Stop the Madness: No Right, One Way, Do Not Enter

Why do we feel the need to over sign our built enviroment?  Drivers.. we would like for you to know the following...

1. This street is a one way street.
2. If you are unsure of what that means, it means that you cannot make a right turn here.
3. If you have somehow missed that, you may also see the DO NOT ENTER sign on the right side of the road.
4. If you have missed the DO NOT ENTER sign, you are now driving down a narrow street with very little traffic that is perfectly suited to be a two way street.

Redundant Signs in front of home in the historic Mill Village. So picturesque.Triple stamping the double stamp. Even more sign redundancy in the historic Mill Village.

What Would Change Under the UDC?

There will be a lot of talk in the coming weeks over the UDC with the local elections taking place on a similar timeframe as the proposed UDC approval.  The city hopes to have the new UDC in place by the beginning of the year and they hope to have a vote on it in October.  I've written on it here as part of my Community Design Matters column and given that it is one of the most important votes in regards to how Roswell will develop in the coming years, I expect to post a lot more on it in the coming weeks and months.

For now, i just want to post the map of proposed changes.  In the map, the white areas will have no change to their zoning.  The green areas will be a change in name only.  The blue will have their zoning changed as a result of the UDC.

Forrest Commons.. The First Gem in Groveway

I don't think it's a secret that I'm a fan of the redeveloment of the Groveway area, which is why I'm so excited to see one of the first major projects since the passing of the Groveway Hybrid Form-Based Code get underway.  The lot is currently being cleared and building may start in January with occupancy as early as next summer.

Forrest Commons is a relatively small project on 3.3 acres mid-block between Forrest and Myrtle Streets just north of Hill Street.  That said, it shows the potential that the new Groveway code brings to the area by helping to create a more walkable livable place.  One of my favorite aspects is the sidewalk through the center of the block that will make that area significantly more walkable.  Additionally, there is a community garden plot centered on the property and if the garden doesn't have something, the homes are just a short walk from the Riverside Farmers Market at City Hall.  

The Google Maps image below will give you an idea of roughly where this project will be.

Forrest Commons will be roughly located in the yellow shaded area between Myrtle and Forrest Streets

The site plan shows 22 residences, of which, nine will be single family detached in a townhome style and 13 will be attached townhomes.  The homes are oriented to a center greenspace that will have the aforementioned community garden as well as a small center green that makes for a nice pocket park.  The townhomes will be on the south and the single family will be on the north.  They will have english courtyards and front porches respectively.  Car access will be via alleys in the rear and thus, the front of the homes will face each other rather than a road.  The experience of siting on your front patio and looking at a park, a garden and the front of another home is a significantly better experience than looking at a road, no matter how busy the road. 

As you wll see, the design and architecture is of a high quality and the vision is being executed by Monte Hewett Homes which has built some excellent homes in the area.  The tandem of Lew Oliver Inc | Whole Town Solutions and Monte Hewett Homes is the same team that is building the homes in Avalon the Alpharetta development just up the road from Roswell.  I did a post last year on those homes.  I was able to get a preview of the Forrest Commons home designs for New Urban Roswell readers.  Below are three drawings of the detached homes as well as two of the townhomes.  As you will see, this project will be a fantastic first step for the redevelopment that is starting in he heart of Roswell.

Images courtes of Lew Oliver | Whole Town Solutions and Monte Hewett Homes

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

Rezoning Silliness

There is a rezoning battle that is coming up on Monday at City Hall and NO, it's not the UDC.  It's actually probably not much of a battle but it piqued my interest.  To me, it illustrates just how ridiculous our whole zoning process really is.  The lot in question at 1270 Strickland Rd, pictured below, is actually quite a beautiful lot.  It unfortunately abuts some ugly industrial lots to the north but that said, it has some charm.

We have a developer, Brightwater Homes of Sandy Springs, that is looking to build homes on the 5 acre parcel.  Given the current R-2 zoning, they would be able to build 14 single family units.  They are looking for a reclassification to give the parcel a R-2 Conservation subdivision classification.  The change would allow 15 homes on smaller lots while also conserving 1.79 acres as greenspace.  Additionally, the developer plans to put a walking trail on the greenspace for residents of the new homes.  

There are obvious technical differences in the classifications but come on...  1 additional home on some smaller lots??  I say that if it makes sense, looks nice and will have a positive impact on the city, then we should allow it.  But, it's never that easy and the opposition was out for the August Planning Commisison Meeting.  The notes were a bit long and a number of neighbors voiced their concerns, some valid in my opinion and some not so valid.  I've summarized and added commentary to several.

• Reductions in Set-backs - One resident feels that the request to reduce the building set-backs will reduce the natural beauty of the parcel.  Well, putting 14 or 15 homes on that parcel is going to degrade it regardless.  If it is going to be developed, it should be designed to be the most walkable as possible and the further homes are from the street, the less walkable the environment.

• Traffic (ALWAYS A CONCERN, RARELY AN ISSUE) - A point was made that the size of the neighborhood is increasing by 50% from 30 to 45 residences and this will cause problems at the Prospect St and Hwy 9 intersection.  I'm not sure I'm buying this.  Of course, there may be some additional traffic but it's not going to be catastrophic.  Is that intersection ackward?  Yes.  Should that be rationale to deny one extra home?  No

• Our Children Won't Be Safe!! - Some other concerns were voiced that the increase in car volume coupled with the non-cul-de-sac design would potentially pose a danger to the children in the neighborhood.  What poses a danger to the children in the neighborhood is actually the straight-away design of Valley Dr with lanes that are as wide as the lanes on GA400.  Lane width is a major determinent of the safety of a residential or city street.  The wider, the more dangerous.  A small block is no more or less dangerous than a cul-de-sac.  

• Nothing is Being Saved - The argument was posed that the site layout would not change much regardless of the zoning type because most of what is being conserved in the Conservation Subdivision plan is in the floodplain.  Point taken but there is something being gained in the form of a walking path and increased walkability in the site plan.

All that said, the Planing Commission has recommended that the change request be denied and the city council is voting on it this Monday 9/9.  The Planning Commission commentary centered around these points:

• Conservation Subdivision vs Standard Zoning - They seemed to like the conservation aspect but had difficulty weighing the consequences of rezoning.  The trail was a hit but some concerns were voiced about maintenance, public access and security.

• Why Not Fewer Lots with Bigger Homes? - This was the argument that seemed to be the deal killer.  Most of the commission members thought that fewer homes would be a better fit for the neighborhood.

My opinion is that the R-2 Conservation Subdivision site plan with 15 lots provides for a more walkable design.  I do take exception to the 12' lane widths which are wholly unnecessary for this type of road regardless of what the DOT and Fire Department tell you but that's a whole different story.  The jury is still out on whether the architecture will amount to much of anything.  You be the judge.

R-2 Site Plan

R-2 Conservation Subdivision Site Plan

Stop the Madness: Bicycle Riding Dogs?

Fear not ATLiens.  The Piedmont Park Conservancy has rid the jogging loop of one of the most perilous of park nuisances.  There will be NO Bicycle Riding Dogs henceforth on the jogging loop.

Norman the Bicycle Riding Dog.. you are no longer welcome here.

Hat tip to my brother in law, Krish Dhokia, for the pic.

Thoughts on Our New School

It looks like this is the model for our new elementary school... right next to our Historic District. I'm not sure this is much better than the strip mall it's going to replace.  Here are some of my musings on our new elementary school...

View from Ison Dr. Imagine this view from Alpharetta St.

I'm not sure the side of the new school is much of an improvement.

School Architecture - A school should be more than a box where we house our kids during the day... it should inspire learning.  It should not look like a dorm or an office building or an apartment building.  When you see it, you should be able to tell that it is a school.  That's not something that we see much of these days. Milton High comes to mind as good architecture for a school.

The school we are getting will be a cookie cutter version that Fulton County is using quite frequently these days.  It will be the same as Ison Springs Elementary and Lake Forest Elementary in Sandy Springs.  The architect architect was Collins Cooper Carusi and the builder was Evergreen Construction.  You can see some wedding day photos of their work here.  I call them wedding day photos because the school is never going to look any better.  They actually have some very nice work in their portfolio.  Unfortunately, our school probably won't be one of their best.

All that said, the interior design of the school will likely be very good.  Learning by Design rated that design as an outstanding project for 2011.  

At a minimum, the school design needs some work on the exterior to give it a distinct Roswell feel.

School Walkability - Roughly 50% of kids walked to school in 1969.  As of 2009, that number had dropped to roughly 15%.  Of course, in the same period, the number of kids who are driven to school in private vehicles has jumped from 12% to 44%.  Just one more thing contributing to the obesity epidemic in our country.  Will this school help reverse that trend?  I highly doubt it.  In this day and age, schools are designed to accommodate bus traffic, car traffic and then foot traffic.  

School Site & Size - This is truly what determines the walkability of a school.  Ideally, an elementary school is embedded into the neighborhood that it serves.  Unfortunately, we haven't done a particularly good job in this country planning for future school sites.  Compounding the issue are school site requirements.  In Georgia, site size requirements are as follows:

• Elementary Schools - 5 acres + 1 acre for every 100 full-time enrolled students
• Middle Schools - 12 acres + 1 acre for every 100 full-time enrolled students
• High Schools - 20 acres + 1 acre for every 100 full-time enrolled students

Given that a quarter mile walk is generally the radius in which someone will choose to walk versus jumping in the car, we are significantly limiting the number of students who would likely choose to walk and finding sites that meet these requirements in already built out cities is increasingly challenging (and expensive).  

With these size requirements, you might figure that size is a requirement to delivering a top notch education.  However, that's not necessarily the case.  Take Inman Middle School in the Virginia Highland neighborhood as an example.  It's a solid school with a 9 out of 10 rating on GreatSchools.org but it's situated on only 2.5 acres.  With almost 800 students, that's about 17.5 fewer acres than the state of Georgia would require if a new school were to be built.  

Our new school will be on roughly 14 acres along hwy 9.  The districting has not been determined yet so we can't say where the students would be walking from.  But, we can safely say that kids residing on the west side of hwy 9 will probably not be walking to school.  Those that have to walk along hwy 9 will also probably not be walking to school.  Any students living more than a half-mile walk from the front door of the school will also probably not be walking.  So, this rules out a sizable chunk of the potential students.  No wonder new schools create traffic concerns.  All the students have to ride or be driven and it's almost exclusively due to the site location and site size requirements.

If we want our new school to be a walkable, neighborhood school, we have a lot of work to do.

I'll also be writing a piece on the school in my Community Design Matters column for the Sept edition of The Current.

Town Hall | Roswell: Dining Out.. a RoswellNEXT Event

I wanted to make my readers aware of one of my other efforts that is going on here in Roswell next week.  RoswellNEXT holds periodic events around town that focus on issues and topics that matter to Roswell.  This month, on 8/22, we are hosting Town Hall | Roswell: Dining Out.  It will be a panel of five restauranteurs from Roswell and they will discuss the dining scene in Roswell and North Fulton.  It should be an excellent event.

Here's the info...

We have an exciting evening planned for our August installment of Town Hall | Roswell and if you are interested in the food scene in Roswell, and who isn't, you won't want to miss it.  RSVP Now

Town Hall | Roswell is a unique event that brings our city together to learn about and discuss issues and ideas that are important to the future of our city. This month, we are fortunate to have a top notch panel of local restauranteurs to discuss what's it's like to run a restaurant in what has become one of the best cities to dine out in the metro area.  

Our panel will include Ryan Pernice of Table & Main and the soon to be open Osteria Mattone, Marc Wegman of Adele's Authentic Cajun Cuisine, Jack Gerbilick of the Food Movement and Rich Clark of Hugo's Oyster Bar & C&S Seafood. Our moderator will be Steve Stroud of the Roswell Business Alliance.

You can expect to learn about what it's like starting a restaurant in Roswell, how Canton Street has redefined OTP dining, how food trucks are impacting business and what the best dishes in Roswell are.  Additionally, we will have some special treats on hand from some local restaurants to satisfy your appetite while you listen to all the talk about great food.

We will also be helping out a local charity with food donations.  Bring 10 canned goods and receive free admission.  Donations will go to the North Fulton Community Charities.

We are also cross promoting a fundraiser for another local non-profit, The Kula Project, that night where several local restaurants are donating 20% of their sales that day to the Kula Project's #ForTheFarmer campaign. Learn More

Event Details

• Date & Time: August 22nd | 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
• Location: Roswell Historic Cottage, 972 Alpharetta St,Roswell, GA 30075
• Parking: Free Valet @ the Roswell Historic Cottage
• Admission: Members $5, Non-Members $15 - RSVP on our Facebook page - Pay at the door (credit accepted) 
• Drinks: $5 suggested donation

We look forward to seeing you there! 

The RoswellNEXT Team

Mike Hadden | Aaron Gravett | Adam & Anna Braund | Chris Foster | Brendan Walsh | Beckie Hawkins | Thomas Shelton | BeAnne Creeger | Dan Shaughnessy

And the Award for Least Imaginative Building Goes to...

It's hard to imagine a building that is less imaginative than this one which is proposed for 1275 Alpharetta Hwy.  I think the last picture pretty much sums it up.  I guess it's hard putting lipstick on a pig.  Do we need another used car dealer on Alpharetta Hwy?

images: roswellgov.com

Will the Unified Development Code Divide Us?

You may have recently received a mailing from the city of Roswell regarding the “Initiation of Proposed Map Amendments.”  Essentially this letter was sent to inform some residents, roughly 13,000 of them, that their property may be rezoned as part of the Unified Development Code, an effort to update the city’s antiquated zoning ordinances.  The letter I received was careful to point out that “all of the existing rights allowed on the property will remain,” and that if I am “satisfied with the suggested conversion of my property category, I do not need to do anything.” In case you are wondering, I am satisfied and I’m not doing anything and according to Brad Townsend, planning and zoning director, only about 20 people have voiced their concerns.  I am excited to be moving from “C-3 Highway Commercial” to “DX Downtown Mixed Use!”  The overwhelming majority of residents will see no change in the way their property is intended to be used.

To be blunt, I’m skeptical of zoning.  I think it’s mostly unnecessary.  Most of the best places in our country and the world were built before the advent of zoning.  Many of the great places in Roswell were built without zoning.  Prior to zoning, people generally knew what made sense to build in a certain spot.  Granted, industry encroached on residential areas in inappropriate ways as the industrial revolution picked up steam, especially in large cities.  The natural response was to create regulations that separated incompatible land uses.  Our obsession with single use zoning began in the 20’s & 30’s and by the time the 50’s rolled around, post-war construction was booming and we had relegated virtually every land use to a specific place on a map whether it made sense or not.  Now, virtually every city in the country has a similar zoning code and those codes for the most part mandate a suburban development pattern.  Question to ponder... is suburbia a product of the free market or government regulation?

That said, the unintended consequences of 40+ years of post World War II zoning and suburban development started to become noticeable in the 1990’s as some people began to see sprawl as a problem.  More and more data started to point to our highly zoned and segregated development pattern as a contributor to many issues such as the obesity epidemic, global warming, environmental degradation, declining social capital and placelessness.

We built a country so uniform that it is now difficult to tell whether you are in Florida or Kansas except that one state has small rotating storms and the other has big rotating ones. A rough estimate is that 30 million buildings have been constructed in the past 50 years.  Out of those, 99+% are wholly unremarkable from an architectural standpoint.  Try to think of one place that was built in the past 50 years that is incredible that did not require some sort of variance to get built.  What I’m saying is that our modern zoning creates mundane places that are in no way memorable.  

Now, I’m a realist and understand that no American municipality would dare try to completely repeal it’s zoning codes.  But they can change them. The famed architect and planner Andres Duany is fond of saying “no one has ever dismantled a bureaucracy, not Napoleon, not Hitler. You can, however, change what they administer.”  Ideally, we want to create more Canton Street and Sloan Street and less Alpharetta Highway and Holcomb Bridge.  Our current codes can easily permit an auto oriented strip mall in most sections of the city but it’s much more difficult (impossible) to replicate the section of Canton Street from Norcross to Magnolia which is arguably the most successful 300 feet of retail and residential OTP.  Why would a zoning code make it illegal to replicate that?  Is it unsafe? Is it unsightly?

The UDC begins to help alleviate this problem.  It’s not radical but it is a change.  It even has pictures to illustrate design requirements.  It works to bring the 2030 Comprehensive Plan to life by coding for what we want to see rather than coding for what we don’t want to see.  The new code is intended to help everyone, from layperson to developer, understand what development on a certain property or roadway should look like.  Code Studio, the firm that was selected to write the UDC, is top notch.  They have worked with a committee of stakeholders from our city to draft a document that will help the city achieve the goals set forth in the 2030 comprehensive plan.  They have written similar codes for Raleigh, Denver and Memphis which tells me that they know what they are doing.  

At this point, most of the work is done but there is still time to opine.  There will be public comment meetings held August 19-21 around town.  Times and locations can be found on the city website.