Newspaper Page Text
COMMENTARY
We have waited long enough for redevelopment to start on Roswell Road
To the editor:
I am writing to discuss redevelop
ment in south Sandy Springs, specifical
ly the proposed Gateway project.
Starting in the mid-1960s, numer
ous apartment complexes were pro
posed along Roswell Road - and the Ful
ton County Commissioners went ahead
and eagerly approved them. Then, back
in 2005, Sandy Springs finally became
a city, due to a group of citizens led by
Mayor Eva Galambos and City Council
man Tibby Dejulio.
Re: Roswell Road. As soon as the city
was formed, standards were established
to provide developers incentives where
by, if they could assemble properties in
excess of five acres, prevailing height and
other density standards could be relaxed.
Also height maximums were established
at various intersections ranging from
five stories all the way up to a no-height
limitation at 1-285.
And it was understood that for new
projects to be economically feasible,
their densities might have to be in
creased. In other words, if an old prop
erty of 200 units was replaced, the new
property’s break-even would perhaps be
300 units.
The city established a good redevel
opment plan, but then the real estate re
cession hit and it took un
til 2012 for the market to
come back to life. Gateway
would replace 438 existing
apartments with 700 (or
quite possibly less) upscale
apartments, along with
several restaurants, a cus
tom grocery store and some retail estab
lishments. This application will be re-pre-
sented to the Planning Commission on
June 20. Then the council will conduct a
final vote in July.
Gateway will provide - as its name
implies - an improved presentation
to people as they enter Sandy Springs
from Buckhead, and enhance our quali
ty of life. But the biggest benefit will be
a reduction in the number of students
at High Point Elementary, Ridgeview
Middle and Riverwood High schools.
High Point Elementary would be the
prime beneficiary - which would trig
ger higher home values, especially for
the older homes within a 2-mile radi
us of the school. These relationships can
be proven by looking at Sarah Smith El
ementary, directly south of High Point
Elementary. Also, people in rush-hour
traffic would no longer have to contend
with stopping to sit and watch the four-
plus school buses that block Roswell
Road every morning and afternoon.
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
E-mail letters to
editor@reporternewspapers.net
Gateway project should be a ‘no-go’
To the editor:
Does anyone see the disconnects in
recent stories in the Sandy Springs Re
porter?
The front page headline of the May
31 issue: “Roswell Road Getting Better,
Officials Say.”
Page 4 of the same issue: Georgia De
partment of Transportation spokesman
Mark McKinnon says, “The real prob
lem lies in the explosive grown that this
area has experienced.. .there are simply
too many cars for the roadway, and if
you look at Roswell Road, it is virtual
ly impossible to widen.”
Page 7 of the same issue: Commen
tary by Gordon Certain, president of
the North Buckhead Civic Association,
discussing how “Roswell Road’s bottle
neck at Wieuca and West Wieuca roads’
intersections are in the city of Atlanta,
which has no money to make any im
provements. Worse, the Gateway proj
ect is slated to increase Roswell Road
traffic by a staggering 24 percent.
The front page headline of the May
17 issue: “City’s downtown plans drain
budget.” “Plans for building a down
town from scratch and an expected de
cline in tax collections will mean fewer
sidewalks and parks for city residents.”
Page 7 of the same issue, commen
tary by Nancy Hamburger: “To make
traffic matters worse, the plan results in
the proposed realignment of Windsor
Parkway at Roswell Road into a possi
ble five-lane intersection at a cost of over
$4.4 million, benefitting the [Sandy
Springs Gateway project].. .the price tag
for Windsor Parkway would then have
to be picked up by taxpayer money.”
Putting all of this together — here’s
the coming train wreck:
1. Sandy Springs’ Gateway dramati
cally increases traffic on Roswell Road,
pushing additional traffic on the nearby
roads in Atlanta that can hardly accom
modate the traffic volume now;
2. Taxpayer money funds major
changes at Windsor Parkway;
3. The city of Sandy Springs spends
money on building the downtown, leav
ing less available for other projects.
So government officials and develop
ers, please answer these questions:
1. Why would we want to spend
money to increase traffic on Roswell
Road when common sense and the
GDOT both say, “There are simply too
many cars for the roadway?”
2. How can taxpayers cover the cost
of Windsor Parkway if significant fund
ing is going to downtown?
3. If other projects are delayed be
cause of the downtown funding, how
much longer will we need to wait to get
much-needed, immediate Roswell Road
improvement projects like synchronized
traffic signals or sidewalks?
Our city has some important deci
sions to make. Now is the time for res
idents to let their voices be heard by the
Sandy Springs City Council - before it is
too late to save the “patient.”
JeffLebow
Over the last nine
months, the applicant has
had numerous meetings
with citizens to discuss
density, parking, water is
sues, and effects on adja
cent property owners - and
I believe these concerns
will be substantially resolved. I would
also like to see the Rite Aid property in
cluded in the final design of this project.
Re: road improvements. The Wind
sor Parkway intersection at Roswell
Road will be re-aligned. The design,
costs and funding sources of these im
provements have not yet been finalized,
but preliminary plans have a cost esti
mate of $4 million-plus.
The city’s contribution would come
out of operating funds and reserves, but
no debt would be incurred. Also, until
this intersection is improved, it is likely
that no large redevelopments of any old
apartment complexes can occur on Ro
swell Road.
Re: traffic, the Windsor improve
ments will offset any traffic increases
brought about by Gateway. The peak
traffic loads will be improved with the
reduced number of school bus loadings.
The West Wieuca and Wieuca intersec
tions, which are in Atlanta, also will see
increased traffic. Atlanta will need to
add a turn lane on West Wieuca at Gate
way’s south entrance.
I hope the long-anticipated redevel
opment of Roswell Road finally starts
soon - along with the required road
improvements. We have waited long
enough.
Bill Gannon
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