Category Archives: zoning

Alpharetta City Council Meeting January 27 ,2014

Posted on by
Reply

There has been a great deal of public interest in the first zoning item listed on the agenda so I suggest you get there early if you plan to attend.

Alpharetta City Council

Public Hearing & City Council Meeting

Monday, January 27, 2014 7:30 PM

Location: Alpharetta City Hall – Council Chambers

I. CALL TO ORDER
II. ROLL CALL
III. PLEDGE TO THE FLAG
IV. CONSENT AGENDA A. Council Meeting Minutes (Meeting of 01/06/2014) B. Financial Management Report (Month Ending 12/31/2013) C. Alcohol License Applications
1. PH-14-AB-01  Annie’s Italian Kitchen Owner: Annie Scoles 3070 Windward Plaza – Suite X-1 Consumption: Liquor / Beer / Wine / Sunday Sales
2. PH-14-AB-02  Balance Restaurant Group, LLC d/b/a Kickshaw Grill Owner: Balance Restaurant Group 800 North Main Street – Suite 130 Consumption: Liquor / Beer / Wine / Sunday Sales
3. PH-14-AB-03  SK Empire, LLC d/b/a Kahn’s Food Mart Owner: SK Empire, LLC 3955 Old Milton Parkway Package Store: Beer / Wine
V. CITY CENTER     (Bob Regus / Mike Hall) A. Workshop And Project Update
VI. PUBLIC HEARING A. Community Development   (Richard McLeod / Kathi Cook)
1. MP-13-02 / CLUP-13-09 / V-13-22: Windward Pod 66 Consideration of a request to amend the Windward Masterplan in order to permit single family “for-sale” residential.  A request to change the Future Land Use Plan from “Corporate Campus Office” to “Medium Density Residential” is also requested and a variance from the required 50’ undisturbed buffer required between commercial/office uses and residential property. The property is located between Edison Drive and Webb Bridge Road and legally described as being located in Land Lots 1113, 1180, 1176, 1243, 1179, 1242 2nd District, 1st Section, Fulton County, Georgia
2. V-14-04: Top Golf Consideration of a height variance to allow 138’ poles at building grade elevation that are used to hold netting to trap golf balls. The property is located on Westside Parkway and legally described as being located in Land Lots 639, 654, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia
3. V-13-21: Peachtree Residential Consideration of a variance to reduce the minimum building setback from 20’ to 10’ for a townhome building located within Victoria Square. The property is located on Orchid Lane within Land Lot 1270, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia
4. V-14-03: Dania Drive Consideration of a variance request to remove the City’s required 75’ non-impervious buffer and 50’ undisturbed buffer in order to construct a home at 240 Dania Drive. The property is legally described as being located in Land Lot 1177, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia
VII. BUSINESS MEETING A. Administration     (Bob Regus / Sam Thomas) 1. Resolution: North Fulton Community Improvement District A resolution of the Alpharetta City Council consenting to the expansion of the North Fulton Community Improvement District
2. Resolution: Hotel / Motel Tax Rate A resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of Alpharetta pursuant to O.C.G.A. Section 48-13-51(b) to specify a new excise tax rate (hotel / motel tax); to identify the project for tourism development purposes; to specify the allocation of proceeds, and for other purposes
VIII. Reports

IX. ADJOURNMENT

Alpharetta City Council Meeting November 18, 2013

Posted on by
Reply

After a week off we will have a busy meeting next with a full public hearing agenda as well as our regular council meeting.

As you glance through the items you will see that Alpharetta’s recent housing boom is in full swing with three new applications for high density residential townhomes near downtown and a change requested from Office/Industrial to Medium density residential on Webb Bridge Road near GA 400.

If you have any questions or comments on the items listed below please let me know.

City of Alpharetta

Public Hearing and Council Meeting for November 18, 2013

City Hall Council Chambers

7:30 PM

I.              CALL TO ORDER

II.            ROLL CALL

III.           PLEDGE TO THE FLAG

IV.          PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS

  1. Will Gurley: Retirement From Planning Commission – 13 Years Of Service
  2.     Alpharetta Firefighters: FLAMES Program
    1. Captain Jeff Garreau
    2. Firefighter Nicholas Marlin
    3. Captain Greg Pickren
  3.     Recreation And Parks Department: GRPA Agency Of The Year
  4.     Community Development Department
  5.     Manchester At Mansell Apartments: Crime-Free Housing Program

V.            CONSENT AGENDA

  1.     Meeting Minutes
    1. Meeting of 11/04/2013

VI.          WORKSHOP

  1.     City Center Update

VII.         PUBLIC HEARING

  1.     Old Business
    1. Z-13-10 / CLUP-13-10: Wills Road at Rucker Road

NOTE: This item was Tabled on November 4, 2013

Consideration of a request to rezone approximately 8.65 acres from R-15 to R-8D (for-sale detached) in order to develop 28 single family homes.  A request to change the Comprehensive Land Use Plan from “Low Density Residential” to “Medium Density Residential” was also requested.  The property is located at the southwest corner of Wills Road and Rucker Road and legally described as being located in Land Lots 599, 646 1st District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

              B.       New Business

  1. Z-13-14: Olmsted Park Townhomes

Consideration of a request to rezone 2.39 acres from R-15 to R-10M HD (for-sale detached, Historic District) in order to develop 21 for-sale single family attached homes. The property is located at the northeast corner of Canton Street and Church Street and legally described as being located in Land Lot 1252, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

2.  PH-13-11: The Georgian (KM Homes)

Consideration of a request to change a previous condition of zoning in order to develop 54 attached for-sale homes attached with a common wall.  Approval of a previously approved site plan is also requested. The property is located at the northwest corner of School Drive and Canton Street and legally described as being located in Land Lot 1252 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

3.   MP-13-01 / CLUP-13-05 / Z-13-03: Preston Ridge / Greenstone Properties

Consideration of a request to change the Preston Ridge Master Plan by adding “for-sale” residential use (attached and detached)to Pod G. A request to rezone from O-I to CUP is requested as well as a change to the Future Land Use Plan from “Corporate Campus Office” to “High Density Residential”. The property is located at the northwest corner of Webb Bridge and Morris Road adjacent to Georgia 400. The property is legally described as being located in Land Lots 1259, 1262, 1263, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

4.   Z-13-08 / CLUP-13-07 / V-13-05: Vaughan Drive Townhomes

Consideration of a request to rezone approximately 4.45 acres from C-2 to R-8A in order to allow “for-sale” single family attached homes. A change to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan from “Professional Business Office” to “High Density Residential” is also requested. The property is located on Vaughan Drive and legally described as being located in Land Lots 1109, 1124, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia

VIII.        BUSINESS MEETING

  1. Administration
  2. Brand And Identity Development Services: RFP 14-102
  3. Employee Handbook Update
  4. Consideration Of Offer For Sale Of City-Owned Property
  5. City Center
    1. Recommendation: City Hall Furniture Vendor
    2. Consideration Of Street Names
  6.  Grants Administration
    1. 2013 Assistance To Firefighter Grant
    2. 2013 Land And Water Conservation Fund Grant
  7.  Recreation And Parks

A.  Purchase Of Truck

  1.   City Clerk
    1. Off-Site Records Storage Contract
  2.   Public Safety

Ordinance To Amend Sprinkler Code

NOTE: Second Reading

An Ordinance Amending City of Alpharetta  Ordinance 220  and, By Reference, Chapter 9, Section 9-12 of the Code of the City of Alpharetta, Georgia to Amend and Restate Sprinkler Requirements for Certain Modular Classrooms; to Provide for an Effective Date; to Repeal Conflicting Ordinances; and for Other Purposes

  1. Finance

A.   Adoption Of Amended And Restated 457 Plan

IX.          REPORTS

X.            ADJOURNMENT

Alpharetta City Council Meeting October 28,2013

Aside

Monday night the mayor and council will be touring the City Hall site to view the current progress and will hold a special workshop to discuss some architectural details before our regularly scheduled meeting. If you have any comments or questions please let me know.

City of Alpharetta

Special Called Council Workshop for October 28, 2013

City Center Construction Office

50 South Main Street

Alpharetta, GA 30009

6:00 PM – 7:15 PM

NOTE: While this is not an official meeting of the Alpharetta City Council,

all Council Members have been invited to attend.  This notice is provided

due to the possibility for a quorum of members being in attendance.

  1. Observations From Construction Site Tour
  2. Discussion Of Architectural Elements

A. Brick and Mortar

B. Council Chambers

  1. Adjournment

City of Alpharetta

Public Hearing and Council Meeting for October 28, 2013

City Hall Council Chambers

7:30 PM

  1. I.              CALL TO ORDER
  2. II.            ROLL CALL
  3. III.           PLEDGE TO THE FLAG
  4. IV.          CONSENT AGENDA
    1. A.    Meeting Minutes
      1. Special Called Meeting of 10/16/2013
    2. B.    Alcoholic Beverage License Applications
      1. PH-13-AB-25                 P.J.’s Food, Inc.

d/b/a Mama’s Kitchen

5950 North Point Parkway, Suite 100

Consumption on Premises

Beer and Wine – No Sunday Sales

  1. PH-13-AB-26                 Haiku in Alpharetta, Inc.

d/b/a Haiku Sushi and Steakhouse

5966 North Point Parkway

Consumption on Premises

Liquor, Beer and Wine – Sunday Sales

  1. V.            WORKSHOP
    1. A.    City Center Update
  2. VI.          PUBLIC HEARING
    1. A.    Community Development
      1. MP-13-05 / V-13-14: Parkway 400

Consideration of a request to amend the Parkway 400 Masterplan in order to increase Pod C density to 630,000 square feet of office space (currently permitted 265,737 square feet) with structured parking and one 10,000 square foot restaurant. Applicant also requests to add additional uses to the Master Plan. A variance to the required buffer adjacent to residential property is requested as well as a parking variance. The property includes 17.95 acres and is located at the south end of Amberpark Drive, and legally described as being located in Land Lot 804 1st District, 2nd  Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

  1. Z-13-10 / CLUP-13-10: Wills Road at Rucker Road

Consideration of a request to rezone approximately 8.65 acres from R-15 to R-8D (for-sale detached) in order to develop 28 single family homes.  A request to change the Comprehensive Land Use Plan from “Low Density Residential” to “Medium Density Residential” was also requested.  The property is located at the southwest corner of Wills Road and Rucker Road and legally described as being located in Land Lots 599, 646 1st District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

  1. PH-13-15: City of Alpharetta Capital Improvement Element

Consideration of adopting the Capital Improvement Element update.

  1. VII.         BUSINESS MEETING
    1. A.    Public Safety
      1. Consideration of Intergovernmental Agreement with Fulton County: Use of Emergency Radio System
  2. VIII.        REPORTS
  3. IX.          ADJOURNMENT TO EXECUTIVE SESSION

 

City of Alpharetta

Executive Session Agenda for October 28, 2013

City Hall Council Chambers

Immediately Following Council Meeting

  1. I.              REAL ESTATE
  2. II.            PENDING LITIGATION
  3. III.           ADJOURNMENT

Alpharetta City Council Agenda September 23, 2013

Posted on by
Reply

I apologize if this doesn’t view well. I know there is a great deal of interest in Monday night’s council agenda so I am trying to publish this post from my IPhone. If there are any changes necessary I will make them here as quickly as possible.

Alpharetta City Council Meeting
September 23, 2013 7:30 PM
Location: Alpharetta City Hall – Council Chambers

I. CALL TO ORDER

II. ROLL CALL

III. PLEDGE TO THE FLAG

IV. WORKSHOP
A. City Center Update – Bob Regus and Mike Hall
V. PUBLIC HEARING
A. Community Development – Richard McLeod & Kathi Cook
1. V-13-13 Jeff Aughey/Parkerwood Way
Consideration of a variance to the rear setback line for an outdoor fireplace and other structures. The property is located at 100 Parkerwood Way and legally described as being located in Land Lot 272, 1st District, 1st Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
2. MP-13-03/CU-13-08 North Point Commons Bowling Alley
Consideration of a request to amend the North Point Commons master plan in order to permit a bowling alley as a permitted use. The property is located on the south side of North Point Parkway between Haynes Bridge and Georgia Lane and legally described as being located in Land Lots 755, 796, 1st District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
3. PH-13-10 Islamic Center of North Fulton
Consideration of a request to amend previous conditions of zoning in order to permit the construction of a 7,900 square foot community hall and mosque. The property is located on the south side of Rucker Road and legally described as being located in Land Lot 1275, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
4. PH-13-09 Unified Development Code
Consideration of amendments to the Unified Development Code in order to amend addressing and bond requirements.
VI. BUSINESS MEETING
A. Grants Administration – Amanda Day
1. Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Letter of Interest (Tabled 9-16-13)
B. Economic Development – Peter Tokar
1. Opportunity Zone Contract – Joe Young
VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS

VIII. REPORTS

IX. ADJOURNMENT

MARTA recommends 4 heavy rail stations in Alpharetta

Posted on by
2

A few weeks ago I saw a post on Twitter from a local news reporter who wrote that MARTA was planning to recommend four heavy rail stations in Alpharetta. That was the first I had heard of such a plan so I immediately contacted Mayor Belle Isle and the rest of Alpharetta’s City Council to see if any of them were aware of the recommendation. Not a single one of us had even heard of MARTA’s intentions much less been consulted on the matter.

So on August 12, 2013 I attended a meeting of MARTA’s Planning and External Relations Committee in Atlanta. At that meeting MARTA’s staff did indeed recommend extending a heavy rail line more than 11 miles along GA 400 through Sandy Springs, Roswell and Alpharetta. This plan called for putting four train stations in Alpharetta including one each at Mansell Road, Northpoint Mall, Old Milton Parkway and one on Windward Parkway which would serve as the end of line regional station.

This is not the first time a MARTA train station has been proposed for Alpharetta nor will it be the last. Traffic is consistently the number one complaint of Alpharetta residents and since we all pay a 1% sales tax to support MARTA it would be nice if we could find some way to get a better return on that money. So I welcome an open and honest discussion of how MARTA can better serve Alpharetta.

Unfortunately MARTA’s Connect 400 initiative has been woefully inadequate in seeking input from actual residents of Alpharetta. The recommendation was based solely on 30 interviews with unidentified “stakeholders” and an online survey consisting of 136 responses to an email that went out to unidentified business interests, local officials and interest groups last December.

Clearly MARTA’s staff made no effort to include Alpharetta’s mayor or city council and in fact I have yet to determine if even one Alpharetta resident was sampled in the research. And as you might expect from such a small, statistically insignificant sample the recommendation is the least practical and most unlikely to be implemented even under the best of circumstances. In an effort to raise awareness of this process I am submitting for your review the presentation which was given at  MARTA’s August 12th meeting. Please click this link to review the full 12 page Powerpoint presentation: GA 400 Briefing Presentation

Transportation is a crucial issue for us all and this process could affect the future of Alpharetta forever so I ask you to please take a moment to review the information and let me know your thoughts on this matter. MARTA is also planning to host an informational meeting about this recommendation on September 26th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Alpharetta City Hall. It is imperative that the people most affected by this process speak up before a final determination is made. Please make the time to join us at that meeting.

The Avalon project in Alpharetta moves forward

Posted on by
Reply

Below is a statement released yesterday by the City of Alpharetta. It is a call for public input on the zoning application submitted for a new development to replace the rotting parking garage currently sitting at the doorstep of our city on Old Milton Parkway.

I encourage all of you to participate in this process. It will have an enormous impact on our community, our quality of life and our property values for years to come.

We Want To Hear From You

North American Properties, the new owner of the 80-acre site at the northwest corner of GA-400 and Old Milton Parkway that was formerly known as Prospect Park, has submitted to the City ofAlpharetta their proposed plan for developing the site. As envisioned by the owner, the project, now named “Avalon”, would be a development consisting of retail, office, hotel, and residential uses with additional outparcels set aside for future sale or development.

While the formal public hearings for the Avalon Proposal are tentatively scheduled to begin on March 1st when the proposal is presented to the Planning Commission, the City ofAlpharetta is seeking early feedback on the owner’s plans.

Please take a few moments to visit our Open City Hall online discussion about the new Avalon Proposal.  There you can view the proposed site plan for Avalon and the table comparing the uses proposed by North American Properties to those that were approved for the formerProspectPark.  Then, let us know your initial impressions, thoughts, concerns or suggestions. Your comments may be helpful to North American Properties as its plans are further refined and may also assist the Planning Commission and the City Council as they consider the proposal.

Also, please consider sharing this opportunity with your friends and neighbors.  We want to hear from all interested citizens.

Thank you for your participation.

James T. Drinkard
Assistant City Administrator, City of Alpharetta

The People of Alpharetta Deserve the Truth

Posted on by
1

On April 28, 2008 my opponent, Cheryl Oakes, voted to approve a high density mixed use project which will eventually be built at the corner of Windward Parkway and Northpoint Parkway in Alpharetta. I know this because the project called for seven high-rise condo towers to be built in my children’s school district and after months of trying to prevent its approval I was sitting in the audience when the vote was taken.

I mention this now because the Downtown Alpharetta Trade Association held a candidate forum last night and at the event I stated that my opponent for City Council Post 4 had voted to approve that project. Then something surreal happened.

My opponent stood up in front of a room full of Alpharetta voters and blatantly misstated the facts about her record.

Ms. Oakes told the people that she had not voted for the project at all. Ms. Oakes then went on to make the bizarre claim that it was actually her predecessor on council that had voted for the project before Cheryl took office in 2008.

I was stunned that a political candidate could stand up in front of a crowd and so blatantly misstate the facts.  The truth is a matter of public record.

Cheryl Oakes began her term on Alpharetta City Council on January 7, 2008 as reported here. The vote on the high density mixed use project was taken on April 28, 2008 as reported here. The public record shows that all city council members were present at the time and the vote was unanimous as you can see for yourself here.

Ms. Oakes’ predecessor was actually at the DATA forum as well and both she and a current mayoral candidate confirmed my account of the events.

There is no question that my opponent voted to add seven condominium towers to that corner of Windward Parkway. And now there is no question that she blatantly misstated the facts to the voters of Alpharetta.

I take no pleasure in pointing out what my opponent has done… but the people of Alpharetta deserve the truth.

And as a candidate for Alpharetta City Council Post 4 it is my duty to make sure they know the truth before voting on Tuesday, November 8.

The future of Alpharetta

Posted on by
Reply

Tonight the City of Alpharetta had planned to approve a new Comprehensive Land Use Plan that would forever change the complexion of our community. The plan was designed to serve as a blueprint for development in Alpharetta for the next twenty years and you can find the full report here on the city’s website. But late last week the city unexpectedly postponed the vote for the proposal and it will now be decided after the November election.

Why the change?

In recent years the people of Alpharetta have been busy trying to support their families in the middle of a devastating recession and very few have had the time or energy to follow the minutiae of local zoning issues. That is why I have worked so hard to help my fellow Alpharettans understand organizations like the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority and the Georgia Department of Transportation have been busy working with developers and Alpharetta’s Community Development Department to devise a new blueprint for our city. A blueprint which calls for thousands and thousands of high density housing units to be added within mixed use developments all along Northpoint Parkway, Haynes Bridge Road and Highway 9.

If that blueprint is approved in its current form the future of Alpharetta will be one of more traffic, lower quality of life and endless cycles of school redistricting forced on our children. To help you see what I am talking about I have illustrated the vast acreage which would be designated for high density and mixed use residential complexes in the new plan. You can click on the image to enlarge it:

Alpharetta would never be the same.

People who support the urbanization of Alpharetta have tried to minimize the effects of this drastic change but Alpharettans need only look at what happened to Sandy Springs when this kind of development occurred there. The schools suffered, the quality of life completely changed and the traffic is worse than ever before despite the addition of four MARTA stations.

Fortunately our current election season has brought a great deal of scrutiny upon the revised land use plan and as a result none of our elected officials seem anxious to vote for the proposal before facing the voters next month. Although our current mayor and city council have unanimously supported the development plan in the past, some of them may be having second thoughts. So the city has decided to postpone the decision until after the election

But let there be no misunderstanding. My opponent fully supports the plan to urbanize Alpharetta. In her four years on city council she has already approved two enormous high density mixed use projects which are stalled by the economy. And to quote her campaign website,”Cheryl pushed a new comprehensive land use plan…”.

The choice is clear. If you want our city’s future to be more high density developments with thousands and thousands of high-rise condos or apartments… you should vote for my opponent.

On the other hand if you want a city council representative whose vision of Alpharetta is one that will always be a special place to live… you should vote for Jim Gilvin on November 8th.

It really is that simple. Thank you for your support.

We Deserve Better

Posted on by
Reply

There are millions of honorable men and women who will never run for political office because they refuse to subject themselves and their families to the ugly world of politics. Our nation suffers as a result.

And if a candidate dares to take on the political establishment the attacks can become outrageous. It happened to Sarah Palin, it happened to South Carolina’s Governor Niki Haley and it is happening to me.

Within days of announcing my candidacy for Alpharetta City Council there were vicious lies about my positions on a local blog. You can read about those attacks here.

And the lies haven’t stopped. Last night at a campaign event a woman asked me about my position on Amana Academy. I explained that I have consistently fought to protect Windward’s master plan over the years and told her that I made my opposition to the school rezoning clear to Alpharetta City Councilmembers before I ever decided to run for political office.

I also mentioned to the woman that my political opponents had spread false rumors about my position on the issue. As I handed the woman a campaign sign for her yard she replied, “It’s funny you should say that because someone called me the other day and told me that Cheryl Oakes’ opponent supported Amana Academy.”

So let me set the record straight. I have spent more than a decade helping the people of Alpharetta fight to protect their schools, property values and quality of life. Before I decided to run for council I personally distributed hundreds of flyers on behalf of people opposed to the school relocation because I wanted my neighbors to know the legitimate, objective reasons it would be bad for our community. Any insinuation that I support the Amana Academy rezoning is a bald faced lie.

In fact, my opponent, Cheryl Oakes, is the candidate who opened the door for changes to the Windward master plan by voting to approve seven high rise condominium buildings one block from the Amana site in 2008. She supported that project over the objections of hundreds of nearby families and when it is built there will be more than 12,000 cars added to one of the most congested intersections in Alpharetta.

Those are the facts.

The tactics of deception are disappointing but not surprising. I fully expected people to lie and deceive in this campaign because they have done it in the past and will continue to do so as long as it keeps them in power.

The episode reminds me of the old saying, “In democracy you get the government you deserve”. In the context of Alpharetta politics I hope that isn’t true.

We deserve better.

High Density = High Traffic = High Pollution

Posted on by
2

Common sense tells us that cramming 500  condos onto twelve acres of land will create more traffic and pollution than putting 50 single family homes on the same parcel. But common sense isn’t always the prevailing wisdom so it is nice to see this article on the newgeography.com website.

For years, regional  transportation plans, public officials, and urban planners have been seeking to  densify urban areas, using strategies referred to as “smart growth” or “livability.”  They have claimed that densifying urban areas would lead to lower levels of air  pollution, principally because it is believed to reduce travel by car. In fact,  however, EPA data show that higher population densities are strongly associated with higher  levels of automobile travel and more intense air pollution emissions from cars  and other highway vehicles. In short, higher emissions cause people to breathe  more in air pollution, which can be unhealthful. (emphasis mine)

*********************

To put in the economic terms that appear so often in  planning literature on “urban sprawl,” more intense traffic  congestion and the consequent higher air pollution emissions are negative  externalities of smart growth and densification.

*********************

There are myriad difficulties  with smart growth and livability policies, not least their association with  higher housing prices, a higher cost of living, muted economic growth, and decreased  mobility and access to jobs in metropolitan areas. As the EPA data show, the  densification policies of smart growth and livability also make air pollution  worse for people at risk.

Alpharetta voters should take the time to read the entire article linked above because the new Comprehensive Land Use Plan being proposed by Alpharetta’s Community Development Department calls for more of the same high density developments which exacerbate the traffic issues we already face.