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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Behold.. College Park aka West Roswell Elementary

You may be getting tired of my posts and tweets on the new "West Roswell" Elementary school and if you are, I unapologetically offer you this post which is short on words and big on pictures.  At the 8/22 Fulton County Schools board meeting, it was decided that the model used for the currently under construction College Park Elementary will be the model for the "West Roswell" Elementary.  I was able to dig up images from the Fulton County Schools website.  

You be the judge but I think we can do better.  I am all for the new school and I think the site is appropriate (although unnecessarily large).  However, I am not for a cookie cutter design that has no architectural significance to the surroundings.  Here is what we can expect for the nearly $20,000,000 school.  I think the interior will be great.. but the exterior is BLAH!!

Just say NO to cookie cutter architecture for public buildings in Roswell!

images: Fulton County Schools

Could We Use a Traffic Garden?

I thought this video was really interesting and wondered if something like the traffic garden in the clip could work here in the US. The Netherlands has done an incredible job reducing the death rates on its roads over the past 50 years and I can't help but think that it's ideas like this that help make a difference.

I also thought it was interesting that the speaker used the term 'traffic exam' instead of driving exam when he was referring to the test his daughter had to take before getting on the road. It's definitely a different way of thinking.

Wildlife High School - A for Effort

This one intrigued me.  An article online today at AJC.com titled 'School earns wildlife certification' sounded great.  It was in the North Fulton news section so I thought we might have something noteworthy on our hands.  Here's the lowdown:

• School - Johns Creek High School
• Organization - National Wildlife Federation
• Certification/Award - Certified Wildlife Habitat

This is part of a greater certification that Johns Creek is working on that would certify the city as a community wildlife habitat.  

I have a problem with it because it's inherently misleading.  Calling a school a 'certified wildlife habitat' immediately makes one think this school is focused on nature and preserving the natural environment.  Just take a look at the Google Maps image below.  

From what I can tell, about the only true 'wildlife' that this school is certified to nurture and sustain are cars, teenagers, football players, baseball players, softball players, fans and the like.  Sure, the open fields could attract some migratory birds and the Johns Creek Greenway runs through site but is that really grounds for a wildlife habitat certification?  The fields are residual space or sports fields and the greenway is a convenient suburban buffer zone between differing land uses.  It's a good use for the land given the situation but a wildlife paradise it's not and we shouldn't pretend that it is.

Now, I don't want to downplay what Johns Creek Student Malcolm Barnard is doing because his intentions are good and I commend him for his efforts.  However, I find fault with the National Wildlife Federation for turning what should be a meaningful certification into what essentially amounts to a boy scout merit badge.  Saying that Johns Creek High School is a Wildlife Habitat is a joke.  With the right amount of effort, any school in the nation could 'earn' that title.

Here are some ways the school could have truly been more wildlife friendly...

• Reduce it's footprint - kids don't need acres upon acres of land to be educated. Wildlife does need acres upon acres to have a legitimate habitat.
• Locate better - yes, the school is close to a couple subdivisions and some basic service businesses but is anyone really walking around over there?  Reducing the demand for busing and driving will reduce the parking footprint thus reducing the footprint.
• Put a green roof on it - a green roof would give it some serious green street cred while also saving energy in the long run, reducing runoff and creating 'habitat' for birds and insects.

Sorry Malcolm, you get an A for effort but I'm calling foul on the National Wildlife Federation here.

Bring a School to the Historic District

This is the 14th post in a series of posts this December that will chronicle the 25 things we would most like to see in Roswell. None of these are actually happening... at least in the way we'd like them to. Please enjoy and have a happy holidays! 

This is one of my favorites on the wish list.  Every day when I drive up Atlanta Street, I pass the Presbyterian church on the left and Krispy Kreme on the right.  The intersection at Atlanta and Oak Streets is pretty barren except for those two landmarks.  As most of you know, the Presbyterian church has a large parking lot that Oak Street dead ends into and then on the west side of that lot is the Teaching Museum North and North Crossroads school.  What if we could do something with that entire space and bring a logical civic presence into the heart of the historic district?  Look at the size of the space on the Google map below.

I would envision either a charter elementary/middle or a county run elementary school in this location.  The main entrance would be on Atlanta street.  This would be a grand facade in Greek revival style to complement the historic homes in the area such as Bulloch and Barrington Halls.  The bus and car entrance would be along Mimosa however to ensure that traffic along 9 is not impacted during the morning rush hour.  

As far as design goes, I really just don't get how our country started designing its schools in the same vernacular as its prisons.  No wonder our educational standing in the world keeps falling.  The first image below is that of the Clinton Middle School in Tulsa, OK.  This particular image was the Eyesore of the Month on James Howard Kunstler's blog back in March 2010.  After that, take a look at the Royal High School in Edinburgh, Scottland which was designed in the Greek Revival style in the early 1800's.  

Which one of these two buildings is going to inspire more learning?  

Fortunately, we don't have anything as dismal as the Clinton Middle School building here in Roswell but we could do a lot better.  Now, the Edinburgh school is a touch over the top.  Maybe we could go for something a little more tame such as the Providence High School in the Village of Providence in Huntsville, AL

The topography and size of the lot would require a multiple story school most likely on top of parking.  The parking would be shared with the church in the evenings and on Sundays.  It could also be used to provide extra space for city events.  I know this one is just a dream but if Roswell is going to focus on the Atlanta Street corridor for growth, a new elementary school is going to be vital.  I believe that focusing on education and giving it a prominent position in the community in the heart of the historic district will pay dividends for years to come.  

Additional reading:

Here's a great blog post on school size and design from Stephen Mouzon that focuses on Providence High School in the Village of Providence.  

Here's another excellent post from Kaid Benfield at NRDC on Great Principles for Smart Growth Schools.

images: Google, Kunstler.com, Wikipedia, Stephen Mouzon

Bring a University Campus to Roswell

This is the 12th post in a series of posts this December that will chronicle the 25 things we would most like to see in Roswell. None of these are actually happening... at least in the way we'd like them to. Please enjoy and have a happy holidays!

This is part of my Complete Roswell kick.  Most great cities, big or small have a reputable university campus within their city limits.  The university doesn't have to be world class but it should be more than just a vocational college or two year community college (although that would be preferable to what we have now).  

So, what are the options?  Ga State expanded early last decade to Alpharetta.  Another case where the sprawl mecca to our north beat us out.  I actually went to that campus for a semester when I was working on an MBA.  It was no fun.  It just didn't feel like college.  It felt more like work.  I guess that is appropriate since the campus is in an office building.  I highly doubt Ga Tech would be looking to expand but they are definitely starting to run out of room downtown, having jumped the connector with offices and classrooms along Spring Street.  Emory isn't going anywhere.  What does that leave?  Well, it looks like Gwinnett Tech is looking for a North Fulton location and our neighbors are also interested.  

Don't get too excited though because it looks like Johns Creek or Alpharetta may have the upper hand.  The empty parcel just south of North Point Parkway and Mansell Rd is a prime spot.  So, once again, Roswell will be close but not close enough.  Now, is Gwinnett Tech what we really want?  I say it's better than nothing.  Would an expansion of Ga Tech or Emory be more prestigious?  Yes.  But, what is more likely?  I think the city should go after it with zeal.  

Now, what sites would be ideal?  How about these two for starters?  The south east intersection of Holcomb Bridge & 400 or the Town Center Shopping Center (my favorite town center).  

Ramping up a college presence takes time but Roswell should really jump on this.  It would bring an additional job driver, a more diverse population, and it would encourage some of our youth to stick around and get their education near their home.  Now, I do have to add that the one thing that I think would be unacceptable is to build a typical commuter campus with large parking lots and buildings separated like those on office parks.  So, whatever would be built would have to be in a district that adheres to the principles of new urbanism.

Can your children or those in your neighborhood walk to school?

Judging from the non-scientific results of my morning commute behind countless yellow buses, I would guess that not too many kids in Roswell are walking to school.  Again this is a guess, but I would estimate that less than 5% of kids in Roswell are regularly walking to school.  This is unfortunate as many of our children today could be getting much needed exercise while walking to school and we could simultaneously increase air quality by having fewer cars on the roads and decreasing the congestion that is all too common around schools these days.  Additionally, walking to school is a lost form of independence in today's society.  Too many parents, for many reasons, won't even allow their children to walk to school even when the walk is reasonable.  Unfortunately, this choice isn't even available to most parents due to the way we have developed our neighborhoods and schools.  

To check just how walkable the public schools in Roswell are, I looked up the Walk Score for each of the 13 schools.  What I found wasn't surprising.  Eight of the thirteen schools are in Car-dependent locations while five are in Somewhat Walkable locations.  Now, I understand that this is not the perfect measure of whether it is easy for kids to walk to school but it does give a good indication of the density and environment surrounding the school.  Our development patterns have unfortunately favored big-box schools that are situated in areas that are not a walkable distance from a meaningful portion of the homes in the area and sited on parcels of land so large that it discourages walking.  Below is a breakdown of the Roswell schools with their Walk Score:

Elementary Schools

- Hembree Springs - 37 (Car-dependent)

- Hillside - 52 (Somewhat Walkable)

- Esther Jackson - 42 (Car-dependent)

- Mimosa - 66 (Somewhat Walkable)

- Mountain Park - 22 (Car-dependent)

- Northwood - 42 (Car-dependent)

- River Eves - 11 (Car-dependent)

- Roswell North - 37 (Car-dependent)

- Sweet Apple - 26 (Car-dependent)

Middle Schools

- Crabapple - 49 (Car-dependent)

- Elkins Point - 65 (Somewhat Walkable)

High Schools

- Centennial - 54 (Somewhat Walkable)

- Roswell - 65 (Somewhat Walkable)

Our leaders know that walking to school is a priority.  One of the three initiatives under our current Transportation Plan is the Complete Streets initiative.  Built in to the Complete Streets initiative is the Safe Routes to School program which is priority number one in that section of the Transportation Plan.  Our the focus is there but it will take time.  I did check the Georgia Safe Routes to School website and I did not see any Roswell schools listed as partners out of the 105 Georgia schools listed.  The one thing I wish our leaders were giving more consideration to is smaller more disbursed schools.  At least at the elementary and middle school levels. 

Resources

Georgia Safe Routes to School

National Center for Safe Routes to School

Peach Bites

Wow, we had a busy week with headlines.  Most of them centered around water and transit.  We obviously, the recent flooding was a big story and there was some movement in the water wars.  In the transit arena, Ray LaHood, secretary of transportation for the Obama administration was in town and shared his views on what the state and region need to do to progress the transit gridlock that exists.  

We also saw a couple really positive articles come out which we will kick the post off with below:

Emory Honored for Green Work - The Urban Land Institute awarded it's Sustainable Development Award to Emory's Sustainability Program.  This is great because Emory has been a leader in the area developing LEED certified buildings and creating innovative sustainability programs such as their campus Farmer's Market which was started in 2008. - EmoryWheel.com
 

Smog Days Down in Georgia - Great News!!  The metro area has halved the number of unhealthy air quality days.  The suspected culprits are the weather and the economy.  This happened even while the federal government increased the standards for healthy air this year. - Georgia Public Broadcasting

Georgia Supreme Court Rejects Power Plant Challenge - Justices voted unanimously on Wednesday against hearing the appeal by environmentalists against the $2B Longleaf Energy Station.  Notable Quote: “It’s amazing that, with 30 organizations representing tens of thousands of people weighing in with the Supreme Court discussing how important this case is … the Georgia Supreme Court declined to even consider the case,” said Justine Thompson, executive director of Atlanta-based Green Law. - Atlanta Business Chronicle

Congress Set to Finalize Anti-Mercury Bill - Wow.. There are only four facilities in the US that are still using mercury to produce chlorine and one of those is the Olin plant in Augusta.  Apparently, more than 600 lbs. of mercury are released into the air and water along the Savannah river annually.  It would definitely be nice to see that phased out. - Georgia Public Broadcasting

 

Perdue Favors Incentives for Water Conservation - You may or may not recall our post, Perdue says no to conservation and yes to water war.  Well, in typical politician fashion, reality has set in and the big man has flip-flopped.  He is now saying "I think it's time to think about potentially, some state-types of strong suggestions for conservation efforts in our local communities, and I'd love to think about it in an incentive fashion... rather than a stick."  Expect to see outlines of those 'incentives' before the next state legislature session. - Georgia Public Broadcasting

 

Perdue Names Water Task Force - Sonny is bringing in some heavy hitters from the private sector.  John Brock, CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., and Tim Lowe, Lowe Engineers Inc., will co-chair the panel which will look for alternative plans following the recent federal court ruling. - Atlanta Business Chronicle

Trash and Bacteria Fill Rivers - In the aftermath of the recent flooding, reports are now coming out about e.coli and other problematic bacteria polluting our rivers and streams.  The bacteria will quickly go away but the bigger issue is the tons of trash that have been introduced into the rivers.  Where will it all flow to?  At least we're upstream.  It's someone else's problem, right??? - Georgia Public Broadcasting

 

Atlanta Reservoir Plan on Hold - We touched on this in last week's Peach Bites.  This week, the Atlanta City Council decided to put off consideration of the proposed $650 million reservoir in the Dawson Forest. - Atlanta Business Chronicle

Tri-State Water Dispute: Georgia's Hand Further Weakend - Alabama landed another blow against Georgia this week.  The prospects for a ruling in Georgia's favor keep getting slimmer and slimmer. - Georgia Public Broadcasting

 

Georgia Applies for High-Speed Rail Grant - The GDOT applied for a grant in the amount of $472 million this week to begin working on a high-speed rail line between Atlanta and Macon.  This application, if approved, is expected to cover all the capital costs of the project.  I've been doing a lot of research on this topic and haven't really heard much about the Atlanta-Macon route.  You've probably seen the Brain Train, Lovejoy and Chattanooga routes discussed but the Macon route came out of the blue.  Any way we look at it though, connectivity is a good thing.  Let's see what happens. - Atlanta Business Chronicle

 

ATL Mayoral Candidates and the Beltline - The AJC had a quick recap of the recent Beltline mayoral forum.  The reality of the economic collapse and depressed real estate market is definitely recognized by the candidates.  But, it is apparent that all three of them support the Beltline.  They each have some interesting ideas on what is the vision of the beltiline. - AJC

Beltline Mayoral Forum: Which Candidate Scored - There was some interesting perspective on the recent Beltline mayoral forum from Atlanta Unsheltered.  Here's what I took from the post.  Lisa Borders and Mary Norwood really support the beltline.  Kasim Reed wants to prevent crime and a deterioration of urban youth.  Mary Norwood got stuck in traffic and the audience wondered why she didn't take MARTA since there was a stop across the street.  Probably because there wasn't a stop where she was coming from.  hmm...  - Atlanta Unsheltered

Beltline Officials: Citizen Group Wants to Take Control of the Project - This was interesting.  The Tax Allocation District Advisory Committee (TADAC), has put out statements questioning the funding of affordable housing along the Beltline and has stated that Beltline officials are keeping important information private and thus not allowing TADAC to do it's job.  There is too much in the article to accurately summarize in a few sentences but to me it seems to be a battle over public or private control.  I lean toward the private side. - Creative Loafing

Atlanta Forward, Our View: Transit is a Track to Metro's Prosperity - This article has some interesting local perspective and I enjoyed the comparison to St. Louis and Chicago when riverboat transportation was giving way to train transportation.  St. Louis became an also-ran because it pandered to pressure from riverboat operators.  If Atlanta panders to the pressure of the auto/road lobby, we will lose out on the opportunity to significantly upgrade our transit and will fall behind other southern cities. - AJC

Atlanta Forward, Another View: Georgia Needs to get its Act Together - This quote sums it up: LaHood expressed the administration’s strong support for more transit alternatives. He encouraged state support for MARTA and noted streetcars are on their way back — citing the success of Portland, Ore.’s system. This kind of thinking is potentially good news for the proposed Peachtree Streetcar and bodes well for federal support for our region’s comprehensive, coordinated Concept 3 Transit Plan. - AJC

State of Georgia is Stuck in the Mud While Atlanta Region Moves Forward on Transit - Notable Quote: "Although LaHood didn't tell us anything we didn't already know, it's always reaffirming to have the most powerful transportation official in the country tell state leaders that they've been asleep at the switch."  The good news is that there is overwhelming support for Concept 3 and Metro Atlanta is on the verge of approving the Regional Transit Committee which will be a much needed regional steering group that has the teeth to make things happen. - Saporta Report

Peach Bites

Phillips Arena Gets Top Billing - Apparently, Phillips Arena is the #1 concert and events facility in the US based on attendance figures.  It's also number seven in the world.  Not bad for the first LEED certified arena in either the NBA or NHL.  AJC

Environmentally Friendly High School Opens This Year - The new LEED certified Arabia Mountain High School will be opening in the coming weeks to approximately 1,100 new students.  The school is Georgia's first LEED certified school and will have an environmentally concious curriculum.  My Fox Atlanta

What Do We Need Now??...  A Faster Way to Macon, Of Course - According to this article, state lawmakers "have been 'flirting' with the idea of high speed rail for years."  Their definition of flirting and my definition of flirting must be drastically different.  This might be a good idea for the region but IMO, it will never happen.  13 WMAZ

Green Communities Awards Given by Atlanta Regional Commission - I have to say that this is a great idea.  Certification of communities as green is a step in the right direction.  However, it has to make sense.  The first recipients are Decatur, Alpharetta and Cobb County.  Living in Alpharetta, I can safely say that it is FAR from anything that should be considered a Green community.  Cobb County is not much better.  I just worry that labeling a community as "Green" for its intentions rather than the existing reality is misleading.  Look for a later post on this topic.  Atlanta Regional Commission

Peach Bites

Georgia Tech Makes the Honor Roll - The Princeton Review has named Georgia Tech to its Green College Honor Roll.  Georgia Tech is the only university in the region to make the list and strikingly absent is Emory University which has more LEED certified buildings than any campus in the nation. MNN

Suniva May Go Public - The Norcross based solar company is considering going public.  They have raised $75M in private funding and are looking for more. The company has obtained over $1 billion in orders. Atlanta Business Chronicle

Atlanta Ranks 33rd in Sustainability - The NRDC recently released rankings of the most sustainable cities in the US.  The west coast came out on top with Seattle winning the #1 spot and San Francisco and Portland close behind.  Roswell was 23rd on the smaller cities list.  Creative Loafing

Help For Our Right Whales - New technology may help ships avoid collisions with whales.  This will help the dwindling population of right whales that breed off the coast of Georgia.  TreeHugger

They'll Call it HotterLanta Soon - I hate the silly name of Hot-Lanta that our city picked up in the 90s but it is appropriate now and will be later this century if predictions are correct.  A report released recently on the potential impacts of global warming states that average temperatures in the 2080s will likely be 4.5 to 9 degrees hotter.  Macon.com