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Commissioner Jeff Rader
Manuel J. Maloof Center
1300 Commerce Drive
5th Floor
Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 371-2863
jrader@co.dekalb.ga.us
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| Commissioner Rader Update |
| Aug 28, 2008 |
Comprehensive Plan: The Big Picture
by Jeff Rader
In a previous update, I discussed the importance of zoning decisions to protect established neighborhoods while allowing for thoughtful growth (see July 23 Commissioner Update). Ultimately, zoning applications should not be evaluated simply in the context of a single parcel of land, but must be considered in relation to their foreseeable impact on the surrounding community.
That is why it is essential to have a comprehensive plan that encompasses the characteristics and goals of DeKalb County. The Georgia Planning Act requires that all jurisdictions the size of DeKalb County have a comprehensive plan, one that is updated at least every 10 years.
The comprehensive plan consists of three components: Community Assessment, Community Participation, and Community Agenda. The first, Community Assessment, is basically an analysis of statistical data. Community participation outlines the means used to solicit public input for the comprehensive plan. Lastly, Community Agenda outlines the goals and specific strategies to achieve such goals.
The current version of DeKalb County's comprehensive plan, approved in 2007, incorporates new planning district classifications, suggested by the state, that are based on land use and character areas.
Whereas previous plans assigned specific-use classifications such as Low Intensity Commercial, High Intensity Commercial, Office Mixed Use to each parcel of land, the current plan uses character areas such as Traditional Neighborhood, Neighborhood Center, Town Center and Regional Center to describe generalized land use patterns within a district. The distinction among those character areas is primarily the density of use, the intended-user market area, and the level of required infrastructure. Other character areas serve a narrow purpose and are more self-explanatory, such as Office Park, Industrial, and Highway Corridor.
The biggest change in the plan's orientation is the recognition of mixed-use which is becoming more prevalent in urban development. The old classifications were set up for pockets of single use in a specified area, and relying on vehicle transportation to get from one pocket to another. As DeKalb has transitioned from a fringe to a core location, with changes in demographic and economic conditions, its residents want to rely less on vehicular mobility and more on neighborhood destinations to serve their needs.
Using the "character area" concept, the comprehensive plan encourages future development in nodes or activity centers, places that can incorporate the "live, work, and play" concept. The comprehensive plan is not meant to propose major development changes, only to identify the best places for future development.
It also identifies areas to be preserved in their current development pattern. Because DeKalb is a mature area, these preservation districts are largely suburban neighborhoods where many of us live now. For the approximately 80 percent of DeKalb County that is composed of low-density, single-family neighborhoods, the comprehensive plan is restrictive to further development.
Another recent change related to the comprehensive plan is that proposed modifications, as proposed by private interests or the county, are reviewed only twice a year. Previously, the comprehensive plan was subject to review whenever requested. Often those requests were submitted in conjunction with rezoning applications for the same land, thus undermining the integrity of the plan.
By scaling back the County's review process to twice a year (March and September), developers are forced to contemplate whether they would be better off building in areas already designated for such type of development.
Currently, three applications have been submitted for this September requesting changes to the comprehensive plan in District Two. One is to reclassify the Executive Park office complex (on North Druid Hills Road near I-85), from Major Employment to Town Center. The second is to expand the Town Center area at Toco Hill to include the Williamsburg Village (on North Druid Hills Road near Clairmont Road). The third is to expand the Toco Hills town center designation to include land along North Druid Hills near LaVista Road.
When a developer requests a change to the comprehensive plan, the entire area is analyzed, not just the piece of property within the proposed revision. It is incumbent upon the applicant to show that unique objectives in the public interest can be achieved in the proposed area rather than elsewhere.
Any reclassification of character areas should ensure that subsequent development, if any, has a compatible use that does not create an adverse effect on any surrounding neighborhoods. Any subsequent zoning applications within that character area are subject to review, separate from the comprehensive plan process, in accordance with the county guidelines.
One limitation to the comprehensive plan is that it presents guiding principles for future development but not much in the way of specific details. The plan uses generic descriptions and does not offer sufficient details to serve as a master plan for possible development in the appropriate areas.
The county would benefit from having the capacity to produce master plans for specific areas where higher-density development is encouraged. Such planning would be for the 20 percent of the county that is designated for high-density use, namely the neighborhood centers, town centers, regional centers and highway corridors. At a minimum, the county should adopt more detailed, place-specific plans for these areas while proposals for plan amendments are reviewed.
One example of such planning is the Quad Area Study (North Druid Hills Road and Briarcliff Road intersection), which created a model for the public realm and transportation network in that area. Those recommendations were subsequently used as a blueprint for the proposed redevelopment of the Executive Park office complex, whose plans will eventually be submitted for the county's review.
One means to achieve planning for specific areas is the Livable Centers Initiative (LCI), which provides grant funding from the Atlanta Regional Commission for such studies. There are a limited number of LCI grants, about 10, available each year on a competitive basis.
Last year, DeKalb County applied for, but did not win, two LCI grants in District Two, one on behalf of the LaVista-Lindbergh Corridor and the other for the LaVista area between Clairmont Road and the Northlake shopping district. The former was later accepted for funding from the Georgia Conservancy through its "Blueprints for Successful Communities" program.
This year, responding to the proposed plan amendments, the county has submitted an LCI application on behalf of the Toco Hill community. This is an area that is attracting more attention from potential developers and has evolving needs because of its increasing number of senior citizens (see June 26 Commissioner Update). This is a good time to begin the planning process so the public can formulate a long-term vision for the area. [As of this posting, there is no word on whether the Toco Hills LCI grant has been accepted.]
To view DeKalb County's current comprehensive plan, visit the web site for the county planning department.
http://www.co.dekalb.ga.us/planning/mainPage.html
Click on the "Comp Plan" link on the top navigation bar.
(Commissioner Jeff Rader represents District Two on DeKalb County's Board of Commissioners. He was elected to the position in 2006 for a four-year term.) |
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