February 21, 2018 - City of Alpharetta
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Februar y 21, 2018
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
C I TY C OU NC I L CORE TEAM PLANNING AND
David Belle Isle, Mayor A nn a le e E dw a rd s | We s t s i d e C o m m o n s
Homeowners Association (HOA)
DESIGN TEAM
Donald Mitchell, Post 1, Mayor pro tem K I M L E Y - H O R N A N D A S S O C I AT E S
Ben Burnett, Post 2 Adam Schwegman, Steven Silverstein,
N i c k N i c o l o s i | G e n e r a l G ro w t h P r o pe r t i e s Eric Bosman, AICP
C h r i s O w en s , P o s t 3 Wi l l i a m Z e h H e r b i g , A I C P
S h e i l a W i l s o n | M a c y ’s N o r t h P o i n t M a l l
Jim Gilvin, Post 4 B e t h Tu c k e r
J a s o n B i n d e r, P o s t 5 D a n M e r k e l | C i t y C o un c i l , P o s t 6
A l li so n Ga ll ow a y
Dan Merkel, Post 6 M i k e K e nn e dy | C i t y C o un c i l , P o s t 2
M i k e K e n n e d y, P o s t 2 * Ry a n S a g e r | M A R TA B L E A K LY A D V I S O R Y G R O U P
*Term ende d Janu ar y 2018
F r e d K a y | Area resident K e n Bl e a k l y
G eof f Kos ki
K i m M a t h e r l y | D e s i g n Re v i e w Bo ar d
C I T Y O F A L P H A R E T TA S TA F F K i l e L e w i s | B o ar d o f Z o n i n g A p p e a ls
K a t h i C o o k, C o mm u n it y D e v e l o pm e n t S P E C K A N D A S S O C I AT E S
G or d e n Ha g l e r | A c a d e m y P a rk H O A J e f f Sp e c k
Director
S t e v e U s r y | P l a n n i n g C o m m i s s i on
M i c h a e l Wo o d m a n , A I C P, S e n i o r P l a n n e r
E r i c G ra v e s , S e n i o r Tr a f f ic E n g i n e e r M o r g a n R o d g e r s | C i t y o f A l p ha r e t t a , R EV E L
D ir e c t o r o f Re c re a t i on a n d P a rk s
E l i c i a Ta y l o r, P l a n n i n g a n d Z o n i n g George Banks
C o o r di n a t o r Kristi Rooks
Ben Kern, GIS Specialist/Planner
CONTENTS INTR ODUCTION 4 CHAPTER 1 : PR EVIOUS P LANNING E FFORTS 6 CHAPTER 2: EXISTIN G CONDITIONS 16 CHAPTER 3: CONCEPT STRATEGY 36 CHAPTER 4: CONCEPT DE VELOPM ENT 52 CHAPTER 5 : IMP LEMEN TATION 86
I N T R OD U C T I ON
With t he opening o f the Nor th Point Mall in 1 993, th e s urrounding a rea, als o know n as N or th Point, b ec ame a regi onal destination.
Over the last decade, Nor th Point has ser ved a s the center for retail and dining in Nor th F ulton Coun ty, attracting thousands of
visitors ever y week. Recently, new c ompetitors have emerged and begun to capture the atten tion of con sumers by creatin g a shoppi ng
experience less ch aracterized by the autom obile and sprawling parking and more by experience, walkability, compac tness, and
p e d e s tr i a n - f ri e n d l in e ss .
Through an 8-month planning process, th is Livable Cent ers Initiati ve (LCI) Plan ser ves as a 10-Year u pdate to the original 2008
LCI study and s eeks to take an evalu ative loo k a t so me of the challenges facin g the N or th Point area. This repor t documents the
commu nity’s exploration of the Nort h Point area to char t its future through a part icipat ive plann ing proc es s focused o n walkabi lity
and q u a l ity d e v e lo p m e n t .
“ T h i s i s a n e x c i ti n g o p p o r t un i ty f or C i t y o f Al ph a r e t t a
r e s i d e n t s a n d p r o p e r t y - o w n e r s t o wo r k di r e c t ly w i t h o u r t e am
of national expert s to make the N orth Point Activity Center
m o r e i n vi t in g , w a l ka b l e , a n d l i v e l y.”
— K a t h i C o o k , C i ty o f A l p h a re t t a
C o m m un i t y D e v e l o p m e n t D i r e c t o r
Nor th Point Market Retail Cen ter Development
4
HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT
This repo r t is organized to res pond to th e pro ject goals and o utcomes that were identified at the study’s onse t. Chapter 1 details the
assessment and status of previou s planning effor ts. C hapter 2 analyzes existing conditions within th e s tudy area. Ch apter 3 desc ri bes
the public engagement and planning process. Chapter 4 explores relevant c ase studies that for mulated the strategy for the future of the
N or th Po int Activity C en ter and include s several des ign concepts fo r the N or th Po int area. Finall y, Chapter 5 o utlines the implementat ion
and action plan to realize the co mmunity’s visi on for th e fu ture.
CHAPTER O BJEC TIVES
1 4
ASSIST PROPERTY OW NERS IN UNDERSTANDING THE
AS SESS PREVIOUS PLA N SUCC ESSE S
SCALE, DESIGN , AND LOCATION OF DESIRE D FUTURE
AN D O BSTACL ES.
D EVE LOPMEN T.
2 UPDATE AND CLARIFY THE COM MUNITY’S VISION
FO R THE D IST RICT. 5 DEVE LOP STRATE GY AND POLIC Y ENHANCEMENTS TO
RE ALIZE TH E COM M UNIT Y ’S V ISIO N.
3
ID ENTIFY A ND C L ARI FY PUB LIC INV EST M EN TS
— PARTIC ULAR LY REL ATED T O WALKA BILITY,
PLA CEM AKIN G, AN D GR EEN SPAC E.
PROJ ECT SCHEDU LE
The N or th Point LCI plan ning pro cess included four phases of analys is and c ollaboration over an 8-month period. The first two phases
include d a review and as sessm en t of th e im pact o f previous planning effo rts and an analysis of existing market conditio ns. This wo rk
was followed by a co lla borative process th at inc lude d fo ur meet ings with a Core Team o f area leade rs, landowners, residents, and
business owners and three public meetings/workshops.
Existing Plan Plan
Existing Plan Plan Action
Action Plan
Market
Market Analysis
Analysis Development
A sse ss me nt
Assessment D e ve l o p m e n t Plan
JULY - AUGUST AUGUST - SEPTEMBER OCTOBER - NOVEMBER NOVEMBER - FEBRUARY
5
6
PREVIOUS PL ANNING EFFORTS
N O R T H P O I N T AR E A P L A N S
S U M M A RY O F A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S
7
PREVIOUS PLANNING EFFORTS
1 ASSESS PREVIOUS PLAN SUCCESSES
A N D O B S TA C L E S .
N O R T H P O I N T AR E A P L A N S
A thoro ug h review of prev iously published plannin g effor ts fo r the study area led to an understanding of area trends and refin em en t of
projec t outc omes and g oals to be achieve d through this Livable Ce nters Initiative update.
• N o r t h P o i n t A c t i v i t y C e n t e r L C I (2 0 0 8 )
• Alpharetta 2030 Comprehensive Plan (2011)
• C i t y o f A l p ha r e t t a R e n t a l H o u s i n g S t u d y ( 2 0 1 5 ; u pd a t e i n 2 0 1 6 )
• A l p h ar e t t a C o m p r e he n s i v e L a n d U s e P l a n U p d a t e ( 2 0 1 6 )
2008 LCI STUDY
The original No r th Point Livable Centers Initia tive M aster Plan, adopted by the City of Alph aretta in 2008, provided a framew ork for
the distric t’s future an d res ulted in num erous d is trict-w id e improv em ents , including lan dscaping alo ng GA 400 interchanges ;
corridor and in tersecti on im provements alo ng Mansell and Haynes Bridg e Roa ds; No rth Po int area desig n gui deli nes that improved
the character and quality o f new dev elo pment; and t he Enco re Parkway Corrido r project, wh ich was c ompleted in 201 7 in par tnership
with the Atlanta Regional Comm ission (ARC), Georgia Depar tment of Transpor tation (G DOT), th e S tate Road an d Tollway Auth ority
(SRTA ), and th e N o rt h Fult on C ommunity Improvement Distri ct (CID ).
8
1
2008 LCI STUDY
The 2008 LCI Plan also identified par tic ular assets and issues within the Nor th Point Activity C enter to highlight areas to capitalize
on existi ng strengths as well as potential opport unities for im pro vem ent.
ASS ETS
• P r o x i m it y o f G A 4 0 0
• Existing efficient road network
• Big Creek Greenway
• Q u a li t y i n fr as t ru c t u r e
• P o t e n t i a l o f d e v e l o pm e n t f o r v a c an t p r o p er t i e s
( 1 3 p e r c e n t o f s t ud y a r ea )
• Q u a li t y e x e c u t i v e h o u s i n g n ea r b y
• G o o d re p u ta t i o n
• S t r i p c o m m e r c i al o ut p a rc e l r e de v e l o p m e n t
potential
ISSUES
• L a c k s s e n s e o f pl a c e
• L a c k s i n te g r a t i o n o f r e t a i l a n d r e s i d e n t i al u s e s (p o o r
walkability)
• A t r i s k f o r f u t u r e d e c li n e o f re t a i l p r o p er t i e s
• Au to-dependent
• D o e s n o t r e l a t e w e l l t o g r e e n w a y o r o pe n s pa c e s The lack of inte gratio n of retail and office u ses with
residential us es is evident in this map fro m 2005,
sh owing the disparity betw een wh ere N or th Point
workers live and w here they work wit hin th e N or th
Point area.
9
PREVIOUS PLANNING EFFORTS
2008 LCI STUDY (CONTINUED)
CHARACTER AREAS
The Conceptual Land Use Framew ork Plan on the facing page was deve loped as a par t of the 2008 LCI Study to fun ction as a general
policy guide concer ning different types o f des ired dev elopment and characte r i n the N or th Point Activity Center. Instead of relying on
conventional zo ning and separate us es for different a reas , this plan recommende d th ree mi xed u se character areas. By incorporating
a character area appro ach rath er than zoning to shape the Nor th P oin t area’s future land use patterns, the 2008 LCI Study ai med to
encourage more walkable, integ rate d, high-quality deve lopment with a unique s ense of place. Rec ommended charac ter areas included:
• M i x e d U s e V i l l a g e Ce n t e r : a m i d- r i s e , w a l k a b l e , m i x e d u s e d i s t r i c t al o n g E n c o r e P a rk w a y f r o m N o r t h P oi n t P a r k w a y t o
We s t s i d e P a r kw a y
• M i x e d U s e Co m m e r c i a l C e nt e r s : t w o h i g h e r a c c e s s , m i x e d us e c o m m er c i a l c en t e r s at t h e i n t e r c h an g e s o f G A 4 0 0 a t M a n s e l l
R o ad a n d H a yn e s Br i d ge R oa d
• Tr a n s i ti o n al A r e a s: tw o t r a ns i t i o n al a r e a s b e t we e n t h e c o re o f t h e A c t i v i t y C e n t e r a n d s u rr o u n di n g a re a s
CITY AC TIONS
To realize the plan’s aspi ratio ns, th ree act ion s to be take n by the City of Alpharet ta were recomme nded. These act as implementation
tools to fos ter the three character areas outlined abo ve.
• U p d a t e t h e C i t y ’s La n d U s e P l a n : I n c o r p o r a t i n g t h e L C I p l a n a n d i t s l a n d u s e a n d t r an s p o r t a t i o n c o n c ep t s i n t o t h e C i t y ’s
f u t u r e l a nd u s e p l a n a n d c o m p r e h e n s i v e p la n
• A l te r n at iv e z o n i n g/ I nc e n ti v e Z o n in g C l as s i f i c a ti o n: In c e n t i ve s f o r v er t i c a l m i x ed u s e a n d fo r d ev e l op m e n t / r ed e v e lo pm e n t
t h a t i s c o n s i s t en t w i t h t h e de s i r ed c h a r a c t e r o f e ac h o f t h e t h re e c h a r a c t e r a r ea s
• C la r i fi c a ti o n o f t h e m u l t i- f am i l y h o u s i n g p o li c y : T h e a v ai l a bi l i t y o f h o us i n g i n t h e di s t r i c t b ei n g a k e y c o m p o n e nt o f
a c h i ev i n g a m i x e d u s e e nv i r o n m en t
DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
The study’s develo pment recommendati ons were grouped into the two following categories:
• Tr a n s p o r ta t i o n , a c c e s s , a n d c o n n e c t i v i t y: P r i or i t i ze t h e n e c es s a r y i n t e n s i t y o f d ev e l op m e n t t o r e d u c e c o n g e s t i o n o n
e x i s t i n g r o a dw a y s a n d r e d u c e v e h i c u l a r tr i p s t h r o u gh a n e m p h as i s o n w a l k a bi l i t y
• H i gh - q ua l i t y d e v e lo p m e n t a n d c r e a ti n g a s e n s e o f p la c e : I n t e g r at e d mi x e d u s e c e n t e r s th at a f f o r d c o n s u m e r s a d i ve r s e ,
l o w- m a i n t e n a n c e l i fe s t y l e t h a t i s c o n s is t en t w i t h t h e pl a n ’s ma r k e t r e s e a rc h f i n d i n g s
101
C o n c e pt u a l L a n d U s e F r a m e w o r k P l an s h o w i n g t h e
r e c o m m e n d e d t h r ee m i x e d u s e c h a ra c t er a r e a s
11PREVIOUS PLANNING EFFORTS
2015 CITY OF ALPHARETTA RENTAL HOUSING STUDY
PURPO SE
Conducted by B leakly A dvi sor y Group in 2015 (with an update in 20 16), this study examined histo rical and projected trends in the
demand for and s upply of rental housing in the City of Alpharetta. From 2 000 to 2 013 , the City’s populatio n grew from 3 4,854 to
59,533 residents, a 71 percent in crease. With Alpharetta’s populatio n evo lvi ng and housi ng demand changing, the purpos e of this
study was to determ ine the appro pri ate mix of renter- an d owner-oc cupi ed h ousing in the City.
EXISTING RENTAL HOUSING STOCK
Alpharetta’s rental housing stock according to the 2015 study consiste d of:
• S i n g le - fa m i l y d et a c h e d ( 1 7 p e rc e n t )
• To w n h o u s e s ( 7 p e r c e n t )
• S m a ll e r m ul ti fa m i l y a p ar tm en t s o f 2 t o 9 u n i ts ( 1 9 p e rc e n t)
• A p a r t m e n t c o m p le x e s o f 1 0 o r m o r e u n i t s ( 5 6 p e r c e n t )
Mu ch of this ho using stock was c ons truc ted fro m 1980 to 1 999. F or an apar tment, this is late in its life cycle if upgrades have not bee n
implemented to maintain i ts c ondition. Th e tables on the facing page go into g reat er det ail on cha racteristics of Alpharetta’s h ousing
st ock as of 20 13 .
RENTAL HOUSI NG POLICY
The study reco mmended updating t he way in w hich the City of Alphare tta classifies rent al versus ow ner housing , c onsistent with cen sus-
driven fi gures. Th is change was adopted as part of the City’s 2016 Compre hensive La nd Use Plan update. Since 2012, several new
rental develo pments inco rporated into m ixed us e deve lopments have been appro ved within the City. Thes e n ew dev elopments are
consistent with current housing polic y, wh ich requ ires new rental housin g to be a par t of mi xed use dev elo pments.
121
Ta b l e # 2 : C h a r ac t e ri s t i c s o f A l p h a r et t a ’s h ou s i n g
stock, 2013
Ta b l e # 1 : R e n t e r h o us e h o l d c h a r a c t e r i s ti c s i n A l p h a r e t t a ,
2013
Ta b l e # 3 : G ro w t h o f o w n e r a n d r e n t e r h o u s e h o l d s f r o m
2000-2013
13PREVIOUS PLANNING EFFORTS
Enco re Parkway Bridge, completed 2017
141
S U M M A RY O F A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S
Co nsiderin g the assets and is sues in the Nor t h Point Activity Center th at were recognize d in the 200 8 LCI P lan , t he action and
i m p l em e nt a t io n p l a n delineated speci fic inter vention s and impro vem en ts for the study area. Th e list below outli nes the status of
each active pro ject and offers an o ver view of initiatives from previous ef fo r ts.
2017 STATUS OF PROJECTS IDENTIFIED BY PREVIOUS PLANS
COMPLETED
• E n c o r e P a r kw a y B ri d g e
• A d d s i de w a l k s , b i c y c le l a n es , a n d s t r e e t s c a p i n g t o E n c o r e P a r k wa y t o B i g C r e e k G re e n w a y
• M a n s e l l a n d H a y n e s B r i d g e C o r ri d o r e n h a n c em e n t s
• I n te r c h a n g e l a nd s c a p i n g
• I n v e s t i g a t e c o - o p s h ut t le b e t w e e n N o r t h P o i n t, Wi n d wa r d, H i s t or i c D o w n t ow n , a n d M A RTA p a r k- a n d - ri d e l o ts
• C o n d uc t c o n su m e r r e s e a r c h s t u d y r e g a r d i n g p o t e n t i al re s i d en t i a l d e v e lo pm e n t i n N o r t h P o i n t A c ti v i t y C e n t er
• D e v e l o p a l t e r n at i v e / i n c en t i v e z o n i n g f o r N o r t h P o i n t A c ti v i t y C e n t er t h a t a c c o m m o d a t e s r e d e v e l o p m en t a n d e n c o u r a g e s
c o n n e c t i v i t y, o pe n s pa c e , a n d s t r u c t u r e d p a r k i n g
• U p d a t e t h e C o m p re h e n s i v e L a n d Us e P la n t o re f l e c t r e n t al h o u s i n g s t u d y p o l i c i e s
NOT YET STARTED
• C r ea te ne w r o a d wa y to pr o v i de a m a i n s t re et f o r d ev e lo p m e n t a c ti v i ti es e xt en d i n g f ro m E n c o r e P a r k wa y t o M a n s e ll R o a d a n d
f r o m G A 4 0 0 t o N o r t h P o i n t P ar k w a y
• U p gr a d e b u s s t o p s al o n g b u s ro u t e s
• C o n s t r u c t b i c y c le a n d pe d e s t ri a n f a c i li t i e s o n M a n s e ll R o a d f r o m B i g C r ee k t o M A RTA P a rk - a n d -R i d e L ot
• A d d bi c y c l e r ac k s a t s t r a t e g i c l o c a t i o n s
1516
EXISTING CO NDITIONS
COMMUNITY VISION
N O R T H P O I N T T O D AY
E X I S T I N G C O N D I T I O N S A N A LY S I S
M A R K E T P O T E N TI A L
17EXISTING CONDITIONS
2 UPDATE AND CLARIFY THE COMMUNITY’S
VISION FOR THE DISTRICT.
COMMUNITY VISION
In 2011 the City o f Alpharetta updat ed i ts Com preh ensive Lan d Use P lan (CLUP ), which fulfilled one of the actio nable items
the Ci ty was advised to pursue in the orig inal LCI. The 2016 CLUP prescribed a plan ning approa ch based o n character areas, with
the Mansell Corridor an d Old Milton Corridor desi gnated f or th e h ighest density and b uildin g intens ity. Thes e areas als o provide
the greates t oppor tuniti es to m aximize pe destrian and bicycle connecti vi ty and pub lic transpor tation ac cess. Decis ions on where to
concentrate new development led to the emergence o f Avalon and the inc rease d a ctivity in Alph aret ta’s downtown—both of which of fer a
quality retail experience in a walkable, ped es trian- friendly environment.
The plan also comm unicated Alpharetta’s desire to bec ome a “s igna tu re cit y.” This vision was art iculated as a balance betwee n
having a unique sense of place characterized by establish ed s ingle-family neighborhoods an d pro moting the City’s positi on as the
“Technology City of the S outh.” As a par t of this s tudy, it will be crucial for the No r th Po int area t o form its
ow n i d en tit y t a i lo r - f it to i ts u n iq u e o p p or t u n i t i e s a n d ch a ll e ng e s .
Ap p ea l i n g to a ll ag e s , d e ve lo pi n g ke y n o d e s , p r o te c t i ng th e c h a ra c te r o f s i n g l e- f am i l y n e i g h bo rh o o ds ,
e m p h a s i z i ng a r t a n d c u l t u re , a t t r a c t i n g t o p e c h e l o n c o m p a n i e s , a n d f o s t e r i n g a s t r o n g s e n s e o f
c o m m u n i ty w i t h g r ee n s pa c e , m u l t i m o d a l c o n n e ct i o n s , a n d s a f et y.
2 0 1 6 C L U P C o m m u n i t y Vi s i o n
182
N O R T H P O I N T T O D AY
The photographs below were taken in Fall 2017 at beginni ng of the LCI study as a way to catalog existing c onditions within the Nor th
Point area and do cum en t current land use pattern s, infrastruct ure, commun ity ameni ties, market c onditions, archite ctural styles, and
building ty pologi es .
B i g C re e k G r e e n w a y a c c es s s i g n a g e E n t r a n c e t o M a n s e l l C r o s s i n g s t ri p c e n t e r
N o r t h P o i n t V i l l a g e r e t a i l er s S h a d e d a r e a w i t h f i x e d f u r n i t u re w i t h i n N or th Point monumental sign
e x i s ti n g s t r i p - s t y l e r et a i l c e n t e r
19EXISTING CONDITIONS
N O R T H P O I N T T O D AY ( C O N T I N U E D )
N o r t h P o i n t M a r k e t C e n t er r e t a i l Z a g s t e r B i ke S h a r e S t a t i o n a l o n g B i g N or th Point Mall wayf inding s ignage
development C r e ek G r e e n wa y
E X I S T I N G C O N D I T I O N S A N A LY S I S
To better unde rs tand the exi sti ng characteristi cs o f the No rth Point area, it is useful to review inform atio n spati ally i n the format of a
s e ri e s o f m a p s . The following g raphics are in cluded in this s ec tio n:
• Recent Development Activity • Existing Zoning • E n v i ro n m e n t a l F e at u r e s • Road Classification
• S t u d y A r ea • E x i s t i n g L an d U s e • S u r f a c e P a r ki n g • Tr a n s i t R o u t e s
• R e c e n t P r o p e r t y O w n er s h i p • Future Land Use • Tr e e C a no py • Tr a i ls N e t w o r k
202
The D e v e l o p m e n t A c t i vi t y map below includes the Atlan ta Reg ional Commission’s Deve lopments of R eg ional Impact (DR I) as well
as projects proposed, app ro ved, o r under construction wi thin the district s ince 2 008 . Since the last LCI Update, a vast majo rity
of redevelo pment/development has occurred nor th wes t of GA 400. This i mbalance in in ves tment h as created a renewed focus on
walkability an d quality retail southeast of GA 40 0 as a par t of this LCI plan update.
21EXISTING CONDITIONS
LCI FOCUS AREA
The original 20 08 Activity C en ter LCI, outlined in pink in the map belo w, included both the area nor th and west of GA 400, as well as
south and east of G A 400. The vast majo ri ty of de velo pment and redeve lopment n or th and we st of GA 4 00 has been e ith er resi den tial or
enter tain ment, while dev elo pment south and east of GA 400 has been characterized by ret ail, mall, restauran t, and hotel developm en t.
This i m b a l a n ce , combined w ith a fo cus on w a lk ab i l i ty and q u a l it y r e t a i l, has gen erate d a renew ed focus for the 2017 LCI
U p d a t e to the area outlined in red in the picture below.
222
The following exi sti ng con ditions map s take a clos er lo ok at the 2017 LCI Foc us Are a.
PROP ERTY OW NERSHIP
The cur ren t owners hip patter n in th e N o rt h Poi nt area is o ne of the most challeng ing aspect s of plannin g fo r futu re investment and
redevelopment. The map below display s each individual parcel w ith the name of its res pective owner as of Se ptember 2017. S everal
large reta il cent ers , i ncluding M a n s el l C ro ss i n g and N o r t h Po i nt M a l l , are owned by several di fferent enti ties. This makes it ver y
difficult to reach conse nsus about po tential changes to a retail center a nd create cohesive development plans. Convers ely, the Nor th
Point M arket C enter shopping area across Nor th Point Parkway from the m all i s singularly owned by “CP Venture Two LLC ,” makin g it
much more viable in terms of the ability of the ownershi p to agree on the proper ty’s future direction.
23EXISTING CONDITIONS
EXISTING ZONING EXISTING LAND USE
E x i st i n g Z on i ng in the No rth Point area is largely comprised The Ex is ti ng La nd U s e map reinforces the area’s identity
of Plann ed S hopping Ce nter (PSC), O ffice I nsti tutio nal (OI), and as a s hoppin g des tin atio n and is dominated by the fo llowing
Light Indus trial (L I). This zo ning framew ork s omewhat unde rlines ca t eg orie s:
th e lack of housing and w a l k a b il i t y in the area, as well • R e t a i l s a l es a n d s e r v i c e s ( wi t h i n t h e s t u d y b o un d a r y )
as the focus on the automobile for transpo rtation. Graphica lly • P a rk s / R e c re a t i o n / O p e n S p a c e c o n c e n t r a t e d i n t h e s o u t h e r n
speakin g, these zoning categories are concentrated in the
p o r t io n o f t h e s t ud y ar e a m o s t o f w h i c h i s c o n s t i t u t e d b y t h e
followin g reg ions:
B i g C r e e k G r ee n w a y, w h i c h m a k e s u p
9 p e r c en t o f t h e t o t a l s t u d y a r e a
• C e n tr a l : P la n n e d S h o p p i n g C e n t er ( P S C )
• N o r t h e a s t a n d S o ut h : O f fi c e I n s t i t u t i o n a l ( O I ) O t h e r la n d u se s i n c lu d e :
• N o r t hw e s t : Li g h t I n d u s tri a l ( L I) • M e d i u m / h i g h d e n s i t y r e s i d e n t i al s c a t t er e d t h r o u g h o u t
• P e r i p h e r a l : O f f i c e P a r k ( O P ) , C o m m u n i ty U n i t P l an ( C U P ), • P r o f e s s i o n a l o f fi c e ( w i d es p r ea d no r t h w e s t o f t h e s t u d y
Var y i n g de n s i t i e s o f li m i t e d r e s i de n t i a l b o un d a r y )
• S p ec i a l u s e , w h i c h i n c lu d e s t h e Ve r i zo n W ir e l e s s
A m p h i t h e a t e r, a f i r e s t a t i o n , a n d a c e m e t e r y
242
FUTURE LAND USE
Future Lan d Use gives priority to mix ed use d evel opme nt on the north side of N or th Po int Parkway wh ile fo cus ing commercial
development on the south sid e. The CLUP (last updated i n 2016 ) also iden tifies exis ting h igh-density residential develo pment between
commercial uses and the Big C reek Greenway to the south.
25EXISTING CONDITIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES
Env iron men tal Fea tur es in the Nort h Poi nt area co nsis t of on e prim ar y water bod y, Big C reek , flo odplain areas , and vari ed
topography. Big C reek creat es an east- wes t spin e runnin g along and through the Big C reek Gre enway area. Floo dplain areas are
located along Big Creek, also concen trated in the so uth. A majority o f the study are a feat ures flat to pography, par ticularly alo ng No r th
Point P arkway an d in the mall area, while more inten se slopes form the s to rm wa ter re te ntio n s pac e east of the mall and re sidential
areas south of Mansell.
262
SURFACE PARKING TREE CANOPY
B e t w e en S ur face Parking lots and land dedicated to roa dways,
The N or th Po int area’s Tr ee C an opy covers 37 p e rce nt of the
the Nor th Poin t area has a large percentage of imper vi ous paved
land area withi n the study area. The Big Creek Greenway i s an
sur faces . Sur face parking alone accounts for more th an 30
ecological asset with an abunda nce of trees, a stark contrast to
per cent of the tot al land w ithin t he study are a, not includ ing
the lack of vegetation an d green i nfras tructure inco rpo rated into
roadways or building structures.
neighboring strip retail c en ter developm en t and the Nor th Poin t
Mall site.
27EXISTING CONDITIONS
ROAD CLASSIFICATION
The N or th Po int area fe atures a sufficient number of l a r g e a r t e ri a l r oa d s to e ffectively mo ve traffic, supplemented by a series of
l im i te d i n te ri o r st r e e t s a nd p ri v a t e dri v e s . Wi thin the study area, there are several R o a d C l a s si f i ca t i o ns: one maj or freeway
(GA 400) and four ar terial roads ( Nort h Point Parkway, Mans ell Road, and H aynes Bri dge Road), which are suppor ted by multiple
collec tors and local streets. Nor th Point Parkway ser ves as a prim ar y nort h-so uth spin e for the study area w hile Mansell, E ncore, an d
Haynes Bridge pro vi de c ri tical east-west connectivity.
282
TRANSIT ROUTES TRAILS NETWORK
Tr a n si t in the Nort h Poi nt area includes MA RTA loc al bus ro utes The N or th Po int area’s exist ing Tr a il s Ne tw or k is h eavily
and the S anctuar y Park Shuttle. concentrated on th e s outh side of the study area along Big C reek
G r e e n w a y.
MA R TA offers nine different bus routes in the study area, with
routes #164 and # 389 located along Nort h Poi nt Parkway. Mo st Recently built trai ls , including the Enc ore Br idge con nection
trans it s top s consist so lely o f s ignage and lack benches or bus and future trai l c onnections, such as the proposed A lpha Loop
shelters . t ra i l sh own in dashe d red lin es . Current gre enw ay acc es s
points are symbolized with green asterisks. Although there
The San ctuary Par k Shutt le is a c omplim en tary s er vice that are multiple access points with in the s tudy area, th e Big C reek
connects several o ffice buildings off o f Wests ide Parkway in Greenway is fairly hidden from Nor th Point Parkway and retai l
San ctuar y Park to th e K iss & Ride at the N or th S prings MA RTA developments, diminishing visible access ibility an d gen eral
Statio n. It operates during typical weekday peak co mmute tim es . acce s sibil it y to this am en ity.
29EXISTING CONDITIONS
M A R K E T P O T E N TI A L
EXISTING MARKET C ONDITIONS
To day there is approximately 3.5 mil lion squa r e fee t STUDY AREA SHARE OF ALPHA RETTA RETAIL
o f r e t a il s p a c e within the Nor th Point study area,
SPA CE
making up 3 7 percent of the City o f Alpharetta’s total 60%
retail s pace. Th is retail s pace wi thin the study area is
97.4 percent occupied, while the total retai l s pace in 50%
the City of Alphare tta is 96.3 percent occupied.
40%
Si nce 20 01 , t h e st u d y a re a ’s sh a r e o f re t a i l
s p a c e a s a p a r t o f t h e w h o l e c i t y ha s b e en 30%
d e c r ea s i n g—a trend th at is expected to continue with
20%
new store openings at Avalon , Do wntown Alpharetta,
and other new developments offering a unique
10%
shopping experienc e. Thi s decline is s ignific ant as it
will poten tially impact the occupancy rate for th e No rth
0%
Point area due to increased nearby competitio n.
The office market in the No r th Point area only makes up 6 pe rcent o f the City of Alpharetta’s to tal office space at 1.1 million square
feet . This pro por tio n increas ed from j us t un der 5 percent in 2 007, and has b een s table sin ce.
Mu ltifamily residential uni ts represent a small segment of the study a rea’s m arket, but h ave gro wn sinc e 2 000 with the to tal number of
units growing to 1,091 units. C urrently, 99.9 perc ent o f Nor th Poi nt’s 7 ,000 wo rker s liv e o utsi de of th e st ud y area and
commute into the area during the we ek. Therefore, th ere is demand for housin g options within the study area that w ill ena ble workers to
live closer to thei r j obs as well as attract new residents and employees to Alpharetta.
302
CATALYTIC ASSETS
The N or th Point area is well-po sition ed wit h a renewed focus on walkability an d quality retail to evo lve be yond t he context of what
has traditi onally been a automobile-oriente d corridor. La rgely domin ated by one-stor y retail centers and anchored by No r th Point
M a l l—whi c h f eatu r e s m o re t h a n 1. 3 mi llio n squa r e fe e t o f re ta il s pa ce —the area also has seve ral c ommunity amenities that
provide a strong s tar ting po int for enh ancements . The B ig C reek Gree nway on the south side of the study area should be explored
to promote walkability, placemaki ng, and green space. Si milarly, the overabun dance of surf ace parking located wit hin the study
area creates a unique oppor tunity fo r new development, offerin g num ero us prime re dev elo pmen t sites that are a lready cleared
and relatively flat if pro pert y assembly and demo liti on ris ks are minimi zed.
DEVELOPMENT TY PES
The supply of walkable places that mix housing, shopping, and office spac e within a compact comm unity are increasi ngly desirable
places to live and w ork. In areas outside of th e Atlanta core, the market has not been able to keep p ace with the growing deman d
for these communities. A s the N or th Point area evalu ates ways it could evolve in the f uture , transfo rming its automobi le-c en tric
land use patter n into a more w a lk ab l e f ra m e w o r k will be n ec essar y to c ompete wit h nearby places. As a part of this study
effo rt, Bleakly Advisor y Group completed a M arket Analysis of the N or th P oint are a, an d developed th e follow ing “ l ike ly ” and
“a ggr es sive” scena ri os of future demand potential over the next five years. These estimations, are not developm en t proj ec tions
or recommendat ions, but rather potential sho r t-ter m dem and un der current and similar market conditions that were u tilized as
a foundatio n for envisioning the area’s future and deve lo ping concepts based upon a market- appropriate m ix of uses. Future
development may deviate from these estimations dependin g on future market c onditions, the Ci ty’s intention s fo r development, and a
variety of other fac tors .
D e ve l o p m e n t Ty p e Likely S cenario A ggr essiv e Sc en ar io N o te s
Square Feet # of Units* Square Feet # of Units*
Residential - For R ent 357,000 35 7 45 4,0 00 454 Vert ically integ rated, mixed use, s tructure d parki ng
Residential - For S ale 274,000 18 3 29 5,0 00 19 7 Co nd os or to w nhom es
R eta il 53 ,60 0 n/a 68 ,77 5 n/a Gro cer y, pharm acy, local hardware
O ffice 29 7,1 80 n/a 36 3,1 82 n/a Unique bui ldi ng type, mixed u se, technolog y fo cuse d
Hotel 72 ,00 0 24 0 (R o oms ) 12 0,0 00 40 0 (R o oms ) Po te nti a l f o r bo ut iqu e o r fu ll-se r v ic e
*These unit counts only include estimations fo r res identi al pro pert ies with market-driven pricin g
31EXISTING CONDITIONS
DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL BY LAND USE
The projected demand quantities menti oned in the “likely” and “aggres sive” scenarios p ro vide a quantitative basis for an
appropriate mix of new develo pment that co uld o ccur i n the N or th P oint area over the next five years. Becau se these quantities
correspond to par tic ular types of n ew retai l, o ffic e, and resi dential dev elo pment, it is crucial to distinguis h and define these markets.
The followin g three secti ons pro vide qualitative description s and explore this aspect in greater detail.
RETAIL DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL
Demand Po tenti al: 5 0,000— 70,0 00 square feet
In res pons e to shifting consumer preferences, the most successful retail markets are remaining competitive by:
• R e s p o n d i n g t o t h e gr o w i n g d e m a n d f o r m e m o r a b le a n d au t h en t i c p la c e s
• F o s t e r i n g a t ru e s e n s e o f d e s i gn a n d a s en s e o f p la c e
• A tt r a c t i n g a b a la n c ed m i x o f n a t i o n a l b r a n ds a n d l o c a l b o ut i q u e s
Specific retail opport un ities reco mmended for the Nor th Poin t area include:
• Local grocer y s tores or markets
• P h a r m ac i e s ( no t f r e e - s ta n di n g , b u t i n c l u d e d o n t h e g r o un d f l o o r o f a m i x ed u s e b u i l d i n g)
• L o c a l h a r d w a r e s t o r e s / n i c h e s t o re w i t h n ei g h b o r h o o d go o d s
Local grocer y o n the ground floo r o f a Ta r g e t a n d A n t h r o p o lo g i e s t or e s a c ro s s T h e u n i q u e a t m o s p h e r e a t K r og S t r e e t M a rk e t
mixed use building at Emor y Point in fro m each other demonstrate a balan ce successfully combines boutique shops and
A t la n t a , G A o f re t a i l of f e r i n g s a t th e M o s a i c D i s t r i c t l o c a l re s t a u r a n t s i n At l a n t a , G A
d e v e l o p m e n t i n F a i r f a x , VA
322
OFFICE DEVELOPMENT P OTENTIA L
Demand Po tenti al: 3 00,000—37 5,000 squa re fee t
While the existi ng office uses in th e No rth Point area are c haracterized by stand-alone office buildings, current consum er
preferences indicate a desire for offic e spaces th at are more a par t of mixed use developments.
“Developers are transforming the
commercial office building model as
th ey refocus on their tenants’ need to
recruit a younger, more creati ve and
collaborative workforce. Its preferenc e
for buildings that map to its values puts
a premium on sustainabi li ty, welln es s,
loft- li ke s paces, and locations that are
active, transit-fri en dly, an d walkable.”
— Ge nsler’s The F uture of the Workplace O f f i c e w i t h i n a m i x e d u s e d e v e l o p m e n t F o r m e rl y To w n & C o u n ty M a l l , C i t y C e n t r e
at Santana Row in San Jose, C A f e a t u r e s o f f i c e w i th i n m i x ed u s e i n H o u st o n , T X
Of the potential office demand in the study area, appro ximately tw o-thirds will likely come from technology companies seeking to locate
in the City—A lpharetta is well- es tablis hed as a much so ugh t-after desti nation for techn olog y compan ies. Ac cording to City stati stics,
mo re t han 640 te ch companies curre ntly occupy office space within the city limits and mo re t han o ne-fo urth of metro Atlanta’s top
tech em plo yees call Alpharetta home . A redevelop ed N or th Poin t area, wi th a focus on walkab ility and green spa ce, will offer an
environme nt that 21 s t Cent ur y tech companies are in creasingly seekin g. Comp anies in the Inform atio n sector, as we ll as t he Profess ional,
Scientific, and Tec hnical Ser vices sec tor will drive offi ce dem and to the study area. These two se cto rs alone are expe cted to account for
more than 5,000 new em ploye es in Alpharetta o ver the next five years. Assumin g the study area can capture 1 5 percent of the office
space deman ded for these new tech employees , the Nor th Point area could attract more than 200,000 SF of new te ch-oriented office in
th e near-term.
33EXISTING CONDITIONS
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL
Consistent wi th th e C ity o f Alphare tta’s develo pment policy, residential multifam ily develop ment sh ould o nly occur as a par t of a
mixed use development. This new res idential should em phasize w alkability by bein g developed co ncurrently with green s pace,
multimodal pathway connections, and other pedestrian amenities, such as shade, furni ture, and lighting .
Demand Potenti al:
• F o r R e n t R e s i d e n t i a l: 3 5 0 t o 4 5 0 n e w The Landmark Mall
q u a li t y r e n t a l u n i t s o v e r t h e n e x t fi ve y e a r s Redevelop m ent
transforms a fo rmer
• F o r S a l e R e s i d e n t i a l: 1 7 5 t o 2 0 0 n e w
mall property
c o n d o s a n d / o r to w n h o m e s o ve r t h e ne x t into residential
five years within mixed use
development in
A l e x a n d r i a , VA
PRICIN G BY RESIDENTI AL TYPE
For rent residential developm en t in the form of on e- and two- bedro om units would be well-suit ed for t he area.
• N e w o n e - b e d r o o m u n i t s w o u l d a v e r a g e a p p r o xi m a t e l y $ 1 , 7 5 0 p e r m o n t h , o r $ 2 . 4 0 p e r s q u a r e f o o t
• N e w t w o - b e dr o o m u n i t s w o u l d a v e r a ge ap p r o x i m at e l y $ 2 , 5 0 0 pe r m o n t h , o r $ 2 .2 5 pe r s q u a r e f o o t
To wnhomes are an extreme ly viable f orm of for sale residential appro priate to the N or th Po int area in the near-term . There is also a
demand for condos.
• C o n d o p ri c i n g w o u ld li k e ly s t a r t a ro u n d $ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 / un i t a n d r a n g e u p t o mo re t h an $ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ( t h i s c o u l d f l u c t u a t e b a s ed o n
s i z e, o ri e n t a t i o n , v i ew s , a n d f i n i s h l e v e l— w i t h th e po t en t i a l t o c l i m b e v e n hi g h e r )
• To w n h o m e p r ic i n g w o u l d l i ke l y s t a r t a t $ 4 0 0 ,0 0 0 a n d r an g e t o e x c e e d $ 7 5 0 , 0 0 0 f o r p r e m i u m u n i t s ( f o r e x a m p l e , u n i t s lo c a t e d
a lo n gs i d e a t r ai l )
342
DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL FOR O THER MARKETS
Beyond the development pot en tial that has been discussed fo r retail, office, and residential in the N or th P oin t area, there als o is an
oppor tunity for including enter tainm en t us es in the overa ll s tudy area. The proj ec tio ns mention ed belo w are market estimates that
assume enter tainment will be incorporate d i nto mixed us e deve lopments and are relative to the other uses that will be planned for those
d e v el o p m e n ts .
ENTERTAINMENT DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL
If integ rated into a well-executed mixed use district, en tertainment uses in various form s have the potential to be successful des tin atio ns
and attracti ons in the N or th P oint are a. Th es e opti ons can help to add vibrancy and drive ret ail dem and. Alpharetta has proven t o
successfully suppor t enter tainment facili ties of var yi ng scales , par ticularly nort heast of the freew ay. The study area provides a logical
loc ation for additional enter tainment venues in the City. Leveraging enter tai nment to ach ieve an in teresting and unique mix of uses will
cer tain ly attract attention to the area, but o nly couple d wi th targeted c hanges that increase w alkabi lity and enhan ce the pede strian
e xp e r i enc e ov er al l .
“Enter tainment dis tric ts are being planned o r a re po pping
up all over the countr y. While they var y i n size, building
type , and t en ant m ix, t he co lle ct iv e int e nt o f de v elo pe rs and
m u n i ci p a li ti e s i s cl e a r : t o r e j u v en a te ex h a us t e d o r ne g l e c t ed
real estate, to generate much-needed tax revenues, an d to
bolster their ci ties’ li ve-work-play image as they compet e
fiercely wi th other metros for businesses and residents.”
— Building Des ign and Construction Netwo rk
3536
CONCEP T STRATEGY
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
37C O N C E P T S T R AT E G Y
3 IDENTIFY AND CLARIFY PUBLIC
INVESTMENTS — PARTICULARLY
RELATED TO WALKABILITY,
PLACEMAKING, AND GREEN SPACE.
Co nsis tent c ontact with a key grou p of stakehold ers and targeted ef fo r ts t o involve Nor th Po int c ommunity membe rs helped the planning
team develop a s t r a te g i c p l a n for the s tudy area. O ver t he course of the planning proc es s, three pu bli c worksh ops were held. Th e
first tw o public worksh ops provided the commun ity t he o ppor tunity to provide input on the challenges facing the area as w ell as t o
express their goals and vision for future development enhancements. Through t hese conversations, several recurring themes and priorities
emerged, including w a lk ab i l i ty, p l a ce m a ki n g , and g r ee n s p a ce. These th em es , in conjun ction w ith oth er plan analys is, helped
shape a cohesive strategy and framew ork for the future of th e Nor th Poin t area. The third public works hop enabled the public to review
the finalized plan concepts and to provide input on their priori ties for the plan ’s im plem en tation projects. The t hird publi c workshop’s
input is include d in Chapte r 5 , Implementatio n, through prio riti zed pro jects .
383
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
PUBLIC WORKSHOP #1
At a September 201 7 publi c meeting, c ommunity members were provided an over view of the existing conditions and previous plan
summaries a nd actions in Chapters 1 and 2 and invited to participa te in seve ral ac tivities design ed t o encourage in put an d spur
discussio n about walkability, qualit y ret ail developm en t, and green space.
NORTH POINT ATTRACTIONS
The pu bli c was asked to identi fy t heir top three reas ons fo r typically coming to t he No rth Point area to help t he planning t eam
understand h ow people use the area and wh at purpo se it ser ves within the community. Th is input was used during concept
development to ensure that the area would continue to be a re gi o n a l l y i m p or t a n t a n d su c c e ss f u l a ct i v it y c e nt e r.
R e s p o n s e s t o “ W h a t a r e y o u r t o p t h r e e r e a s o n s f o r c o m i n g t o t h e N o r t h P o i n t ar e a ? ” a t t h e
September 1 4, 2017 public workshop
39C O N C E P T S T R AT E G Y
PUBLIC WORKSHOP #1 (CONTINUED)
STUDY FOCUS: QUALITY R ETAIL
A key foc us of this LCI plan update is promoting quality ret ail in th e Nor th Point area. Shifti ng con sumer prefe ren ces have created a
need to adjust th e way retai l deve lopment is approac hed. The most su ccess ful retail markets h ave remained compe titive by:
• R e s p o n d i n g t o t h e gr o w i n g d e m a n d f o r m e m o r a b le a n d au t h en t i c p la c e s
• F o s t e r i n g a t ru e s e n s e o f d e s i gn a n d a s en s e o f p la c e
• A tt r a c t i n g a b a la n c ed m i x o f n a t i o n a l b r a n ds a n d l o c a l b o ut i q u e s
Reta il Prefe rences
C o m m u n i ty m e m b e r s w e r e a s k e d t o p r io ri ti z e fe a tu r e s o f d i ff e r e n t ty p e s o f r e ta i l d e v e lo p m e n ts a n d i n d ic a t e t h e i r p r e f e r en c e s. T h e t o p i m a ge s
inc lu de d e xample s f ro m Hillsbo ro Ce nt e r in Nas hv ille , TN (#1 ); The Gu lc h in N ashv ille , TN (# 2); and S antana R ow in S an Jos e , C A (# 3). A ll of
these deve lopments conti nue to incorporate the pedes trian c omponents touched on in the walkability exam ples belo w.
Hillsboro Center The G ulch Santana Row
STUDY FOCUS: WALKAB ILITY
Walkability is another key focus of this stud y. C urrent trends indi cate a growi ng preference for walkable places . Fos tering walkability
requi res a wi de ran ge of inter ventions:
• C o m p l e t e s t re e t s t h a t b a la n c e v e h i c u l a r l a n e a nd s i d e w a l k w i d t h s
• P a t h w a y s t h a t c o nn e c t k e y d e s t i n a t i o n s
• S h a d e a nd p e d e s t r ia n a m e n i ti e s
• U s e m i x an d v i s ua l l y i n t e r e s t i n g b u i ld i n g s
• M o b i li t y o p t i o n s / c ir c u l a t o r s t h at e x t en d t h e w a l k ( p a r k o n c e a n d w a l k e v e r y w h e re )
403
Wa l k a b il i t y V i s u a l P re f e r en c e s
Utilizing a variety of images that d epi ct var yi ng characteristi cs o f pedestrian infrastruct ure, commun ity members were asked to selec t
imag es that best captured the aspects of walkability they would like to see incorporated in the No rth Point area. The highest-rated
imag es are i ncluded below: Storrs Center in Mansfield, CT; Mariah ilfer Strasse shopping boulevard in Vien na, Austria; an d Technology
Square in Atlanta, GA.
S to r rs C en t er M a r i a h i lf e r S t r as s e Te c h n o l o g y S q u a r e
G e ne ra l T he o r y o f Wa l k a b i li t y
Nationally rec ogni zed w alkability ex per t and author Jeff Speck par ticipated i n the Sept em ber C ore Team mee ting and public wo rksho p
to discuss the walkab ility potential of the N or th P oint area. His “General Theor y of Walkability” i den tifies four con ditions ne eded
for a s uccessful w alking e nvironm ent:
US EFUL
1 Most aspects of daily life a re lo cated clo se at han d an d organized in a w ay t hat
walking ser ves them well.
SAFE
2 The street has been designed to give pede strians a fightin g chance agai nst bein g hit by
autom obiles; they mus t not only be safe but feel safe.
COMFORTABLE
3 Buildings and landscape shape u rba n streets into “outdoor living rooms,” in contrast
to w i d e -o pe n s p a c e s .
4
INTERESTING
Sidewalks are lined wit h uniq ue bu ildings with friendly fac es and sign s of hu manity
abound.
41C O N C E P T S T R AT E G Y
PUBLIC WORKSHOP #1 (CONTINUED)
I m a g e s fr o m t h e S e p t e m b e r 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 p u b l i c w o r k s h o p
423
OPPORTUNITIES EX ERCISE
The O ppor tuniti es Ac tivity at the Sept em ber public wo rks hop h elped co mmunity
members identify aspects of the N or th P oint area they would like to keep and
aspects th ey want ed to fix. Rede velopm en t prio ri ties were con centrated around
No r th Point Mall, Nor th Po int Marke t Center, and other simi lar re ta i l
ce nt ers . The B ig C reek Gree nw ay also was identified as an incredible
natural and recreatio nal resource, but lacking in accessibility an d visibility.
PLAN VIS ION
Taking into account feedback from t he workshop and Core Team meeting, the
projec t team s umma ri zed this i nfo rmat ion i nto a P lan Visio n, which i s outlin ed
below. These fo ur i deas ser ve as guiding principles for th e plan an d ser ved as a
launch-point for fu ture pu blic dis cus sio ns. O p p o r t u n i ti e s M a p B o a r d
• C R E AT E A “ PA R K O N C E WA L K E VE RY W H E R E” WA L K A B L E E N V I R O N M E N T f o r p e o p l e t o e n j o y a
n e t w o r k o f g r e e n s p a c e s p r o g r a m m e d w i th e v en t s a n d p u b l i c a r t .
• C R E AT E M U LT I M O D A L C O N N E C T I O N S PA R A L L EL T O N O R T H P O I N T PA R K WAY c l o s e r t o e x i s t i n g
r e t a i l c e n t er s , t r a v e r s i n g e x i s t i n g s u r f a c e p a r k in g a r ea s w h e r e p o s s i b l e , w h i l e m a i n t ai n i n g N o rt h Po in t
Pa r k w a y a s t h e a r e a ’ s m a j o r v e h i c u l a r a r t e r y.
• I N D U C E R E D E V E LO P M EN T O F L A R G E A R EA S O F S U R FA C E PA R K I N G t o s u p p o r t a g r i d o f n e w
str eets and pathway s lined by street-frontin g bui ldings and active ground level uses.
• I M P R O V E T H E A R EA’ S R E TA I L B A L A N C E t o o f f e r a m i x o f d e s t i n a t i o n s a n d q u a l i t y r e t a i l e r s ( a t a
v a r i e t y o f p r i c e p o i n t s ) t o c r e a t e a r e a s o n to v i s i t b o t h d a y a n d n i g h t .
43C O N C E P T S T R AT E G Y
PUBLIC WORKSHOP #2
FUTURE D EVELOPMENT EXERCISE
Based on the marke t analysis (pages 30-36), po tential future deman d over the next
five years was translated into a visualizat ion exerci se fac ilitated by t he planning team.
Par ticipants us ed c olored blo cks co rres ponding to retail, res identi al, o ffice, and hotel uses.
Through this exercis e, c omm unity members were able t o commun icate d e s i r ed l o c a t io n s ,
t y p e , a n d in te n s it y o f f u tu r e d e ve lo p m e n t as well as pote ntial g r e e n s p a ce s a n d
gree n c onnect io ns.
These pho tos summarize feedback from the
commu nity mem bers wh o par ticipated in the
Future Development exercise. Overall, the
commu nity express ed a n eed t o focus o n
conv er tin g excess s ur face p arking int o
mo derat ely d ens e n odes of residential
a n d o ff i ce d e v el o p m e n t.
C o m m u n i t y m e m b e r s p a r ti c i p at i n g i n th e F u t u r e D e v e l o p m e n t e x e r c i s e a t th e O c t o b e r
29, 2017 public workshop
443
Summar y of open space/green space feedback
STREET B UILDER EXER CISE
To understand the publ ic v ision fo r Nor th Point
P a rk wa y, the mo st p ro minent roadway in t he study
area, part icipan ts were provided an oppo rtun ity
to design their ideal cros s section for the corrido r.
A lt hough the re we re different interpre tati ons of what the
corridor co uld look like, overall par ticipants expressed
a d e s i r e f o r a w i d e r v a r ie t y o f t r a ns p o r t a t io n
o p t i o ns a n d m u lt i m o d a l a cce ss t o d e st i n a t i o ns
along the co rri dor, including pro tected bicycle an d
pedestrian pathways .
Street Builder activity
45C O N C E P T S T R AT E G Y
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Draw ing on informatio n fro m the Co re Team and public workshops and utilizi ng No r th Point area’s existing market potenti al and
projec ted demand as a basis, con ceptual framew orks were created to help organize public priorities. One framew ork, th e G r e e n S p a c e
Ne t wor k, was created to identify o ppor tunities regarding the lac k of access ibility to green spac e c oupled with a de sire to transfo rm
the area into a more walkable place. Two more framework diagrams delinea te O p p o r t u n i ty Ar e a s , that identi fy 1 st T ie r p ri or ity and
2 nd T ie r p ri or ity sites for reinvestm en t and redevelopment.
EXPANDING GREEN SPACE
Building fro m the B ig Creek Greenway, there is a significant oppo rtunity to develop a g reen s pace network that can distin gui sh
and enhance the district. Thi s inc lude s potenti al ecologi cal features along the N or th Po int corrido r, po cket parks, and pat hway
connections that c an provide much needed conn ec tivity and bicycle/pedestrian ac cessi bility. This green space network can
provide both passive spaces and innovative active uses, i ncludi ng ar t, sculpture, an d play eleme nts .
Speci fically, green space projects envisioned include:
• C r e a t i n g p o c k e t p a r k s i n p a r k i n g lo t s o f bu s i n es s e s s u s c e p t i bl e t o c h a n g e o r re d e v e l op i n g
i n t h e n ea r o r m i d - t er m f u t u r e t o r e - g r ee n t h e a re a
• Tr a n s fo r m i n g t h e e x i s t i n g s t o r m w a t e r de t e n t i o n f a c i li t y d i re c t l y n o r t h ea s t o f N o r t h P o i n t M a l l
i n t o a n e x p a n s i v e p a r k w i t h d e d i c a te d e v e n t s p a c e an d a n a p pr o a c h a b le s t o r m w a t e r
pond
• L o c a t i n g g r e e n p a t h w a y c o n n e c ti o n s t o s t r at e g i c a ll y b r e a k - u p r e t a i l s t r i p s a n d p r o v i de
g r e a t e r c o n n e c t i v i t y a n d a c c es s t o t h e B i g C r ee k G r e e n w a y
• C o n ti n u i n g t o a d d g re e n c o n n e c t i on s w h e r e a p p r o p ri a t e t o de v e l o p a n e c o l o g i c a l f ab r i c
t h a t c o m p le m e n ts N o r t h P o i n t ’s r e t a i l f o c u s
463
GREEN SPACE NETWORK
E X I S T IN G A N D P O T E N T IA L G R E E N S PA C E S E X I S T IN G G RE E N WAY T R A I L S
P R O P O S E D PAT H WAY C O N N E C T IO N S PLANNED ALPHA LOOP TRAIL
47C O N C E P T S T R AT E G Y
DEFINING OPPORTUNITY AREAS
1 ST TIER PRIORIT IES
The N or th Point study area, s tretc hing between Mans ell Road and Hay nes Bri dge Ro ad, is a relatively la rg e land area co mpared
to the potential market d em and. With both the expanse of the study are a and the current health of existin g retail in mi nd,
trans fo rmation of the study area into w a lk ab l e a r e a s of h i g h q u a l i t y re t a i l will need to occur in concentrated nodes over
time. Th ree primar y areas were identified through the planning pro cess: Lo w er Ma ns el l, E nco re P ark w ay co rri do r, and
N o r t h P oi n t M a l l a re a .
1
LOWER MANSELL
• S o u t h er n g at e w a y t o t h e d i s t r i c t at M a n s el l a n d N o r t h P o i n t P a rk w a y
• U n de r u t i l i z e d a r e a a n d m o s t s us c e p t i b le t o c ha n g e i n t h e n e ar t er m
• L o g i c a l ly t i e s i n t o t h e B i g C r e e k Gr e e n w a y
2
ENCORE PARKWAY CORRIDOR
• S t r a t eg i c a l ly le v e r ag e s re c e n t i n v e s t m e n t s , s p e c i fi c a ll y t h e n ew br i d g e c o n n e c t i o n a c r o s s G A 4 0 0
• S t r e n g t h e n s t h e c o n n e c t i o n a c r o s s t h e A lp h a L o o p a n d B i g C r e e k G r e e n w a y
• O p p o r t un i ty t o de v e l o p a do u b le - l o ad e d c o r r i d o r l i n ed w i t h a c t i ve g r o u nd f l o o r bu i l d i n g s
3
NORTH POINT MALL A REA/PARK
• D e v el o p a f o ca l gr e e n s p a ce f o r t h e s t u d y a re a
• A m e n i t i z e an d t r an s f o r m u n d er u t i l i ze d m a l l p a rk i n g a r e a s a n d s t o r mw a t e r d e t e n ti o n f a c i l it i e s
• C r e a t e a m u l t i u s e ga t h e ri n g a n d e v e n t s p a c e w i t h t i e s t o p r o po s ed pa t h w a y c o n n e c t i on s
483
1 ST TIER OPPORTUNITY AREAS
2 3
1
P R I O R IT Y A R E A S , 1 s t T I E R E X I S T IN G A N D P O T E N T IA L G R E E N S PA C E S
P R O P O S E D PAT H WAY C O N N E C T IO N S
49C O N C E P T S T R AT E G Y
DEFINING OPPORTUNITY AREAS (CONTINUED)
2 ND TIER PRIORITIES
Due to the need to focus shor t-ter m investment in clusters that c hange the ch aracter of the area, 2 nd T ie r Red evel opm ent a r eas
are secondar y opp ortunities due t o p r op e r t y o w n e r s h ip l i m i t a t io n s or potential re gi o na l p ro j ec ts that could impact the
area, including potential future transit extensions alo ng GA 400. These have the capacity to fur ther catalyze N orth Point’s
transformat ion i n the mid- to lo ng-term.
4
NORTHWEST M ALL AREA
• U n de r u t i l i z e d s u r f a c e pa r k i ng b o r de r e d t o t h e n o r t h b y GA 4 0 0 a nd i n fo r m a l g r e e n
p a t h wa y c o n ne c t i o n s
• P r o x i m it y t o E n c o r e B r i d g e a r e a
• Potential regional transportation connection
• P r ef e r r ed lo c a t i o n f o r f u t u r e t r a n s i t s t at i o n , i f t r a n s i t i s e x t e n d ed a lo ng G A 4 0 0
5
OFF-ROAD PEDESTRIAN PATH/RETAIL CENTER INFILL
• O p p o r t un i ty t o in f i ll w i t h o u t re q u i r i n g t r a di t i o n a l re t r o f i t t i n g o f e x i s ti n g b u i l d i n g c l u s t e r s o r
o u t pa r c el de v e l o p m e n t
• P r es e r v e s N o r t h P o i n t P ar k w a y as a pr i m a r y v e h i c u l a r c o r r i d o r w h i le c re a t i n g a n o pp o r t un i ty
f o r p e d e s t r i an c i rc u l a t i o n s a f e l y b uf f e r e d f r o m t h e s t r e e t
• P r o x i m it y t o t h e B i g C r e e k G re e n w a y t o s t r e n g t he n t h e a re a ’s g re e n s p a c e n et w o r k a n d
reso urces
503
2 ND TIER OPPORTUNITY AREAS
4
5
P R I O R IT Y A R E A S , 1 s t T I E R E X I S T IN G A N D P O T E N T IA L G R E E N S PA C E S
P R I O R IT Y A R E A S , 2 n d T I E R P R O P O S E D PAT H WAY C O N N E C T IO N S
5152
CONCEPT DEVELO PMENT
DESIGN GUIDELINES
1 S T T I E R S C H E M AT I C C O N C E P T S
CASE STUDIES
O T H E R I N I T I AT I VE S
T H E N O RT H P O I N T E C O D I S T R I C T
53CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
4 ASSIST PROPERTY OWNERS IN
UNDERSTANDING THE SCALE,
DESIGN, AND LOCATION OF
DESIRED FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
Based on the green space network and priority opport unities areas id en tified by the community, a s eri es of detailed e xplorations were
conducted and concepts d eveloped to help gui de fu ture pu blic and private investme nts in th e Nor th Point area. The fo llo wing pages
include the followi ng con cept component s:
• S c h e m a t i c c o n c e p t s f o r t h e t h r e e 1 s t Ti e r p r i o ri t y i n v e s t m e n t a r e a s : L o w e r M a n s e ll , E n c o re P ar k w a y, a n d N o r t h P o i n t P a rk
• C a s e s t u d i e s o f s uc c e s s fu l d ev e l op m e n t e x a m p l e s f o r N o r t h P o i n t’s p o te n t i al
• E x a m p l e s o f o t he r d i s t r i c t -w i d e in i ti a ti v e s w i t h t h e p o t e n t i a l t o m e e t t h e c o m m u n it y ’s a s p i ra t i o n f o r a m o re l i v e l y, c o n n e c t e d
a c t i v i t y c e n t e r.
Throughout this chapt er and the next, projec ts and i niti atives are numbered with a letter-number identifier. The letter denotes the ty pe o r
categor y o f i mprovement and c orrespo nds to the lis t below, wh ile the num bers are s equential and not necessari ly i n order of impo rtance
or prio rity.
Project Letter C a t eg o r y o f I m p r o v e m e n t
I Infrastru cture
G G r e e n S p a ce S t ra t eg y
W Wa l k a b i l i t y
D Development
O O t h e r I n i t i a t i v es
544
S C H E M AT I C C O N C E P T S
The followin g pages con tain s chemati c concepts for the three 1 s t Ti e r p r i o ri t y i n v e s t m e n t a r e a s .
1 LOWER MANSELL 2 ENCORE PARKWAY 3 NORTH PO INT PAR K
55CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
S C H E M AT I C C O N C E P T S
CONCEPT 1: LOWER MANSELL
LOCATION AND ADVANTAGES
The Low er Man sell c onc ept area i s situated just nort h of Mansell
Road and east of Nor th Point P arkway, h ighlighted in red in the
diagram to the right. Currently anchored by an A MC Theater
and Barnes & Noble Bo oksellers, thi s area is ch arac terized by
buildings set back from Nor th Point Parkway’s street edge and
an abundant supply of sur fac e parki ng located in fro nt o f the
buildings. Th e area is currently zo ned planned Shopping Center
(PS C).
One of the mo st s ignifican t limitations to redevelopm en t and C o nc e p t L o c a t i o n
reinvestm en t in the Nort h Poi nt act ivity cent er, and o ther similar
commercial areas, is the limited n umber o f large parcels owned
by single pro pert y owners. W hen retail proper ties are held by LOWER MANSELL CONCEPT RENDERING
multiple owners and complicated w ith a v ariety o f lease terms,
The concept drawing o n th e facin g page illustra tes the
proper ti es mus t be assembled, risk i ncreases, and reinvestment is
redevelo pment potential of the Lower Mansell area and other
less likely. The advantage of the Lower M ansell area is that th e
larger retail blocks or parcels within the district over tim e.
theater/bookstore site is appro ximate 1 4 acres in size, held by
Redevelopment of and reinvestm en t in these parcels provides an
a sin gle pro pert y owner.
oppor tunity to elimin ate underutilized or obsolet e bi g box stores
and expans ive s ur fa ce p arki ng lots and incorporate a g reate r
Add itionally, the si te’s proximity to the Big Creek Greenway
variety of uses, inc luding office space, which is desired withi n
provides an oppor tunity to build u pon and tie into the area ’s
areas with nearby ameniti es , and poten tial residential us es . In
greenway and gre en space netwo rk. By in corpo rating n ew
addition to inc orpora ting a mi x of us es that m eet market demands
greenway access p oin ts in to the conc ep t, the commu nity vis ion
in more economically sustainable bui ldi ng patte rns, t he c onc ept
of enhancing walkability an d providing a net work of green
enhances w alkabi lity and connectivity to the Big Creek Gree nway
spaces can be fur thered as a par t of th e redev elo pment process.
by locating n ew bu ildings along street edges, placing parking
behind building fron tages, and i ncorpo rating green s paces and
direct conn ec tivity to t he greenway.
564
L o w e r M a n s e ll C o n c ep t R e n d e r i n g *
57CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
CONCEPT 1: LOWER MANSELL (CONTINUED)
PROJECTS AND GREEN CONNECTIONS
While the conc ept is an examp le and not neces sarily
how the site will evolve over time it d oes lead to an
identifi cation of potential im provements an d action
item s. The diagram to the righ t show s th e s chemati c
concept with specific project o ppor tunities labeled
in blue and recommende d gree n conne ctions sho wn
with dashed lines. A key c omponent of the Lower
Mansell concept is the introduction of multimodal
co nnecti ons that enh ance ped es trian c onnec tivity
with in the area and to destinatio ns beyond (W.1 and
W.2 ). These path s, coupled with several inter ven ing
street conn ec tio ns, break the site into bloc ks that are
more human-scaled and compact. Fur therm ore, the
block structure distributes traffi c and provides the
commu nity with safe alternatives to traverse the area,
reinforcing the plan v isi on of creat ing a “park- once”
env iron ment.
These pat h conn ec tio ns follow t he inter veni ng tree-
lined streets and capi talize on new green spaces,
par tic ularly the active po cket park (G.1) and
linear park /gre en way c onnection (G.2). Thes e
spaces together create a green promenade th rough
the concept area and dayli ght the greenway by L o w e r M a n s e ll p r o j e c t s a n d g r ee n c o n n e c t i o n s
providing access from Nor th Po int P arkwa y.
584
LOWER MANSELL PROJECT LIST
# Name Description I m pr o v e m e n t EXAMPLE DEVELOPMENTS
Para ll el Ro ad C o n s t r u ct a pa r a l l e l r o ad t o N o r t h Po in t
I.3 Infrastru cture
Connection Pa r k w a y be t w e e n d e v e l o p m e n t s
A d d a r o u n d ab o u t at t h e e x i s t i n g U n n a m e d
I.4 New Roundabout Infrastru cture
R o a d t r av e r si n g t h e s i t e n o r t h - s o u t h
Create a residential pocket park with
G r e e n S p a ce
G.1 A ct i v e Po c k e t Par k o u t d o o r e x e r ci s e e q u i p m e n t a n d o t h e r
S t ra t eg y
a c t i v e p a r k d e t a il s
I m pl e m en t a l a n d s ca p e d l i n e a r p a r k
L i n e a r Pa r k/ Gr e e n w a y G r e e n S p a ce
G.2 b e t w e e n p r o p e r t ie s a n d t y i n g i n t o t h e
Connector S t ra t eg y
Greenway on the south side of the site
C o n n e c t t h e Lo w e r Ma n s e l l a r e a w it h
Tr a i l A c r o s s N o r t h Po in t p r o p e r t i e s t o t h e n o r t h b y c o n s t r u c t in g a
W. 1 Wa l k a b i l i t y
Park w ay m u l ti u se t r a i l c o n n e c t i o n a cr o ss N o r t h Po in t
S t o r rs C e n t e r i n M a n s f i el d , C T
Park w ay
C o n s t r u ct a m u l t iu s e t r ai l e x t e n d i n g e as t
W. 2 E a s t Tr a i l C o n n e c t i o n t o c o n n e c t t o e xi s t in g h o t e l pr o pe r t y a n d Wa l k a b i l i t y
beyond
I n f il l e x i s t in g p a r k i n g l o t w i t h r e s i d e n t i a l
d e v e l o p m e n t . A s i l l u s t r a t e d , t h e co n c e p t
a c co m m o d at e s 2 3 0 , 0 0 0 t o 3 4 5 , 0 0 0 s qu a r e
D. 3 New Residential f e e t o f p o t e n t i a l r e si de n t i a l d e v e l o p m e n t Development
( a s s um i n g 4 t o 6 s t or i e s , c o n s i s t e n t w i t h a
village-style devel opment, gene ral public
inp ut, an d case studies).
Redevelop existing properties wi th new
o f f i c e b u i l d i n g s . A s i l l us t r a te d, t h e c o n ce pt
a c co m m o d at e s 2 8 0 , 0 0 0 t o 4 2 0 , 0 0 0
D. 4 New Office square feet of pote ntial office development Development
( a s s um i n g 4 t o 6 s t or i e s , c o n s i s t e n t w i t h a
E a s t N a s h v i l le , N a s h v i l l e, T N
village-style devel opment, gene ral public
inp ut, an d case studies).
59CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
CONCEPT 2: ENCORE PARKWAY
LOCATION AND ADVANTAGES
The En core Parkway co ncept area, highlighted in red in the
diagram to the right, inc ludes land on both the east and w es t
sides of Encore Parkwa y between Nort h Poi nt Parkway and GA
40 0.
The area consists of 29 acres of land area on five different
parcels, all of which are presently zo ned PSC . Th ree o f these
parcels share the same owner east of Enc ore Parkway. This land
is alm ost en tirely oc cupi ed by parkin g lots fro nting the street.
Wes t of En core Parkway, th e parcels inclu de Wells Fargo Bank C o nc e p t L o c a t i o n
and Mans ell Crossing, which is a retail center with large parking
lots along No rt h Poi nt Parkway. Finally, one of the thre e parc els
owned by the same entity is situated directly south of E ncore ENCORE PARKWAY CONCEPT RENDERING
Parkway, and is currently undev eloped and is situated adjacent
The concept drawing fo r E ncore P arkway o n the facin g page
to the Big Creek Greenway.
illustrates the develo pment potenti al alo ng th e enh anced
corridor. To furt her en hance Enc ore Parkway, improve th e area’s
As previously mentioned, one of the major ac complishment s of
walkability, an d fo ster qu ali ty retail, new bu ildings should line
the original 2 008 LCI Plan wa s the comp let ion o f t he Enc ore
Encore Parkway, the existing sidewalk should be widened, and
Parkway Bridge as a key pe des trian an d bicycle co nnecto r
parking should be p lac ed behi nd primar y structures. Future
across GA 400 and the additio n of sid ewalks , bi cycle lanes,
development and investment should also seek to create smaller
and streetscapi ng along Enco re P arkway. To fur ther lev erage
blocks and pocket pa rks with in the area. Ground floor uses alo ng
these enh ancements to b en efit the com mun ity, prom oti ng future
Encore Parkway sh ould i nclude re tail an d o ther act ive uses , as
development that prioritizes the com muni ty’s vi sio n of walka bility
required in the N orth Point Design Guidelines. Upper floors should
in the Encore Parkwa y corridor w ill be ess ential.
be utilized for offi ce and res identi al uses.
604
Encore Parkway Concept Rendering*
61CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
CONCEPT 2: ENCORE PARKWAY (CONTINUED)
PROJECTS AND GREEN CONNECTIONS
Several eas t-west multimodal path con nections
are illus trated in the diagram o n the right,
anchored by Encore Parkway, which acts as a
spi ne ru nni ng nor th-so uth. The se con nections act
to effecti vely position En core Parkway as a node
of de velopme nt that can e xi st within t he conte xt
of th e s tudy area as opposed to as a stan d-alone
e n d e a v or.
This concept maximizes the un developed parcel
south of Enc ore Parkway by imagi ning an ope n
green space that func tio ns as a gate way to the
Big Creek Greenw ay ( G.3). Thi s focu s on g reen
space, along with m ultiple o ther pocket parks
thro ughout (G.4), com plem en t the pro posed new
buildings by balan cing recreation wit h higher
intensities of land u se. Potential new buil dings
include residential, offic e, and m ixed use
development with retail.
All streets and pathways sh ould take care to
mitigate curb cu ts, s er vice areas, and bui lding
penetrations to pro mote a walkable environm en t.
Alleys and rear lanes should be considered to
suppor t building o peratio ns, ser vi ce, and freigh t.
E n c o r e P a r k w a y p r o j e c t s a n d g r e e n c o n n e c ti o n s
62You can also read
