Anger, Frustration Spill Over At
Braves Traffic Forum
The Riverside Homeowners Association's forum drew
hundreds of residents and stakeholders from Sandy Springs and Cobb County. By
Kristal Dixon, 9/22/16
SANDY
SPRINGS, GA -- If you were unaware how many Sandy Springs residents felt about
the Atlanta Braves' move to Cobb County, then a forum held Wednesday made it
pretty clear where these citizens stood.
More
than 200 people gathered into the auditorium at Riverwood International Charter
School Sept. 21 to discuss traffic, but to also learn more about what the city,
Cobb County and Georgia DOT has planned to handle the impact the new
development will have on the area.
Mayor
Rusty Paul mostly led the discussions, and was joined by Cobb District 2
Commissioner Bob Ott and Georgia DOT Board Member Jeff Lewis, who represents
the state's 11th Congressional District. State Representative Joe Wilkinson,
State Senators Hunter Hill and Judson Hill and State Representative-elect
Deborah Silcox were also in attendance. City Council members Andy Bauman and
Chris Burnett were also in the audience.
Paul
began his remarks with a bit of news from the Atlanta Braves: the team will
host a soft-opening game March 31, 2017, against the New York Yankees. That
game will be open to a select group of ticket-holding fans. The team will then
hit the road to kick off the 2017 season, and return for their first home game
April 14 "just in time for tax season," Paul said.
The
mayor also gave a recap of some developments that have occurred past several
weeks, including the Braves' decision to start home games at 7:30 p.m., which he said should help
spread out afternoon and evening traffic rush.
He
also said the stadium will include 14 different access points, but SunTrust
Park will have 8,000 fewer seats than Turner Field.
One
thing that's in the back of his mind as well as the minds of his neighbors,
Paul stated, was the Waze effect: what would happen if fans used the app to get
around traffic and use Sandy Springs neighborhoods as cut-through routes.
Sandy
Springs, along with Cobb County, are in discussions with MLB and Waze to see if
the app can tweak its operations in a way that would not direct motorists to
use neighborhoods as detours.
Another
development that could be seen as a positive for the city: there will be no
signage along Interstate 285 directing westbound traveling motorists to get off
at the New Northside Drive/Northside Drive/Powers Ferry Road interchange.
That
revelation drew enthusiastic applause from the audience. Initially, Cobb County
presented Sandy Springs with that option, which was
met with a resounding silence and disapproval from city leaders.
That
detail, Paul said, caused him to have a "temper tantrum" and dump his
disgust onto Cobb's then-interim Transportation Director Jim Wilgus at a City
Council work session.
Instead,
the new signage will direct traffic along I-285 to get off at Interstate 75
north and take the Windy Hill Road interchange. That will lead attendees to park
in the east parking zone designated for SunTrust Park.
"It’s
been a cooperative effort to try and find real solutions,” Paul said, adding
that Cobb has requested the city install a variable message board on their side
of the river on the westbound side of Interstate North Parkway. Sandy Springs
is still in discussions with Cobb County on that detail.
Another
bit of news: a proposal has been floated about possibly installing a
half-diamond interchange at Interstate 285 at Powers Ferry Road on the Cobb
side of the Chattahoochee River. ”The further west we can move traffic, the
less impact it’s going to have in our neighborhoods," Paul stated.
Cobb
County is also considering making traffic on Interstate North Parkway move
one-way towards their side of the river. That would be implemented on home-game
days only, Paul stated.
Several
residents asked questions following the mayor's presentation. One resident,
Gerard Gunthert, said many people in the room felt the SunTrust Park move has
been an "urban planning disaster" and wondered what the state can do
to "force Cobb County to do the right thing."
Later
in the evening, Gunthert also criticized what he called "reactionary
planning," questioning how Cobb County could approve the deal before
undertaking a traffic study.
"It's
a joke," he added.
Ott,
who voted in favor of the deal, said he and his fellow commissioners were not
involved in the discussions with the Atlanta Braves. Only outgoing Chairman Tim
Lee was privy to the details, he added. Ott stated he was informed of the plan
seven days before it was formally announced to the public.
After
that, he only had three weeks to find out as much as he can before casting his
vote. He also said a traffic study conducted by Kimley-Horn is available online
for residents to view at the bravesupdate.com website.
Another
woman asked if there are any discussions about using MARTA to ship in Braves
fans instead of clogging the road with more vehicles.
Paul
said it was initially on the books to direct motorists to park at the Dunwoody
MARTA Station and allow buses to transport fans to the stadium. That plan
relied on using flex shoulder lanes along Interstate 285 westbound. However,
the bridges along I-285 don't leave enough room for buses to pass safely, so
until that stretch of highway is widened and improved, "it will be a
challenge" to get buses from the station to the stadium, Paul stated.
On
the proposed half-diamond interchange on I-285, Lewis, the GDOT board member,
said he would be supportive of efforts to make that project a reality. However,
he cautioned the residents that due to its proximity to the river, that means
getting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers involved, along with the Federal
Highway Administration, to embark on various studies. In other words, it will
be years before dirt is even turned on the project.
"That's
not a fun process," he said, adding the city and the county will also have
to contend with negotiating with property owners and environmental impact
studies.
For
the most part, the audience was respectful and quiet throughout the
presentation. One or two men in the back took it upon themselves to shout out
their anger towards Paul, accusing the mayor of not taking the discussions
seriously.
Paul
stated he takes the issue very seriously, as he lives among the same citizens
who will have to adjust their schedules accordingly when the Braves play home
games.
"I
am not minimizing the anger, the frustration, the concern that you have,"
he added.
Another
resident asked if the city could close public streets such as Heards Ferry Road
to prevent Braves fans from utilizing the street. That, the woman said, would
protect students and teenagers coming to and from Heards Ferry Elementary and
Riverwood.
Sandy
Springs, Cobb County and the state can't close public roads for one set of
people and leave it open for another, the mayor added. The only thing that can
be done is to shift the traffic as far west as possible.
Ott
stated the county does have an app that informs users of the status of roads in
its jurisdiction. He also said the county is talking with the Braves to somehow
include parking lot information and suggested route details to ticket holders
when they make the trip to SunTrust Park.
Another
resident also inquired if there's a way for the state to stop what she called
"backroom deals" from happening in the future without significant
public input.
Sen.
Hill, who represents the area where the stadium will be located, said
"it's a difficult issue" to get involved in, as the Atlanta Braves is
a private enterprise. "Day-lighting" discussions, he added, could
have a negative impact on business deals.
The
city of Sandy Springs has a website dedicated to informing residents about the
Braves' move to Cobb and how it will impact the area. You can visit that
website by clicking here.
http://patch.com/georgia/sandysprings/anger-frustration-spill-over-braves-traffic-forum
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