The Phony Groveway Controversy

It has come to our attention that a group of citizens are raising a signficant amount of opposition to the proposed Groveway Hybrid Form Based Code.  We have written about this code previously (here and here) and support the effort to revitalize one of the most neglected parts of our city by engaging the community, updating the zoning into the 21st century and giving those citizens the neighborhood design they desire.

The opposition is making false claims about the potential for large numbers of apartments and retail space.  The claim is that through hyper development in this area, our city will suffer reduced quality of life, more traffic congestion, degrading school quality and several other social ills.  Additionally, there is concern that this is being fast tracked by council.

The facts show that these claims just aren't true.  The city made an official response, posted below, to the initial email that addresses the claims very well.  We have chosen to not post the original email as it contains several factual inaccuracies that could further confuse the public.  Please consider sending an email to the mayor city council voicing your support. 

• mayorwood@roswellgov.com  
• ndiamond@roswellgov.com
• rdippolito@roswellgov.com
• kigleheart@roswellgov.com
• Jorlans@roswellgov.com
• bprice@roswellgov.com
• bwynn@roswellgov.com

If you can, please try to come out to the City Council Meeting Monday evening (4/9) at City Hall and show your support.  Here's the city's response:  

You recently received an email containing a letter written by ........ concerning the Groveway Community project. There are many inaccuracies in this letter pertaining to this project, and the City of Roswell would like to give you the correct information. 

Groveway Project Process

This project is not being fast tracked. It has gone through a thorough, painstaking process which began back in 2008 with the City receiving a grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission to study the area for redevelopment.  From 2008 until today, the City has involved the community and stakeholders from day one. The Groveway project has been a community-driven effort with multiple meetings for citizen input. The City has held a two-day charrette with citizens, four community meetings and 17 Groveway Stakeholder committee meetings following the charrette. The result is a community vision and comprehensive plan for Groveway: A mixed-use zoning code overlay that will re-create the area, making it a vibrant part of our city. Please visit the timeline for this project to see how it has progressed over the years.http://www.roswellgov.com/DocumentView.aspx?DID=2351

Apartments

The maximum number of apartments that could be built in Groveway is 2,800 but realistically that number is not likely to exceed 1,500. The Groveway project is a mixed-used development which means there will be single family homes, multi-family homes (apartments/townhomes), commercial and retail. To achieve 4,000 apartments, every piece of land in Groveway would need to be developed into five-story apartment complexes. That would include the City Hall property, the Cultural Arts Center, the Police Department, the Library, the Child Development Association, Pleasant Hill Church, the AT&T building, the cemetery and Waller Park. That is just not going to happen.

In addition, the Groveway hybrid form-based code does not allow for five-story buildings everywhere. Five-story buildings are allowed only on the primary streets of Atlanta, Oak, Hill, Norcross, and Frazier. Secondary streets in the community are allowed only three-story buildings. Currently there are approximately 400 apartments in the GrovewayCommunity. Realistically Groveway will be redeveloped into a community with homes, townhomes, apartments, retail and commercial…a balanced approach. 

Retail

There will not be 1,782,000 square-feet of retail space developed in the Groveway Community. Again to achieve this level of retail, every parcel in Groveway would need to be retail, and that is not realistic. That would include the City Hall property, the Cultural Arts Center, the Police Department, the Library, the Child Development Association, Pleasant Hill Church, the AT&T building, the cemetery and Waller Park. Again, that is just not going to happen. In addition, the Groveway Community is on a grid system and the size of the land parcels does not allow an assemblage of land large enough to support that much retail. This is a mixed-use development not solely a retail development.

Transferable to other areas of Roswell 

 The Groveway Community Hybrid Form-Based Code Regulations have been created through a community effort for theGroveway Community and nowhere else. If other communities in our wonderful City would like to redevelop their areas, a similar process would need to take place. The residents and stakeholders of the community would need to be engaged and drive the process from the very beginning to its fruition, and Roswell’s Mayor and Council would need to approve the final plan.

Infrastructure Improvements

Necessary infrastructure improvements would be required through the redevelopment of the properties in addition to developers paying impact fees for improvements. This is a live, work, play, walkable community where people will walk to the stores, restaurants and parks similar to those who live in the Canton Street area.

The Groveway project is a community vision of what this area of our city could be – a thriving, vibrant neighborhood for our community. To read more about the Groveway project, we encourage you to visit http://www.roswellgov.com/index.aspx?NID=1435.

Thoughts from DPZ Public Workshops

If you read this blog, you probably know that I'm a fan of DPZ's work and have posted before (here & here) about our need to have this firm in particular work on a master plan for our city.  Well, I got my wish (partially) and I'm not disappointed by what they have delivered in the early stages.

I had originally planned to tweet these while I was participating in some of the workshops but I quickly realized that I would spend more time tweeting than paying attention and participating.  There were a lot of interesting ideas and discussions that occurred and I'm not pretending to have captured most of them.  I'll start off with the big ideas that I was able to capture and move into some other ideas, observations and discussion points.

Big Ideas

Square at City Hall and Canton Street - Create a large square on the backside of City Hall that would create the possibility of three additional civic building sites that would surround the central square.  The road would be one way all the way around the square.  To give you an idea.. if you were coming north on nine.. you would make a right on Hill Street and then a left on a new street that would take you north and reconnect with the existing Hwy 9 alignment just north of City Hall.. the very rough diagram below will give you an idea (this is VERY rough and only intended to illustrate the concept).  Duany compared our current municipal complex to a bunch of stray cats.  This design would definitely solve the stray cat problem and it would create an unforgettable statement of "This is Roswell" for anyone driving through town.

Canton Street South... - Create a narrow walkable street from Oxbo south to Mill St that would give a Canton St feel.  This one was incredible and I don't think many people have thought of this until now.  The feel that could be created would be second to none in Atlanta.  New but strikingly unique and well proportioned for a small historic town center.

Shops on Park Square - Eliminate the street between the shops just north of Park Square and connect those shops to the square which would enable cafe style dining that would activate the square much more than it is now.

Other Thoughts 

Historic Gateway One-Way Pair - Duany wasn't a huge fan of the one-way pair.  He kept pondering how this idea made it through the selection process.  He understood that the residents in that area want a more walkable neighborhood center and promised that he would propose a solution that would work with the proposal.  There was some opposition at the presentation from some of the residents of the Creek View condominiums.  This was the first strong opposition that Duany said he had heard to the concept but it was predictable.  He told them that the only reason they should accept the loss of privacy is if they in turn have some great urbanism created in the area.  I may post more on this at a later date as it is definitely interesting and will come up again. 

Boutique Hotel - They definitely didn't feel that the Boutique Hotel Concept was dead.  They felt that if the Oxbo to Mill St connection were built that the hotel could serve as a wonderful anchor to the end of that street.

Views of Barrington - The view of Barrington coming down Mimosa is easily correctable with some slight landscaping adjustments.  They weren't pro or against removal of the wall at this time but they definitely felt that the view of Barrington needed to be improved when viewed from Mimosa.

Adopt the ITE Context Sensitive Solutions Guidebook - Duany strongly recommended to the DOT personnel in the room that they adopt the 'Institute of Transportation Engineers - Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities' as the official road design guidelines for Roswell.  I know DOT was taking notes and hopefully this will appear on the agenda soon for the council.

Extend Oxbo Trail to the Cemetery - I thought this was an incredible idea that just hasn't been considered.  An extension of Oxbo Trail up to the old Presbyterian cemetery.  This would really complete the trail and give an alternative walking path for residents of Mill Village to get up to Groveway.  I see this one happening relatively quickly.

Activating the Square - There isn't much you can do with the Park Square to make it a more lively spot.  A true square needs to be surrounded by buildings on all side that can participate and overflow into the square.  The separation by high volume roads poses an insurmountable challenge.  It should remain a sense of pride for the area and serve as the location for most festivals but intervention most likely won't work.

Slight Curve of 9 at the Square - This was actually a fantastic idea and is a quick solution to a large problem.  Duany proposed a slight bow or arc in the road in front of the buildings facing the square in order to give them more sidewalk space.  This arc would eat into the square slightly but create a beautiful arcing motion in the fence along the square and additionally slow down the traffic in that spot slightly.  

Alter the Pavement in Important Places - He was specifically speaking of Hwy 9 from Mill St to Sloan St in the same area as the curve mentioned above.  Essentially, you would put brick pavers down and alter the texture of the road to remind drivers that they are in an important space.  This texture combined with the arc would really create a nice space without significantly altering anything.  

Riverside|Azalea|Hwy9 Intersection - Leave the intersection at Riverside|Azalea|Hwy 9 as is.  Any improvements will not realize the intended traffic flow improvements and won't be worth the investment.  Duany was specifically opposed to the roundabout/underpass option that is the city's preferred option.  I actually disagree with him on this one.

Gateway at the River - Do we really need a gateway?  This is what Duany was asking.  The bridge itself is great and the river is a de facto gateway.  Additionally, the drive downhill from Sandy Springs and then up from the river once you are in Roswell is a powerful statement that you are entering a different place.  Whatever we do, we shouldn't let a new bridge get built with higher rails that will impede the beautiful views.  I didn't hear of any mention of the planned pedestrian bridge in any of the workshops I attended.

Apartments at the River - These apartments will be gone in 10-20 years.  The city needs to figure out what they want that land to be.  There was a quick draft of a building that looked nice that was presented at the presentation.  I'd love to see something like what they drew up. 

Pedestrian Tunnel Under 9 to Connect Canton to City Hall - Duany was definitely not a fan of the current idea to tunnel under 9 to enable people to park easier at City Hall.  He says people just inherently don't like tunnels or overpasses and ineveitably people will cross at street level.  Other considerations were the ADA requirements for a tunnel or overpass.  He definitely ruffled some feathers on this one.  I feel that a crossing at street grade is more preferable.  

Other Observations

There were a lot of the large real estate holders in attendance at the workshops.  They all seemed optimistic to the ideas that were being proposed and much of the land that was pointed to for redevelopment is in the hands of only a few major owners which increases the probability of something happening.

Planning is sequential in nature.  You plan for what you want the area to be like in 25 years but you need to allow it to grow.  You don't plan for 4 story mixed-use and force that to be the only allowable condition.  One story gradually moves to 2-4 stories.  You have to allow that flexibility and the ability to change over tme.  

Style should steer clear of the classical stuff like our historic homes and instead work to emulate the Mill Style and Factory Building feel in most cases.  

The highest vehicular throughput for a road is at 27-29 MPH according to the ITE.  Thus, in order to accommodate the most traffic volume, Hwy 9 should be designed to have as little stop-go as possible while maintaining a speed around 30 mph.

It used to be that cars traveling through towns were under the rules of that town.  We need to take back our space and ensure that cars coming through Roswell know that they are in someone else's town and that they need to behave accordingly.  This road should deliver a message that this is primarily for Roswell, that guests are welcome, but they are here on Roswell's terms.

Retailers will go in and out of business without "our help" was one of Duany's points when discussing what a one-way pair would do to business along 9.  He poined out that most of the business that is currently there is undesirable (unless you are the business owner).  The one-way pair can work if done properly and not negatively impact desirable businesses.

Duany observed that the design system in Roswell is fragmented and there doesn't seem to be a high degree of intradepartmental coordination.  DOT isn't talking to Parks who isn't talking to Community Development, etc.  He was especially critical of the design of some park areas which offended a few people in the room.  He then tried to make the point by saying that everything he designs is given to someone else to improve on and that there is nothing wrong with that.  He implied that criticism and collaboration create better places.

No too many city council members were in the workshops but it seemed like half of them were at the presentation.  I could be wrong on that as I did not attend all workshops.

DPZ is attempting to do something that has never been done before with the hwy 9 plan.  The linear coding sheet (comparison to a musical score) that they are putting together for the entire length of the street is something that Duany came up with about 15 years ago but he has never used it.  He says he has never come across a street with as much complexity as this stretch of road and felt this was the perfect opportunity to work on something revolutionary.  It truly is unorthodox but if it works, it will be amazing.  We shouldn't have any reason to believe based on track record that it won't work.

From what I can tell, there might be a little animosity between the city and the planning staff.  The selection of DPZ was a close vote, with the mayor being the deciding vote.  This is a shame because regardless of who is doing the work, the city should recognize that this is a transformational opportunity that doesn't come along frequently.  We need both of these groups to work in concert for this to be the best possible outcome.

Conclusion

The first few days of actual interaction with DPZ and the city have gone very well.  Ideas were generated, issues were clarified and significant progress on the plan has been made.  Duany is very interested in Roswell and had great things to say about the historic district in public and in private.  This should be the beginning of something great for our city.  We are looking forward to the next round.  Stay tuned.. I will update you as soon as I know more about when additional workshops and potential talks are scheduled. 

Historic Gateway Workshop and Opening Presentation by Andrés Duany

The process of developing a master plan for the Historic Gateway is underway and the public will be invited to the first workshop next week.  The workshop will be conducted from 10am - 5pm on the 29th and 30th.  Andrés Duany will be giving an opening presentation in City Council Chambers from 5-7 on the 29th.  If you care at all about the future development of the Historic District, this is a can't miss talk.  If you have never seen Andrés speak, it is not your normal lecture on zoning and planning.  He is as entertaining as he is influential and often times brings a bit of controversy.

The Department of Community Relations sent out the below email today:  

Historic Gateway Master Plan Workshop

The City of Roswell Community Development Department announces the first of two workshops focused on the Roswell Historic Gateway Master Plan.

The workshop will be conducted by Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company (DPZ) the City's Master Planning Consultant. The workshop is free and open to any members of the public interested in stopping by to see the work and provide input. DPZ has earned an international reputation creating over 300 projects for a wide range of built environments in the United States and abroad. The workshop will be led by Andres Duany, a Founding Principal of the firm, and author of numerous books including Suburban Nation, The New Civic Art, and The Smart Growth Manual.

The Historic Gateway Master Plan is part of an on-going effort by the City, business owners, and residents to make the Atlanta Street corridor a vital, pedestrian-friendly center of heritage, culture, business, and neighborhood life. The goal of the Master Planning process is to encourage historically appropriate development of the Gateway that is consistent with the vision of residents, business owners, and other stakeholders. The Master Plan will re-establish a context for the Gateway area as a vibrant multimodal center of heritage, culture, business and neighborhood life that is friendly to commuters, visitors, and residents alike.

Opening Presentation by Andres Duany
March 29, 5:00-7:00
City Council Chambers

Mr. Duany will give a public presentation of the initial analysis of the Historic Gateway Area and a present a preliminary framework for moving forward with the study. The challenges and opportunities presented by the Historic Gateway area will be discussed in the context of sustainable planning principles. Lessons will be drawn from comparable initiatives across the nation and world. After the presentation there will be opportunity for attendees to offer comments, ask questions, and participate in the exploration of how to plan for the future of the Roswell Historic Gateway.

Workshop: Open to the Public
March 29-30
10am-5pm

Roswell Mill Club
front conference rooms
85 Mill Street
Roswell, GA 30075

Update on Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 11:22PM by Michael D Hadden

I was fortunately able to attend several of these workshops today as well as the speaking engagement at City Hall.  The ideas that have been proposed and that will be refined over the coming weeks are truly transformational for our city.  If you have even the slightest interest in the historic district and how it will be developed over the next 5-10-20 years, you should consider participating in one of the Friday workshops at Roswell Mill.  They are open to the public and although there are a bunch of Planning types in the room, the input of average citizens of the historic district is what will make this plan great.  I have been told that the speaking engagement was recorded.  I am hoping that it will be posted online and if so, I will link to it.  

Groveway Hybrid Form-Based Code - Draft Review

 

I had some time this week to take a look at the draft copy of the Groveway Hybrid Form-Based Code that is being reviewed by the city for approval.  At first glance, it's revolutionary for Roswell.  In 20 years, the Groveway Community as we know it will be almost unrecognizable and that's not a bad thing.  The reason I say that is this... What we will get is just plain better than the current mish mash of old houses, public housing and light industrial buildings that is currently there today.  

Overview

• 2 districts - The area is divided into two distinct district types.  Those are Neighborhood Mixed-Use (NMU, red) and Neighborhood Residential (NR, blue).
• Different Building Requiements and Approved Uses - Each area NMU and NR has a different mix of what can go there.
• Intersection Focal Points - 6 High Visibility Intersections are to be focal points of development.
• Maximum Heights - Maximum building height of 5 stories or 66 feet.

Let's start off with the few bad things that I could find...

Accessory Dwellings - This code doesn't seem to specificially permit Accessory Dwellings (granny flats) in either the NMU or NR.  I could be missing something but I couldn't find any mention of them in the permitted use section.  I think this may be an oversight becuase they are discussed in other sections such as the NMU Building Orientation section.  However, I think it would be best to define them outright in the building types section.  There's only one area in Roswell that I've seen that does these well and that is the Legacy Village subdivision off Woodstock.  If you want to see them put to much better use, you need to drive up to Vickery Village.  These should be standard development tools for single family lots in the Historic District.

Parking Minimums - It doesn't go far enough to reduce parking minimums.  In a truly walkable community, you just don't need them.  Nashville has gone as far as removing parking minimums in its downtown zoning code. If Nashville can get away with it, surely Roswell can.

Municipal Complex Grounds - This code doesn't really address the void that the inward facing City Hall and municpal complex create.  It does nothing with the grounds around City Hall... I think there is something creative that can be done to further engage City Hall and the municipal complex with the rest of the community.  I'm not referring to the area between the butt of City Hall and Atlanta Street wherethe new Walk of Valor will be.  Rather, I'm referring to the area along Hill Street and Forest Street that could undoubtedly be better used.  Additionally, instead of a big giant roundabout infront of the steps, that area could be turned into a plaza to be used more effectively for special functions and eventually become a central gathering place for the community.

Historic District vs Groveway District? - There seems to be some confusion as to what district a developer would be developing in.  This is a problem and is inherently confusing.  Why are we overlaying complexity.. We have existing codes overlapped by this code overlapped by the historic district.  If we were thinking holistically, the entire historic district from the River to Woodstock Rd would be part of the same code with slightly different architectural nuances for the different sections of the district.

What is Historic? - I think this is a question that many people have been asking.  How much are historic buildings protected and what exactly is historic? Is the AT&T building historic?  Should it be protected?  We need to better define what buildings NEED TO GO eventually and which ones should stay.  Don't preserve a shack just because it's old.  Think Spiced Right.. Love the food! Hate the building.  Should we be preserving those types of buildings?

Now, here's what I love about it...

Placemaking - This code really makes an attempt to create a place for people.  In turn, community and business will thrive.  This is ground up through a community charrette process rather than top down through a major developer (i.e. Avalon in Alpharetta).  The drawing below is just one of the visions that are detailed in the draft document.

Simplicity - It might be a little long but the key parts are simple.  Anyone can read it and figure out building requirements and really get a vision of what the area might look like in 10-20 years.  If all other codes were thrown away and this one were the only one that was applicable to the area, it would be a great step in the right direction.

Consistency - Buildings will be consistent but not identical.  This uniformity creates a sense of place.  Compare Canton Street to Alpharetta Hwy and you will see what consistent building typology and hodgepodge really does to an environment.  

Mixed-Use - The Mixed-Use district is huge.. wow!  This could truly be the heart of the historic district one day.  This only makes sense since it is the only area with a moderately functional networked road system.  One small concern is that too many uses have been labeled as conditional or prohibited.  This is especially true in the purely residential area which might be better with a few more uses permitted and a little bigger mix of single family and townhomes together rather than being segregated out.

Storefronts - Great care is taken in describing how stores and buildings should address the street.  Storefronts are required to have at least 60% transparency making them feel permeable.  This helps create a comfortable envirnment for walking.  If you've ever walked past the AT&T building or the Jail, you'll know what I mean.  Now compare that to walking in front of Roswell Provisions along Canton Street.  There is no comparison.  Those are two extremes of the spectrum but this code will prevent the negative side of the spectrum from invading the public realm.

Prohibited Materials - There's a place for industrial materials.  That place is not the heart of a city.  This code prohibits certain building materials in new construction such as mirrored glass, chain link fence and back-lit vinyl awnings.

Blank Walls are Prohibited - Again, think AT&T building.  There's nothing less interesting to walk by than a solid blank wall.  This code does a good job preventing that from happening.

There is still time to voice your opinion.  So, I suggest you contact the city council if you feel strongly about this.  To sum it up, there are a few things that I hope get worked out.  However, I would love to see this pass and it will be a great step in the right direction for Roswell. 

All Images from the Groveway FBC Draft via RoswellGov.com

Quote of the Week: Strong Towns on Hidden Costs

When I bought my computer, it came with a printer costing me no more than $20. At the time I thought “Sweet, free printer!” But since using the printer, I’ve had to frequently purchase ink costing $60 a pop. Over the life-cycle of the printer, I’ve realized I’ve spent more in the printer and ink combined than had I purchased a laser printer costing $250. The upfront costs of a more expensive printer are significant, as is the toner, but I would end up paying less than the subsidized printer in the long run. In other words, I was seduced by the free machine that ended up costing me a lot of money.

Here is the connection to Strong Towns. Federal and State subsidized projects are like the $20 printer. Initially communities think “Sweet, free bridge.” But, once you figure the cost of keeping the bridge in working order, it turns out to be a major expense for communities. This is an expense that if a community couldn’t fund the bridge to begin with, likely wouldn’t have the wherewithal to maintain.

Solution: Purchase the bridge (printer) at full cost, without a subsidy. If you can do that, then you can likely afford the cost of maintenance (ink).

This is another great metaphor that the Strong Towns organization has passed along.  It reminds me of the Johns Creek roads dilemma that the AJC recently wrote about here.

Strip Malls.. Does Roswell Need More of the Same?

It's not easy to do right.  Anyone can put lipstick on a pig but it doesn't change the fact that it's still a pig.  One of my all time favorites and it might be apt in this case is that 'you can't polish a turd.'  That being said, I recently heard that the Holcomb Woods Village shopping center was sold and the new owner is looking to do a little remodeling.  I was able to find the plans on the city's website and am slightly disappointed.  The first thing I'm going to take up is the name.. please change it.  A village is a small community or group of houses in a rural area.. it is not a strip mall with no residents along a major collector highway.

Now that I've covered that, let's get back to the plans.  The new owner, Hawthorne Retail Partners, has put together a plan that essentially dresses this little piggy up.  Here's the pic... nothing changes in the curent layout of the site.

image: City of Roswell

For those readers unfamiliar with the property, it is the strip mall behind Aqua Blue and Wendy's along Holcomb Bridge Rd about a mile east of 400.  The shopping center itself is probably about 40% leased (guessing) and isn't in very good condidtion.  The premiere tennant currently is Twisted Taco.  Most of the property, as with every strip center is dedicated to parking.  The outparcels where Aqua Blue, Wendy's and Goodyear sit are not part of the center and they cause a problem because they sit uphill from the shopping center.  Thus, drivers along Holcomb Bridge cannot easily see the shopping center.  When car traffic is your only source of business, this poses a problem.

the owner has three options ranging from cheap to cost prohibitive.  Here's a look at each of them. 

Three Options

Dress it up...  This is the default plan and it looks to be the intent of the company.  It is fairly consistent with the Roswell 2030 Master Plan given that this site calls for mixed-use no rise (1-2 stories). Our issue with the plan is that it is essentially adding no value to the city.  It may increase the tax rolls near term but in the long run, it is the same retail model that is failing nationwide.  In 15-20 years, we'll be in the same spot once again.  Looking at an aging strip mall that is half empty.  Here's a sample of some remodels Hawthorne has done in other places.

image: City of Roswell

Change it up...  This will require a little investment and innovation.  Create some additional buildings and potentially a gathering space where families will want to come and spend some time.  Reaching back into the Roswell 2030 plan, one of the stated objectives for this area is to "seek to create a village environment."  A shopping center with the word village in its name does not make this a village.  The first thing we would do is shop out the parking lots to an apartment developer and look to bring some full time residents to the area.  Think 2-3 stories along the east side of the parcel all the way up to HBR.  Internally, consider the Avenue Concept where there is a building in the middle of the horseshoe.  Or, maybe a water feature/sprayground where people could sit and hang out.  You sacrifice some parking but it could be made up along the periphery with parallel parking.  That spot is fairly well shielded from the noise on HBR so it could be a pretty cool spot.  The other thing to consider is to look into using the water retention area as a water feature.. it's downhill from the main building where the "wedge" is and could actually look nice.

Start from Scratch..  This is a longer term idea.  We should be taking the first steps to revitalize the area.  It's going to happen incrementally anyway.  So, why not start here.  Not every city is Alpharetta with a $200M benefactor just popping up to save the day.  The first thing that would be needed is to work out deal with current owners of the outparcels.  There are too many ideas to list here but someone with some imagination could do something nice.

What does the market want?

Honestly, it's hard to tell.  The one thing we can be sure of is that the market isn't screaming for a new, renovated or dressed up strip center.  Sure, Hawthorne will gain some tenants and this will probably encourage the developments surrounding it to redevop to ensure they don't lose their tenants.

As far as mixed-use with shopping and residential is concerned, we think there is a market there.  There have been proposals made and projects approved on that side of town but nothing has gotten off the ground.  That's more of an issue with the types of proposals made (i.e. Charlie Brown) and the timing of the approvals (Centenniel Walk) than an overall aversion.  The lot is close to 400.  It is near the Big Creek Park.  There is a private school within walking distance.  A grocery store and a gym within a reasonable walk or short drive.  It's walking distance to the largest employer in Roswell (Kimberly Clark).  Plus, the redevelopment potential in the area would likely encourage an apartment developer to get into the mix.  The parcel sits pretty close to what is the biggest redevelopment opportunity in Roswell...  just sayin.

So, in our minds, this project could be a catalyst that would jump start the redevelopment of that area but in it's current form, it doesn't encourage much beyond the same 'ol same 'ol strip mall development that we already have for miles and miles along Holcomb Bridge Road.

Alpharetta's Big Project Part Deux

image: North American Properties

So, the big news out of Alpharetta lately has been the release of the site plan for the new Avalon development.  You may want to check out their promotional video as well.  Very well put together with the always catchy Temper Trap song Sweet Temptation as background.  You can comment on the plan here on the Alpharetta City website and Mark Toro will be presenting the project to the public at 7pm on Monday 2/13 at Alpharetta City Hall.  Mark seems like a good guy and his presentation will probably be top notch.  Unfortunately, I can't make it.

This project is better than what is there now.  It's not better than the original Prospect Park plan in my opinion.  All in all, it has a long way to go to earn my full approval (but what the hell does that matter).  For what it's worth, here's My feedback...

Pro

• Thus far, a well executed marketing and promotional plan.  NAP knows what they are doing on the retail side and will no doubt put together a product that will work in Alpharetta.
• Nice use of terminated vistas on the central avenue.  Retail has figured it out, now we just need our transportation engineers and subdivision developers to figure it out.
• Bold move with the apartments given the current mood in Alpharetta toward anything non-single family.  These apartments will be leased with a quickness.  

Con

• Far too much land area dedicated to parking.  I hope they are planning on using the space as a land bank for future mixed use buildings.
• A 14 story building is a show stopper in Alpharetta.  Nothing on this property should be go over 6-7 stories.  NAP will get some serious backlash if they want to push the height.
• Does Alpharetta really need another movie theater?  Good grief!  Also, what will the back end of the movie theater look like from Westside Parkway?
• Poor use of the detention ponds.  Take the Historic Old 4th Ward Park pond as an example of great use of a detention pond.  I know.. the site is topographically challenged and the detention ponds can only go in so many places but where's the creativity?
• Townhomes should surround the park instead of the single family homes.  The little park does nothing to increase the value of the single family homes that have their own little yards already.  However, the townhomes would see an increase in value.  
• Townhomes should face out along Westside Parkway.  This entire project seems to look in on itself.  That could be a byproduct of the fact that it is surrounded by multi-lane arterials that not even the most ardent traffic engineer would want to stare at all day, but that's no excuse.  They should be designed more like the Lake Deerfield townhomes along Deerfield Pkwy where the buildings on the outside address the street.  There is nothing that can help the situation along Old Milton.. you're stuck with a 6 laner + turn lanes.  However, Westside can be done well and the right addressing of the street could really change the feel through that stretch of road.
• The outparcels are very concerning and leave uncertainty.  What will be there? They are too close to the residential.. the residential should interact with the main project and not be plagued with uncertainty of what will be developed right next door.  

Maybe some of these concerns will be addressed and questions answered at Monday's meeting.  Either way, thanks to Mark Toro and NAP for bringing life to this project and working to engage the public.

2012 Outlook

I meant to put this together last month but unfortunately this part-time blogger just didn’t have enough time.  Anyway, it’s always interesting to take a look into the crystal ball and see where we will be in the future.  This year, we are going to take a stab at what will happen in Roswell and around the metro area in 2012 as well as recap some of the bigger changes we've seen in and around the Historic District.  It's shaping up to be an interesting year in many ways.  Check out our recap, thoughts and predictions in each of the areas below:

2011 Recap - Keep up the Good Work Roswell!

• Midtown Streetscape - Initial work has been completed and is a great improvement.
• Norcross|Grimes|Warsaw Roundabout - This has been a huge hit.
• Oak Street Streetscape Improvements - This came together nicely.  The street no longer looks like an industrial dump.
• Wayfinding and Road Signs - These have added even more character to the HD.
• Info Kiosks - Well done, they still need to get the info on them but the kiosks and the maps look great.
• Improved Bus Stops - These are a great improvement for the neighborhood.
• Table & Main - A great addition to the Roswell Restaurant Scene.
• Roswell Provisions - How can you not love this place? Nice addition to Canton St.
• Roswell Tap - This was a good addition along hwy 9.  We miss suburbanite pizza but we'll take the tap.
• Roswell Restaurant Week - The 1st annual event was a hit.
• Renew Social Ventures - The rehab of their building has been well done and we appreciate what the organization is doing.

Roswell 2012 

Food

Food Access - One of the biggest obstacles to making the Historic District a vibrant living spot is the lack of a walkable or bikable grocery store.  We think there may be an announcement sometime in 2012 about a small(er) grocery store going in somewhere near the HD.  Unfortunately, it won’t be a Trader Joe’s or a locally owned market.  A Fresh Market would be good or even a Publix GreenWise Market.  However, it will most likely be a Walmart Neighborhood Market.  So, our HD might just be graced with the beautiful tan and green color scheme that WMNM's are trying to force feed their new suitors.  I'll stop griping now and dream about riding my bike to the grocery store.

Restaurants - No new restaurants will open in the old Pico/Relish spot, the old Red Building or in the Old NOLA building on the square side of the Historic District.  We do think there is and off chance that someone may try to open a cafe in the spot where Wedding Angels used to be.  There’s already a kids cupcake place (Gluten Free Cuties) going into one half of that space.  We think at least one restaurant on Canton Street will close but we’re not sure which.  Nine will continue to disappoint on the quality of food.  Table & Main will keep moving up the list of top spots and may become another entrant to regional lists (Salt Factory #91 on Jezebel Magazine's top 100 & Greenwood's Atlanta Magazines top 50 have made some lists recently)

Locally Grown Food - A community garden will open in the Historic District... maybe at Barrington Hall?

Farmer’s Market - The saturday farmer’s market at city hall formerly known as the Riverside Farmer’s Market will stay put even though we think it would be a bigger draw if it moved to either the Canton Street Antique Market parking lot or to the square.  The city’s allowance of additional markets (i.e. Sweet Apple Village) will cannibalize business and potentially end the one at city hall.

Mobility

Historic Square Sidewalks - We will finally have completed sidewalks along the square and around Barrington Hall.  Or at least mostly completed sidewalks.  Construction is slated to start sometime this month.  Oh yeah.. we’ll get some nice new traffic light poles as well which will take some of the unsightly wires out of the air.

Historic Gateway Project - Option 3a will be approved and the people at Creekview Village condos will go berzerk because they will lose their tennis court...  The anti-roundabout camp will come out in full force and there will be a prolonged battle to get this redevelopment project going.  The truth is, this design has the potential to be truly transformational for the HD.  However, one thing that is a MUST is on street parking.  We'll probably know this year whether GDOT will allow that.  If they don't, everyone should oppose this option as it won't work.

Building a Network - Work will continue on the plans for the Oxbo Rd realignment and Elm Street Connection to Oxbo.  However, no actual work will start for another couple of years.  We are very excited about this initiative.

Planning

Historic Gateway Master Plan - DPZ, the world renowned team that designed Seaside, will completely rock the master plan for the historic district laying the groundwork for Roswell to become the best place to live in the northern burbs as well as a regional destination.  Some might say we are now but we don't have a grocery store and if we are to be a destination and at a minium we need a hotel to be a destination.  To get this all started, we just need to find the private investment.  Hmm.. Maybe the DDA can work on that.

Form-Based Code - Roswell’s first form-based code will officially be approved for the Groveway Community.  This will be another huge event in ushering in a new age for Historic Roswell and it will hopefully become a trend in the Atlanta area.

Downtown Development Authority - Our prediction is that the DDA will focus too much on large empty shopping centers along Holcomb Bridge and the HD will be a smaller part of what the initial design for the DDA was before the opportunity zone was expanded.  

Tax Increment Financing - The newly formed DDA will start to talk about implementing TIF in the revitalization area but nothing official will happen.  We need to be very careful with this tool.

Civic & Community

Alive After 5 - Our premiere event will continue to thrive and there will be a strong push to close down Canton Street during the event.  We think it should be closed from Norcross St to the Hwy 9 intersection from 5-8pm.  There has been a push for this recently after a teen was hit by a car last year.

Parks

Riverside Park Area - Plans will be finalized for two projects.. the extension of the riverside trail will be approved despite NIMBY and Environmental Concerns.  The design plans for the bike/pedestrian bridge over the Chattahoochee River will be finalized and approved.  Some think this is a waste of money and there will probably be a little bit of a fight.  We love the idea but think the bridge design will be a disappointment to some.

Retail

Same ‘ole Same ‘ole - Other than the shops along Canton St continuing to do what they do, we don’t expect to see much going on in non-food related retail this year.  We’d love to see Roswell Bikes open up shop in the Historic District (where the old soccer store(s) used to be) but that’s just wishful thinking.  We’d also love to see something other than thrift shops open up...  

Employment

Large Employer Void - We don’t expect any major announcements here but we do expect the city to court a large employer to move operations to the historic district in conjunction with the Groveway neighborhood revitalization plan.  The mayor's recent annual state of the city speech to the Roswell Kiwanis was an indicator that the city is going to push economic development in 2012.  Additionally the formation of the Roswell Business Alliance last year and DDA will help but we won't see much movement this year.

Housing

Development Revitalization - Several developments will get new life.  We are guessing that there may be some action on foreclosed Vickery Falls development just south of Chaplain's on South Atlanta Street due to the prime location and the added focus on cleaning up the area around the square.  This could push out into 2013.  

Goulding Estate for Sale - The $8.75M, 16 acre Goulding Estate will not move this year.  However, when it does in 2013, the land will be subdivided into ridiculously expensive smaller lots.  We think the the original building will remain intact and potentially become another event facility (we don't need more though).

Charlie Brown Part Deux or Trois?- Someone will make a pitch for the old Charlie Brown parcel on the southeast corner of 400 and HBR.  Citizens on the east side of town will say it will ruin their lives by increasing congestion and bringing crime to Roswell in the form of nefarious transit riders.  

Around the Metro Area

Transit Bill - TSPLOST will pass (barely) and Cobb county will still have no idea how to get its collective act together.

Ponce City Market - Work will begin on Ponce City Market late in the year.  This will be a huge step in the continued revitalization of the Old 4th Ward.

Avalon (formerly known as Prospect Park) Alpharetta - The development that I like to call The Avenue Avalon will gain approval from the Alpharetta council with two dissenting votes even though the development would further tilt Alpharetta's target ratio of apartments in the city above the 85/15 ratio that is approved in the city's comp plan.  Stay tuned for the March 26 Alpharetta City Council meeting.  North American Properties will begin work later in the year.

The Beltline - The trail portion of the Beltline that connects Piedmont Park to the New 4th Ward Park will open up and will become an instant hit amongst locals and non-locals.  We will see a more formal timeline of transit implementation after the Transit Bill is passed this summer.

The Atlanta Streetcar - Love it or Hate it, construction will start this year!

Boondoggle Field at Art Blank Stadium - This true taxpayer ‘boondoggle’ will continue to be pushed even though no NFL stadium has EVER created a net positive economic impact.  Paying half a billion for something that will be used ~10x/year just isn’t a wise decision.  

The Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal (aka The Gulch) - We will see the initial vision of this project toward the end of the year.  Long range economic impact estimates were already released and the number look very positive. 

Well, that's it!  If you made it this far, you're a true NUR fan.  Thanks and have a great (rest of) 2012!

Big Box vs. Mixed-Use

Joe Minicozzi has been doing this kind of analysis for a while and this article is definitely an interesting read that should be considered by our local government officials.  Here's the link. 

image: Urban3

#13... Our City Hall

Why We Love It..

It is a beautiful building on a great site that adds character to our community.  Compare our city hall to many of the other suburban city halls around the Atlanta region (Milton) and you'll see just how special ours is.  It tells you that we care about our city and what we make of it.  The grounds are excellent with beautiful landscaping and monuments to our heritage. The pathways that connect to other cultural facilities in and around the municipal complex are great.  The building is centrally located and makes it easy for most of our citizens to get to (by car).

What We Would Change...

Well, you can't change much at this point.  The biggest problem I have with our city hall is the way it is positioned on the site.  It is inward looking and turns it's back to the rest of the community just like much of the development in the last 50 years does.  It says, 'I'm city hall and I'm too good to look out at the city.. you'll have to come to me to see me.'  It's not in a very walkable location with most of the residents of our city needing a car to access their City Hall.  That's a product of where we live rather than how it's sited though.  Still, they could have done a better job.  The steps should face out to the community.  Instead, during the winter (you can't see anything in the summer), we get to see the ass end of the building as we walk or drive by on Atlanta Street.