NPU-B chair urges citizens to contest Lindbergh project at Zoning Review Board meeting Thursday

Neighborhood Planning Unit B Chair Sally Silver is passionate about not allowing a suburban-style big-box commercial development to be built on 21 acres off Piedmont Road across from the Lindbergh MARTA rail station and the Lindbergh Center in south Buckhead.

NPU-B Chair Sally Silver

Silver is urging residents in the area surrounding the development, and others interested stopping this development by the Sembler Company and Fuqua Development, to attend the Thursday night meeting of the Zoning Review Board Thursday, July 12, at 6 p.m. at Atlanta City Hall.   

The application filed with the City of Atlanta rezones 21 acres of residential parcels to commercial use.  Silver contends “The proposed use is not consistent with the current zoning (Special Public Interest District-15) and is suburban rather than urban in design.”  

Silver points out that NPU-B recommended denial of the rezoning as well as the companion Comprehensive Development Plan amendment (CDP-11-06). 

“The proposed redevelopment would be a major departure from the intent of the Special Public Interest District and a major change for the area,” Silver stated.  “Therefore, it is important that citizens make their opinions known.  Please attend the ZRB hearing on Thursday at City Hall,” she added.

Silver, who also works in the office of Dist. 7 City Councilman Howard Shook, also provided the following history of this property and the developers’ efforts related to it.

The above is the site plan recently submitted to the Atlanta Department of
Planning and Development by Sembler and Fuqua Development.  The
orange area top left is the big box  store NPU-B objects to. 

In 2001 the City of Atlanta adopted the Lindbergh Transit Station Area Development Study (TSADS).  This study was done in conjunction with representatives from property owners, business owners, residents and adjacent neighborhoods.

The purpose of the study was to provide a concept plan and action program for the development of a transit oriented neighborhood around the Lindbergh MARTA transit station.  From this study came the Special Public Interest District - 15 (SPI-15), Atlanta's only transit oriented neighborhood.

The proposal recently filed with the City of Atlanta is to rezone from the Special Public Interest District -15 Subarea 8 (Lindbergh Residential) to Special Public Interest District - 15 Subarea 3 (Piedmont Commercial).

The proposed site acreage contains 155,945.42 SF of Residential (3.58acres) and 767,965.87 SF of Retail (17.63 acres).  The proposed development is for 240 units of Residential (SF not indicated on site plan) and 183,580 SF or Retail (150,000 SF to be single story Anchor Tenant)

Parking for the Retail  is shown as 642 spaces, the majority of which is a surface parking lot, typical of suburban commercial developments.

“Members of NPU-B have been meeting with the applicant since May 2011, trying to work with the applicant to design an urban development that emphasizes small shops, residential use, safe walkways, and green space and not Suburban design,” Silver explained.  

The site plan shown was submitted to the Office of Planning at the end of June 2012 and was reviewed by NPU-B, Silver said.

“As the site plan does not meet the intent of SPI-15, does not meet requirements of SPI-15 zoning and is suburban not urban in design, NPU-B has recommend denial of the rezoning as well as the companion Comprehensive Development Plan amendment (CDP-11-06),” Silver stated.

To that end, Silver said in her email to residents in NPU=B, “It is important that citizens stand up and be counted.  Please attend the ZRB hearing, Thursday, 7/12/12, 6pm, Council Chambers, 55 Trinity Ave. (City Hall)”