City Responds to Question of “How Much Development is Too Much Development?”
Decatur Metro | March 19, 2014In an article included in the March issue of the Decatur Focus, city staff recount how “History has shown us that development in Decatur comes in short bursts followed by lulls with little to no development.” The article goes on to detail the various spurts of commercial development over the last 50+ years, before addressing current development projects…
Now after a five-year quiet period, we find ourselves in another development cycle that has folks asking the age-old question referenced in the first sentence above. Yes, there are several projects coming on line over the next few years. Many of these projects were in progress before the great recession hit and are coming back to life as access to financing returns. The 315 West Ponce apartment development is currently underway. Other apartment developments have been approved behind the Fidelity building and on the Trinity Triangle parcel between Dairy Queen and Twain’s. Like the condominium developments in the previous decade, the apartment developments are responding to a big hole in our housing market. The majority of these developments will be one-bedroom with some two-bedroom units and efficiency units included in the mix. Only a very few three-bedroom units are planned in one of these buildings. The primary market for these apartments is young professionals in an age group and income bracket that is finding the road to homeownership much more difficult these days.It is interesting to point out that during the 1970s our city used a number of creative development options to provide different types of alternative housing in and around single-family neighborhoods. Townhouse developments along the eastern edge of Commerce Drive and in the area of Sycamore Drive provided a transition zone between single-family neighborhoods. Cutting-edge cluster home developments like Charter Square on W. Trinity Place and Wimberly Court off of Upland Road were successfully developed along with similar projects on Pinetree Drive and throughout other Decatur neighborhoods.For the first time, a type of home ownership other than traditional single-family was possible in our city. New neighborhood developments like Swanton Heights, Rosewalk and Sycamore Ridge continued this trend in the 1990s. Although each of these developments was initially met with public skepticism they continue to be populated with some of our most active and supportive residents just as we found with the mid-rise condominiums constructed. We expect the same experience with the apartment units that will soon join our housing mix. These new residents are attracted to the Decatur lifestyle and will bring a younger demographic to help balance our diversity.
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And they could bring an older demographic, downsizing while relocating to an active pedestrian-friendly community.
Or current residents (like us) who want to stay in this vibrant community but are no longer interested in a single family home with it’s maintenance costs and yard upkeep.
I really like this. So often, the tenor of these discussions is how new development projects will dilute our sense of community but, it seems to me, they actually have great potential to help maintain that community. The more our existing residents have options to stay here, despite their changing circumstances over time, the less fractured we’ll be in the long haul.
Thanks Scott. We looked around the beltline for
condos and lofts for a few months. Every time we did, we came home and said “but we love Decatur.” And taxes in the City of Atlanta are just as high and buy you nothing in return.
We found the exact opposite to be true. We downsized almost 2 years ago and were determined to stay in CoD.
However, we could not find a condo or townhouse that worked for us. We wanted to be w/in walking distance of downtown and the inventory was very low and the prices were very high — and sometime the quality seemed questionable. We saw a very small unit in the great 335 Building but the asking price was too high and the taxes were through the roof (over $6K if I remember correctly for about 1,100 sf).
We branched out and found a +/- 1,600 sf loft on the Beltline which cost less than the very small condos we had seen in CoD, and the taxes are about half of what they would have been in Decatur.
In addition to the Beltine, we are excited about Ponce City Market and the Krog Street market.
I am not trying to say one area is better than the other, both areas have lots to offer, but Decatur had (has?) very limited and expensive options if you want something other than a single-family home.
(PS — we do come back often for TDS : )
Thats good to know. We’ve been looking since December and weren’t able to find anything on the Beltline that meets our needs. You bought two years ago. Prices have gone up since because of desirability and because prices are on the rise in general so you made a good investment! Congrats. Since we love Decatur, I think we are going to stay put in our single family home for now. This article is about new growth in the condo market so I am hopeful there will be more inventory. Price is an issue though so we may stay put then as well. LOL
Well said (or written)!
I’m glad to hear that the City is interested in more growth, because we have more room to grow. There are underutilized plots of land across the street from Dairy Queen, as well as between Dairy Queen and Ice House. And then there’s the area around East Decatur Station, which could look very different (and it would benefit Winona Park and Avondale if that area was a walkable little town center like Oakhurst business district.) We have a chance to make ourselves a destination for this region; the great restaurant scene and the redevelopment of the square have made this an opportunity for our city. It would be nice to think about more public space, too.
Wasn’t a project with Marta approved for the parking lot on the College St. side approved?
Not at that stage yet, but it would seem likely since the City is set to partner with MARTA on its planning.
Avondale station? rezoning went to Planning on June 11, 2013
I commend much of the growth, but it must be made in balance with green space, especially downtown. We are due for a new green space downtown, the square is just not enough. A place we can walk dogs, eat lunch, and just chill. It can be very small. This is not a new concept, it is called green infrastructure and it complements growth nicely in that it enhances spending and quality of life. It turns out people like access to green space as much as a good latte. In the past these places existed without much intention, like the space in front of 315 W. Ponce or the space next to the Marriot, and or the space adjacent to the Marley. Given this growth cycle, it will talke some intention (actually purchasing land) to create for our future.
“Given this growth cycle, it will take some intention (actually purchasing land) to create for our future.”
No argument, but someone will have to step up with the $$ to purchase the land, which will not come cheap in the middle of an urban downtown.
I think this could fall under fund raising and the Downtown Development Authority.
Given the anticipated redevelopment expected on McDonough from Maple to the tracks (“anticipated” in the sense that that’s what’s enabled by the present zoning), where buildings are coming to the sidewalk’s edge, I’ve always thought the front lawn of the Marble House presented an awesome opportunity for a great, Savannah-esque pocket park. It’s just the right size, it’s got the beautiful house in the background, it would encourage better buildings on its left and right as architects took advantage of the view, and (perhaps most importantly from a civic art standpoint) it’s on axis with the front door of the high school.
If CSD’s renovations acknowledged this relationship and some organization managed to purchase the Marble House and commit it to this use in perpetuity, it could all add up to a really first rate civic space.
love this idea! If that front yard is available for sale and the City is amenable to owning and managing the space, then the purchase of this space could potentially be funded by the developer(s) who purchase the buildings on either side– some of the purchase price would indeed be recouped by higher sale prices for the adjacent buildings, and a nice tax write-off for the developer… Developer donated land has been done before- think Corley Commons in Lenox Place.
I like the way you think. We may need to convene on this at some point. Presumably over beer.
beer is good, more parks even better. Let me know when!
“We are due for a new green space downtown, the square is just not enough.”
Am I the only person who considers the cemetery to be “downtown”? It’s a pretty darn big greenspace where you can do all the things mentioned!
Mr. B. does NOT want alcohol in the cemetery!
I think the “just chill” part refers to smoking something rather than drinking it. But yeah, he probably wouldn’t want that either.
The cemetery is a wonderful place to walk or sit and eat a sandwich. The problem, if you want to call it that, is the crappy walk on Commerce to get there (probably better for people who come from the Church St. side).
I do, too and it’s only 5 blocks from the center of the square. Just focusing on outdoor space not attached to a specific business within 1/2 a mile of the square, Ebster Park is only 3 blocks from the center, while Adair Park, also 5 blocks from the center, also has an off-leash dog area. Plus, you have the Dancing Goats to Chai Pani, etc. corridor right there for consumables. There’s actually quite a bit of space already, but that doesn’t fit some people’s agenda…
@Scott: Are you talking about that pseudo Neo-Baroque building that looks like an event facility next to the guitar studio?
That’s the one. And don’t forget Scott Park, which is in the heart of downtown and has good shade, spots for lingering and a very nice community garden.
Very true. It’s an intriguing idea. As an aside, do you know the story behind that building, ie age, choice of architectural style, who owns it, etc? I figured it was a swanky private event space for a large company.
It’s Bruce “the peoples’ lawyer” Hagen’s office now. I could be wrong but I believe he owns it.
Here’s a quick little post we did back in 2010 on the Marble House. http://www.decaturmetro.com/2010/08/24/when-edwin-ansley-left-decatur/
That’s really interesting, thanks for the link!
Though I doubt Mr. Hagen would ever sell it for less than a king’s ransom, it’d be interesting to see the original front porch and tower rebuilt.