315 W. Ponce developers request more time, public input
August 27, 2008 at 6:23 pm by Thomas Wheatley in NewsDecaturite over at Decatur Metro breaks the news that JLB Partners, the developers of the controversial 315 W. Ponce, have requested an “indefinite deferral” from the city and asked the development authority and planning commission to convene public meetings so various kinks and concerns about the project can be ironed out.
Decaturite posted a well-written message from Duane Truex, a neighborhood resident with a really cool name, that sums up much of the concern about the proposed mixed-use development at the doorstep of downtown Decatur. These two paragraphs really stood out to me:
We are NOT anti growth, we live in mixed use development and always have in this neighborhood around the 315 project (Ponce place, Montgomery, Fairview etc, etc…). It *is* our backyard so we want growth to be sensible, properly scaled, proper quality and to the benefit of all…as well as something that honors Decatur’s past and future. Yes we are idealists. But we are willing to work with the city and developers on a proper project.
For the record we reached out on several occasions to Hudson Hooks [ed. JLB Partners' Atlanta associate]and company. We drank together and talked and attempted to sit down in a small setting to discuss the project. My guess is that the developers were of the opinion (somehow) that it was so ‘in the bag’ they did not need to listen. Moreover they may have underestimated both the skill set extant in these neighborhoods. We are parents, tradesmen and women, artisans and professionals–engineers, architects or various flavors, scientists, producers of content, lawyers and others who can research, reason, design, problem solve, and if needed, resist.
(Screenshot courtesy of JLB Partners)
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August 28th, 2008 at 9:51 am
I’m not sure I would call that well written. Well ok if it was a novel it flows pretty well.
But in terms of message it comes off a tad self absorbed.
August 28th, 2008 at 10:19 am
… and bad grammar
August 28th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Y’all are right. “Well-written” is the wrong phrase. He ably summed up what a lot of the residents I’ve spoken with have felt about the entire design process. I meant “thorough,” perhaps? I don’t know, I’m still down three Diet Cokes so I’m a little slow.
August 28th, 2008 at 11:32 am
It’s okay, we still dig you. Posts on CL are often sketchy until the alcohol wears off, the caffeine kicks in or Sugg stops typing.