[ad_1]
The Brookhaven City Council approved a plan meant to guide future developments along Peachtree Road at an Aug. 9 meeting.
The council unanimously approved the City Centre Master Plan, which is part of the city’s 2034 Comprehensive Master Plan and is meant to create a framework for a possible downtown area as well as for development along Peachtree Road. The city held multiple public meetings about the plan in 2021, and the city’s Planning Commission recommended approval of the plan in April.
Before approving the plan, Councilmembers Madeleine Simmons and Linley Jones recommended a few amendments. Simmons’ recommendations included eliminating any mention of removing lanes on Peachtree Road, but leaving in the option of lane narrowing; adding language to say that any improvements to Brookhaven Park would be in line with the city’s park bond plan. Her recommendations also included striking any language about alternative City Hall locations, as the city has decided to build its new City Hall at the Brookhaven/Oglethorpe MARTA station; adding language that states that the city’s Peachtree Road LCI is the controlling document for recommendations in that corridor; and adding a crosswalk at Ashford Dunwoody Road.
During public comment, a resident mentioned concerns about language in the plan that alluded to possible development at Brookhaven Park. Jones offered a couple of additional amendments, recommending to remove any references to Brookhaven Park as a potential site for City Hall and any references to development or redevelopment in Brookhaven Park.
The City Centre Master Plan shows a group of linear green spaces and developments along Peachtree Road. The plan also includes pedestrian walkways across Peachtree Road, to make getting from one side of the city to the other easier. The plan also includes a public art plan, traffic studies of Peachtree Road, and recommendations for how the city can move forward with residential, office, and retail development.
“[The plan] is built upon the idea of can we put purposeful and meaningful greenspace throughout this corridor to both allow development to connect … but also be an armature to set up development sites and new connected streets and a grid system for development,” said Chris Mutter, a partner with the architectural firm HGOR, during a presentation of the plan.
The plan also includes what it calls “catalyst projects.” According to the report, the projects prioritize greenspace, connectivity, and pedestrian/cyclist circulation.
The first project would take place along Peachtree Road, adding a multi-use trail along the west side of the road. The study states that this would require a lane reduction for Peachtree Road, but Jones recommended an amendment that would strike any mention of removing lanes altogether from this catalyst project.
The second project would be a pedestrian bridge that would connect Town Brookhaven to neighborhoods to the east of Peachtree Road. There would be greenspace at each end of the pedestrian bridge.
“This park would eventually continue through the Apple Valley District …as a linear park immediately serving Ashford Park and future residential development in the Apple Valley corridor,” reads the report.
The third project would center around Brookhaven Park and include a pedestrian and cyclist bridge from Peachtree Road to proposed greenspace at Apple Valley.
The fourth project would include new greenspace in the Apple Valley District. According to the study, results “indicate that the north end of Apple Valley Road is best suited for residential use … Market research indicates Brookhaven would benefit from additional multifamily housing, and a large four acre greenspace here would give neighborhoods east of Peachtree Road direct access to more parkspace.”
The fifth project would be a revitalization of Fernwood Park to give the surrounding neighborhoods easier access to greenspace.
The last project is the completion of City Hall. This project mentions alternative locations for the City Hall, but Simmons’ recommendation to remove mentions of other locations was approved along with the plan.
The entire presentation can be viewed on the city’s Facebook page, and the plan is available on the city’s website.
[ad_2]
Source link
