HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-0919 (94)
Mathis, Jeana
From:Mervin Jebaraj <mervinjebaraj@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, November 1, 2022 7:57 AM
To:Agenda Item Comment
Subject:Hotel Developments in the Entertainment District
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Fayetteville. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize
the sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Mayor and City Council members,
As one of the city's appointees on the Walton Arts Center Council and a resident of Ward 2, I am writing to encourage
you to positively consider hotel developments in the entertainment district. In the past 13 years, I have been a regular
patron of the various businesses in our entertainment district and as such, I walk through our entertainment district at
least twice a week. In all these years, I have never thought of parking being a major concern for our entertainment
district or downtown.
I am a member of the Facilities Committee on the Walton Arts Center Council, and we have, for the past year, spent
countless hours exhaustively discussing parking issues associated with potential hotel developments in our
entertainment district. We have had ample discussions with the City and the folks behind the two hotel developments
about their development plans and their parking accommodations. As a result of these long discussions, I have become
more convinced that the addition of one or two hotel developments in our entertainment district will not significantly
impact parking or affect patrons' ability to enjoy establishments in the entertainment district. Instead, I believe one or
both hotel developments will greatly enhance the vitality of the entertainment district and bring in more patrons to
downtown establishments.
While patrons to our various establishments may not find their 'ideal' parking spot on the busiest of nights, there has
always been adequate parking in our downtown area and entertainment district even on those nights. Inasmuch as
there are concerns about parking in the entertainment district, the comprehensive Fayetteville Mobility Plan, completed
in 2018, identified several solutions to mitigate parking concerns and some of these solutions have already been
implemented. The City can and should consider the implementation of the remaining identified solutions. The new
parking study that is severely limited in scope (the study area is unreasonably small and the study only considers one
mode of travel) is unlikely to add greater insights or provide better solutions to address any remaining parking concerns
for the entire entertainment district and downtown.
Fayetteville has not seen the development of new hotel rooms in the downtown area for a very long time and I think the
proposals before you would make an important addition for our economic vitality. Given the fast-changing interest-rate
environment, unnecessary delays may threaten the financial viability of hotel development plans, so I would encourage
y'all to positively consider them as soon as possible. As always, I remain available to answer any of your questions.
Mervin Jebaraj
317 W North St
Fayetteville
Walton Arts Center Council, 07/01/20-06/30/23
1