Get With the Program Roswell: Town Green Edition

So, while Roswell has been busy putting money in its piggy bank, our neighbors around the region have been encouraging exactly the walkable lifestyle that we are saying we want.. Here's a tour of what our neighbors have done or are up to currently..

Alpharetta is building a town green in front of the new city hall. There will also be a new park, parking garage and library on the property along with mixed use buildings flanking the green.

Duluth's town green is part of their Livable Centers Initiative and has been around for about a decade and continues to drive walkable development in the heart of the city. image: Duluth Historical

Suwanee's town green is almost ten years old and is a model of walkable development in the heart of Gwinnett County. image: CaptureGwinnett

If one green in Alpharetta wasn't enough, we are putting this on one for effect. It is not publicly funded but it is publicly supported and it will be an iconic part of the Avalon development.

The Historic 4th Ward Park along the Beltline in Atlanta has radically improved the area just south of North Avenue and has spurred millions in redevelopment while also solving a nasty stormwater drainage issue. image: Historic 4th Ward Park Conservancy

Sandy Springs is moving forward on the master plan that they adopted back in 2012. This segment is where many of you may know as the old Target shopping center. As you can see, there is a nice public green that will be added next to a parking deck and office that may be the new City Hall.The city of Dunwoody is currently building three new parks as part of the Project Renaissance that borders the Georgetown area on the north. The park pictured here is Georgetown Park and will be surrounded by residential and some retail/restaurant.

Lillian Webb Park in Historic Norcross has been a vital element of that area's revitalization. image: wayfinding.comCentennial Olympic Park is obviously on a different scale but the past several years have proven the power of a civic space to attract development. In the next 6 months we will see the College Football Hall of Fame, National Center for Human Rights and Atlanta Streetcar all open on or near the park. Additionally the Sky View ferris wheel recently opened and who can forget the Aquarium and World of Coke. Coca-Cola is moving ~2k tech jobs adjacent to the park as well.. image: DeltaSkyMag

So, Roswell.. let's build the Green!

Let your leaders know you support City Green by adding your signature to our petition!  

http://www.change.org/petitions/support-the-roswell-city-green-project

Also, you can email them with your support at roswellmayorandcouncil@roswellgov.com

City Green Week!

This week I will be posting exclusively on the City Green project.  The DDA will be presenting its revised concepts to city council next Monday, May 19th at 6pm at City Hall.  Come see the new plans for where the War Memorial will go.  I don't have images yet but will post them when they are available.

Please try to make the meeting and wear green to show your support!!

For more info, go to: www.citygreenroswell.org

To sign the petition of support go to: http://www.change.org/petitions/support-the-roswell-city-green-project

Help us get it to over 500 signatures!

Support the Roswell Town Green

I created an online petition in support of the Town Green.  Please take a minute to sign it if you support this effort.  

SIGN IT HERE

You can also read up on it here, here & here.

Stop the Madness: Race to the Bottom

I think there' s a little more room at the bottom of this sign pole for another sign but I'm not sure they could get any crappier than the one they added most recently.. 

With Roswell just being named the 13th safest city in Georgia, I'm not sure how to take all these signs that are popping up everywhere around our parks.  Maybe the signs are what keep us safe and if they are.. we will no doubt the the safest city in Georgia in no time as evidenced below...

Maybe we're not as safe as we think if our city feels the need to plaster the landscape of our parks with bright yellow signs warning that your valuables aren't safe in your car.  

At this point, I think we need a new sign that will pretty much cover everything for the city..

STOP THE MADNESS!!!  Stop cheapening our public realm with wholly unnecessary signs.

Get Social.. Follow NewUrbanRoswell on Twitter and Facebook 

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.

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!

Get Social.. Folow NewUrbanRoswell on Twitter and Facebook

Just in Case You Were Curious about Trout Streams

Seriously..  Is this sign really necessary?  It's right along the path along Azalea Dr.  I highly doubt we will have anyone just dropping some development right there.  This belongs in a zoning code and not in the public realm in the middle of one of Roswell's most used amenities.

#5... The Covered Bridge

Why We Love It..

Yes, we know The Chattahoochee National Recreation Area and Vickery Creek Park just came in at #6 and the Covered Bridge is part of that park.  However, the Covered Bridge is iconic.  It is arguably the most recognizable single symbol of Roswell.  We love it because it was a transformative project that took thought and political will to make happen.  It was expensive and will never 'pay for itself' but that's not the point when you're placemaking.

Just show someone a picture of the bridge who has never seen it and watch their reaction.. 

What We Would Change..

Nothing... We'd build another signature bridge.  Actually two.  One is already in the planning stages to link Sandy Springs and Roswell for pedestrians and cyclists.  If we had our way, it would be a replica of the original bridge over the Chattahoochee that was burned during the Civil War.  The other bridge would connect the Chattahoochee National Rec Area to South Atlanta Street about 3/4 of a mile downstream from the Covered Bridge.  I hear some dreamers want to put a suspension bridge around that spot.  Not a bad idea.

#15... Sloan Street Park

Why We Love It..

This little park in the Mill Village neighborhood is a perfect example of a pocket park.  It has a little field, a playground, a monument and a place to congregate.  It is not separated from everything else (i.e. houses) like our other larger parks.  In fact is is surrounded by houses on all sides (excluding a couple of empty lots).  Houses around it don't need big yards because the park is there.  It is private but accessible in a way that most other Roswell parks are not. 

What We Would Change..

Roswell needs more parks like this one in the middle of its neighborhoods.  I'd like to see an annual neighborhood gathering in the park to engage the residents of the neighborhood even more.  Anyone want to help us organize one?

A Whitewater Recreation Center in Roswell

This is the 24th 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! 

Santa.. this is the big one.. This is what I really, really, really want for Christmas this year.  I know you probably can't make it happen but I'm going to ask anyway.  I want a whitewater rafting and recreation center right here in Roswell.  I want it to be like the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte.

Readers follow me here.  If you've visited Charlotte in the past 4-5 years, you may have heard about the U.S. National Whitewater Center there.  It is on the west side of town in a pretty remote/difficult to access area off the I-485 bypass.  Unfortunately, the business itself is struggling due in part to high operational costs but mostly due to poor attendance.  I believe that both issues could be overcome here in Roswell.  Primarily, I'm certain that the attendance issue wouldn't exist due to a more metropolitan and visible location.

Now that you know what it is that I'm talking about, let's take a look at where I'm talking about.  I think an attraction of this nature would fit perfectly at the southern end of the historic corridor.  There are a couple other locations including one in Sandy Springs that would work.. but when you look at what location would spark the right type of development, encourage visitors to come to Roswell to spend money and increase the tax rolls the most, you need to look at this location.  Pictured below is a side by side at the same size of the whitewater center in Charlotte (right, upside down) and the location I'm thinking of which is the north west corner of the S Atlanta St/Azalea Rd intersection.  You can see that the overlay would almost be perfect.  

 

So, what are the pitfalls.  Currently, there is an apartment complex there.  This would have to be purchased by the city or by a private developer.  It's likely that some of the adjacent properties would need to be purchased as well.  The topography in this area has some pretty steep terrain.  A comprehensive survey would need to be done to ensure that the fall would not be too steep to support a water flow conducive to kayaking and whitewater rafting.  Assuming that those challenges could be met, you are looking at funding and profitability.  The whitewater center in Charlotte cost roughly $35M (not sure of the exact numbers) and has only been able to turn a profit in the past year after a debt restructuring.  Again, having lived in Charlotte and visited the center on multiple occasions, I believe this to be an issue of location and accessibility.  The facility is absolutely incredible and would draw experts and novices alike.  

Roswell would not have the same issues.  Here in Roswell, we have other attractions that could serve as catalysts to feed the development.  I see the following existing and future developments as major catalysts that would contribute to the success of this project:  

• The Chattahoochee River which has an environment for river paddling that would complement the whitewater.
• Riverside park and our summer concert series
• The Atlanta Rowing Club offers another paddling alternative
• The heavy bicycling traffic which I would see as complementary and hitting the theme of outdoor recreation that Roswell should brand itself around
• The Chattahoochee Nature Center which is another city attraction that draws visitors from around the region
• Historic Roswell - shopping, dining and entertainment
• Go With the Flow - one of the most respected paddling retail shops around
• Roswell Mill Park - outdoor activities right up the street with historic sites as well
• Rock Climbing at Allenbrook - more outdoor activities right next to this site
• Andretti's Indoor Karting - It's a few miles away but it is another draw that coupled with the whitewater recreation center could encourage visitors to make their way to Roswell.. (btw.. I love Andretti's)

Now, let's tie in the rest of my wish list into this item.  I didn't do this intentionally from the start but as I continued to post, it became an obvious synergy.  You can see the following posts would all synergize well with this project: 

• Build the Boutique Hotel on the Square - People would actually stay here if a regional attraction were right down the road.
• A Canopy Tour - Once again hitting on the outdoor theme and having Roswell work to become the premiere outdoor recreation destination in the state.  This would work perfectly and could probably be run by the same organization as the whitewater recreation center.
• A Weekend Trolley Around the Historic Corridor - Get visitors from the whitewater recreation center up to the other areas of our historic district where they can enjoy other amenities.
• Build the Bike Bridge - This continues the focus on outdoor recreation and would get Sandy Springs riders right to the hub of outdoor recreation.  Why wouldn't Sandy Springs chip in $350k for the bridge?
• Connect the Big Creek Greenway - What better way to anchor the greenway that stretches well into Forsyth County?  I think riders might make the trek just to have lunch at the whitewater center restaurant.
• Build the Roswell Loop - Where's the starting point for the loop?  Well, the whitewater recreation center sure would be a great place to start and finish a 20+ mile ride.
• All Aboard!! Let's Bring a Train to North Fulton - The Chattahoochee stop on my proposed route would drop folks off right at the doorstep of the whitewater recreation center.  Now, getting the train through the ground and over/under the river is a challenge in itself.. but don't forget that this is my wishlist folks.. I don't have to be reasonable.  I'm sure my parents didn't think I was reasonable when I was 6.
• New City Tagline.. 'This is living...this is Roswell' - I'm not a fan of this tagline.  My opinion is that Roswell needs to brand itself as the premier outdoor recreation destination in the state of Georgia and maybe even the southeast US.  Let's try something like..  "Get outside and enjoy life... in Roswell" or "Live.. Play.. Love.. Roswell."  These aren't perfect but I don't get paid $30k to come up with slogans either.

Well, it's been fun coming up with 24 things that I would like to see happen here in Roswell.  I hope you have enjoyed the list.  Obviously, many of these are pipe dreams but there's nothing wrong with being a dreamer.  You may have noticed that there are only 24 posts... well, what Christmas would be complete without some stocking stuffers.  Tomorrow, I am going to post the final installment of stocking stuffers which are some small presents.

Merry Christmas Roswell!!

images: WagsomeDog @ Flickr, Doug Letterman @ Flickr, Google Maps