MORE DETAILS
Results from Second Appeal
Park staff and contracted engineers gave the following reasons for making no revisions to preserve more trees:
A. The Beltine overlay requires replacing the 19 large trees on Boulevard with a wide sidewalk.
B. Fill dirt placed over roots would kill the trees, and the nail wall location would damage roots.
C. The trees on the sides of the deck will be replaced with large embankments and dirt storage.
Action Item Details
1.) Contact the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Mayor's office and request that they file a “Beltline Administrative Variation” with Atlanta City Zoning to avoid replacing the trees on Boulevard with a wide sidewalk. They already have a wide sidewalk planned 30 feet away, plus the side of Fort Walker and the front yards further south prevent a wide sidewalk from continuing to the Beltline.
2.) Contact Beltline Atlanta to revise the sidewalk ordinance to help other neighborhoods protect large canopy trees. Ask them to contact the city on behalf of Grant Park. The city granted Topgolf Atlanta an exception to preserve their trees. Make it easier for neighborhoods to have a voice.
3.) Contact Atlanta Parks and Recreation and request that only a traffic light and crosswalk be added at Ormewood Avenue. Avoid a new street into the park at Ormewood. Use the existing entry point by Fort Walker to connect to the lower deck level. Doing so will allow the deck to be extended south to align an Ormewood bike route with the deck surface and a path into the park, freeing up space to move the nail wall away from tree roots on Boulevard. A crosswalk at Ormewood without traffic will significantly increase safety while preserving the oldest tree in Grant Park across from Ormewood Avenue.
4.) Request that planners connect Confederate Ave to the upper deck level to add connecting pathways for bikes and strollers, along with wheelchair access to all four levels from the Bowl. Doing so will resolve pedestrian connectivity concerns documented by the Atlanta Urban Design Commission.
5.) Request that the city avoid a large stairway into the park at Confederate Ave. Use a path instead to avoid adding a large amount of dirt on the side of the Bowl. Request terraces with pathways to create entry points for wheelchairs and golf carts at all deck levels. Include east-west bike connectivity from Confederate Avenue to the lake.
6.) Request that planners give special attention to preserving the large trees at the entry corners. The large oak at the Confederate Ave corner is the symbol of the Summer Shade Festival, and the even larger oak at Ormewood Ave has the biggest diameter in the neighborhood!
7.) Request that fill dirt be 3' or less over the tree roots along Boulevard and that the nail will be moved further away from the tree roots by extending the deck to the south. Request creative solutions like an elevated music area by the Boulevard trees to protect the tree roots.
City contacts to make requests to:
- Kasim Reed, Mayor of Atlanta
- Carla Smith, District 1 Atlanta Representative
- Amy Phuong, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation
- Doug Voss, Director of Parks and Recreation
Also send send concerns to gpgateway@atlantaga.gov
Email sent to the address above will be used by the city as input for the community meeting:
Saturday, Oct 14, 11am to 12:30pm
Georgia Hill Neighborhood Center
250 Georgia Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
An alternative traffic flow plan for protecting trees and improving connectivity for bikes and strollers was presented by Grant Park resident Loren Heyns at the second hearing.
View renderings and tree locations at Neighborhood.org
Please donate to help us cover the upcoming legal expenses. And please share widely.