The ACC Commission has delayed voting on a proposed redevelopment of the Homewood Hills shopping center on Jefferson Road. Their non-decision comes after over 45 minutes of public comment about the proposal, with people speaking both for and against.
Carter, a real estate developer based in Atlanta, is proposing the construction of two five-story apartment buildings and eight townhomes on the 16 acre shopping center lot. These apartments would replace the west end of the property (where La Parilla and other stores are located), while the rest of the shopping center (around the Dollar General Market) would remain mostly as is, with some cosmetic improvement. La Parilla would be moved to an outbuilding on the property’s north end (building C in drawing below).
Jack Murphy, the chief investment officer at Carter, told the commission that his firm is unable to completely redevelop the property at this time due to certain constraints, which include long-term lease agreements with some of the commercial tenants. A Georgia Power transmission line bisecting the property imposes further development restraints.
Therefore, Carter proposes two phases of redevelopment. If approved, the first phase would be a binding plan that the commission would need to change, years or decades from now, before a theoretical second phase could proceed. Importantly, Carter is proposing to build all of the residential density allowable by code in the first phase, packing it into the parcel’s west end. This means there may not be a sufficient financial incentive for them to proceed with the second phase. Since there is no guarantee that the second phase would happen, ACC planning staff have recommended denial of the proposal.
Staff are also recommending denial because of the lack of adequate sewer infrastructure in the area, the lack of a future greenway connection built into the proposal and the auto-centric nature of the development itself. Furthermore, the large apartment buildings proposed are very close to homes in the existing Homewood Hills neighborhood, which some neighbors do not appreciate.
To address the lack of sewer infrastructure, the developer has proposed a timed-release holding tank which would “allow sewer release at non-peak hours and periods of rainfall to avoid line capacity constraints.” This sewage storage tank would be privately maintained with some oversight from the ACC Public Utilities department.
The public weighs in
About twenty Athens residents spoke during public comment at Tuesday’s commission meeting. Speakers held mixed opinions which skewed in opposition to the redevelopment proposal. Residents expressed concerns about traffic congestion, the lack of adequate sewer infrastructure and a fear that the developer might not follow through with phase two, or that phase two would be unacceptable to them.
“Please don’t be steamrolled by voting for the unknown,” warned Dr. Carol Hubbard, resident of Homewood Hills. “It’s easy to come and say, ‘this is going to be great.’ That’s nothing but hot air until we actually see the plans [for phase two].”
“As a neighbor and an urban planner, I think we need a project that’s capable of really transforming this site into a pedestrian-friendly town center,” said Grace Tuschak. “There’s no guarantee [of phase two], particularly if they’re allowed to max out the residential density for the entire site during phase one…Many of us also feel that five stories is simply the wrong scale and that 200 plus units will generate a lot of additional traffic and discourage biking and walking.”
But not everyone living nearby was opposed to the redevelopment.
“I believe these plans are as good as we are going to get,” said Georgianna Ingram. “These are high-end apartments and high-end retail…My concern is that, if this development is not approved, no other high-end developer is going to come in and look at this piece of property.”
Commission discussion
Commissioner Dexter Fisher, who represents the area, kicked off the commission discussion by making a motion to approve the redevelopment. He worried that the Homewood Hills shopping center would continue to deteriorate — perhaps for years or decades — if this redevelopment proposal was not approved.
“What I see is a deteriorating shopping center,” Fisher said. “If this [vote] fails, then what happens moving forward? Does it sit for another five, ten, fifteen years? The space continues to deteriorate. You start losing tenants, then you have an empty space.”
Fisher’s proposal was seconded by Commissioner John Culpepper but was not otherwise met with much support. Commissioner Melissa Link then made an alternate proposal to delay the decision by a month, primarily so she could gain a better understanding of the sewer infrastructure issue.
“I understand that there are pretty substantial constraints to this property and it is desperately in need of revitalization. I’m not necessarily opposed to the density,” Link said. “What’s really getting me right now is that I don’t have a full understanding of the sewage issue. I don’t want to see the public saddled with a desperate need for sewer line improvements…I think there are a handful of unanswered questions before we can make an informed decision on this.”
Commissioner Mike Hamby spoke up against delaying the vote, saying that there was no need to cause concerned members of the neighborhood to attend additional meetings to continue expressing their disapproval.
“I’m wondering if tabling it tonight is fair to the neighbors who are here and who have been at three previous planning commission meetings to talk about this project,” Hamby said. He continued, explaining why he opposed the redevelopment. “How is it that we’re voting on a planned development when we don’t have a full plan? … Part of the [reason for] doing a planned development is that the neighbors understand what’s going to happen, not only tomorrow, but five or ten years from now. It’s not fair to the neighbors.”
Link’s motion for delay passed 6-4, with Fisher, Culpepper, Hamby and Commissioner Tiffany Taylor voting no.
The vote on the Homewood Hills shopping center is now scheduled for January 6.
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