Another Recommendation of Denial for a Westview Neighborhood Adaptive Reuse Rezoning Request

The proposed non-residential office use would impair and negatively impact the neighborhood's character, among the numerous reasons for the denial.
Source: Official

Last week, the Atlanta Zoning Review Board recommended denying the request to convert the single-family home located at 1411 South Gordan Street SW to a professional office. The adaptive reuse project also received a recommendation of denial from City Planners and Neighborhood Planning Unit -T. The next step for applicant Eric V. Peek is to present the project to the City Council, which has not been scheduled.

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According to City Documents, the proposed rezoning from R-4/BL (Single Family Residential/Beltline overlay) to NC-15/BL (Westview Neighborhood Commercial District/Beltline Overlay) requested by Owner R. Gary Spencer and applicant Eric V. Peek, would not be consistent or compatible with the current Single Family Residential land use designation according to the City’s Comprehensive Development Plan adopted in 2016.

Surrounding properties to the north and east are zoned R-4/BL (Single Family Residential/Beltline Overlay) and NC-15/BL (Westview Neighborhood Commercial District/Beltline Overlay) with a Single Family Residential (SFR) land use designation. Properties located to the south and west are R-4/BL (Single Family Residential/Beltline Overlay) with a single-family residential land use designation, NC-15/ (Westview Neighborhood Commercial District/Beltline Overlay), and MRC-1-C/BL (Mixed Residential Commercial Conditional/Beltline Overlay) with a Low-Density Commercial land use designation.

The Staff recommendation also indicates that allowing the rezoning of the .23 acre property to a non-residential use will be inconsistent with the NPU-T policy in the 2016 Comprehensive Development Plan to “prevent the intrusion of non-residential uses in established residential areas and enforce code regulations,” or to “preserve the single-family and low-density character of the AUC residential portions, Beecher-Donnelly, Westview, Just Us, Ashview Heights, and West End neighborhoods,” and “promote the residential quality of neighborhoods and foster and assist citizens with homeownership acquisition, rehabilitation/renovation, and sales of real property.”

Staff further suggested that the proposed rezoning would have a negative impact on the neighborhood’s character. According to City Documents, the Westview Neighborhood Commercial District intends to protect existing neighborhood-oriented commercial areas from uses and building forms incompatible with the adjacent neighborhoods’ scale, character, and needs. To rezone the site to Neighborhood Commercial would be inconsistent with the stated intent of the Neighborhood Commercial District as South Gordon Street has never permitted non-residential uses. The rezoning would allow the encroachment of a non-residential use in a location that has been residential for over one hundred years, harming the character of the neighborhood.

Taken into consideration was the economic use of both the current zoning. Staff finds that the current zoning already has a reasonable economic use. Its continued use as a residential dwelling will protect the financial benefit of all other homes fronting South Gordon.

According to Atlanta City Design, 1411 South Gordon Street SW is located within Urban Neighborhood within a Growth Area. Urban Neighborhoods are described as follows: “These are small-scale, historic, walkable neighborhoods where growth capacity is limited mostly by our desire to keep them the way they are. They are the traditional communities built by the expansion of streetcars a century ago, such as Westview, Grant Park, and Brookwood Park. Most have some form of a commercial district within walking distance from homes, and many include small apartment buildings, townhouses, or two- and three-family homes. Their inherent walkability, historic charm, and proximity to downtown make them highly desirable under today’s market pressures, and therefore, threatened by even denser development.”

During the November 4th meeting, members of the ZRB echoed concerns raised by Staff and unanimously adopted findings that the proposed adapted reuse and zoning change would be detrimental to the neighborhood.

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Source: Official
Dr. Anita Archambeau

Dr. Anita Archambeau

Anita Archambeau, DPA AICP, is a freelance writer, adjunct professor, and consulting urban planner. She has over 25 years of community and economic development experience in local government. When she’s not working, you can find her exploring local craft breweries, walking her two beagles, or traveling to visit her adult children living in New York City and Minneapolis.
Dr. Anita Archambeau

Dr. Anita Archambeau

Anita Archambeau, DPA AICP, is a freelance writer, adjunct professor, and consulting urban planner. She has over 25 years of community and economic development experience in local government. When she’s not working, you can find her exploring local craft breweries, walking her two beagles, or traveling to visit her adult children living in New York City and Minneapolis.
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