Council Approves Plan To Add 291 Apartments Near City Center

Despite push back from one of its fellow public servants, the Sandy Springs City Council on Tuesday approved a mixed-use project containing close to 300 apartment units.

The council voted 5-1, with Council member Graham McDonald opposing, to approve a request to rezone 4.381 acres at 6075 and 6077 Roswell Road and 6090 Boylston Drive from C-1 (community business district) to MIX (mixed use district) to build no more than 291 apartment homes and 10,000 square feet of space designated for retail/office/service commercial uses.

The final number of apartment units approved is a reduction from the 324 requested by the applicant, Camden USA, Inc.

The application originally came before the council at its April 21 meeting, but the applicant requested deferral at that time to submit a different site plan to city staff for review. The changes were significant enough that the application had to go back before the Planning Commission, which recommended approval at its June 18 meeting.

Council members approved the project after two failed motions -- one made by McDonald to deny and another to approve as presented made by John Paulson -- died for the lack of a second by a fellow member.

Paulson stated he believed the project mirrors the surrounding communities and is consistent with the city’s desire to have residents live in the area, which falls under the City Center Master Plan.

“This is the kind of development that I think we should encourage in and around the City Center area,” he added.

McDonald stated he’s worried about the density and the infrastructure in place to support it. He added he’d like to see a variety of housing in the master plan area, and believes the city is in a position where it can be more selective about what projects to approve.

“When are we going to decide enough is enough?” he asked later during the discussion, adding he’s expressed the same comments regarding the number of apartment units in his district when the council approved a similar project in the same area. “I guess I’ll say it the next time we talk about this.”

Council member Andy Bauman stated that while he’d like to see fewer apartments, he felt the pros outweighed the cons with the proposal.

While he did not have a chance to vote on the proposal, Mayor Rusty Paul stated he felt like the city is seeing some repetitiveness with the type of projects coming to the Council for consideration.

He added the city does not have to redevelop this area of Roswell Road at once, and it would be wise for the city to be “patient,” wait for the housing market to return and “let things take care of themselves.”

In other business, Council members voted 5-1, with Councilman Tibby DeJulio opposing, to allow Glenridge Highland III to withdraw a request to rezone property at 5575 Glenridge Connector from O-I (Office and Institutional District) to O-I to construct a 299,999-square-foot office building with four variances and a use permit to exceed height limitations in the district.

Mayor Paul stated he had concerns about approving an office building of that size, and said he’d veto any proposal that would exceed 180,000 square feet. Council member Ken Dishman offered a motion to approve the project, with the stipulation that the office building would be no more than 175,000 square feet.

Woody Galloway of the Galloway Law Firm, who represented the applicant, said his client would not accept the alternate motion, and requested to withdraw the application altogether.

City leaders also unanimously denied a request from Traton Homes to rezone 12 acres at 900 Spalding Drive from CUP (community unit plan) to TR (townhouse) to build 82 townhomes and 17 single family detached homes.

Council members also approved setting its millage rate for fiscal year 2016 at 4.731 mills, which is spelled out in its charter and has not changed since incorporation; and deferred for up to 30 days a resolution to approve the sublease and option to purchase the Heards Ferry Fire Station at 6025 Raider Drive from Fulton County.

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