Tag: Beltline

Beltline’s Old Fourth Ward Park Now Open

Last week, urban communicator extraordinator, Thomas Wheatley, whispered to the world that the Old Fourth Ward Park along the Beltline had unofficially opened to the public.  (“Unofficially” means the fences were taken down, but there hasn’t been a “Grand Opening” ceremony yet).

And this past weekend one of our favorite local photogs, Josh D. Weiss visited the park and put up a few great shots on his website.

Not only is Old Fourth Ward Park already getting rave reviews from residents, but the storm-water retention pond at the park’s center also helps Atlanta meet the federal mandate to upgrade its aging sewer system.  According to Wheatley, additional green-space and an adjoining skate-park will soon complement the park.

Josh’s photo used with permission.

Beltline Blues

While many Atlanta residents and transit-ites celebrated the recent $5 million donation to build the Beltline’s northeast segment bike trail, Andisheh remained unimpressed.  For him, the donation was just another reminder of how far the project hasn’t come in 11 years. 

From Fresh Loaf…

Viewed within the bigger picture of Beltline history though, the [donation] announcement was a big let down. It’s dispiriting that the city has made so little progress with the Beltline project that a short bike trail is considered huge breakthrough.

A thumbnail history — the Beltline was conceived in 1999 as a comprehensive urban re-development project, including parks, mass transit and new private construction. Embraced by city residents as soon as they began hearing about it, it was promoted first by the City Council President, then by a powerful and popular mayor. She helped give it an organizational structure and (controversial) funding mechanism in 2005 and 2006.

That’s a lot of time. A lot of money. A lot of public discussion. A lot of political capital.

And for what? So far, just a couple of short trails.

 And then, just this morning, the news fates decided to throw the CL cynic an “I told you so” bone.  From the AJC’s Ariel Hart… Continue reading “Beltline Blues”

$5 Million Beltine Donation To Fund Piedmont Park to DeKalb Ave Bike Trail

From CL’s Thomas Wheatley…

And it’s legit: Beltline officials expect to begin construction this fall on a bike trail that would connect Piedmont Park to DeKalb Avenue.

Mayor Kasim Reed, city councilmembers and project officials this morning accepted two checks — each for $2.5 million — from Kaiser Permanente and the PATH Foundation on behalf of Sarah and Jim Kennedy at a scorching event along the Beltline’s northeast segment near the Masquerade. A project spokesman says the trail would open to walkers and cyclists next summer.

Nearly two years in the making, the trail project will connect the city’s most iconic greenspace and the Morningside, Ansley Park, Midtown, Poncey-Highland and Old Fourth Ward neighborhoods before ending at DeKalb Avenue.

Wheatley hopes the donations bring more attention to the Beltline project and perhaps even help secure more Federal funding in the future.

Map courtesy of Beltline.org

Decatur Metro Commenter Tapped As Beltline CEO

Eye-catching title, eh?

It was announced this morning that former VP of Atlantic Station, Brian Leary – who has commented here amidst my many semi-rational rants against the massive mixed-use in the past – has been hired as the Beltline’s new CEO.

According to his AS bio, Leary has spent more than a decade living and breathing Atlantic Station, and before that even wrote his master’s thesis on the redevelopment of the old brownfield site.

Leary’s new task, The Beltline, is a monumentally different challenge.

Instead of building a mini-city based on New Urbanist principles from the ground up, Leary will now be tasked with using those same principles to reconnect existing neighborhoods.

And while Atlantic Station had its fair share of hurdles (parking mandates, GDOT, etc) to work around to achieve its current mixed-use state, it will be nothing compared to the zoning, property and transportation challenges facing the much more intrusive Beltline.

Yes my friends, I’m talking about a planner’s greatest fear of all: the dreaded NIMBY.

Beltline Opposition Gives Decatur Resident Horrible Flashbacks

A Decatur resident nearly fainted this morning after reading portions of a Fresh Loaf post about neighborhood opposition to a Beltline plan that would add a crapload of density at the edge of Piedmont Park at the intersection of 10th and Monroe.

The individual, described as a 30 year-old male with a passing interest in planning & zoning, told website authorities that after having read two paragraphs in a “gripping post” by Creative Loafing reporter Thomas Wheatley, he started having violent, uncontrolled flashbacks.

The following is a sample of the article, and should only be read by those with no history of zoning-coma disorder.

“Allowing any development at 10th and Monroe, let alone an eight story building and four story buildings on land that is currently designated as single family residential, will constitute the worst form of bait and switch,” Jenifer Keenan, a Virginia-Highland resident, recently wrote in a letter to Beltline officials (and here in Fresh Loaf comments.) More than 120 homeowners have already signed a petition opposing the Beltline proposal.

Keenan, who was part of the grassroots effort to block Mason’s plan for two 38-story towers at the same corner, says the resident opposition isn’t about NIMBYism, but protecting Piedmont Park and the neighborhood from inappropriate development. She worries that dense development would mar the charm of the city’s most iconic greenspace. She also says that the city risks establishing a dangerous precedent if it decides to rezone property it owns. (Last year, the city purchased the unused railroad tracks and nearly 66 acres in the corridor from Mason.)

Asked to recount what he saw during these flashbacks, the man replied through tears, “All I can remember is first seeing a giant 60s style skyscraper and a large empty parking lot. Then I saw a large group of people yelling at each other about building heights,  parking variances, NIMBYism and something called “Livable Growth”.  Then everything changed and I was outside of a university, standing in the middle of a giant 5-way intersection.  The people here were very nicely dressed, but were obviously very angry about something and kept screaming about character and density.”

And while this one individual claims to have regained his composure for the time-being, it is unknown how many near-faintings caused by density-fighting flashbacks go unreported every single day.

What Will Georgia Do With Transit Money?

As the Federal stimulus package passed both houses of Congress last week, transit junkies seemed a little bipolar as they both whimpered and cheered.

They whimpered because mass transit funding ended up receiving only 1/3 of its original appropriation ($8.4 billion from $24 billion).  But then they waved those wet hankies high when they realized that in the final moments of wheeling and dealing, high-speed rail’s money quadrupled to $8 billion.

What will be done with the high-speed rail cash is still definitely yet-to-be-determined. All that we really know is that $8 billion doesn’t get you far when building new track for 100+ mph trains (the recently voter approved L.A. to SF high-speed route will cost upwards of $40 billion).  However, retrofitting existing freight tracks between Charlotte and Macon (with a stop in ATL) seems to be substantially cheaper – only $2.5 billion! And seriously, what’s a couple billion between friends?

But what I’m curious about this morning is what will our favorite Georgia politicians do with the $168 million in mass transit grants it will receive from the Fed?  The city of Atlanta has asked for $121 million to build two street car lines and $18 million for light rail along the Beltline Trail, while Athens, Macon and Hinesburg all want a smaller piece so they can pimp their bus services.

How will this money be distributed?  Let’s ask the GDOT!

Oh wait…didn’t I read something recently about Sonny & friends looking to take authority away from our lovably dysfunctional GDOT?  I wonder if that has anything to do the more than $1 billion the state will soon receive in infrastructure money.  Maybe if we can distract the rest of the state with visions of gold-plated bridges, Atlanta can claim most of that delicious transit money!

That is unless some smaller, and less annoyingly liberal town or city asks for it.  Then suddenly its all “Light-Rail Comes to LaGrange!”

Beltline gets $8 mil for North Ave Park

north-ave.png

Momentum for Atlanta’s Beltline project continues to build.

The almighty Robert W. Woodruff foundation has announced an $8 million gift towards the proposed North Avenue park along the Beltline. According to maps on the Beltline website, this particular park stretches from North Ave across the street from City Hall East thru Old Fourth Ward to Freedom Parkway.

According to the AJC, “The North Avenue Park, which will be located south of City Hall East along the Beltline, will be between 13 and 16 acres initially. Plans are for the park to expand to 35 acres. It will include a 4.7 acre water feature that will have ponds with fountains, wetlands and walkways.”