LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!
SAY NO TO FIELDEN
This page is meant to inform our community about the proposed high-density Fielden development in unincorporated Lee County—despite being falsely advertised as an Auburn project—and the serious risks it poses to our rural community and Auburn city residents along Farmville Road. Our purpose is simple: stand together, share the truth behind the marketing, and rally support against a development that has not yet been brought before the city planning commission or county commission for approval. At this stage, it remains only in the design phase which means we can stop it if we work together and let our voices be heard!
Fielden is being marketed as an “Agrihood”—a planned community that combines green spaces such as farms, gardens, playgrounds, and parks with residential and commercial areas. The concept itself is not inherently negative; in fact, we fully support regenerative practices, conservation efforts, and creative ways of living in balance with natural habitats. The issue lies in location. The land they have chosen simply cannot support a development of this magnitude without being problematic for existing and future residents.
The plan is to turn 300 acres (with an additional 450 acres if Phase 1 goes well) of woodlands, fields, creeks and floodplains into a high-density housing development mixed with common green space and commercial amenities — clubhouse, an inn, swimming pool, retail shops, pickleball courts, etc. In short, it’s being pitched as a Serenbe-style community, but in reality it’s a stripped-down imitation that lacks the social services, infrastructure, and local support.
WHAT WE LEARNED AT THE PRESENTATION ON 9.17:
The current design will have 254 housing units (but they caveated that this number could change and could be as many as 300).
The developers said they do not like the term “high-density housing” and instead prefer the softened euphemism: “clusters of homes.” In a rural context, their proposal clearly qualifies as high-density, given that it is substantially more concentrated than the existing community.
Commercial spaces will include: an inn, mercantile shop, farm hub, and a “town center” commercial area similar to downtown Waverly. These commercial spaces will attract non-residents and add to the traffic and density burden.
Multiple entrances will be on CR88 and CR86 (which is currently a one-lane dirt road with a weight-restricted bridge).
Specific answers to critical questions — including septic system solutions, traffic impacts, paving and widening of CR 86, resurfacing of CR 88, and safety concerns regarding the bridge in need of significant repair — have yet to be provided.
They stated that the rumor that they are forming their own municipality is false.
The developers claim they want to market Fielden to younger people who can’t afford large parcels of land but still want access to green space. Yet when pressed about pricing, they admitted the lots would have to be set above market value because of the “desirability” of the neighborhood. Oh, and there will be mandatory HOA fees as well. This undermines their supposed goal of offering affordable housing.
The developers repeatedly argued that “if Fielden doesn’t go on this land, someone will put track homes here.” This is meant to convince us that development in this area is inevitable, and therefore Fielden is the most ideal outcome. But that claim is simply not true. No developer is going to put track homes this far outside the optimal growth boundary of Auburn. This land is not suited for dense subdivisions—and let’s be clear, “clusters" of homes on 1/8-acre lots is dense. It is suited for exactly what already exists here: larger lots for rural homesteads.
FYI, Auburn City officials told us that when Fielden was first presented conceptually, the City suggested alternative locations within the city limits that would be far better suited for this type of development and the developers declined this suggestion.
At the end of it all, no matter how many romanticized renderings they parade—tree-lined streets of cottages, sheep in fields, pickleball courts tucked in the woods, even constructed crossing paths for turtles and salamanders (yes, that was actually part of their presentation)—what we really see is this: a 254-home, high-density subdivision in unincorporated Lee County—lacking the civic and social services of Auburn—greenwashed to appear unique.
WHY IS FIELDEN A PROBLEM?
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Despite being falsely advertised that this is an Auburn development, it in fact is fully in unincorporated Lee County. At the end of the Auburn City Council meeting on Sept. 2, 2025, the Auburn City Manager herself said, “We [the city of Auburn] have been clear that this property is not eligible for annexation as it is outside Auburn’s optimal boundary.”
Even with this knowledge, the developers continue to market the project as “Fielden Auburn” despite it not having access to the civil and social services the city provides for its residents. -
While a final plat has not been presented yet, early presentations from the development team reveal a plan to include 300 acres with 50% of that area conserved as green space and 254 housing units (but it can be as many as 300) built on the remaining acreage. There has been talk that these housing units will be a combination of single family homes, small cottages, townhomes, and potential apartments above retails spaces.
The developers have indicated their intention to utilize building regulations commonly used for trailer parks to build multiple units on a shared lot in order to skirt the minimum lot size for single family homes which is the more common practice in this area.
If Phase 1 gets approved from both the Auburn City Planning Commission (which is required based on the proposed site’s proximity to the existing Auburn city limits) and the Lee County Commission, the developers could potentially expand the development with future phases to an adjacent 450 acres which is owned by the same land owner, resulting in a total of 750 new housing units immediately outside the city limits off Farmville Road but without access to the civil and social services of Auburn, which are critical needs of a development of this scale.
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There is a coalition of neighbors around the proposed site who have a shared history of working with two of the lead developers who initially brought forward the idea of Fielden. These developers have continually demonstrated a tendency to set high expectations and make lofty promises that, in our community’s experience, have not been fulfilled. As a result, the neighborhood coalition has significant concerns about relying on them to follow through with the expectations they are setting for sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, and the general aesthetic and values they’re marketing as part of the project.
Additionally, it is our understanding that their professional development experience has been limited to land brokerage and several small 5–10 lot subdivisions in the area, the latter of which, according to nearby residents, ended with neighbors disappointed by unmet expectations. It is our understanding that none of these previous subdivisions had major engineering requirements or infrastructure construction costs like typical large-scale subdivision developments. Given the developers’ lack of experience on projects of this scale, our confidence is further eroded in their ability to deliver on the expectations they’re setting.
Lastly, the developers have engaged with a design and planning firm from Franklin, TN, TPUDC, who has confirmed that once they are done with their design and plat submittal process, it will be solely up to the developers to follow through on implementing the plans that have been approved. This is a strong reason for concern based on prior projects in the area and their limited large-scale development experience.
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The scary implication of Fielden being approved by the Auburn City Planning Commission and Lee County Commission is that it would set a new precedent of high-density, rural development in Lee County. This could potentially open the flood gates for similar high- density housing developments not only in this portion of Lee County but all across the county.
There are over 2,000 acres of large-tract, undeveloped land that is either immediately adjacent or contiguous via neighboring tracts with the proposed Fielden site. An approval on the Fielden project would be an indication for other land owners and developers that this style of rural development would be welcomed.
Just because this project is being proposed in the western portion of the county, it could have very real implications for development in other parts of the county as well. It would not only be unprecedented density outside of city limits, but also experimental and potentially be significantly detrimental to existing and future residents.
What would the implications be in your part of Lee County?
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To reiterate as before, we’re not opposed to the concept of an “Agrihood” - mixing high-density residential and commercial properties in a walkable community with integrated green space and agriculture. It’s a lovely vision really. Our belief is that in order for a development of that nature to thrive, it needs to be located within the the jurisdiction of a municipality like Auburn or Opelika in order to be supported by the civil and social services of that city. Cities exist to support the needs of a higher population density. Outside of these confines, high-density is not only impractical and unfeasible, it’s a potential recipe for disaster for our rural communities.
Our proposed solution is simple, take the existing plans and vision, and move it to an undeveloped site inside the city limits of Auburn or Opelika, or inside the optimal boundary for either, to ensure a higher probability for success for both current and future residents. It’s as easy as that!
Lee County neighbors, rural friends, and everyone who drives West Farmville Road — listen up! This project affects you.
If approved, the traffic disruptions and community impacts will be enormous. Even if you live across the county, this will set a precedent for future developers to carve up large rural tracts with subdivisions that belong inside city limits — not in our countryside.
This is an unprecedented development, and we need your voice. Please stand with us and help us spread the word!
