Fresh Loaf

Five hours of comments and more than 100 concerned residents were ample enough reason for the Decatur Zoning Board of Appeals to indefinitely table a parking variance early Tuesday morning for a large mixed-use development proposed in the city.

JLB Partners has envisioned one- and two-bedroom apartments at 315 W. Ponce de Leon Road with streetfront retail. The proposed 218-unit development would rise from a parking lot and wrap around an existing 11-story office building.

At first glance and on paper, the proposal appears to be your typical smart growth development — the sensible combination of retail, office and resident that’s made Decatur such a walkable, desirable place to live. Tonight’s parking variance was necessary because the developers requested less spaces than zoning codes require for a development of its size. JLB Partners are banking on a nationally proven smart-growth concept called “shared parking” to remedy the situation — as well as allow them to both max out the land and save money on building a parking deck.

(more…)

Bookmark It

The 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.

(more…)

Bookmark It