Plans for 359 luxury apartments at Terminus critiqued at SPI-12 development review group's first meeting

To contact us Click HERE

The plan by Charlotte-based Crescent Resources LLC to build 359luxury apartments at the Terminus mixed-use development in Buckhead was one ofthe more dynamic projects discussed last Wednesday by the SPI-12 DevelopmentReview Committee at its very first meeting.

Architect Jay Silverman discusses the development plans
for Crescent Resources apartment project at Terminus. 

The developer plans to build the project behind the existing Terminusoffice and condo towers, which would mark the final phase of the 10-acredevelopment at Peachtree and Piedmont roads.
However, Jay Silverman of Lord Aeck and Sargent Architecture,which is working with Crescent Resources on the apartments project, ran into alittle bit of opposition from the SPI-12 Development Review Committee (DRC)over some elements of the proposed development—particularly a 180-foot-long tunnelthat would be formed by bridging the apartments over the top of Highland Drivewithin the Terminus complex.  
The DRC asked the architects and developer to take another lookat that feature in particular and a few others as well and to return to nextmonth’s meeting with whatever changes might be made. 
The eight-member DRC was formed as part of the Special PublicInterest zoning district 12 (SPI-12) that was approved by the Atlanta CityCouncil on May 21 and includes the most dense office and retail developmentwithin Buckhead, along Peachtree between Piedmont and Roxboro roads. The job ofthe committee is to see that new developments and/or changes to existingdevelopments conform to the new zoning regulations.

Right to left, SPI-12 Development Review Committee members Peter Davis
and Andrea Bennett listen as Jay Silverman describes the apartments plan.

The new zoning allows for even taller high-rise buildings withinthe district (now allowing up to 600 feet in some locations) and encouragesmore urban plazas and green space. It also addresses the relationship ofdevelopments to the surrounding streets and sidewalks, some of which came intoplay with the DRC discussions of the Crescent Resources project plans.
The eightmembers of the SPI-12 DRC are Chuck Winstead ofCousins Properties and Jim Feldman of Regent Partners appointed by the BuckheadCommunity Improvement District (CID), John Crocker appointed by MARTA, SallySilver representing City Council District 7, BATMA Executive Director Denise Starling,  Neighborhood Planning Unit B representativesPeter Davis of Peachtree Park and Andrea Bennett of North Buckhead and City ofAtlanta Planner Karl Smith-Davids.
A similar, but smaller DRC was appointed forSPI-9, which deals with zoning issues in the Buckhead Village area and wasapproved by City Council last year. Starling, Silver and Smith-Davids alsoserve on that committee, along with CID representative Bonnie Dean of SeligEnterprises. Starling said that committee may be enlarged soon from its presentfour members. That committee also met last Wednesday to consider onedevelopment plan.  
Cousins Properties Inc. startedTerminus in 2005 and had planned for this final phase to feature another condotower. However, with the oversaturation of new units in the Buckhead market after2007, Atlanta-based Cousins decided to sell this parcel within the Terminusproject and get out of the condo business. It sold the last of its 10 Terminuscondos in 2011.
Architect Silverman explained that Crescent’s plans call for 359luxury apartments (approximately 25 percent two-bedroom and 75 percentone-bedroom) and 460-plus parking spaces that would complete the streetscape ofTerminus Drive within the mixed-use Terminus development.

Often DRC members get out of their chairs and gather around a set of
the development plans to get a better understanding of what is planned. 

Silverman said the residential would be built on top of podiumsof parking and would be fully connected over the top of Highland Drive, whichhe described as forming a “covered street” and some committee members referredto as a “tunnel.” Silverman said the covered street would be lighted with“architectural lighting elements” and will be gated for private access.
Because the streets within Terminus are private and not public,the SPI-12 restrictions on bridging streets do not apply. However, there areheight clearance requirements that do apply. Because of the typography of the parcel involved, the clearanceon the covered street would actually slope from about 14 feet to 29 feet end toend.
Most of the committee’s concerns seemed to center around180-foot long covered street and ensuring that it would be very well lightedand would be publicly active.
“Highland needs to be more active,” Silver told Silverman,suggesting that the development’s fitness center might be located there on theshorter end of the tunnel. She also suggested the architects might look atadding a stairwell from the rooftop amenities level to Highland Drive to addboth light and public activity.
Winstead of Cousins Properties objected to the very largesupport columns shown in the plans in the middle of the sidewalks on HighlandDrive. He suggested looking at getting rid of the columns or maybe moving themagainst the side of the buildings and reducing the size of them.
Smith-Davids suggested that the developer needs to look at thesidewalk structure in relation to the SPI-12 requirements. He said 25 percentof the building’s facade on the sidewalk may need to be glass. And Silver askedthem to consider enlarging the street-level retail segments to encourage morepublic activity.
In the end, it was determined that Silverman and the CrescentResources plan will be back on the DRC agenda next month to see whatrecommendations have been addressed.

Robb  McKerrow discusses the exterior facade of the new
Twin Peaks restaurant to members of the SPI-12 DRC. 

Three new restaurants also were considered by the DRC at itsfirst meeting: Twin Peaks, which is to open Fourth of July week in Tower Walkon Piedmont Road, and Seven Lamps and Bhojanic, both of which are scheduled toopen in late August or September at the Around Lenox retail area.
Twin Peaks, which will have a VIP opening July 2 and publicopening July 3 had its plans approved by DRC after some discussion of themixture of various stone types as part of the exterior facade for the two-storyrestaurant that is going into a space formerly occupied by a real estateoffice.
Seven Lamps was described as a craft bar focusing on drinks andsmall plates and is being opened by a former chef at One Midtown Kitchen. Thebar will be in the center of the space will have seating for 118, with 74inside. Bhojanic will have seating for 90 inside and 30 outside. Both are beingbuilt out at the same time and by the same contractor so they will open together.
No zoning variations are needed for either of therestaurants—even though they are going into spaces that previously were retailstores—so both were approved without much comment by DRC.

Members of the SPI-9 Development Review Committee (from right to left)
Kurt Smith-Davids, Sally Silver, Bonnie Dean and Denise Starling (in pink
blouse) discuss plans for a new bank facility at Peachtree Road and
Shadowlawn Avenue  with the bank's development team. 

Following the SPI-12 DRC meeting, the DRC for SPI-9 discussedplans for a new Community & Southern Bank  facility that will front Peachtree Road at ShadowlawnAvenue, with entrance to the drive-up windows and ATM coming off Shadowlawn andexiting with a right-turn-only onto Peachtree Road.
The SPI-9 DRC seemed pleased with most of the changes that hadalready been made to the site plan involving the drive-thru, but asked thatplanting be added both in that area—between that property and the shoppingcenter next door that includes a CVS pharmacy. The committee also asked forplanting treatments along the sidewalk on Shadowlawn at the edge of a parkingarea the bank is leasing from the shopping center. That parking area is betweenthe Sports Authority store and Shadowlawn.  
Some discussion also centered around the positioning of thebuilding and Peachtree Road sidewalk and type of materials to be used for thesidewalk.
That was the only development plans that the SPI-9 committee hadto review for June.