City Council essentially kills land use, zoning bids for proposed Lindbergh area Walmart development

Atlanta City Council today essentially killed both the land use ordinance and companion zoning paper requesting changes to allow the controversial proposed Walmart anchored mixed-use development in the Lindbergh area of south Buckhead.

Howard Shook

Dist. 7 Councilman Howard Shook, who represents the area where the development would have been located offered the motions to “file” the two papers, which passed by a vote of 11-2 and essentially killed both papers.

Aaron Watson

The motions to “file” the papers followed a motion by At-large Councilman Aaron Watson to approve the land use ordinance. That motion required a yes vote of eight council members. It only got seven yes votes and six no votes.

The council’s decision precludes reconsidering the land use and zoning request for two years.   However, developer Jeff Fuqua can begin the process of submitting a new proposal at any time and he said he plans on submitting a new proposal at the neighborhood level soon.

Those voting to reject the requested land use changes to the city’s 2011 Comprehensive Development Plan  were Shook, Dist. 6 Councilman Alex Wan, Dist. 8 Councilwoman Yolanda Adrean and Dist. 9 Councilwoman Felicia Moore—all of whom represent parts of Buckhead—Dist. 1 Councilwoman Carla Smith and At-Large Councilman Michael Julian Bond.

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Felicia Moore

The seven who voted for the changes along with Watson, were Ivory Young Jr., Cleta Winslow,C.T. Martin, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Joyce Sheperd and Lamar Willis. Except for Watson and Willis, all those who voted against the wishes of the Buckhead council members and Buckhead residents represent districts in the south and southwest areas of the city.

Dist. 2 Councilman Kwanza Hall had left the council chamber floor during the time of the vote and did not cast a vote for or against. Councilwoman Natalie Archibong, who represents the east Atlanta area where Sembler Co. and Jeff Fuqua developed the Edgewood Retail District several years ago, was in court Monday and could not attend the council meeting.

Developer Jeff Fuqua

According to BuckheadView sources, developer Jeff Fuqua, who is trying to develop the nearly 22-acre site with a big box Walmart store and a total of 200,000 square feet of retail and more than 200 multi-family retail units, was furiously lobbying council members after the vote in an attempt to get one more vote on his side and a reconsideration of the Watson motion.

He was unsuccessful and the City Council adjourned its meeting around 4:20 p.m.

Watson, who went against the wishes of every neighborhood that he represents on council on this issue, last week filed an amendment to his original zoning paper to add 100 affordable senior housing units as part of the residential mix at the project.

It appeared to be an attempt to entice more council members to vote in favor of the development, especially among council members who represent south and southwest Atlanta neighborhoods where affordable senior housing is a major issue. .

Both Councilmen Shook and Wan had told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the end of last week they would vote against the development even after the Watson amendment. Councilwoman Adrean told BuckheadView this past weekend she would vote against the papers and she did. Councilwoman Moore, had earlier indicated to BuckheadView she did not favor the proposed development and also voted against it. .

Above is the newly amended site plan as of the end of last week. A
is the senior housing units on the back of the proposed Walmart store (B).
C is the surface parking in front of the Walmart store. D is the remainder
of the parking one level down below C. The remainder of the apartment
housing units are at E surrounding a parking deck. F is the proposed
playground and dog park area and G is the proposed 3-acre park.
Lindbergh Drive is at the bottom of the plan, Morosgo Drive at the top,
Adina Drive to the right and Piedmont Road to the left. 

“While the addition of senior housing is well intentioned, the placement is ill-conceived,” Adrean told BuckheadView last weekend. “The lack of daylight and the views are of particular concern.”

“Despite recent design improvements, the plan remains opposed by the vast majority of the residents who have contacted me,” Shook told the AJC. “When I first ran for public office, I promised to support neighbors, not developers or city planners, when determining what their neighborhoods should look like. I have upheld every neighborhood recommendation since and will do so again,” he stated.

Map above shows the the proposed development's location

Wan, who chairs the City Council’s Zoning Committee that sent the amended paper back to council with no recommendation last week, said, “For me the underlying question is the land use,” not whether the store will be a Walmart or something else, he told the AJC.

Wan said Fuqua Development has not made a convincing argument that the city’s long-term land use designations should be revised.

“This area could use development,” Wan told the AJC. “It could use a transformative project. But, so far, a compelling case has not been made.”