Community Corner

Op-Ed: Beware Unintended Consequences of Redeveloping Sandy Springs

Jane Kelley, President of the Windsor Park Community Association in Sandy Springs wrote an Op-Ed concerning the large mixed-use development planned on Roswell Road at Windsor Parkway.

To the editor:

I am writing regarding redevelopment in Sandy Springs, specifically the Sandy Springs Gateway proposal, also known as JLB Partners Development.

In 2005 when Sandy Springs became a city, Eva Galambos and Tibby DeJulio sold us on cityhood for several compelling reasons. Fulton County was neglecting us and forcing unfair zoning decisions upon us.

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Our quality of life was being squandered. So we formed our own city, elected our own representatives and went about making years of needed improvements. And the City has been recognized for it.

Eight short years later, you can often tell where Sandy Springs city limits are due to the pavement alone. But our zoning decisions are looking more and more like Fulton County’s reign.

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Businesses too often trump tax-paying Residents. Increasing tax revenues trumpsprotecting our quality of life.

Here’s where the “Unintended Consequences” come in.

It’s too bad we can’t see the future, to foresee consequences of actions taken today, on matters a year or more ahead. Our elected representatives often wear blinders. Dangerous precedents are set based only on the PRESENT situation, not how they will impact our FUTURE. At nearly every zoning hearing, I hear attorneys cite previous decisions that created precedents they believe now condone their request. Examples: the Church of Scientology expansion with reduced parking, Lakeside (etc.)

The Gateway proposal would replace 436 apartments with 630 — PLUS add seven buildings (120,000 sft.) of commercial space. This density is WAY over our Comprehensive Land Use Plan and even required review by the ARC and GRTA. GRTA ruled our current infrastructure can’t handle this density, so conditioned their approval on several things, including relocating the intersection of Windsor Pkwy at Roswell north of its current location. And since JLB does not have enough required parking for their commercial space, they’re asking for a parking variance.

The Development’s Benefits are:

1) Replacing aging apartments with upscale ones.

2) Likely reducing crime in the area.

3) Reducing the number of students attending High Point schools.

4) Adding restaurants and shopping in walking distance of residences.

All of these benefit Sandy Springs residents, unless you live in an apartment slated for demolition.

The Development’s Unintended Consequences:

1) Adding 8,554 trips (weekdays) and 10,374 (Saturdays) to our already overloaded stretch of Roswell Rd, mainly due to the commercial space (based on GRTA/Foresite Study)

2) Setting dangerous precedents on Building Height, Density and Parking — which could allow other apartment complexes to: increase their numbers by 44.5% in 5-story towers, PLUS add major retail with inadequate parking.

3) Necessitating a multi-million dollar relocation of Windsor Pkwy at Roswell, which takes land from residents and severely impacts several existing businesses, and which cannot possibly allow an additional 8-10K cars without reduction in our traffic flow. (Cost is yet unknown and will not be estimated until the Development passes. Guesstimated at $5M+. Roswell Road is currently rated by GDOT as “failing” here.)

JLB has made several compromises with its residential neighbors, and we heartily thank them. But the “Unintended Consequences” of allowing precedents on Building Height, Density and Inadequate Parking will haunt us for years to come.

This Development is welcome — but at a lowered density that will not create gridlock, overflow parking onto residential streets, and ruin the quality of life we all moved here for. Note: this application gets a City Council vote on July 16. 

--Jane Kelley, President, Windsor Park Community Association


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