Substitute
Public Hearing: YES ☒ NO ☐ Department: Planning & Sustainability
SUBJECT:
Title
COMMISSION DISTRICT(S): Commission District 02; Super District 06
Application of PEC c/o Doug Linneman to amend the Future Land Use Map from Suburban (SUB) to Town Center (TC) to allow the construction of new multi-family apartments, at 2784 N. Druid Hills Road.
Body
PETITION NO: LP-21-1245063 (2021-2904)
PROPOSED USE: 21 Multi-family apartment units.
LOCATION: 2784 N. Druid Hills Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
PARCEL NO. : 18-111-05-002; 18-111-05-003
INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurel Corrao, Planner
PHONE NUMBER: 404-371-2155
PURPOSE:
Application of PEC c/o Doug Linneman to amend the Future Land Use Map from Suburban (SUB) to Town Center (TC) to allow the construction of new multi-family apartments. The property is located on the east side of North Druid Hills Road, approximately 118 feet south of Fama Drive, at 2784 and 2790 North Druid Hills Road in Atlanta, Georgia. The property has approximately 200 feet of frontage along North Druid Hills Road and contains 0.9 acre.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Deferral.
PLANNING COMMISSION: Full Cycle Deferral.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approval.
PLANNING STAFF ANALYSIS: The applicant is requesting a land use amendment from Suburban to Town Center for future development of a three-story building with 24 new multifamily apartments. The subject property abuts the established North Druid Hills Town Center character area along the South and East sides of the property. Additionally, the subject property falls within the North Druid Hills Livable Centers Initiative study which encourages measures to support a vibrant walkability community. This land use amendment would expand the existing Town Center character area northwest of the current Town Center character area. As such, this would place the subject property within the outer ring of this Town Center area. The Comprehensive Plan (CP) states that the outer core of an activity center should have a transitional height buffer of no more than 35-feet and a transitional buffer of 50-feet, to protect the existing single-family housing. The Town Center outer ring requires less intense development, no more than three stories and 8-24 dwelling units per acre (DUA). The CP states that greater setbacks and transitional buffers shall be required when adjacent to lower density residential uses. Additionally, the CP states that the purpose of the activity center outer ring is to transition into single family residential, with enhanced buffers, low density, and lower building heights than intermediate. The original site plan reduced the transitional buffer from the required 50-foot buffer to 30 feet, which was not in compliance with the intent of the Town Center character area. However, the revised site plan provides a 50-foot buffer along the west side of the northern property line leaving a small portion of the project transitioning into a 30- foot buffer on the east side of the northern property boundary. Additionally, the revised site plan includes an 8-foot fence and numerous trees planted along the transitional buffer. With the revisions provided, the outer edge of this TC area will adequately protect the neighboring single family. It is the intention of the planning office that any further extension of this TC area to neighboring parcels would require consideration during the 2050 Unified Plan. As such, it is the recommendation of the Planning and Sustainability Department that the application be “Approved”.
PLANNING COMMISSION VOTE: Full Cycle Deferral 8-1-0. April Atkins moved, Jana Johnson seconded for Full Cycle Deferral to the November 2021 zoning cycle. Tess Snipes opposed.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL VOTE/RECOMMENDATION: Deferral 8-0-0.