Comments on: 315 W. Ponce Developer Requests Variances To Build Retail Along Ponce

By: Ralph

Ralph — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 02:37:20 +0000

I wonder how secure the 315 building is. What do the investors owe on it? What is their occupancy rate? Do they even have financing to complete new construction on the site? I would ask the same questions about their other Wachovia property in Decatur, the former Decatur Federal building.

Times are tough all over.

By: macarolina

macarolina — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:34:18 +0000

I walk, carpool and drive when going to Decatur restaurants. When I carpool and drive, I always find a spot to park- free or paid, but never in a neighborhood. I agree with your later posts on this thread that the city needs to enforce neighborhood parking in areas near commercial activity -ie preserved for people who live on those streets. Other cities do it without problem, and it is even a money maker for some (my college days in Berkeley can attest to that).

I think you are better served to get what you want – preservation of your street parking for residential use)-if you focus your lobbying on that, vs. trying to limit dense development with urban type parking allowances. Seems like a lot more people in Decatur would support residential parking restrictions than suburban parking requirements.

By: karass

karass — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:43:19 +0000

Thanks for the info about the Agnes Scott Alumnae House. I never knew about this!

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:32:04 +0000

Good points, DM. However, I am skeptical that the city commission will actually have the courage to update and improve the parking ordinance. It’s opening a can of worms and the NIMBY’S that live on the edges of downtown will come out in force to oppose anything that they percieve will add to the density of downtown.

The City Commission knows what they need to do without a strategic plan. It’s been almost 2 years since the 315 W. Ponce shared parking proposal and not one thing has been done to actually try to pass an ordinance. They just used the strategic plan to delay actually having to make any decisions.

Prove me wrong City Commission.

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:21:03 +0000

If the City Commission would get off its rear ends and pass a parking ordinance for our downtown that is based on the way it looks and operates now instead of the way it looked and operated in the 1960’s, then the ZBA wouldn’t have to make these decisions about parking ordinances. Right now the code requires sprawling strip centers, not the kind of development we want to see in Decatur.