#Oak Knoll The NPU- F Vote on Oak Knoll is this evening at the Rock Spring Presbyterian church. Please find below a shared Facebook commentary post from an 18 year resident of Piedmont Heights. This commentary in no way reflects the views of the Piedmont Heights Civic Association as a neighborhood entity. RE-Zoning OF 1763-1797 Piedmont Road IN Morningside from Low Density Residential (RG-2) to High Density Residential (MR-4A) For those of you that are not aware, there will likely be a vote tomorrow evening at the meeting of NPU-F on whether our community should support the proposed re-zoning of the Oak Knoll apartment property. This rezoning will allow the property owner – Perennial Properties – to re-develop several 60+ year old “garden style” apartment buildings to a multi-story residential apartment format. As an 18 year resident - that lives 1 block from this property – as well as a long-time community activist when it comes to zoning and license related matters, I encourage you to research this issue and make an informed decision based on facts. I have been following this issue from its first inception. Unfortunately, much of the information being distributed is mis-informed and in some cases incorrect. The civic association boards for both Morningside and Piedmont Heights – the 2 immediately adjacent neighborhoods – voted to approve the rezoning. This came after both boards performed an exhaustive process in which the concerns of our residents, the rights of the property owner, and city of Atlanta ordinances were all considered. So, let’s look at some of the information being communicated: - 180 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX – This is correct and is approx. 3X the current density. The original proposal from the developer was almost 300 units and the final number resulted from significant negotiations with the neighborhoods and residents. This is also significantly less than the 300 units currently under construction at the Millcreek development 1 block to the north on Piedmont – also in Morningside. - 6 STORIES AT IT HIGHEST POINT – 6 stories is how TALL it will be; not how HIGH it will be. The actual height – especially as it relates to the only 4 adjacent properties that can SEE the development - will be at or below the height of the current buildings? - 4 LEVEL PARKING DECK – Yes, this is required by Atlanta Ordinances that dictate the number of parking spaces necessary per unit. Perhaps we should request an exception for a smaller parking deck and have the overflow street parking in front of our nearby houses – like mine. - 277 CARS A DAY IN AND OUT, CAR ALARMS, HORNS – I cannot find a source for this number. The only formal Traffic Study (meaning one performed by professionals who are trained to do so and who use scientific methods) estimates the number of daily trips to be significantly lower. More importantly, the number of increased trips in INSIGNIFICANT when compared to the current traffic on Piedmont. - INCREASE IN TRAFFIC AND CHALLENGING ENTRANCES AND EXITS – Again, the increase in traffic is insignificant considering current traffic analysis - POTENTIAL DANGEROUS LEFT TURNS OUT OF COMPLEX ONTO PIEDMONT – This is implying that the existing left turns are not dangerous. This is a matter of engineering and design. - ALL IN MORNINGSIDE - Correct, this property is on the very edge of Morningside and directly across Piedmont from Piedmont Heights. MY PERSPECTIVE Re-development of this property will occur – it is just a matter of time and in what form. The current buildings do not demand/standards of today’s renters nor the $ per Sq. Ft. they are willing to spend. There is huge demand for units of this design in our area and developers are coming to deliver on that demand. In addition, Perennial Properties has been embedded in our community for over 25 years. Their headquarters is in Piedmont Heights. They own multiple properties and business in our community and are actively involved in our neighborhood association and community foundation. They have actively listened to the concerns of the community and have downsized and re-designed this proposed development – through an exhaustive 6 month process - significantly to address our concerns. I would strongly choose Perennial over the next developer that may come along. And trust me, if this does not go through, there will be another developer that comes along. Consider some of these recent articles: - Fuquas Kroger project at Lindbergh moves forward - Kroger would anchor new project across from Lindbergh MARTA station - Developer proposes 22-story residential tower by Piedmont Park - As more apartments start construction, still no signs of a bubble - Midtown poised for unprecedented residential boom - Fuqua about to break ground on Morningside project Please do get involved and have an opinion. But please make sure you are well informed and consider all the facts and alternatives. If you choose to oppose it, I respect your opinion. You can find the Change.org Petition at the related link. Regardless of your position, participate in the NPU-F meeting tomorrow night and express/vote your thoughts. You can find information on the meeting location and logistics at the NPU-F website here. Bill Compton Rock Springs Road NE Piedmont Heights - A Small Town in a Big City What do you think of the proposed changes at Oak Knoll ? - Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments on our Facebook page This commentary in no way reflects the views of the Piedmont Heights Civic Association as a neighborhood entity.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 18:26:22 +0000
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