Braves Stadium Gridlock

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