Fresh Loaf

Beltline, Georgia Department of Transportation and Amtrak officials have until tomorrow afternoon to update the U.S. Surface Transportation Board about the fate of the Decatur Belt, a strip of abandoned rail in Northeast Atlanta which all sides say they need to control for very different rail projects. (Here are some maps of the project and area in question.)

Late last week, residents of several at-risk neighborhood organizations — including Poncey-Highland, Inman Park and Old Fourth Ward — asked Amtrak and GDOT to scrap their plans for commuter or intercity rail running along the Decatur Belt. (Click here to read their Word Document press release.) While all the agencies promised to work together to try and resolve the issue, they’re keeping mum on how things have progressed. On Tuesday, Mayor Shirley Franklin told U.S. Congressman John Lewis the sides are still negotiating. Nonetheless, keep checking back for updates about the story.

In other Beltline news, some areas of the 22-mile loop of parks, trails and transit that would require rezoning are scheduled to be discussed — and possibly voted on — by the Atlanta City Council’s Community Development and Human Resources Committee on Monday, March 9 at 6 p.m.. Included are project areas near Old Fourth Ward, Grant Park, Northwest Atlanta, and others.

A full list of the areas follows after the jump. If you want to get involved, stop by City Hall or contact your councilmember.

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On Feb. 2, nearly 30 officials from various local, state and federal transit agencies, most of whom were locked in a bitter dispute over Beltline tracks near Piedmont Park, sat down with Congressman John Lewis’ staff in his Atlanta office. Their purpose: Let’s figure out what we’re going to do with “The Decatur Belt,” a segment of city-owned property near Piedmont Park that includes tracks vital to the Beltline project.

Officials have declined to comment on what was discussed at the meeting and how things have progressed. In a joint press release issued the day of the sitdown, agency officials said they would work toward a common solution and report progress in 30 days.

According to MARTA’s notes of the meeting, obtained by CL in an Open Records Request, some of the transportation agencies sound — contrary to many of their comments after news of the dispute broke — seemingly unsure of their options. And they really didn’t want to involve the media. What’s more, the notes suggest a disappointing  — but not entirely surprising — reality: Local and state transportation agencies, at least prior to the Feb. 2 meeting, were not communicating with each other in a productive manner.

But with federal funding and millions of dollars in taxpayer and private investment on the line, the officials said they needed to figure this one out.

Download the meeting notes here. To see who attended the sitdown, download the meeting’s sign-in sheet here. UPDATE: GDOT has responded with its notes from the meeting. They’re much more detailed than MARTA’s. In them, GDOT says it wants to explore what other parts of the city would be suitable for a train terminal into which commuter rail or inter-city rail could operate. That transcript is pasted after the summary.

If you’re adverse to downloading the files, I’ve written a rather lengthy rundown of the meeting after the jump.

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STILL GOING Dispute over Beltline tracks riles residents

After two hours of debating administrative minutiae, the Georgia Department of Transportation board nearly brought an end to the bitter dispute the state agency and Amtrak started with the City of Atlanta over Beltline tracks near Piedmont Park.

At the end of today’s board meeting, Boardmember David Doss of Rome — who it should be noted, hasn’t always been the biggest advocate for rail projects — asked the board to consider withdrawing its stay of abandonment of the “Decatur Belt,” a 4.2-mile segment of unused tracks which stretch from Ansley Park to DeKalb Avenue. Those tracks are a vital piece of the Beltline, the 22-mile loop of parks, trails and transit proposed to circle Atlanta’s core. Amtrak and GDOT say they want the tracks preserved for future commuter rail service into downtown Atlanta.

Doss said he proposed the same motion yesterday at an intermodal committee meeting.

“The idea of commuter rail or high-speed rail going through Piedmont Park makes little sense to me,” Doss told boardmembers. He said the two modes are not compatible with plans the city has already made for the property, which it purchased from Gwinnett County developer Wayne Mason last year for more than $66 million.

Suddenly, a booming voice sounded from the ceiling. Boardmember Steve Farrow of Dalton, participating in the meeting via conference call, objected.

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A group of Inman Park residents have formed Keep High Speed Rail Out of Inman Park in an effort to fight the Georgia Department of Transportation and Amtrak’s plans to run commuter rail near the historic neighborhood. The ambiguously named group has a petition here and a YouTube video.

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Ryan Gravel

The Beltline Partnership, the fundraising and public awareness arm of the $2.8 billion project that imagines Atlanta circled by parks, trails and transit, has new board directors.

Most prominent among those, especially for people who keep their eyes on smart growth and transit projects in the city, is Ryan Gravel. An urban designer who envisioned the Beltline as a graduate student at Georgia Tech, Gravel now works at local architecture firm Perkins + Will. He’s become more engaged with the Beltline since the Georgia Department of Transportation and Amtrak unexpectedly announced they want to use tracks near Piedmont Park for a commuter-rail project, putting the project in jeopardy.

Ray Weeks, the partnership’s founding chairman, is stepping down now that his term on the board has ended. He will continue to serve as one of the organization’s chief fundraisers. Weeks is succeeded by AGL Resources CEO John Somerhalder.

The partnership’s roster includes some of the city’s biggest business names. Since its founding, the organization has been vital in securing private funds to help pay for some of the public-works project’s costs.

Full release, with details of who’s joined the board, after the jump.

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Now that the Georgia Department of Transportation, Amtrak and Beltline officials have all taken a vow of silence and decided to keep quiet about the ongoing negotiations surrounding a rail segment in Northeast Atlanta, we have ample time to pore over the plans ourselves.

To bring everyone back up to speed: GDOT and Amtrak say they have plans for a future commuter rail line that would run on unused tracks along the eastern edge of Piedmont Park. Officials for the Beltline, the 22-mile of parks, trails and transit proposed to circle the urban core, recently purchased the tracks and surrounding property for $66 million, not including interest payments and payouts to private partners in the deal. Beltline officials oppose GDOT and Amtrak’s plans and say they would not only alter the vision of the Beltline in the area, but potentially jeopardize the entire $2.8 billion project. Beltline planners are scheduled to unveil their plans for the area in dispute — plans that could change if GDOT and Amtrak don’t budge on their position — on Thursday. Here are details of that night’s event.

After the jump, I’ve posted some handy maps that were included in a memo written by GDOT Commissioner Gena Evans and sent to boardmembers after the shit hit the fan. Also included is a handy map that shows who owns rail segments in Atlanta. If there are errors with any of these, send me a line or leave notes in the comments.

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The U.S. Surface Transporation Board, the federal agency that regulates railroad issues, has granted Amtrak, Georgia Department of Transportation and Beltline officials’ request to give them time to resolve the bitter dispute over a 4.8-mile segment of railroad in Northeast Atlanta.

Acting Secretary Anna Quinlen’s filing today says the agencies must report the progress of their talks no later than March 6.

To download the decision, click here (PDF). It’s also pasted after the jump.

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You know that whole Beltline dispute? The one in which the Georgia Department of Transportation and Amtrak basically told Beltline officials that they’d have to make room in Northeast Atlanta for a commuter rail line? Officials from the agencies and departments involved met this morning and had what I’m sure was a very interesting sitdown. They’ve requested the federal government give them 30 days so they can try and resolve the dispute as a group.

So sayeth a joint statement from the agencies:

Atlanta – A meeting of officials from key organizations including the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), the City of Atlanta, Atlanta Beltline, Inc., Amtrak, the Atlanta Regional Commission, MARTA and the Transit Implementation Board along with staff from Congressman John Lewis’ office was held today to discuss the critical issue regarding plans for the Northeast Beltline Corridor (“Decatur Street Belt”) and future options for multi-modal passenger terminals (MMPT).

The overarching goal of the meeting was to share information, communicate directly, discuss alternatives and seek out viable solutions for an amicable outcome that is in the best interest of our customers. To that end, the Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta Beltline Inc./ Atlanta Development Authority, Amtrak and Norfolk Southern have agreed to formally request that the Surface Transportation Board issue a 30 day stay of their proceedings in this matter in order to work towards a common solution that accommodates the Beltline vision, intercity and high speed rail in the region.

During this time, a technical team will work to investigate the potential alternatives. An Executive Team will also work to develop a final agreement between all of the parties.

All of the organizations involved acknowledged the importance of the Beltline project to the City of Atlanta and the region. Each recognized the common goal to provide much needed regional transportation options for the residents of and visitors to the City of Atlanta which have a profound effect on the economic future for the entire state of Georgia.

After the jump, exclusive video of Beltline officials confronting the GDOT Beast about its plans.

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RAIL RALLY Beltline supporters say Amtrak, GDOT's plans jeopardize Beltline

When it comes to the future of public transit in Atlanta, there’s good news and there’s bad news.

The good news: After decades of bowing at the throne of roadbuilders, the Georgia Department of Transportation says it’s finally taking off the kneepads and getting serious about train service that would connect Atlanta to other cities in the Southeast.

The bad news: Thanks to an unexpected tiff between GDOT and city of Atlanta officials, the Beltline — the transformative 22-mile loop of parks, trails and transit that would one day circle the city — might be in jeopardy. That’s because the train service that GDOT is suddenly embracing would have to run on or near the proposed Beltline tracks. What’s more, Piedmont Park, the city’s most iconic greenspace, might have to be severed by a heavy-rail route in order to accommodate GDOT’s vision.

Last week, CL first reported that GDOT — working in tandem with Amtrak — threw a wrench in Beltline officials’ plans for light-rail, trails and additional green space near Piedmont Park. Just as Norfolk Southern, the current owner of the tracks in question, was about to surrender them to the city, GDOT and Amtrak stepped in and halted the proceedings. Those two agencies now say the tracks in dispute are vital to their own vision for commuter rail.

“Simply put, because of GDOT’s boorish behavior and AMTRAK’s willingness to play along, the future of the city of Atlanta is at stake,” Mayor Shirley Franklin wrote in an urgent letter to U.S. Congressman John Lewis to seek his assistance.

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U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, has requested AMTRAK President Joseph Boardman work with city and regional planners, officials and residents to resolve the “Decatur Belt” dispute between the federal agency, the Georgia Department of Transportation and Beltline officials.

Lewis says AMTRAK’s actions “have the potential to unnecessarily disrupt one of the most important public benefit projects that the City of Atlanta has undertaken in recent memory.” He adds that “these combined actions are not the model of a productive and healthy local, State and federal partnership with the shared goal of revitalizing transportation services in Metro Atlanta.”

Download a PDF of the letter here.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Transit Implementation Board Chairman Eldrin Bell was not about to let that agency’s inaugural meeting today turn into a boxing match between the City of Atlanta and the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Much to the disappointment — or relief? — of those involved, Bell didn’t allow the two sides to argue whether light-rail or heavy-rail should run along several miles of unused railroad tracks near Piedmont Park. GDOT and AMTRAK argue that the tracks are the only viable options if transit advocates want to see commuter rail and a long-planned downtown terminal. Officials for the Beltline, the planned 22-mile loop of parks, trails and transit, say there are alternatives and that commuter rail drastically alters the design that planners, neighborhoods and developers have crafted for the area.

Bell said he’s hesitant to discuss the Beltline’s future unless all the stakeholders were in the room.

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From the Beltline Network:

RALLY TO SAVE THE BELTLINE

LET’S SHOW HOW MUCH THE PEOPLE SUPPORT ATLANTA’S LIGHT RAIL, TRAIL, PARK, ARBORETUM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE!
THIS SATURDAY, January 31, 2009, 2:00PM
MEET ALONG THE BELTLINE TRACKS AT THE INTERSECTION OF 10TH AND MONROE IN MIDTOWN

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…but it would be problematic for them to do so on the Beltline property in Northeast Atlanta that’s become a bone of contention for the city, the Georgia Department of Transportation and AMTRAK.

In 2005, Beltline visionary Ryan Gravel and Friends of the Beltline Inc. issued a study that examined how the 22-mile loop of parks, trails and transit may be affected by the various rail lines circling Atlanta. (Download the study PDF here.)

In regards to the “Decatur Belt,” the 3.5-mile segment that runs from DeKalb Avenue to Ansley Mall, the study says:

use of this line for the commuter rail network is problematic for the following reasons:

• The original alignment of the Decatur Street Belt with the main line into downtown Atlanta was broken by the reconfiguration of Hulsey Yard and the construction of the elevated East MARTA line and King Memorial Station.
• Use of the Decatur Street Belt puts Amtrak trains through residential areas and Piedmont Park, crossing surface streets at Monroe Drive, Irwin Street and DeKalb Avenue.
• The Decatur Street Belt is too narrow south of Freedom Parkway for the Belt Line and Amtrak to share right-of-way with separate tracks.
• Shared use of the tracks themselves in this corridor would be difficult due to topographic and physical constraints.
• Any shared arrangement would make the Belt Line much less desirable by eliminating greenspace and permeability and by increasing safety concerns, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists.

The group proposed several recommendations, including tinkering with the Brookwood station where AMTRAK currently stops. One of the biggest challenges the Beltline will face is actually connecting the rail segments that will create its spine and shape.

If you’re a transit lover and want to know more about the current dispute, as well as the project’s other connectivity challenges, this study is well worth a read.

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Yesterday, the Georgia Department of Transportation said its out-of-the-blue opposition to allowing light-rail along the Beltline near Piedmont Park — a move it made with the help of AMTRAK — didn’t necessarily mean the end of the city’s 22-mile loop of parks, trails and transit. A GDOT spokesman  said both intercity rail and light-rail could run side-by-side along the 3.5-mile rail line. There would have to be modifications, of course. But it’s do-able, he said.

Beltline officials, however, say that’s virtually impossible. Federal regulations, safety concerns and neighborhood opposition would most likely prevent that possibility, Atlanta Beltline Inc. CEO Terri Montague told an Atlanta City Council committee yesterday.

Add to the fact that residents and developers have invested time, money and energy into a vision of that portion of the $2.8-billion project that includes lower-speed people movers and lush parks with bike trails, and you can see why a train roaring behind the neighborhood isn’t exactly what stakeholders had in mind. Atlanta Councilmember Kwanza Hall, whose district has seen much of that investment — e.g. City Hall East’s proposed mixed-use revival and the recently announced Historic Old Fourth Ward Park near the Masquerade — estimates the city and others have spent as much as $250 million on that portion of the Beltline. Stakeholders feel their investment is in jeopardy and that the loss of this key part of the project could send financial and logistical ripples throughout the Beltline, impacting the possibility of transit and smart-growth development in Atlanta.

GDOT and AMTRAK say they’re protecting future options for commuter rail. Their trains couldn’t run alongside freight traffic on tracks to the west of Atlanta, they argue, because the routes don’t make logistical sense. Nevermind that the rails in dispute run smack into DeKalb Avenue. Quite a roadblock! (There’s a study about this that I’ll post in a few minutes.)

So how was the decision to halt the Beltline in Northeast Atlanta made? According to David Doss, a GDOT boardmember from Rome, he and his fellow officials weren’t aware of the agency’s move until the news media came calling yesterday. And he even sits on a special committee that specifically focuses on transit.

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Man, the Beltline can be pretty confusing, huh? So can writing about transit agency disputes.

To put it plainly: The vision of a 22-mile loop of transit, parks and trails is now in jeopardy after the state Department of Transportation and AMTRAK unexpectedly announced they had their own heavy-rail plans for the project’s northeast section along Piedmont Park.

On Wednesday, members of the Beltline Network, a citizen group that supports the project, will meet for a special-called meeting to discuss how to keep the $2.8 billion “Emerald Necklace” — the largest public-works project of its kind in the country — on track.

Liz Coyle, chair of the Beltline Network, writes in an “urgent” e-mail sent yesterday to members (emphasis added for the more civic-minded Fresh Loaf readers who want to get involved):

I am calling a special meeting of the BeltLine Network on this Wednesday, January 28, at 4:30pm at Trees Atlanta, 225 Chester Avenue. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss and strategize a community response to a threat to BeltLine transit. I will provide more details as available at the meeting, but to summarize the situation and get right to the point, AMTRAK has begun condemnation proceedings on the NE Corridor of the BeltLine. This is in response to Norfolk Southern Railroad (NSR), Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) and Atlanta Development Authority (ADA) pursuing rail abandonment on the Northeast Corridor (aka the “Decatur Belt”) with the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB), a necessary step to advancing light rail transit in the BeltLine corridor. Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and AMTRAK have filed Motions to Stay the abandonment proceedings.

More on Coyle’s e-mail and the issues — and questions — surrounding this dispute after the jump.

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Consider, for instance, recent negotiations to purchase the northeast quadrant of the Beltline, a 22-mile loop of transit and trails that will one day circle the city.

That deal — and the history of the controversial plot of land — has resulted in the city parting ways with two developers and paying millions of dollars that critics say was squandered.

Mike Dobbins, a Georgia Tech professor and Atlanta’s former planning commissioner, says the city rushed to pay Gwinnett County developer Wayne Mason and his son Keith $65 million for land that could have been had for much, much less.

“Buying out Mason was a flawed proposition,” Dobbins says. “I mean, name me anyone who wouldn’t love to make a 300 percent profit in three years on a $25 million investment. It’s crazy.”

Says Keith Mason: “I’m pleased with the outcome.”

Read the rest of this story.

(Photo by Jim Stawniak)

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Congratulations, fellow citizen! If things go according to plan, come Friday at 10 a.m. you’ll be a co-owner of 66 acres of prime property in Northeast Atlanta.

The Atlanta City Council today approved 9-1 the issuance of $64.5 million of Beltline TAD bonds. Councilmember Felicia Moore was the lone vote against the deal.

Atlanta Beltline Inc. Finance Director Richard Lutch says the project will meet the Oct. 31 deadline set by Gwinnett County developer Wayne Mason and settle the $45 million debt Mason is owed for property near Piedmont Park.

Beltline leaders will also use $3.5 million of the bond funds to buy out the remaining stake in the property held by Barry Real Estate and Ben Rainey, its private partners in a joint venture that was created to purchase the land from Mason late last year. Beltline leaders must then must transfer the property to the Atlanta Development Authority. (The land must be owned by a public agency to meet tax-exempt bond regulations.)

After the vote, Tax Allocation District Advisory Committee Chair Eugene Bowens, Sr. said that the citizens’ group — while supportive of the deal — still feels it’s not being involved enough in how funds from the TAD bonds are used. By law, the committee is charged with ensuring those public funds are spent in a “fair and equitable manner.” Numerous times in the past — most notably when Beltline leaders decided to spend a large chunk of funds to pay off the Mason property in affluent Northeast Atlanta — the committee has said they have been kept out of the loop. He said TADAC members were only notified of today’s bond deal at a meeting last night with Beltline leaders.

This development raises many questions, such as what direction the project takes now and where it will focus its energy, how the city plans to act on property that it must rezone if it plans to sell, and how future allocations and deals will be handled. Feel free to chime in below if you have any thoughts.

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If Atlanta City Council gives them the OK, bonds set to be issued this week to pay for Beltline projects will be worth $64.5 million — a much lower amount than the $117 million initially anticipated before bond markets ground to a halt because of Wall Street’s meltdown.

Atlanta Beltline Inc. CEO Terri Montague says more bonds will be issued in mid-2009. The tax-exempt bonds will be split in half and sold to Wachovia and Suntrust with a 6.2 percent interest rate. She says the reason the offering is much smaller is because debts — most notably, the Wayne Mason property in the 22-mile project’s northeast quadrant — must be paid. Additional bonds are planned to be issued in in mid-2009. Montague says the affordable housing component will receive roughly $8.5 8.8 million.

Beltline leaders will also have to buy out Ben Rainey and Barry Real Estate, its private partners in a joint venture that purchased the 66-acre Mason property, to meet regulations established for tax-exempt bonds. Montague says the two partners agreed to settle for $3.5 million — they originally wanted $10 million.

Beltline officials appear before Atlanta City Council at 3:30 p.m. to seek its approval before proceeding with the deal. Should City Council fail to approve the bond offering, the city would lose both the property and $26 million its already paid to the Masons.

Should voters approve Amendment 2 on the General Election ballot, Montague says, the next Beltline TAD bond offering could potentially be much larger.

More updates to come.

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Sources tell CL that Atlanta City Councilmembers were given notice that a special-called meeting will be held at City Hall tomorrow at 3 p.m. Details are vague, but the event could mean developments are underway for the 22-mile loop of parks, trails, transit.

Why? Well, as we’ve been reporting, the Oct. 31 deadline for Beltline leaders to settle the debt on property purchased from Gwinnett County developer Wayne Mason is drawing near. The property — a 66-acre parcel of land and transit right-of-way located near Piedmont Park in the project’s northeast quadrant — generated controversy this summer when Beltline leaders decided to allocate nearly half the TAD bond funding to settle the debt. If it’s not repaid, the Mason property could enter foreclosure.

Because of the virtually shutdown bond market, those TAD bonds have been delayed until the project’s financial wizards could secure the best possible deal. Beltline leaders would most likely have to brief City Council on their progress.

Regardless, we’ll be there and update once we hear word.

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So you’d like there to be more public transit in Atlanta, want to see more smart-growth development, but you still don’t know exactly what the Beltline is all about. The Beltline Partnership, the 22-mile project’s fundraising arm, operates twice-a-week tours of the proposed loop of transit, trails, parks and development, so that’s one way.

Another way is to help clean the project up. Last year, volunteers cleaned up the Beltline’s southwest portion. On Nov. 8, Keep Atlanta Beautiful and other partners plan to do the same in the northeast quadrant.

Here are the details:

Last week, TruGreen LandCare, lawn and landscape professionals, donated their time and expertise to prepare the area for volunteers by accomplishing some of the heavy lifting.

On Saturday November 8, Atlanta BeltLine Inc., Ponce Park, the Historic Fourth Ward Park Conservancy, City of Atlanta, Park Pride, Trees Atlanta, Atlanta Community ToolBank and PATH are orchestrating the northeast corridor BeltLine clean-up. This is necessary to achieve the clean-up’s goal of taking a first step in creating a useable connection between Piedmont Park and Freedom Park. See images below.

Volunteers will pick up litter and remove kudzu from trees along the 1.5 mile stretch. You can register as a volunteer for the clean-up at www.keepatlantabeautiful.org.

(Photo courtesy of TruGreen LandCare)

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Beltline bonds scheduled to be priced this week have been delayed until mid-October, a spokesperson for the 22-mile loop of parks, trails and transit says. Project leaders say the bonds — estimated to be worth $117 million — are now scheduled to be issued the week of Oct. 20.

Timing is of the essence, however, as that issuance cuts close to an Oct. 31 deadline to settle outstanding debt on a vital piece of property in northeast Atlanta near Piedmont Park. The property includes transit right-of-way and was purchased late last year from Gwinnett County developer Wayne Mason and his son, Keith. The decision to allocate the majority of Beltline bond proceeds to the Masons was opposed by community groups, but ultimately determined necessary to ensure the future of the project.

Should Beltline leaders not settle the Mason debt by the deadline, the property could risk foreclosure, placing valuable intown property on the real-estate market and in turn, making it harder to secure.

The national market for municipal bonds — for years the go-to financing mechanism that’s kept cities apace — has been essentially closed since the fallout on Wall Street, leaving many projects as grand as the Beltline and as everyday as highway repairs in a lurch. Athens-Clarke County recently put three long-planned sewer treatment plants, to be paid for with bonds, on the backburner until the market improves.

Atlanta is currently sitting on four upcoming bond issuances: The Beltline and Perry Bolton TAD bonds, the General Obligation refinancing bonds, and the Downtown Redevelopment bonds. Dana Boone, the city’s debt and investment chief, says most buyers in the market are hesitant to make purchases until Congress acts on the controversial bailout package. (The U.S. Senate approved the $850-billion, 450-page package last night.)

“The belief is that there are not a lot of issuances going out to market and postponing deals because there aren’t a lot of buyers in the market,” Boone says. “The costs would be too high. The issuers that are pursuing bond issuances are those with high needs.”

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One of the Beltline’s goals is that all Atlantans — regardless of income — will be able to enjoy the 22-mile ring of parks, trails and transit. Last week, the Atlanta Development Authority approved a set of recommendations that could help make that happen.

Andy Schneggenburger, executive director the Atlanta Housing Association of Neighborhood-based Developers and a member of the advisory board that wrote the recommendations, says the authority decided to offer incentives to developers who include community land trusts and energy efficiencies in their projects, as well as those who give city residents, Beltline-area residents and public-service employees first dibs. Developments that offer 10 percent of new housing units at rents affordable to Atlantans making less than $20,760 would win extra points in competing for Beltline grants.

Beltline leaders will vote on the recommendations this week before sending them to City Council.

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MARTA and Atlanta Beltline Inc., the nonprofit agency planning the 22-mile of parks, trails and transit, will hold public workshops to discuss the massive project’s possible environmental effects on Tuesday and Thursday. The four meetings are scheduled both in the afternoon and the evening and mark the beginning of a two-year study.

After the jump, a pretty graph from the folks at MARTA listing the details for each meeting.

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Terri Montague looked disappointed.

The CEO of Atlanta Beltline Inc., the nonprofit agency tasked with planning and building the 22-mile project, stood before the Atlanta City Council’s finance committee on Wednesday to present how the group planned to spend an estimated $117 million that was to be generated from the first round of TAD bonds. Councilmember Felicia Moore asked Montague what was the rush — council was about to go on recess and the Beltline has until Oct. 31 to settle an outstanding debt for a key piece of property near Piedmont Park. Moore was planning on tabling the item, she said.

What’s the rush? Well, to put it simply, Beltline leaders are against the slow-moving bureaucracy that is modern-day government. Council returns from its summer sojourn in mid-August and the Beltline has investors coming to scope out the project the following week. Montague said the investors need to have a sense that the city is truly committed to the project. It needs the money.

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Before the Beltline can unite and connect Atlanta, it first has to experience Atlanta’s tale of two cities.

Visit a study group north of I-20, say near Buckhead and Tanyard Creek, and residents fume about bike-trail paths. Venture down to Metropolitan Parkway and in southwest Atlanta, and you hear pleas for economic development, jobs and, most importantly, attention.

Which is why last week’s decision by Beltline leaders to spend almost half of the $98 million in initial bond proceeds to pay for a sliver of land in northeast Atlanta has many concerned that all the benefits of the Beltline are going to be felt north of I-20.

Even the advisory committee formed to oversee Atlanta Beltline Inc. is critical of the decision.

“Based on our assessment of what the Beltline wants to do, there is no equitability in the allocation of those dollars when you’re going to use 80 percent of it in the northeast quadrant,” says Eugene Bowens, chairman of Tax Allocation District Advisory Committee.

At issue is a 4.5-mile stretch of land owned by Gwinnett County developer Wayne Mason and his son, Keith. The Masons purchased the land near Monroe Drive and Piedmont Road for $26.5 million in 2004, and announced plans to build two high-rise towers. The Masons also promised to donate their railroad right-of-way to the Beltline project.

Read the rest of this article here.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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