City Council sends both land use, zoning changes for Lindbergh big box development back to committees

The Atlanta City Council today sent back to committee by a vote of 13-2  and 12-2 both the land use ordinance and companion zoning paper pertaining to the controversial proposed big box Walmart development for the Lindbergh area of south Buckhead.

Howard Shook

The vote came at the request of Dist. 7 City Councilman Howard Shook, who sits on both committees and represents the area of Buckhead where the proposed 21-acre mixed-use development would be located off Piedmont Road between Morosgo and Lindbergh drives.

Community leaders and developers Sembler Co. and Fuqua Development now have two weeks to work out a plan that will be acceptable to both and beneficial to the community before it likely will come before council again.

Sent back to the Community Development/Human Resources Committee was a substitute (#2) ordinance to amend the Land Use Element of the 2011 Atlanta Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) so as to re-designate properties that are located at 690 Lindberg Drive, 723-745 Morosgo Drive, 2472-2480 Adina Drive and 2455 Piedmont Road, from the “High Density Residential” Land Use Designation to the “High Density Mixed Use” and “Very High Density Residential” Land Use Designations  (Z-11-19); and for other purposes. (Legislative Reference No. 11-O-1248).

The location of the controversial 21-acre proposed project.

Shortly after, council members sent the companion zoning paper back to the Zoning Committee where it was originated by Councilman Aaron Watson, who also lives in Buckhead.

The companion paper was an amended ordinance to rezone properties known as 690 Lindbergh Drive, 723-745 Morosgo Drive, 2472-2480 Adina Drive and 2455 Piedmont Road, from the SPI-15 Subarea 8 (Special Public Interest Lindbergh Transit Station Area, Subarea 8, Lindberg Residential) to the SPI-15 Subarea 3 (Special Public Interest Lindbergh Transit Station Area Subarea 3 Piedmont Commercial) Zoning District; fronting approximately 1,500 feet on the north side of Lindbergh Drive, approximately 1,200 feet on the south side of Morosgo Drive, and approximately 800 feet on the west side of Adina Drive north, and 60 feet on the east side of Piedmont Road. (Legislative Reference No. 11-O-1067).

Felicia Moore

Alex Wan

The two dissenting votes on both issues were by Dist. 6 Councilman Alex Wan and Dist. 9 Councilwoman Felicia Moore, who both represent parts of Buckhead. It is presumed they wanted an up-or-down vote on the ordinance and the indications were that both would vote against amending the CDP land use element. Wan is chair of the Zoning Committee and vice chair of CD/HR.

The zoning papers had to also be sent back to committee after the land use ordinance had earlier been referred back to committee. The requested zoning changes cannot be voted on by council until the land use change has been approved.  

The reason the vote was different on the zoning paper was that Dist. 10 Councilman C.T. Martin did not vote on that issue.

To see two major earlier stories about Neighborhood Planning Units lobbying City Council on the two amendments, click here, and here.