A zoning change request for the redevelopment of the property formerly owned by Cornerstone Holiness Church, located at 525 Langhorn in West Atlanta, signals that Beltline-driven redevelopment has arrived in the Historic Westview Neighborhood.
Developer Derrick Harris has filed for rezoning of the property from R-5 to MR-4A zoning on behalf of 525 Langhorn LLC to redevelop the church buildings and its parking lot into 34 three-story townhomes. A site plan submitted with the rezoning application shows the project title as “Cornerstone at the Beltline”.
The proposed development is on an approximately 1.2-acre lot located one block east of the BeltLine Westside Trail, and one block north of the intersection of White St, Langhorn St and Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard. The location is within walking distance of a Kroger Grocery Store, KIPP STRIVE Primary School, Gordon-White Park and a number of commercial establishments.
Property records show the project site was acquired by 525 Langhorn LLC from Cornerstone Holiness Church in December of 2020 for $800,000. A site plan, elevations and a landscape plan developed by Acme American Architects, Construction Managers and Engineers illustrate the proposed development consisting of four rowhouse buildings, each with seven or ten three-story townhomes.
The project elevation depicts the townhome facades in alternating materials but maintains a traditional style throughout, with sidewalk-facing entrances and rear garages.
The redevelopment would be a significant departure from the property’s existing R-5/Beltine Overlay District zoning, which would at most allow for a duplex, to MR-4A/Beltline Overlay District, which would permit the proposed development. Additionally, the redevelopment would require an amendment of the City’s Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), which designates the property as being in a “Low Density Residential” area.
Despite the significant amendments needed to both the zoning map and the CDP, the developer has laid out a case for why the development supports many of the policy objectives in the Beltline Overlay District.
The application asserts that the project would “Improve the aesthetics of street and built environments” and “Create a diversified urban environment where people can live, work, shop, meet and play…” Furthermore, the application suggests that the developer intends 525 Langhorn to serve as a model for future Westview developments that will likely be spurred by the Beltline Trail.
The request for rezoning was scheduled to be reviewed by Neighborhood Planning Unit-T on Wednesday, July 14th, 2021, and will subsequently be presented to the Zoning Review Board on either August 5th or 12th, 2021. The developer intends to begin construction shortly after the necessary entitlements and permits are in place, and thus Cornerstone at the Beltline may soon become Westview’s first major residential redevelopment in years
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What is the status of this rezoning?