Can You Envision? Public Meeting for City Green Proposal

On Monday January 27th, the Roswell Downtown Development Authority is presenting a vision for redeveloping the area around City Hall into a more robust park and mixed-use space.  There is a lot to take in from the designs.  The meeting will be at City Hall at 5:30 and is open to the public.  The vision will be presented to the Mayor and Council.  I am a huge supporter of this and am looking forward to the meeting!  As usual, there are a few tweaks I'd like to see but I'll critique the plan after the meeting.  Try to be there if you are interested.

The Top 10 Developments to Watch in 2014

I’m a sucker for lists but I don’t normally make them myself.  However, there is so much going on around here that it’s hard to keep track.  So, I’m putting together a list of the top 10 projects to watch in 2014.  In the past year, the stage has been set to make this year one of most transformative years ever in North Fulton.  These projects will increase walkability and overall livability in North Fulton.

10. Gwinnett Tech Expansion - Construction of the new Alpharetta Gwinnett Tech campus will be in full swing in 2014, keeping them on track for a Jan 2016 opening.  The depressing thing about the campus is that it appears to be a very 90’s and early 00’s suburban office park site design which shows 3 story’ish buildings surrounded by a sea of parking.  

image: Gwinnett Business Journal

9. North Fulton CID Blueprint 2.0 - The North Fulton CID released its vision for the next 7-10 years in Dec. and there are some projects that may gather momentum in 2013.  They focus on reducing traffic congestion, adapting to changing marketplace trends, and eliminating bureaucratic hurdles.

image: North Fulton CID

8. Roswell Downtown Development Authority - The DDA was relatively quiet in 2013 but expect Roswell to make some waves in the next year with plans for large scale projects in the heart of Roswell.  They launched their website (www.roswelldda.com) in 2013 and have posted several theoretical master plan images.  Their plans for a park or green at City Hall would be a big win if executed properly.

image: Roswell DDA

7. MARTA Rail - In late 2013, MARTA officially announced that it is looking to extend from North Springs station further north to Windward Parkway.  This was received with mixed emotions but many people recognize that more lanes on 400 is going to be costly if not impossible.  The current preferred alternative is to extend heavy rail and add five stations (Northridge, Holcomb Bridge, North Point, Haynes Bridge and Windward). Expect more news on potential funding sources and routes in 2014.

image: MARTA

6. More Roundabouts - In the past two years at least four roundabouts have been opened in North Fulton.  Readers are familiar with my thoughs on roundabouts and there is empirical evidence that they improve traffic flow, reduce crashes and increase safety.  More of them are coming to intersections near you.

5. Roswell Unified Development Code - Roswell has been opening its doors to business over the past 18 months.  There have been several high priority corporate announcements in that timeframe.  That said, the zoning codes are confusing web of red tape and must be changed.  In 2014, expect passage of the new UDC and the accompanying Design Guidelines.  This will send a message to developers that Roswell is serious about redevelopment.  It will also enable a number of projects to finally take a step toward reality.  There are several notable projects that are simply waiting for UDC adoption before going to the city to begin the process.  

4. Canton Street & Downtown Alpharetta Infill - No fewer than five projects around Historic Roswell have been brought before the city in the last several months to add townhomes and residences around the Historic Roswell area.  There are 80+ total units proposed and a number of them are likely to be finished this year.  Add this to the 320 new apartments and the Historic Roswell area could be netting 500+ new residents in the next 12-18 months.  Alpharetta’s downtown is experiencing a similar trend albeit with more multi-acre lots available for development due to large site foreclosures following the real estate crash.  These developments will help drive local businesses in the downtown areas that thrive on pedestrian traffic.

3. Roswell City Walk Apartments - Or should I say, Down Goes Frazier!  The horribly designed 1960’s era Frazier Street Apartments were demolished in December making way for Lennar Miltifamily’s 320 unit luxury apartment complex in the heart of Roswell.  The construction will take much of the year but the first tenants are expect in late 2014.  When complete, this development will be a game changer and will serve as a catalyst for future projects. Grocery store anyone??

image: Lennar Multifamily

2. Alpharetta City Center - It would be hard to top this project given its hefty price tag ($31 million), laudable site plan and ambitious construction schedule.  In the next 12 mos, you will see the heart of the new Alpharetta change dramatically.  Already, there are some new streets in place, with a roundabout, and the new City Hall building is beginning to take shape.  The parking deck and library will follow not too far behind and the addition of park space and a pedestrian orientation will be impressive.  This, as previously mentioned, is helping spur adjacent development.

image: Urban Collage

1. Avalon - This project dwarfs all the others on this list.  It’s hard to downplay the significance of this behemoth.  Total economic impact could be over $1 billion when all is said and done.  The construction at the site over the past 2 months has been frenetic and leaves little doubt that North American Properties will hit their Q4’14 target for opening phase I.  This project is regionally significant and is being watched by the commercial real estate industry nationally.  The combination of live, work and play gives Avalon major mixed-use cred and makes it unlike almost any other development in the region.  The tenant list is impressive with top-notch national and local restaurants and retailers.  When Avalon opens its streets in late 2014, it will serve as a showcase for walkability and urbanism in a suburban environment.  It will be interesting to see how it impacts other popular destinations such as North Point Mall and Canton St.

image: North American Properties

That’s a lot to chew on and undoubtedly, something else will creep up in 2014.  There are even some regionally significant projects that you will want to keep an eye on; the Stadiums (Braves & Falcons), Atlanta Street Car, College Football Hall of Fame, National Center for Human Rights, and Buckhead Atlanta just to name a few.

Happy New Year and have a great 2014!

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Watch Out for Those Perilous Turns on the Greenway!!

I was out on the Alpharetta section of th Big Creek Greenway recently and was glad to see this left turn advisory arrow.  Had it not been there, I might have careened out of control into those woods at 3 miles per hour.  Seriously, do we think that a sign is going to prevent a cyclist from running off the path?  Get Real Folks!

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Roswell & North Fulton CID - Let's Get It On...

First up, a little history.  The North Fulton Community Improvement District has been around since 2003.  According to information from the NFCID, those 10 years have raised more than $15 million from commercial property owners which has helped bring $80 million in infrastructure projects to life.  Many of these have been beautification efforts and traffic congestion mitigation projects.  Think of the Windward/400 interchange and the triple left turn lanes from Mansell Road to North Point Parkway.

Although I appreciate their efforts, I haven't been too vocal about them on this blog for two reasons.  First, the projects that have been implemented have been almost exclusively focused on solutions for the car which I feel is a transportation solution that is (un)fairly represented in our area.  Second, and more important, almost all of the tangible initiatives to date have been in Alpharetta.  Here's a full list of completed projects.  Now, to be fair, the CID has contributed to the Sun Valley Connector Feasibility Study as well as to a North Fulton Commuter Shuttle Study, both of which I think are interesting concepts.  However, there isn't much evidence of NFCID involvement in Roswell to day.

Now, it's starting to look like the NFCID's involvement in Roswell is getting a little more serious.  They held an open house earlier this month to unveil their Blueprint 2.0 which will serve as the organization's guiding document through 2021.  I was pleasantly surprised to see several major Roswell projects on the list.  

The blueprint is divided up into a Work Plan which involves projects that the CID will likely tackle and Advocacy Projects which the CID will advocate for.  Here's a full list with items directly impacting Roswell in bold.

Work Plan

• GA 400 Northbound Off-Ramp/Windward Parkway Phase 2
• GA 400 Westside Greenway-Kimball Bridge-Webb Bridge
• Warsaw & Mansell Intersection
• Encore Parkway Future Transit Site
• Old Milton Multi-Modal Improvements
• Old Ellis Connector
• McGinnis Ferry Access & Operational Improvements
• Lakeside Parkway/Haynes Bridge Road Accel/Decal Lane
• Windward Future Transit Site
• Kimball Bridge Multi-Modal Improvements
• GA 400 Westside Greenway - Big Creek Parkway to Kimball Bridge
• Encore Parkway/North Point Parkway Internal Street Grid

Advocacy Projects

• GA 400 Operational/Capacity Improvements
• North Fulton Transit Extension
• Holcomb Bridge Interchanges
• Big Creek Bridge
• Alpharetta Hwy/SR9 Operational & Aesthetic Improvements

There are definitely a lot of projets that will benefit mobility and connectivity in Roswell.  Here's the full Blueprint 2.0 document.

They also mapped out another group of projects that are classified as "Out of the District" but listed as Potential Future Projects or projects that are On the Radar.  This is where it gets really interesting for Roswell. Below, I've listed the projects on those lists that would impact Roswell.

Potential Future Projects

• Big Creek Phase 3 (East of GA 400)
• Big Creek Phase 4 (West of GA 400)
• Old Alabama and Holcomb Woods Parkway Intersection
• Old Alabama Operational Improvements & Holcomb Bridge

On the Radar

• Hembree Road Operational Improvements
• Old Roswell Road Operational Improvements
• Old Roswell and Warsaw Intersection

Here's a pic from the NFCID's presentation that zooms in on the Roswell related "Out of District" projects.

Now, that's a lot of stuff.  There are projects and ideas on this list that I like and some that I don't like.  I can categorize them fairly easily.   

• Like: Connecting Roads, More Greenways, Rail Transit, Bikepaths, Roundabouts  
• Don't Like: Lane Additions, More Turn Lanes, Unnecessary Road Signs

That said, I think this is a solid plan for our area.  I support the North Fulton CID's efforts and I think Roswell should get more involved with them.

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Drive Me Out to the Ballgame

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you are aware that the Atlanta Braves have reached an agreement with Cobb County to move the team to a site just outside the perimeter at the 75/285 junction.  This was quite a shock to the region and it has huge implications.  

There are a number of reasons behind the move that have been analyzed ad nauseum in the local and national media.  The details are too meaty to dive into however there are some promising aspects and some very depressing aspects of this deal.  Ultimately, the Braves wanted either a new stadium or a renovated Turner Field and required a lot in return.  The City of Atlanta couldn’t (or wouldn’t depending on whom you ask) compete with Cobb at the moment. The Braves want to get closer to their fan base which is understandable and Cobb is attractive.

Renderings of the proposed stadium show a conceptual mixed use development to the west of the stadium that could work to engage the area and bring a walkable urban environment into the Cumberland area.

The biggest and most laudable piece of this entire deal is the Braves’ commitment to creating a mixed-use destination that can function 365 days a year rather than a single use stadium that operates 81 to 90 days a year.  They envision this being the anchor development for a ‘walkable’ destination.  I’m not sure they will ever achieve true walkability in that area as there are just far too many wide roads and long distances between destinations.  That said, I truly wish them success.  The more walkability in the burbs, the better our region will be.  Unfortunately, my prediction is that it ends up being an over-priced, half-baked “mixed-use” destination full of national brand retailers and chain restaurants.  

The real concern, however, are the traffic implications of this move.  Roswell & East Cobb, in just three short years, Santa Claus, in the form of Cobb County Commissioner Tim Lee (the man behind the curtains on this deal), will be dropping a HUGE lump of coal in your stocking.  You can look forward to 81 traffic inducing home games, 50+ of which are on weekdays, most of which are at 7pm, putting more cars on your already clogged highways and arterials.  Will it be traffic Armageddon?  No, because we already have that at the 75/285 and 400/285 interchanges.  Traffic on Braves game nights will be straight from the bowels of hell.

The map of 2013 Braves ticket sales provides clarity into why the move north makes sense. This will notably change traffic patterns.

Say you’re heading from North Fulton, South Forsyth or even parts of Gwinnett and you want to take in a night game at the new Cobb stadium.  How are you going to get there?  Today, the current debacle that is 400 south to 285 east will take you at least 45 minutes.  That’s before adding a few thousand more vehicles trying to make that trip.  You can probably bank on 75 minutes plus from Alpharetta to the new stadium.  As an alternative, you might try your luck heading through Roswell and East Cobb by taking surface streets over to Marietta.  Adding another 1,000 or so trips through some of the North Fulton and East Cobb intersections will do wonders for the collective psyche of drivers who live around those areas (that’s us). 

To their credit, the Braves and Cobb County (and I’m sure GDOT now that they’ve been informed of the move) will get to work on solutions to get Braves fans to the new stadium.  They’ve talked about a tram or streetcar from the Cumberland area to the game as well as new ramps from the interstates into the parking area for the stadium.  That will be accommodative and will mitigate some of the problems but it’s a drop in the bucket.  The one thing that is missing is real transit access.  Your only option will be to drive and that’s something that Cobb GOB chariman Joe Dendy is determined to maintain.  After the announcement he was quoted as saying; “It’s absolutely necessary the solution is all about moving cars in and around Cobb and surrounding areas from our north and east where most Braves fans travel from, and not moving people into Cobb by rail from Atlanta.”

There you have it.  The solutions proposed will look at adding more capacity to already choking highways.  If we haven’t learned by now that more lanes induce more driving and solutions solely focused on cars have yet to rid us of congestion, then I’m not sure we will.  But, I never expected Cobb to understand this.  Maybe once the nightmare begins, we will finally wake up to our 1 mode solutions and start making better transportation decisions.  But for now, the baseball mantra in Atlanta is.. 

“Build it and they will (only) come (by car).”

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Stop the Madness: Don't Hit This Median

Here are two medians at the gate as you exit Liberty in Historic Roswell. I've been completely puzzled (annoyed) at the presence of the median sign on the second of the two medians. I'm not sure why one of these has the median warning sign and the other doesn't. However, there's one thing I'm absolutely sure of and that is that the one there is WHOLLY UNNECESSARY. The only people that would ever hit that median are people turning around at the entrance gate and they wouldn't see it anyway.

These signs are suited for medians in environments where cars are going 45mph+ or where there is a visibility problem. NOT in a spot where the posted speed limit is 13 mph and certainly not where it is virtually impossible for a driver to hit the median. Stop putting up ridiculously unnecessary signs and pull the pointless ones down already!!!

Demolition Edition.. Frazier Street Apartments

I'm happty to say that the long awaited demolition of the old Frazier Street Apartments started earlier this week.  It was obviously a long time coming.  So, now that the buildings are coming down, we can look forward to the new Roswell City Walk apartments in the next year.  These are going to be a vast improvement over the existing apartments and will serve the area well for many years to come.  

My friend and photographer Ian Mari took some images of the second day of demolition which I've posted below for you to enjoy.  I'm looking forward to seeing the progress in this area over the next year and then seeing what a catalyst for this area these apartments will become.

And in case you forgot what is replacing these old apartments, here's a recent rendering of Roswell City Walk apartments.

Flyovers: Fantasy vs Reality

I took a look at the newest Avalon CGI flyover video that was released last week and couldn't help but think of the Charlie Brown flyover video that I ran across a few months ago.  The first represents reality of what can be done when well managed capital comes along and properly (in most cases) engages the community and works with them to provide a product that will work within the context of the city.  The second represents a dreamer's vision of a mega project that wasn't well received by the neighboring subdivisions due mostly to the scale of the project. 

Take a look and add your thoughts on which one you like best.  (remember that CGI imagery has improved a lot in the last 7 years)

Avalon

Roswell East (aka Charlie Brown)

West Roswell Elementary - Multi-Use Path?

It looks like the City of Roswell is doing the right thing and going to the Fulton County School Board to request an easement for a multi-use path along Hog Waller Creek.  The request went before the school board tonight and I'm not sure of the outcome yet (will update).  The path would be 10 feet wide. Here's an image of where the path would run.  

If this is approved, the next step would be to connect it down to Norcross St.  That would be a great step toward connectivity and toward making some safe routes to school for kids to walk and bike.

Stop the Madness: This Time I'm Serious

I'm not sure which one came first here but someone obviously wasn't reading the sign.  The Double Sign is definitely one of the most anoying sign types.