Piedmont Park condo towers spark density debate

[Martinman]

From the AJC

The developer of two proposed controversial condo towers next to Piedmont Park said Thursday that it is willing to downsize the buildings.

The offer received a cool response from one neighborhood leader, who said the only acceptable compromise would be to build nothing at this site, which is near 10th Street and Monroe Drive. The face-off is an early indication of the controversy to expect this autumn, when Beltline advocates intend to urge three local governments to create a way to buy land and build the planned 22-mile loop of green space and transit around intown neighborhoods

The towers at Piedmont Park have become a lightning rod for the density debate. Residents who liked the leafy idea of the Beltline became alarmed when the first project included two high-rise condo towers with prices expecting to start in the $300,000s and rise to over $1 million.

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/atla...02beltline.html

[ironchapman]

My question comes from the article.

What does the Board of Education have to do with this? Would the Beltline affect school districts or something?

Certainly an interesting debate over these towers. Just out of curiousity again, what would downsizing them do? They'd still be there, after all.

[Lady Celeste]

My question comes from the article.

What does the Board of Education have to do with this? Would the Beltline affect school districts or something?

Certainly an interesting debate over these towers. Just out of curiousity again, what would downsizing them do? They'd still be there, after all.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Board of Education has a role in this because it concerns taxes. If a special tax district is established then it could affect revenue coming in to the school system. There is a possibility that these projects could bring in more students with out paying a share of the tax burden. I however wonder how many people would move into such a development with children. While there would be some, I doubt their presence would over burden the school system.

To the towers specifically, I can understand that the people in neighboring areas would not want tall buildings around their single family homes. One has to wonder however, when you move into a central city area, isn't this to be expected eventually? I suppose they want them downsized because 1) tall buildings cast long shadows 2) it alters the feel of ones surroundings. If you know the area in question, multi-residential development falls off quickly and in most cases completely.

Along Monroe and in the Ansley Park area is mostly single residential development. To come out ones home and be immediately confronted with a 39 story building could be a bit dramatic. That being said however, people are moving back into the city and this area around Piedmont Park and the proposed Beltline would be prime. Especially for people with children because you children could play in the park and be ferried to private schools via the Beltline.

[Newnan]

I don't get it, whats the big deal?

[teshadoh]

^ It's in a single family neighborhood where the primary car outlets are 2 lane residential streets & highly congested Monroe Dr. Additionally, it is directly overlooking the meadow - which means it will likely cause a shadow over much of it in the morning hours.

But the primary concern of course is that it is argued as a Beltline oriented development that is being built a decade before the Beltline is even likely built. Also - the design is highly car oriented, it has zero street prescence making it simply like a gated development.

Density is not always great, it requires good density to make a good impact. Bad density is worse off than single family sprawl. Speaking of which - this could be considered high density sprawl being that it is not built in a activity center but in the middle of single family neighborhoods. Just b/c they neighborhood is stated as 'Midtown', doesn't mean it is in the center of Midtown, this is across the street from Virginia Highlands & Morningside.