I saw this in the Decatur Focus over the weekend, but the AJC beat me to it…

Decatur residents are needed to serve on two volunteer boards in the city.

The Decatur Development Authority and the city’s Planning Commission both need members to help with their duties. Each commission meets once a month at Decatur City Hall.

For more information, visit www.decaturga.com and click on resident boards and commissions under the city government services. Residents should complete a statement of interest form and send it to the City Manager’s office at City Hall on North McDonough Street.

Judd writes in with confirmation from Superintendent Phyllis Edwards that someone from the city will be on hand to discuss the potential DeVry annexation at tomorrow’s Board of Ed meeting (6:30p @ Westchester).

Though there’s no agenda item, after taking a second look I noticed the DeVry annexation application is attached to the Superindentent’s note to the Board.

Judd wonders whether the city commission will ask the school board to voice its opinion on this annexation like it did with the large-scale effect last year.  He also notes there’s a Planning Commission meeting tomorrow at 7:30p where the DeVry land-use change and adoption of a regulating master site plan will also be considered.

Tonight, the Decatur Planning Commission will hear two zoning amendment proposals by the city that address many of the issues that have surrounded our development controversies for many years.

The first proposed amendment would create a new “Mixed Use” Zoning District that’s purpose is

“…to promote the redevelopment of existing single uses in the commercial areas into vibrant and sustainable mixed-use communities combining residential, retail and office uses; to promote diversity in housing and commercial options; to create walkable, pedestrian-scaled environments that accommodate and encourage multiple modes of transportation; to provide opportunities to add a variety of open space amenities; to provide a framework for shared infrastructure; and to improve the quality of life by providing live, work, and play opportunities based on regulating master site plans developed for a specific area.”

The amendment, in all its 10-page glory can be found here.

Its an all-encompassing amendment so its difficult to summarize without leaving something out, but essentially this new district puts into zoning law all the mixed-use efforts the city has urged – but never been able to require – until now.  To be clear, this amendment doesn’t create a specific district…though it can easily be assumed that it would be applied downtown in the near future.  UPDATE: I was wrong about a lot of this.  See Amanda’s comment after the jump.

The second amendment on the docket for tonight has to do with interim C-2/R-60 & R-85 transitional buffer requirements, shared parking and additional DDA review for residential development in commercial districts.

Under this proposed amendment, the transitional buffer between adjacent commercial and residential properties would be increased from 10 feet to 30 feet of yard and the height-limiting plane angle of the structure would be decreased from 60 to 45 degrees.

Additionally, this amendment gives the city commission the authority to approve shared parking and require all multi-use dwellings and townhouses to be reviewed by the Downtown Development Authority.

Its a lot to digest all at once, but I’m glad to see the city making good on its long-time promise to do something about the reoccurring C-2/R-60 issue.

View from Ponce Pl - Pic Courtesy of Livable Growth

Back at the end of November, DM reported the sizable reduction of units that the 315 developer made in response to citizen concerns about density and parking brought up at the October Otis White meeting.

Well, the developer made that reduction by eliminating the building that originally was to be squeezed in along Ponce between the existing office building and the street, while retaining the rear building that would be built within the existing parking lot, with a parking deck situated behind Fairview and courtyards along Montgomery (view above is along Ponce Place).  Livable Growth has the full plans here (pdf)

I tried to gauge reaction from the neighborhood about the reduction, but never heard word back.  Plus, with the variety of opinions, I guess just one voice wouldn’t have sufficed anyway.

Next step is for this new plan to go before the Planning Commission this Thursday at 7:30p.   If all goes according to schedule, they will make a recommendation to the city commission, which will vote yea or nay on the project next Monday (Dec 15th) at 7:30p, along with some other issue regarding annexation.

From LivableGrowth.org…

The developer, JLB Partners, has requested that their appearance before the Planning Commission be deferred until after the determination of the Zoning Board of Appeals with respect to their application for variance. This means that they will appear at the NEXT Planning Commission meeting in September. The calendar of events for 315 West Ponce has been updated and the letter requesting the deferral is posted in the development’s files section.

This means that the next CRITICAL meeting date for this project will be:

August 11, 7:30pm – Zoning Board of Appeals (City Hall, 509 North McDonough)