NPU-B approves land-use, zoning changes that pave way for new East Andrews mixed-use development

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Camden Properties has wonapproval from Neighborhood Planning Unit-B of land use and zoning changes thatpave the way for phase 2 of its planned mixed-use residential/retail developmenton the 30-acre site that formerly was The Paces Apartments on East AndrewsDrive between Roswell and West Paces Ferry roads.

And, although to datethe only visible activity on the property has been demolition of the old PacesApartments, the new owners told BuckheadView construction of the newdevelopment likely will begin before the end of the year—possibly this month.

 NPU-B Zoning Committee Chair Bill Murray, left to right, and committee
member Bob Connally, along with Andrea Bennett, chair of  Development
& Transportation Committee listen to the Camden Properties requests. 

The first approval cameduring NPU-B’s joint meeting of its Zoning and Development & Transportationcommittees Oct. 30 and that was affirmed  during the full NPU board meeting Tuesdaynight (Nov. 6) as part of the consent agendas for both committees.  
The approval was basedon certain conditions being worked out between the developer and adjacentneighborhoods.
The first action takenwas to change the land use element of the city’s 2011 Comprehensive DevelopmentPlan (CDP) to re-designate both Tract One and Tract Three of the propertylocated at 77 Andrews Drive in Buckhead from low and medium density residentialto low density commercial use.  
The two tracts inquestion were 5 acres at the corner of East Andrews Drive and West Paces FerryRoad, which is Tract One, and the 11.5 acres that form the corner at EastAndrews Drive and Roswell Road, which is Tract Three.

The development plan shows the 5-acre tract at bottom at the cornerof West Paces Ferry Road and East Andrews Drive, the 11.5-acretract at the top, at the corner of Roswell Road and East Andrews,and the residential tract in the middle of the 30-acre site. 

The developers hadrequested that the two sites be re-designated as low-density mixed-use, but thecity instead advertised the change to low-density commercial, which , accordingto Camden’s attorney Carl Westmoreland, also allows the developer to do what itwants, which is to put residential stacks on top of the retail in bothlocations.
The second set ofactions approved were to change the zoning of the two tracts from RG-2 and RG-3to SPI-9 Sub Area 2 and SPI-9 Sub Area 3. SPI-9 is the Special Public InterestDistrict that encompasses much of the old Buckhead Village commercial area ,but does not actually  presently includethe Camden property. The development restrictions in SPI-9 are more demanding and include an emphasis on walkability and streetscapes. .
The center part of the30-acre site had previously gone through all of the necessary city processes forrezoning from RG-3 to RG-4 and will be occupied only by residential apartment buildings.The developer told BuckheadView on Oct. 30 the plans are to begin constructionof those buildings before the end of the year—possibly this month.
The approval of the developer’splans for that center section of the property came with 23-26 conditions onpetition from the residents in the Valley Road neighborhood that backs up tothe rear of the property.

The architectural rendering above shows the style of the buildings that
Camden Properties plans for the residential part of the development
on East Andrews Drive. The townhomes in foreground front directly
on East Andrews Drive, with taller residential buildings behind.  

Those same neighborshave asked the developer to be more specific on conditions for the two endpieces as well. Westmoreland explained that they initially were not as specificon the usage of the 5-acre tract at East Andrews and West Paces.
The development teamexplained to the NPU-B committees that a two-story bank and office building isplanned for 2 of the 5 acres and they plan for 2 stories of offices aboveretail on the other 3 acres. Structured parking would be under 25 feet high.

At Tuesday night's NPU-B board meeting there still remained some minor items on which the adjacent neighborhood wanted clarification and more precise commitment, Westmoreland told the board. However, he said the points dealt mainly with what was going to be developed on the 3-acre site and were minor and that they would be worked out in a new document that would be ready for signing on Wednesday. 

Carl Westmoreland

NPU-B board chair Sally Silver said, that she understands there is agreement between the developer and the neighbors. But she said she would be at the Zoning Review Board meeting and would address any problems at that time if the agreement is not reached. 

On the 11.5-acre tract,which has frontage on both East Andrews and Roswell Road, the developer plansfor high-rise residential with retail on the street level. The total heightwould be 10 stories, but the land drops off dramatically from Roswell Road, sothe height on the Roswell Road frontage would not be that high, explainedCannon Reynolds, senior associate of Niles Bolton Associates the architects onthe project.
On the Roswell Roadportion of the tract, which goes all the way up to the Peachtree RoadPresbyterian Church property, there would be a signaled street cut for adriveway across the street from the Gramercy Apartments, which would includeleft-hand turn lanes.

NPU-B chair Sally Silver

There would be no streetparking along Roswell Road. However, the metered street parking that presentlyexists on East Andrews would remain.
Westmoreland pointed outthat there are two specific conditions the developer has agreed to, related tothe retail tracts. There will be no bars or nightclubs allowed on these retailsites. Second, there is a prohibition on allowing use of the parking areas forthis retail by bars in the West Village area.
During the Oct. 30meeting with the committees, NPU-B chair Sally Silver commended the developerfor agreeing to a large buffer and SPI-9 streetscape requirements early on inthe process. She said it is a testament to Camden’s plans and involvement inthe community that retailers currently located across East Andrews have toldher they are looking to move into this development.