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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After two hours of contention and confusion, Atlanta’s Neighborhood Planning Unit F voted last night to approve a rezoning designation that proponents say would preserve Virginia-Highland’s charm.

Scrunched in the jampacked meeting room of a psychiatric hospital off Monroe Drive, nearly 200 residents ultimately stamped the organization’s seal of approval on a  two-year effort meant to preserve the neighborhood before developers capitalize on its antiquated zoning codes.

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As Virginia-Highland attracts more residents, barflies, and Sunday afternoon pedestrians, it’ll also — for better or worse — catch the eye of developers who want to capitalize on that appeal. And for residents and property owners who want a voice in how their bustling neighborhood evolves, tonight’s their chance.

Members of Neighborhood Planning Unit F, whose boundaries include Virginia-Highland will vote tonight whether its members want Virginia-Highland rezoned as “Neighborhood Commercial.” The designation focuses on three busy “nodes” along North Highland Avenue where it intersects Briarcliff Place, Virginia Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue. The designation could potentially affect The Mix at 841 (above right) — an ambitious mixed-use development proposed across the street from the long strip of bars that includes Blind Willie’s and Diesel — that’s irked some residents for its size and scope.

According to the Virginia-Highland Civic Association, current zoning allows commercial buildings as high as 11 stories in some areas. If ultimately approved by the Atlanta City Council, the rezoning would limit the height of buildings to three stories and encourage such smart-growth concepts as mixed-use design and shared parking. It would prohibit “suburban-style” buildings such as the CVS Pharmacy and encourage developers to take the neighborhood’s architecture into account.  (For the association’s documents related to the rezoning proposal, click here.)

The meeting takes place at 7 p.m. tonight at the Hillside facility between Courtenay Dr and Monroe Dr. According to the NPU-F website, “access is available from 1301 Monroe Dr., opposite the CSO facility on Monroe. Parking is available at the rear of the building off Monroe Drive.” The public is welcome, but keep in mind that you have to live or own commercial property in the district if you want to vote.

UPDATE: Christa at Pecanne Log is none-too-pleased with The Mix.

(Apologies for the screenshot. The Mix website appears to be incomplete.)

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Get ready to OD on rezoning issues, DeKalbites. There’s a host of heavy-duty proposals coming down the pike that promises to keep slow-growthers, homeowner activists and land-use variance geeks occupied for days to come.

First up is an apartment complex being proposed for the Merry Hills neighborhood just west of the Toco Hill Shopping Center by Ashkouti Development. In an e-mail to constituents, local state Rep. Mike Jacobs, (R-DeKalb) calls the plan “the most egregious encroachment into a residential neighborhood I have seen during my time in public service.” Mike can be pretty hard to read sometimes, but we’re gonna go out on a limb and guess this means he doesn’t like it.

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