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Politics & Government

Public Meeting for Perimeter Center Focuses on New Urbanism

Next 10 years may bring a new way of life where walking is a pleasure.

 A 10-year project for Perimeter Center will make the area a more pleasant place to live, work and play, according to a plan outlined, Tuesday, during a public meeting in the gymnasium at Hammond Park.

It’s “new urbanism” according to the Sizemore Group, a team of consultants hired by The Perimeter Center Improvement Districts. The concept is to create sustainable communities where people don’t have to heavily rely on vehicles.

“Perimeter has an incredibly strong market even in this economy,” said Sizemore’s Bill de St. Aubin.

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He crafted the plan to replace one that is about to expire. After approval by the PCIDs board of directors, a final version will be presented to the Atlanta Regional Commission for continued funding, for sidewalks and streetscape improvements.

The big picture view - which was long on vision and short on details - includes:

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  • Electric vehicles that will whisk riders to their destinations.
  • Dual paved paths, placed alongside roads – one for pedestrians and the other for bicycles and electric vehicles
  • New mini-streets and paths sectioned off from big developments and the Perimeter Mall parking lot.
  • MARTA stations surrounded by dense developments that combine homes, offices and shops making them inviting walkable communities highlighted with paved paths.

“How tall will the future buildings be and how many people do you imagine living in area,” asked Dunwoody Councilman Robert Wittenstein.

“That’s a good question and not easy to answer,” de St. Auban said. “What happens here is up to the discussion between landowners and municipalities. That’s when it gets to zoning and what is allowed.”

De St. Aubin continued, “The regulations as they exist now won’t accommodate demand for the area.”

Funding for the proposed plan has not been identified. De St. Aubin said it will likely come from multiple sources including the ARC; taxes collected from commercial property owners in Perimeter Center; and trade-offs with landowners seeking governmental approval for future construction.

Few homeowners and no Sandy Springs officials attended the meeting.

Wittenstein was joined by Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan; planning consultants, including Tim Preece, who works on Dunwoody’s transportation plan; and Andy Sumlin, a director with Barry Real Estate, which is a major office holder in the Perimeter market. 

During a January meeting at Dunwoody City Hall, the crowd was told a final plan would be presented at the Sandy Springs meeting. 

Instead, de St. Aubin delivered a narrative, as highlights of the plan played out in a slideshow. The PCIDs declined to release a copy of the presentation.

Reaction from the crowd was muted.

Jeff Turnage who lives in unincorporated Dekalb County wanted to know the extent to which the communities inside I-285 will be crushed by the ongoing development of Perimeter Center.

“I don’t have any strong objections to what they’re doing,” Turnage said. “But I don’t think they’ve looked at the impact on the residential area across 285. It really is a sore spot.”

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