that they may find health, safety, and prosperity. We pray for the bonds of our community, Lord, that they be strengthened by our acts of kindness, compassion, and justice. May this year be a year of growth, peace and progress for Fayetteville. May we be inscribed in the book of life, not just as individuals, but as a community, and let us say amen. Amen. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for what you've stands. One nation under God, individuals with liberty and justice for all Rabbi. If you could please, we thank you uh for giving us the prayer tonight. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. Absolutely. I'm joined tonight by my wife Ellie. Um, and we are uh originally from Skokie, Illinois, just north of the city of Chicago. Uh, but we are proud to uh to be here as my uh uniform represents. I am here as an Army chaplain. I am one of 12 active duty Jewish chaplains in the United States Army, and very, very privileged that my first assignment as a chaplain is here on Fort Bragg and in Fayetteville. As uh number of uh members of the city council and as members of the staff know, uh immediately got involved in the community, and uh I have a doctorate in educational leadership, uh background in communications and nonprofit management, and uh very passionate about uh uh making this a great place to live, work, and play. So uh privileged to serve as a chaplain of the 82nd Airborne Division. I always say I think I'm the only rabbi in this country that jumps out of airplanes for a living, which is kind of fun. Yeah, and that's it's great to call Fayetteville home. We'll be here for at least the next three, four years. And as you know from uh your boards and commissions, I'm already getting involved. Yes, sir.
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