SJ Collins development agreement with the Community

This image highlights the new development in context (Suburban Plaza redevelopment & former site of Scott Blvd. Baptist and adjacent plots being redeveloped by Fuqua Development). Image via SJ Collins.

SJ Collins (developer of the parcel at the corner of North Decatur Rd. and Church St.), working with the DeKalb Cross-Neighborhoods Council (DCNC), signed off on a zoning agreement and conditions based on the input of neighborhood representatives.

Some highlights:

• traffic enhancements such as thermoplastic pedestrian crossings throughout, a new traffic signal and an upgrade the timing system to coordinate new and existing lights
• $100,000 towards the installation of a traffic light with pedestrian crossing at the Church St. and Milscott Dr. intersection
• 10% of the units in the multi-family residential building will be priced as workforce housing (and reserved for residents demonstrating income at or below 80% of area median income)
• these agreements apply to any future owners of this property. That includes making good faith efforts with any future adjacent developments to maintain connectivity between the properties.
• 1 acre of open public space was negotiated
• utilities will be under ground
• bike racks will be available around the development, one near the grocery store
• a contact person will be available to address concerns during the construction phase; construction traffic will be routed away from residential streets

Click on the links to see the conditions attached to this development's approval:

• Zoning Agreement (pdf)
• Conditions (pdf)

UPDATE: SJ Collins has issued a press release and their website has links to

• a flyer with development details and  
• a site plan. 
• Atlanta Curbed has some additional images here.

Site Plan per SJ Collins's website

Bonus content: The DeKalb Neighborhood Newspaper reports on this development. (10/4/2016)

Lawrenceville townhomes, SJ Collins development approved

A very quick zoning update... At last night's meeting, the Board of Commissioners approved these two nearby projects. Click on the links to see all our content on these developments:

• SJ Collins development at the corner of Church St. and North Decatur Road
• Townhome development at Lawrenceville Hwy (between Orion and Hollywood Drives)

Community meeting -- North Decatur Rd./Church St. development [Sept 19]

The site, bound by Church St., N. Decatur Rd. and Milscott Dr.

Following feedback sessions with the community last July and August, SJ Collins will present final concepts of the development to take place at the corner of Church St. and North Decatur Rd. (former Naley dealership).

The 18-acre development will include restaurants, retail, greenspace and apartments. A "365 by Whole Foods" market anchors the development.

Community meeting -- North Decatur Rd./Church St. development [Aug 16]

The site, bound by Church St., N. Decatur Rd. and Milscott Dr.

Following a feedback session with the community last July, SJ Collins will present draft concepts of the development to take place at the corner of Church St. and North Decatur Rd. (former Naley dealership).

The 18-acre development will include restaurants, retail, greenspace and apartments. A "365 by Whole Foods" market anchors the development.

Medline LCI Study adopted by DeKalb County (with community feedback)

via Theresa Same, MANA Zoning Chair

Medline LCI study area as originally conceived (2013). Yellow asterisk
marks the Medlock/Scott Blvd./N. Decatur Rd intersection. Click to enlarge.

On July 19, 2016, the DeKalb County's Board of Commissioners adopted the Medline LCI study with amendments to address concerns voiced by the community.

Background
In 2013, Commissioners Rader and Gannon's Medline Livable Communities Initiative study was funded by the Atlanta Regional Commission. The purpose: to develop a vision to guide future development of the area. The study was conducted by the Sizemore Group and was presented to the Community in June 2014.

Concerns about the 2014 study
In July of 2014, the Medlock Area Neighborhood Association (MANA), Clairmont Heights Civic Association (CHCA) and Good Growth DeKalb (GGD) drafted a letter to Sycamore Consulting (Sizemore's outreach consultants) and the Dekalb County Board of Commissioners to inform them that while we were supportive of the process and results, that we had serious concerns about proposed zoning overlay as suggested on pages 102 and 103 of the report. The main concerns, as posted here, were:

1) Our residential areas require appropriate, generous setbacks and clearly defined medium density. The Medline Study “encouraged high density mixed use development in the center of the study area, with medium density residential at the periphery, as a transitional buffer into the surrounding single family neighborhood" (p 102) while the actual zoning overlay map page 103 shows high density in the majority of the study area, often with no medium density between it and R-75 properties. The proposal also fails to include any recommended setbacks from residential property. 

2) Clearly defined medium density is appropriate for the area; high density “up to 14 floor” developments are not healthy for established residential neighborhoods and set a worrisome precedent for homeowners within and beyond the Medline LCI. Since high density is defined as "15-30 units/acre allowing up to 14 floors" per the marked-up map below, this means, for example, that our neighbors on McCurdy could have 14 story buildings in their backyard and they would have no grounds on which to oppose it. This is also true for all the cul-de- sacs coming off the east side of Woodridge, some of Woodridge, Blackmon Drive, some of Medlock Road, Eastway, Sunstede (as the Woodshed and Melton's lots are also zoned for high density). This is also true of the streets in Springdale Heights, Decatur Heights and others.

Annotated Figure 4w from the Medline LCI created by Jim Smith [CHCA]. Red outlines mark single family residential properties adjoining high density; green areas denote single family residential properties up-zoned to medium density (up to 5 stories high); yellow denotes pockets of high density on small parcels on the west side of Lawrenceville Highway.  Click to enlarge.

At that time, we presented the map above to illustrate all the areas we identified as needing transitional buffers to ensure density stopping points and protect the integrity of our established single family neighborhoods. We felt strongly that supporting the redevelopment of the Medline could be done without jeopardizing our residential communities.

Adoption of the Amended Medline LCI Plan
With the support of the Medlock Area Neighborhood Association and the Dekalb Cross-Neighborhoods Council, the Board of Commissioners passed a resolution on July 19, 2016 to adopt the Medline Regional Activity Center LCI Study and to amend the Dekalb Comprehensive Plan with Supplemental Plan Section 5.7 (Supplemental Land Use and Zoning Recommendations).

Medline LCI amendment rationale

The Medline LCI, as officially adopted. Notice slight differences from the original plan seen in the preceding map.

The approved Supplemental Land Use and Zoning Recommendations override the land use and zoning recommendations in the original Medline LCI Study. The supplement was negotiated to address the concerns of the community about the lack of transitional buffers between high density and the adjacent single family neighborhoods (with R-75 zoning).

The Original Medline LCI study is available here [pdf, 144 pages].  

The Supplemental Land Use and Zoning Recommendations are available here [pdf, 32 pages]. This file includes an executive summary for Medline LCI as well as the resolution to adopt the study with amendments.

Highlights of amended zoning and density recommendations follow.

Page 5 outlines density limits for areas abutting established neighborhoods.

Page 6 spells out the details for redevelopment along the named residential districts.

A Suitable Compromise: 
After nearly 2 years of collaboration with Davis Fox (Policy and Projects Manager for Kathie Gannon County Commissioner for Super District 6) and Larry Washington, (Senior Planner, Long Range Planning Dekalb County Department of Planning & Sustainability) we were able agree on the approved supplemented map. We feel it adequately addresses our concerns - keeping the dense development concentrated at the core with transitional buffers to protect the adjacent neighborhoods.

The Medlock Plaza Area (including what is currently The Woodshed) was the most difficult area to reconcile. It may be noted that the height approved for the Medlock Plaza lot ranges from 3-5 stories. Though there are currently no plans to redevelop this corner, the County feels it would be appropriate for the frontage on N. Decatur Road to match that of the apartments across the street. The height would then have to transition to 3 stories and be compatible with the homes across the street on Sunstede Drive and Eastway Road.

The new code has a differential height plane that will have to be observed.

Page 4 illustrates the "step down" from higher density to single-family areas.

Additionally, the community would have an active role in redevelopment of this property through the rezoning process.This supplement will serve as a blueprint for development that will be allowed in our area - especially as it pertains to the maximum heights and density that will be permitted.

Community input on SJ Collins / Whole Foods 365 development [July 21]

The following e-mail is being sent on behalf of Julie Sellers:

Community Members, Thank you for attending the Community meeting regarding the North Decatur Square project which includes the 365 Whole Foods. In an effort to maximize the public use of the open space area at the project, the developer, SJ Collins retained the Sizemore Group to host and facilitate public engagement regarding the design of these spaces. We are hosting a design focused conversation and welcome your attendance on Thursday, July 21st 7:00-8:30 at North Decatur United Methodist Church. We hope you will be able to join us for this conversation and encourage others to attend. If at any time during our application process you have questions about the project or would like additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Community Meeting for Church Street / North Decatur Rd. development [June 13]

As mentioned in this post, the site at the old Naley car dealership (Corner of North Decatur Rd. and Church Street) is being redeveloped. The 18-acre development will include a Whole Foods 365, restaurants, retail, greenspace and apartments.

A pre-application community meeting is scheduled for June 13, 2016 at 7pm at the North Decatur United Methodist Church, 1523 Church Street, Decatur, GA, 30030.

Meeting notes: Blackmon/Scott Blvd. rezoning/SLUP proposal

The pink area highlights the proposed Residence Inn.
Single family homes and the Tuxworth Springs community are adjacent.
Single family homes are also in place across the street fro the
proposed site at the corner of Blackmon Dr. and Scott Blvd.

This is a brief recap of  a zoning pre-submittal meeting for the construction of a Residence Inn extended stay hotel on Blackmon Drive as was announced earlier. The meeting was led by Doug Dillard, representing Danny Patel (Decatur PSC LLC). The purpose of this meeting was to gauge community interest in the project.
The project would require rezoning and a SLUP, neither of which have been applied for at this time.

Around 130 neighbors attended the meeting which certainly was loud at times.

As noted in a handout distributed to the audience (see highlight above), the hotel would feature 134 units, including studio, "queen connector" and 2 bedroom units. The developer seeks to build a four to five-story facility.

Cards were distributed for the audience to write down questions but only a few were read and briefly answered. Mr. Dillard consistently offered the explanation that the corridor will be developed, that higher density is to be expected, and that the issue is whether this kind of use is acceptable to the community. That question was met with a loud NO from the audience.

There was no clarity at the end of the meeting as to whether the developer intends to submit a rezoning/SLUP proposal for this project.

Update: presentation handout (pdf). Note that some renditions are not accurate. For example, the new Blackmon Drive in Fuqua's Phase II development will align with Blackmon Drive in the Medlock neighborhood. Additionally, upon the completion of Fuqua's Phase II, Blackmon Drive (Medlock neighborhood side) will be right turn only onto Scott Blvd., with the exception of emergency vehicles, as was reported last July, 2015.

Update (6/6/16): MANA zoning chair T. Same received an email from the developer that they will not proceed with a rezoning application for this project at this time.

Rezoning/SLUP proposal for Blackmon/Scott Blvd [Community Meeting: June 1]

MANA has received a Rezoning and Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) notice pertaining to lots at the Blackmon Drive and Scott Blvd. intersection. This rezoning proposes a 5-story Marriott Hotel.

There are several concerns about this proposal. We urge our community to attend the meeting scheduled for June 1, 2016, 7pm, at the North Decatur Unived Methodist Church, 1523 Church Street.

Rezoning and SLUP proposal: properties highlighted in pink are located at  1602 Scott Blvd. and
2488, 2482, 2464, 2470 & 2476 Blackmon Drive. Medlock Rd, Blackmon Drive and Scott Blvd. highlighted in yellow.

Rezoning and SLUP notice

 

Community Meeting for Church Street / North Decatur Rd. development [date tba: late May]

Yellow dots *roughly* outline the site, which is bound by N. Decatur Rd., Church St. and Milscott Dr.
Map via Google; click to enlarge.

As most have heard by now, the site at the old Naley car dealership (Corner of North Decatur Rd. and Church Street) is being redeveloped. Whole Foods Market's interest in the site was announced last March, and this week we learned that the store will be in the new "365 by Whole Foods" format.

The 18-acre development will also include restaurants, retail, greenspace and apartments. The 365 website lists the store's adress as 1609 Church St. Business Insider summarizes what to expect from this new concept.

Both S.J. Collins Enterprises [the project's developer], and staff from Commissioner Barnes Sutton [the site is in District 4] have reached out to the DeKalb Cross-Neighborhoods Council. The Council wanted to update the community that a meeting is being scheduled for late May and details will be shared as soon as they become available.

Update: Some views and more detailed plans, such as the views below, are now available at the developer's website.

Whole Foods 365 lands on Church St.

from http://www.365bywfm.com/stores

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports that the Whole Foods announced for the North Decatur Road / Church Street intersection will be one of their new 365 stores. According to the Whole Foods website, the 365 concept is all about a "modern, streamlined design with innovative technology and a carefully curated product mix will offer an efficient and rewarding way to grocery shop.” Smaller than the full-size Whole Foods stores, 365 would offer "healthy, high-quality food at great prices." This is the first 365 store announced for Georgia.  365's press release for this location can be found here.

Update II: Business Insider outlines how 365 stores differ from typical Whole Foods stores.

Update III: Decide DeKalb Development Authority approved $1.8 million in tax incentives for this development. Over the 10 years of the agreement, the property is expected to generate "about $8.9 million in tax revenue for county and school system governments".

Update IV: The following renditions (left, below) have been made available via The Shopping Center Group, which will be in charge of this development.

Update V. The NY Times has an item on the 365 concept. And so does the LA Times.

Update VI (4/15/2018): Now officially dubbed North Decatur Square, the AJC lists additional tenants as follows:
Previously announced: Avalon Nail Spa, Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, Club Pilates, gusto!, Wood Fire Grill, Hollywood Feed, Regions Bank, Sage Dental and Takorea.
Newly announced: Big Peach Running Company, Bishops Barbershop, Deka Lash, Carriage Cleaners, Cold Stone Creamery, Comcast, Jason’s Deli, Oh Shi Poke, Tin Drum Asian Kitchen and Allstate.

A visit to the developer's website reveals an updated layout of the development.

Click to enlarge; from http://properties.theshoppingcentergroup.com/property/output/document/view/id:13761/?time=1521146108/

Update VII (4/26/2019): Per Decaturish, SJ Collins is trying to either sale this development for $55 million or start a financial partnership with another entity.

Sprouts announced for Decatur Crossing; Walmart opening on...

Per Atlanta's Tomorrow's News Today, and ongoing scuttlebutt!, Sprouts Farmer's Market is the "natural grocery store" at Fuqua's Phase II development on the site formerly occupied by the Scott Boulevard Baptist Church.

For information and schematics on Phase II of Fuqua's development, see http://www.medlockpark.org/2015/07/phase-ii-of-decatur-crossing.html. That post includes the composite map below that shows ongoing developments along North Decatur Road, Scott Blvd and Church Street. Sprouts is the larger structure that adjoins the public park/greenspace shown below.

from http://www.medlockpark.org/2015/07/phase-ii-of-decatur-crossing.html.

Meanwhile, the Walmart.com website predicts the store will open on November 11. We have not confirmed this information with Selig or Walmart. And the Internet is never wrong.

Fuqua "Phase II" proposal for Decatur Crossing [Mar 2]

The announcement below relates to "Phase II" of this Fuqua Development project.
Details about "Phase I" of this project area available here.
- - - - -
via the Cross-Neighborhoods Committee

click to enlarge.

Fuqua Development, LP (“Fuqua”) will be hosting a meeting on Monday, March 2, 2015 to preview the concept for “Phase II” of its development at the intersection of Scott Boulevard and North Decatur Road, shown on the attached rendering.   

As many of you know, Fuqua worked hand-in-hand with a Cross-Neighborhoods Committee on Phase I and has held preliminary meetings with the same Committee in an effort to ensure that Phase II is consistent with the communities’ vision for the area.  Features of Phase II will include:

· Community green space

· A continuation of the sidewalk and streetscape treatment proposed for Phase I

· A new north/south roadway between North Decatur Road and Scott Boulevard, with traffic signals proposed at each intersection

· An authentic mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented environment, with retail, restaurant, office and residential uses

We encourage you to come hear about this exciting project and provide the meeting details below:

Date:  Monday, March 2, 2015

Time:  7:00 p.m. to 8:00 pm

Place:  North Decatur United Methodist Church, 1523 Church Street, Decatur, Georgia  
30033

Dennis (Den) J. Webb, Jr. | 
Attorney at Law 
404-815-3620 phone 
404-685-6920 fax 
www.sgrlaw.com 
dwebb@sgrlaw.com 
Promenade, Suite 3100 
1230 Peachtree Street, N.E. 
Atlanta, Georgia 30309-3592

Feedback on the Medline LCI draft plan

Plan available here.

After careful review and discussion, MANA, CHCA and Good Growth DeKalb submitted this joint statement to the Medline LCI study group. To review all our posts on the Medline LCI, click here. For the Medline LCI website, click here.

---

July 7, 2014

Jen Price

Medline LCI Master Plan Comments

c/o Sycamore Consulting, Inc.

195 Arizona Avenue, Unit LW-4

Atlanta, GA 30307

Dear Ms. Price,

Many of us went to the presentation of the Medline plan a few weeks ago. It was great to see a long-term plan for our area – good work by all involved. Representatives from the Clairmont Heights Civic Association (CHCA), Medlock Area Neighborhood Association (MANA) and Good Growth DeKalb have reviewed the Medline LCI draft plan individually and met to discuss it. While we are very supportive of the process and the results, we have serious concerns about the proposed zoning overlay proposed on pages 102 and 103 of the report. We also have several questions about the transportation overlay. Theresa Same (Zoning Chair for MANA) has already contacted you about our desire to schedule a meeting to include the Medline LCI team as well as our Commissioners.

Our primary concerns are in the areas of Zoning and Transportation and are outlined below.

>> ZONING

Our residential areas require appropriate, generous setbacks and clearly defined medium density. Under zoning, while the report states that: "An overlay district is recommended for the Medline study area to encourage high density mixed use development in the center of the study area, with medium density residential development on the periphery, as a transitional buffer into the surrounding single family neighborhoods. (p 102)" the actual zoning overlay map on page 103 shows high density in the majority of the study area, often with no medium density between it and R-75 properties. The proposal also fails to include any recommended setbacks from residential property.

Clearly defined medium density is appropriate for the area; high density “up to 14 floor” developments are not healthy for established residential neighborhoods and set a worrisome precedent for homeowners within and beyond the Medline LCI. Since high density is defined as "15-30 units/acre allowing up to 14 floors" per the marked-up map below, this means, for example, that our neighbors on McCurdy could have 14 story buildings in their backyard and they would have no grounds on which to oppose it. This is also true for all the cul-de-sacs coming off the east side of Woodridge, some of Woodridge, Blackmon Drive, some of Medlock Road, Eastway, Sunstede (as the Woodshed and Melton's lots are also zoned for high density). This is also true of the streets in Springdale Heights, Decatur Heights and others.

We believe that all the areas mentioned above as well as the areas highlighted on the map below should have "medium density residential development as a transitional buffer into the surrounding single family neighborhoods." Medium density is not defined in your report, though scale on the map defines it as "medium density, 10 units/acre with maximum of 3 stories." Since medium density is often defined as up to 5 stories, we want the report to clearly define medium density as 3 stories, not 5 stories.

We would also like to see a line that specifically states that no existing single-family zoned parcels should be designated as medium or high density if there are two or more contiguous parcels.

For the affected areas in MANA and CHCA’s boundaries, we feel that the non-single-family study areas on the west side of Scott Blvd and on the north side of N. Decatur Road should be zoned "medium density." This seems like a natural progression of density levels - single family (R-75) inside the neighborhood, step to medium density non-residential on the edge of the neighborhood and high density on the other side of Scott Blvd toward the center of the study area.

Annotated Figure 4w from the Medline LCI created by Jim Smith [CHCA]. Red outlines mark single family residential properties adjoining high density; green areas denote single family residential properties up-zoned to medium density (up to 5 stories high); yellow denotes pockets of high density on small parcels on the west side of Lawrenceville Highway. [caption clarified for web post] 

Medline LCI recommendations, the zoning overlay plan and DeKalb Zoning Ordinance must be consistent with each other. This is an important piece of the puzzle to modify in the draft as the zoning overlay will be the quickest and most concrete change that will be made as a result of the LCI study. We anticipate that developers will maximize whatever zoning they are given, and therefore must take a strong stand today and require the overlay map to match the recommendations of the report. Additionally, as DeKalb is in the final stages of their rewrite of the DeKalb County Zoning Ordinance, we would like to see references to specific sections of the updated code if the plan is for the ordinance to be the basis for zoning details to be implemented under the overlay.

>> TRANSPORTATION

Balance transportation and quality of life: all roads cannot lead to Medlock

The Transportation Overlay is much harder to address since there are so many stakeholders. From what we understand, by comparing page 109 (conceptual Transportation Connectivity Map) and page 103 (short-term implementation map) there are 4 new roads + 2 existing roads from Scott Blvd into the neighborhood within the study area as well as two possible new signalized intersections.

1. Blackmon Road (existing)

2. New road between Blackmon and Tuxworth Springs - with a signal (?) (this connects to a new road across Scott Blvd and eventually to the new light going in at the main entrance at Suburban Plaza)

3. The existing road at Tuxworth Springs is continued to connect to Medlock (this is being called Milscott and would connect all the way to Dekalb Industrial)

4. New road between the old farmhouse on Scott Blvd and the old Royal dealership (comes out roughly on McCurdy) and connects to the existing cut-through street in front of the Wendy’s and across into Patel Plaza

5. Larry Lane (existing) appears to have the other signal as the proposal discusses making Church Street a "T intersection". On page 109 it looks like that intersection lines up with Larry Lane, but that would not make it a T.

6. New road between Vol Repairs and the power lines.

We don't know how realistic it is to make any of the new roads happen or what the timeline is but what concerns us about the plan is that all these roads lead to Medlock Road and then offer nowhere for the traffic to go. This plan simply relieves North Decatur Road traffic by engineering more cut-through traffic for MANA and CHCA and does not address the root of the problem. These transportation recommendations must looked at in the larger context of the Clifton Corridor: a systemic problem that cannot be addressed in a piecemeal fashion. 

Thank you for your hard work and for a great start on a new plan for our area. We look forward to working with you to generate a final document that all participants can be proud of and that will serve our communities through the many transitions that we can expect in the coming years.

Regards,

Board of Clairmont Heights Civic Association [chca.org]

Good Growth DeKalb [goodgrowthdekalb.org]

Board of Medlock Area Neighborhood Association [medlockpark.org]