Jonesboro Road Corridor Redevelopment Plan Update City of Atlanta September 7, 2006 Prepared for: The City of Atlanta Bureau of Planning Prepared by: Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh & Associates with Caram & Assoc., Grice & Assoc., and Marketek, Inc. Mayor Shirley Franklin, City of Atlanta Atlanta City Council Lisa Borders, Council President Carla Smith, District 1 Kwanza Hall, District 2 Ivory Lee Young Jr., District 3 Cleta Winslow, District 4 Natalyn Mosby Archibong, District 5 Anne Fauver, District 6 Howard Shook, District 7 Clair Muller, District 8 Felicia A. Moore, District 9 C.T. Martin, District 10 Jim Maddox, District 11 Joyce Sheperd, District 12 Ceasar C. Mitchell, Post 1 At-Large Mary Norwood, Post 2 At-Large H. Lamar Willis, Post 3 At-Large City of Atlanta Department of Planning and Community Development Steven Cover, Commissioner City of Atlanta Bureau of Planning Alice Wakefield,Director BufordJonesboro Town Road Center Corridor LCIRedevelopment Master Plan Plan Update “The greatest asset a city or Table of Contents neighborhood can Plan Summary have is something different from Section 1: Inventory and Analysis every other 1.1 Overview 1:2 place.” 1.2 Urban Design & Historic Resources 1:12 1.3 Transportation & Circulation 1:27 Jane Jacobs 1.4 Land Use & Zoning 1:45 1.5 Demographics & Markets 1:57 1.6 Economic Development 1:64 1.7 Public Facilities 1:68 1.8 Environment & Open Space 1:71 Section 2: Visioning 2.1 Public Process 2:2 2.2 Goals & Objectives 2:10 2.3 Vision 2:15 Section 3: Recommendations 3.1 Overview 3:1 3.2 Urban Design & Historic Resource Recommendations 3.4 3.3 Transportation Recommendations 3:10 3.4 Land Use & Zoning Recommendations 3:27 3.5 Housing & Economic Development Recommendations 3:42 3.6 Public Facilities Recommendations 3:45 3.7 Environment & Open Space Recommendations 3:47 Section 4: Implementation 4.1 Action Program 4:1 4.2 Land Use Plan and Zoning Changes 4:11 4.3 Employment and Population Analysis 4:15 4.4 Key Parcels 4:18 4.5 Local Economic Development Tools 4:33 Section 5: Appendix September 7, 2006 Draft Overview INTRODUCTION Overview The Jonesboro Road Redevelopment Plan Update represents the result of an intense planning process to facilitate positive change and thoughtful preservation of the Jonesboro Road corridor through the City of Atlanta in Fulton County. The plan includes recommendations that express the desires of residents, businesses, property owners, GDOT, the City of Atlanta, Fulton County and other stakeholders during the planning process, along with the consideration of future The Jonesboro Road corridor changes dra- projects that could further impact the development of the corridor. The matically from its northern end in historic plan is a visionary, yet achievable blueprint for change that balances South Atlanta to its southern end near the At- the Study Area’s historic nature and small town feel with land uses lanta City limits at Conley Road that face increasing development pressures. To this end, the study strives to strengthen the transportation and land use relationship by: • Improving traffic operations by focusing on more efficient and alternate means of travel. • Balancing the needs of the City of Atlanta and Jonesboro Road with their context and maintaining or improving their vehicular Levels of Service. • Balancing the citywide need to focus mixed-use development into corridors with potential impacts on neighborhoods. • Establishing a series of pedestrian-oriented mixed-use nodes that build on historic or existing nodes. The southern portion of the Jonesboro Road corridor, near I-285 The recommendations presented in this Redevelopment Plan will transform the Jonesboro Road corridor into a dynamic, walkable place with wide, tree-lined sidewalks that connect Downtown and surrounding neighborhoods; preserve historic structures; lay the groundwork for quality transit; allow for safe and smooth traffic flow; and orient buildings to favor the pedestrian. Higher intensity commercial and mixed-uses will be concentrated in nodes, while the areas between will provide a mix of housing options. This vision also extends to an extensive greenway network, where bicycle and pedestrian-supportive land uses enhance neighborhoods and reduce auto-dependence. Over time, the Jonesboro Road corridor has increasingly become a barrier that divides neighborhoods and people, encourages anti- urban land use patterns, and represents breaks in the city’s historic Historic homes line Jonesboro Road fabric. This Study offers a future in which these same avenues can JJONESBOROONESBORO ROADROAD RedevelopmentRedevelopment PlanPlan UpdateUpdate i Prepared For the City of Atlanta By Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh and Associates; Caram & Associates; Marketek, Inc.; Grice & Associates, Inc. and MetroGirl i:i September 7, 2006 Draft Overview become dynamic urban places that bring neighborhoods and people together, support a variety of transportation choices, and become places that the residents of Atlanta can truly be proud of. Redevelopment Plan Format To understand the extent of disinvestments, define a vision for these neighborhoods, and achieve a comprehensive redevelopment plan framework, this report is divided into six sections: Section 1: Inventory & Analysis This section provides an introduction to the Jonesboro Road corridor, including the location and history of the Study Area, a summary of previous planning efforts, and an overview of the Redevelopment program planning process. This section also provides a summary of existing conditions. Study Area components are divided into categories: Urban Design and Historic Resources, Transportation and Circulation, Land Use and Zoning, Demographics and Markets, Housing and Economic Development, Public Facilities, and Environment and Open Space. Within each category, the existing physical, social, and economic conditions in these neighborhoods are summarized. It also documents these conditions with the intention of quantifying “blighted” conditions. Section 2: Findings for Redevelopment This section includes a review of the planning process used during this Study, including public meetings, results of image preference surveys, and community-based study goals and objectives. Section 3: Recommendations This section includes the recommendations developed as part of the public involvement process, tempered with current best practices of transportation operations and planning, urban design, land use planning, and historic resource protection. It establishes a master plan for the neighborhoods and includes recommendations to achieve this master plan. Section 4: Implementation This section is a summary of the steps that the City of Atlanta and others must undertake to achieve the Plan recommendations. It JJONESBOROONESBORO ROADROAD RedevelopmentRedevelopment PlanPlan UpdateUpdate ii Prepared For the City of Atlanta By Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh and Associates; Caram & Associates; Marketek, Inc.; Grice & Associates, Inc. and MetroGirl i:ii September 7, 2006 Draft Overview includes future land use plan map changes, zoning changes, public and private projects, costs associated with these projects in an Action Matrix, key parcels for redevelopment and funding strategies. Section 5: Appendix The Appendix includes documentation of the public involvement process, the Access Management Plan, as well as detailed data from the market and transportation analyses performed during the planning process. JJONESBOROONESBORO ROADROAD RedevelopmentRedevelopment PlanPlan UpdateUpdate Prepared For the City of Atlanta By Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh and Associates; Caram & Associates; Marketek, Inc.; Grice & Associates, Inc. and MetroGirl i:iii JONESBORO ROAD Redevelopment Plan Update JONESBORO ROAD Redevelopment Plan Update Table of Contents Section 1: Inventory and Analysis 1.1 Overview 1:2 1.2 Urban Design & Historic Resources 1:12 1.3 Transportation & Circulation 1:27 1.4 LandUse & Zoning 1:45 1.5 Demographics & Markets 1:57 1.6 EconomicDevelopment 1:64 1.7 PublicFacilities 1:68 1.8 Environment & Open Space 1:71 September 7, 2006 Draft Section 1: Inventory & Analysis 1.1 OVERVIEW WHAT IS A This section provides an overview of the Jonesboro Road Redevelopment Plan Update and a summary of existing conditions in REDEVELOPMENT the StudyArea. Plan components are divided into functional categories PLAN? for the purpose of organization. In this section, background information is provided on the importance of each analysis, existing conditions Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) are described, and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats 36-44-2. associated with each are summarized for each category. “It is found and declared that eco- nomically and socially depressed Purpose of the Study areas exist within counties and municipalities of this state and Atlanta is perhaps best known for its Southern hospitality and charm, that these areas contribute to or cause unemployment, limit the housed within its historic intown neighborhoods. Unfortunately, tax resources of counties and over the years, many of these once-thriving neighborhoods have municipalities while creating a experienced disinvestment and decline. As a result, unfavorable greater demand for governmental conditions have increased to the point where there is a serious threat services and, in general, have a deleterious effect upon the public to the viability of these neighborhoods to develop in a sustainable health, safety, morals, and wel- manner. The City of Atlanta has undertaken efforts to identify 14 fare.” separate areas