What is happening? Massive Zoning Changes & Why We Are Concerned

Atlanta is updating existing zoning regulations and Saint Charles and Greenwood Avenues are caught in the middle. Here is a letter we wrote to Atlanta Zoning explaining how our streets are unique:

First off, I’m sorry I’m a bit late to this process! Many things impact our lives and our homes in Virginia Highland - movie filming, road race closure, neighbor renovation permitting - and those impacts (temporary inconveniences, really) are communicated very directly and effectively with signage and flyers. I didn’t realize that one of the many email notifications that I receive from the city weekly would potentially be the most drastically and permanently impactful on the largest financial investment we’ve ever made; our home. 

 

Greenwood & St Charles are unique, effectively hybrid, building zones. They were originally developed as single family homes, followed by some non-compliant, in-fill apartments created in the mid 1900s.  It is my understanding that zoning was subsequently changed to RG2 to accommodate those noncompliant structures. 

 

As we consider new zoning standards, do we compound the zoning mistakes of the past by painting this neighborhood with too broad a regulation brush? Or do we learn from what works in this hybrid neighborhood to make exceptions to zoning rules or even separate zoning? 

 

Do we just lose the legacy character of these streets to gentrification and development? Or do we maintain it and allow intelligent growth with well-considered guidelines?

 

Greenwood Avenue and Saint Charles Avenue need a zoning overlay that accommodates both types of structures and lot layouts; front setbacks for porches and street connectivity, side setbacks for existing windows/chimneys/driveways/light/drainage, and lower maximum land coverage to keep a healthy tree canopy that supports wildlife, mitigates watershed impacts and rain runoff, and lowers yard temperatures. (A large number of those trees in VaHi are in existing setbacks; in fact, we planted trees in our side yard to shade the house in the summer. That isn’t possible with diminished setbacks).

 

Thank you for allowing our feedback in this process. We are certain that the goals of the zoning process can be achieved without sacrificing any of the wonderful aspects that make Atlanta neighborhoods unique.

 

Jeff Keesee

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