Among the items on tonight’s Decatur City Commission agenda is approval of a North McDonough “scoping phase report” that the city must submit to the Atlanta Regional Commission in order to receive the Livable Cities Initiative grant for streetscape improvements along the thoroughfare.

In his letter to the commission, Deputy City Manager Hugh Saxon gives an overview of what the project is looking like after a couple community conversations…

The proposed concept receiving the most support includes reducing North McDonough to 2 vehicle lanes, widening sidewalks on both sides of the street, and a 2-way “cycle track” on the west side of the street, along with traditional streetscape improvements and on-street parking.

Have an indescribable love/hatred of any of these plans?  Mr. Saxon states there will be additional community meetings to refine this plan as the project moves forward.

North McDonough sure has come a long way in the past couple years.

Once one of Decatur’s least inviting streets, home to little more than front of the Decatur High School and the western facade of the Marble House, this major city corridor has new life in recent years with the addition of new businesses like Village Vets and Relics & Rarities and of course the High School’s new auditorium and stadium.

And now Decatur can finally put the icing on the cake.

Just last month, the city heard that it had received preliminary approval of a $1.77 million grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Livable Centers Initiative to make improvements to McDonough’s streetscape.

Assitant City Manager Lyn Menne notes…

We had applied several times in the past but hadn’t gotten the grant – for several reasons I think. They try to spread the funding around and we have several streetscape projects in the works. It also helps that we have funding in place for the intersection improvement at the railroad intersection at the south end and funding in place for streetscape improvements along Trinity at the northern end of this corridor and the high school construction is completed and should generate more pedestrian activity with the gym, performing arts center and stadium improvements. All the pieces were in place to complete this last bit of the network to the south side and Agnes Scott.

The city will have to match 20% of the cost – around $354,000 – which is available from the Capital Bond Project Fund.