40-plus Sandy Springs buildings
targeted for demolition in Ga. 400 toll lanes project, by Evelyn Andrews,
2/28/19.
An
illustrated map by the Georgia Department of Transportation shows the
conceptual Ga. 400 toll lane alignment and potential property impacts on
Northgreen Drive and Talbot Colony. North is to the right.
The Georgia Department of
Transportation’s Ga. 400 toll lanes project could require the demolition of
more than 40 buildings in Sandy Springs — including single-family homes, an
apartment building and offices — the agency revealed at a Feb. 28 public
meeting.
The majority of the buildings are
concentrated in two neighborhoods south of Spalding Drive. Nineteen homes are
targeted on Northgreen Drive and 11 are targeted on Talbot Colony. The other
properties are spread along Ga. 400 and include two multi-family structures and
a commercial building. A billboard on Roberts Drive on the west side of Ga. 400
is also marked for demolition.
Rekha Desai, a Talbot Colony homeowner,
said finding out her home would be taken is “a shock.” She and her husband have
lived in the house since 1993 and they have “a lot of emotional investment” in
it. “But if we have to do it, we have to do it,” said Desai, one of several
local residents who trekked to Alpharetta for the meeting.
GDOT has said the concept design is
still preliminary and could change after an environmental review process. To
see the designs and other meeting documents, including an illustrated
video, visit GDOT’s website.
GDOT is working on two projects that
would add four new toll lanes, called “express lanes” or “managed lanes,” along
I-285 and Ga. 400 in the Perimeter Center area over the next decade, with the
intent of improving overall traffic flow. Parts of the toll lanes are expected
to be elevated, including a high flyover atop Northridge Road, to use existing
right of way. The toll lanes are part of a system being built metro-wide,
including recently opened lanes on I-75 and I-575.
The toll lanes project has become
controversial for the limited information being released and the property
impacts, some of which were privately being discussed with homeowners. For
months, GDOT had refused to release information about possible property-taking,
saying the public had to wait for this meeting.
“It’s surprising to come and find your
home is going to be taken,” said Mary Louise Austin, a Talbot Colony homeowner
for 35 years, referencing the initial private meeting with the neighborhood.
“We thought this would be our forever home.”
An
illustrated map by the Georgia Department of Transportation shows the conceptual
Ga. 400 toll lane alignment and Pitts Road bridge replacement.
GDOT recently shifted the section of Ga.
400 south of the North Springs MARTA Station into the I-285 toll lanes project,
which is undergoing a separate planning process on a later timeline. That means
many other property impacts and access points likely will not be presented by
GDOT until that project’s public meetings start in December.
The Ga. 400 project’s potential property
impacts were revealed in GDOT’s first public information open house for the
project held Feb. 28 in Alpharetta. A local meeting for the Perimeter Center
cities is set for March 12 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Sandy Springs City Hall, 1
Galambos Way.
GDOT’s plan showed toll lane access
points would potentially be located at the North Springs MARTA Station and
Northridge Road.
While the project has not been fully
approved or finished the environmental review process, GDOT is beginning the
process to acquire properties. “There’s not a lot of flexibility in this area,
so there’s a need to do early acquisition,” Phil Copeland, a consultant working
on the project, told a Talbot Colony resident.
The Ga. 400 lanes also would carry a new
MARTA bus rapid transit route. MARTA officials attending the meeting and displayed
basic information about potential BRT stations, which included none in Sandy
Springs.
The BRT system would replace a Red Line
extension beginning with a station Northridge Road MARTA had been planning for
years and Sandy Springs had prepared for. The BRT station at Northridge Road is
not currently part of this project, according to the list presented by MARTA.
The stations are proposed for Holcomb
Bridge Road, North Point Mall, Old Milton Parkway and Windward Parkway, all
north of Sandy Springs.
An
illustrated map by the Georgia Department of Transportation shows the
conceptual Ga. 400 toll lane alignment and southern Roberts Drive bridge
replacement.
Other plans revealed at the public
meeting include replacing the Pitts Road bridge with a version long enough to
cross the toll lanes and realigning the road near it, which would require
demolishing several homes. The Spalding Drive and Roberts Drive bridges over
Ga. 400 would also be replaced.
The Reporter previously revealed that 20 houses were
targeted for demolition on Northgreen and Spalding drives. At that time, Ronda Smith, the
president of Sandy Springs Council of Neighborhoods, which represents
homeowners associations in the city, said the organization is planning a
strategy to help those who may be affected by the project. “As a board we are
gathering as much information as we can from the affected parties (HOA’s or
homeowners) so we can be most effective with any efforts we undertake to assist
these parties in working towards mitigation,” Smith said in an email.
Sandy Springs Councilmember Jody
Reichel, who represents a large part of Ga. 400 that may be affected, including
Northgreen Drive, said the city is working to gather information to reduce the
impact on residents and has met with GDOT several times. “Even though our
influence is minimal, the GDOT has committed to continue meeting with the city
as final plans are created and to listen to our feedback and input,” Reichel
said in a written statement. “I want my constituents to know that I will stay
informed and, together with the mayor and city council, will push GDOT as hard
as possible to reduce the impact on our neighborhoods and to be transparent
with our citizens as this project moves forward.”
Rafael Celedon, a homeowner on Talbot
Colony, said he is disappointed his home will likely be taken for the project,
but is now just hoping to get enough compensation from GDOT to afford a similar
property nearby. If he doesn’t get enough, he fears he’ll have to move far
away, he said. “It’s only fair that we be compensated appropriately,” Celedon
said. “That is a big unknown. It’s causing a lot of uncertainty and anxiety in
our life.”
GDOT follows the federal guidelines for
property acquisition and offers fair market value, Copeland said. Once an offer
has been made, property owners are given a maximum of 60 days to relocate, he
said.
GDOT is already acquiring property for
the I-285 toll lane project as well. One possible property impact already
revealed for that southern portion of Ga. 400 now folded into the I-285 project
is a proposed toll lane access point on Crestline Parkway, instead of one GDOT
is currently planning on Mount Vernon Highway. The Crestline option was
requested by Sandy Springs city officials, and would require demolishing eight homes.
The full list of properties marked for
demolition in Sandy Springs for the Ga. 400 project:
West of Ga. 400 south of Spalding Drive.
Two
houses on Mabry Road.
19
houses on Northgreen Drive.
One
house on Spalding Drive
East of Ga. 400 south of Spalding Drive.
Townhouse
building on Village Creek Trace.
11
houses on Talbot Colony
West of Ga. 400 south of Pitts Road.
At
least one apartment building at Colquitt Road in the Parc at Dunwoody. The map
marked one building, but was imprecise.
East of Ga. 400 south of Pitts Road.
Four
houses on Pitts Road
East of Ga. 400 north of Pitts Road.
One
house on Spindlewick Drive
West of Ga. 400 north of Northridge Road.
A
building in a commercial complex on Dunwoody Place that is the location of
several law offices.
West of Ga. 400 north of Roberts Drive.
A
building in the Lexington Crossing Condominium complex
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody
GA Tea Party Leader
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