315 W. Ponce development parking variance to be discussed tonight
August 11, 2008 at 12:05 pm by Thomas Wheatley in NewsThe diligent Decaturite over at DecaturMetro reminds us the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals will review the requested parking variance proposed by the developers of Decatur Court, a mixed-use project near Watershed and the CVS on West Ponce de Leon Road.
JLB Partners wants to use a shared-parking concept in which residents and workers would swap out most of the parking spots as one group leaves and another arrives. The action starts at 7:30 p.m. in the city hall meeting room. I plan to attend.
I wrote a brief write-up of the development and the concerns neighborhood residents have about it in this week’s CL. I’ve pasted that after the jump. If you want to learn more about the project, visit the city’s website here. For another take on the issues, check out this community website that raises questions about the impact the development may have on the surrounding neighborhoods.
Metro Atlanta’s poster child for smart growth is the battleground for a new mixed-use project that neighborhood residents say doesn’t make a lot of sense.
JLB Partners is proposing an office and residential development at 315 W. Ponce de Leon Road at the doorstep of downtown Decatur.
But residents of nearby streets say the design is too large and there is inadequate parking. Plans call for residents and workers at the complex to share parking; when residents leave in the morning, their cars would be replaced by people who come there to work. Residents fear an inevitable overflow from the 218-unit development will ultimately burden the surrounding neighborhoods.
Lyn Menne of the city’s community and economic development department says JLB Partners has tinkered with the plan to ensure that won’t happen and planners altered the design so as not to overshadow or impact residents’ homes.
The plan goes before the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals on Aug. 11. It faces a final decision in September.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I live in the neighborhood (i could throw a rock from my house and hit this project) and I am all for it.
Anything is better than a parking lot. I am not too worried about overflow parking in the streets…its time we stop catering to the car!
August 11th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I had a recent visit over at the Artisan, just a block over from 315 W Ponce, and took a look at the parking garage.
It was very clear there were a ton of empty spaces.
Same with Decatur Renaissance.
Do the neighbors WANT a whole bunch of empty parking spaces? That would just needlessly drive up the cost of the development.