Walmart at Lindbergh? (Buckhead: neighborhood, live, zoning)

[atltechdude]

Originally Posted by Mishap

Wow, that's a heinous development. The folks at Cosmopolitan just can't catch a break. First it was Skyline and now it's this horrid expansion of the Sidney Marcus/Piedmont big-box-athon all the way through the Hispanic apartments.

That area needs redevelopment but Walmart isn't exactly the tenant to push for transit oriented development. I'd say I'd like to see some townhouses/condos there but it's pretty clear that Eon showed residential doesn't work that well around here.

Also condo development is a bit stagnant right now because of the stricter financing hurdles for new buyers. Apartments are going to be seeing a lot of growth I think.

[Adric]

I don't want a a Wal Mart here. The Wal Mart on Howell Mill is not far - about 10 minutes and Wal Marts always bring in horrible traffic with them. This area is already congested so I can only imagine.

I had always imagined low rise offices, apartments, or maybe some sort of small international market going in that site. The eastern side of Piedmont at Lindbergh has really had a harder time getting the redevelopment finished since the crash of 2007. I really hope the TSPLOST passes and the Piedmont corridor gets its redevelopment underway.

http://www.buckheadcid.com/wp-conten...mendations.pdf

[Mishap]

^You're telling me. I'm approaching the two month mark on getting my 30->15yr refi on my condo done. Appraisal came in fine a month ago keeping me below 80%LTV as well as credit, income verification, etc but apparently my paycheck covering 3 weeks (53 wks in '12) was cause for alarm since I'm making more money this year than I told them. Can't imagine how rough it must be for someone trying to buy w/ marginal credit/down.

This area is definitely in need of some more high density/middle end rental. Not sure they really need another big box retailer adjacent to Target. They ought to do a Plaza Midtown style Publix w/ some more dining options. Maybe only go 15 stories but just something beyond 10 acres of asphalt parking to go w/ the 100 acres already next door. Wouldn't mind some decent townhomes coming online just about time for me to upgrade too. I work at Lindbergh and I've grown so weary of the horribly limited food choices as well. You can only walk to Tin Drum/Chick-Fil-A so many times. The City Center train holds so much promise since it is so convenient.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I can understand not wanting a typical suburban Wal-Mart.

However, what a lot of people tend to forget is the shopping center that houses the Home Depot, Target, and Best Buy was absolutely key to redeveloping Lindbergh. Maybe you don't remember what it was like before that?

Maybe a better solution would be one of the more urban Wal-Marts like the one near Howell Mill and I-75, or even the one on Peachtree and Clarimont. They don't eliminate surface parking entirely, but it is minimized.

I'd be ok with it in the following scenario:

1) no surface parking

2) inclusion of much more dense housing

3) inclusion of street level-mixed use retail

4a) They need to continue the Main St concept!; This is the corridor that everyone in these condos, apartments, and temporary executive housing would walk through to get to MARTA (and possibly get a drink at the end of the day).

or

4b) Move the development a couple blocks away, so they don't block the Main St Concept. Perhaps south to where that passion Church is on Garson.

[mattee01]

That particular spot could do well with a nice 8 story anchor building, maybe two or three other buildings, and a small park. The main, large building could take up about a third of the space and have main entrance, offices, and retail on the first three floors and designed according to tenants. The next floor would have building offices, maintaince, fitness center, pool/spas etc. All remaining floors could be apartments and on the roof could be space for any recreational purposes or have a pool/additional pool there. The corner of Morosgo and Adina could have a 5-6 acre park focusing on cook outs and sports such as basketball, football, soccer, etc. Finally, the outer buildings could vary but should most likely be a small-medium grocer and a restaurant or two story shops. As for parking, that could be provided by having an underground two-three story garage and perhaps a portion of it on ground level. There should not be anymore than a total of 2 acres of exposed surface parking for any reason what so ever.

[MathmanMathman]

Honestly, I think a Walmart at Lindbergh would fit right in with what they have now. It used to have a K-Mart and a Walmart would be better.

[mattee01]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Honestly, I think a Walmart at Lindbergh would fit right in with what they have now. It used to have a K-Mart and a Walmart would be better.

With a Target being right across the street, does there really need to be a store that's basically exactly the same in all but name there too? Also you know there's a Walmart right at four miles away right?

[arjay57]

This proposal completely blows off the requirements of the zoning code (SPI-15). How can they do that?

CHAPTER 18O. - SPI 15 LINDBERGH TRANSIT STATION AREA SPECIAL PUBLIC INTEREST DISTRICT REGULATIONS

[ATLTJL]

Put WalMart on Lindbergh Drive sidewalk and have the parking lot behind it would be better. There just doesn't need to be a sea of parking lot between the road and the store's door

I agree with this.

Don't get me wrong, if I lived in that area I would be against Wal-Mart as well. I don't think Wal-Mart is terrible, I don't think it's evil, but it DOES appeal to a low-end demographic and it can draw a bit of a low class clientele. It just does.

Therefore, even though I don't mind Wal-Mart and I go there from time to time.....I don't want it in my back yard. I totally understand why others wouldn't want it either.

I just have the guts to say I don't want all those morons who tie up the self checkout lanes trying to figure out what they can and can't buy using WIC while their 18 month old baby is crying in the cart and their 5 year old is running around a store wild at 2am on a weekday driving around my neighborhood. I'll shop where they shop, but I want it a few miles away from my house. I think most people feel the same way, but they use more politically correct excuses like the traffic it creates and it destroying local businesses.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Don't get me wrong, if I lived in that area I would be against Wal-Mart as well. I don't think Wal-Mart is terrible, I don't think it's evil, but it DOES appeal to a low-end demographic and it can draw a bit of a low class clientele. It just does.

I don't think the people up there are opposed to Walmart. They are just opposed to crappy, suburban style development.

Sally Silver, who chairs NPU B, says she and many residents have high hopes for the area. According to the long-range plan, the area would be served by an improved grid system, new streetscapes, and a park - all features that, when coupled with the nearby transit stop, residents think would attract more residents and improve the area's walkability. The trailhead of the proposed bike trail along Ga. Hwy. 400 would be located just a few blocks away at the end of Adina Drive, she says. A proposed rail spur linking Lindbergh Center to Emory University is among the projects that would be funded with revenues from a regional transportation tax voters will decide on July 31.

"It could be a vibrant area and more like the long-range plan we wanted it to be, with parkspace, active street life, people living there, shops," says Silver. "There are better ways to do it without a sea of parking lots."

Residents are urging the developer to avoid replicating suburban big boxes when it comes to designing the shopping center. Among the suggestions: including more housing in the proposal - more than the proposed 240 units - and burying the parking. She stresses the residents' opposition isn't a knee-jerk reaction to the controversial big-box retailer that will most likely set up shop in the 150,000 square-foot store.

"This is not anything against Walmart," Silver says. "This is about a suburban-style development in an urban setting. I don't care whose name is on the building. It needs to be designed in a way that meets urban standards."

She adds: "We are not in the suburbs. We don't need to bring the suburbs back in Atlanta. We need to become the city that Atlanta claims to be."

In addition, Silver and other residents have concerns about what will happen to the people who live in the apartments that would be rezoned and, according to the site plans submitted to the city, torn down to make room for the shopping center and a surface parking lot.

"They'll be displacing a lot of folks, some of whom don't have cars," says Silver.