Updates to Overlay District provide clarity, protect property owners
Brookhaven, GA, Jan. 27, 2018 – On Tuesday, the Brookhaven City Council approved updates to the Peachtree Overlay District to provide additional clarity and control on the regulations that reflect the unique needs of the area along Peachtree Road from the Atlanta border to Ashford Dunwoody Road.
The purpose of the Peachtree Overlay District is to establish streetscape and access regulations for development within the boundaries of the overlay district, based upon the vision developed as part of the Brookhaven-Peachtree Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) plan. The LCI plan created a community vision and action plan for the development of a more dynamic mixed-use community with the character of a multistory, urban village surrounding the Brookhaven-Oglethorpe University MARTA Transit Station and the Peachtree Road corridor from Fulton County to Ashford-Dunwoody Road. The key goals of the LCI plan include support for a high-quality, multi-modal transportation system featuring spacious, tree-lined sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, an interconnected street network and limitations on driveway access.
The Peachtree Overlay District also addresses, and provides clarity, on specific development issues that were subject to social media speculation and community fears including:
- Providing density limits for units per acre. There were no legally enforceable density restrictions in the previous overlay.
- Establishing buffers greater than 35 feet for deep lots on parcels that were previously legally allowed only a 30-foot buffer.
- Defining building heights more clearly to account for story heights for each floor. The previous overlay had no limits on how high buildings could be built in terms of feet, only stories.
These changes provide clarity for property owners and future developers regarding what can and cannot be built. The court ruled against Brookhaven’s previous overlay, which left all current property owners exposed.
Adequate parking is required for all new construction in all areas within the Overlay District, except to certain transit-oriented multifamily uses within the PR-1 district, which is designed to foster alternative forms of transportation. Developments such as these are designed to take cars off the road and create less traffic. All other uses are required to have parking according to the standards identified in the code.
Public input for the updates for Peachtree Overlay District have been ongoing since June 2017. Throughout public community meetings, participants from this community provided input about the existing zoning regulations in the Peachtree Corridor Overlay and defined the community’s vision for this area with supporting regulations. The process integrated extensive public and stakeholder involvement with a robust technical analysis over several months.
City Manager Christian Sigman stated, “The Peachtree Overlay provides incentives to encourage development based on the feedback of the community and sound long-term urban planning.”
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Media Contact:
Burke Brennan
Director of Communications
404-637-0709
burke.brennan@brookhavenga.gov
