"This Was Our Nightmare": Mayor Blasts Plan To Shuffle Braves Traffic

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- Three years after the announcement that the Atlanta Braves would be relocating to the suburbs, the city that would arguably be the most affected by the move -- Sandy Springs --finally learned how Cobb County plans to direct traffic to the new stadium.

And the response to those plans were not pretty.

Jim Wilgus, Cobb's interim transportation director, got an earful from a visibly upset Mayor Rusty Paul, who blasted the plans presented by Wilgus.

The interim transportation director was on hand at the Council's work session on Tuesday to unveil how the county will direct Braves fans to three parking lots situated around SunTrust Park.

In the case of motorist traveling westbound on Interstate 285 towards Cobb, Wilgus said the county wants those attendees to exit at the New Northside Drive interchange in Sandy Springs and continue towards Interstate North Parkway.

That, Wilgus added, would give those residents direct assess to the east parking lot for the new stadium. Wilgus also said Cobb would like for the Sandy Springs to install roadside signs directing motorists to that parking lot.

Wilgus said Interstate North Parkway is not a heavily traveled road, so it would be a suitable option to get motorists to the park.

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That stipulation was met with silence -- and an audible groan from at least one council member. Mayor Paul lived up to his reputation of not mincing words and expressed his disgust at Cobb's proposal.

Seventy-five percent of the traffic that will be going to the stadium will be coming from "our side" of the map, Paul said.

The mayor went on to say that Sandy Springs leaders have been trying to sit down with their counterparts in Cobb County to discuss the impact traffic would have the city, but "we can't get the time of day" for that to happen, Paul stated.

"This was our nightmare," he said. "That you wouldn't come sit down with us and talk to us about these challenges. And then you would start dumping people in our neighborhood streets. I live there, so you don't tell me that it's not a neighborhood street."

Paul went on to say that Cobb officials won't return phone calls, and the city has not been successful in arranging meetings with County Chairman Tim Lee and the county manager to talk about the project.

"And now you're coming in here with that kind of plan to run them right through out neighborhoods," he added. "It ain't happening until you sit down [with us]...you're not just going to run all that traffic coming out of Gwinnett County, north Fulton County, Forsyth County and East Cobb and DeKalb County to our neighborhoods."

Wilgus said Cobb does not intend to dump motorists onto Sandy Springs streets.

"No, but that's the plan," Paul shot back.

Interstate North Parkway, Wilgus continued, is not a "really a neighborhood street."

"We live here!," Paul exclaimed. "We know those streets. I live less than a mile from there. That's a neighborhood."

Wilgus stated Cobb's desire is for motorists to remain on Interstate North Parkway, and not use other streets as cut-through routes to get to the stadium.

"That's not a plan," said Councilman Tibby DeJulio. "That's a hope."

Paul said it's inevitable that leaders from both jurisdictions need to sit down and have a "long conversation" about the what needs to be done, adding Sandy Springs has a list of things it would like to see Cobb implement to "mitigate some of this stuff."

"I don't like shooting the messenger, but you're the one that showed up," he added.

On Wednesday, Wilgus declined to comment on Paul's assertions.

He reiterated that Cobb County will make sure motorists are immediately directed to use Interstate North Parkway and “not have them wandering through neighborhoods.”

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Map via Cobb County