Draft Dunwoody Comprehensive Plan - Mar 17

Transcript

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mayor and City Council Ken Wright, Mayor Denis Shortal, Post 1 Adrian Bonser, Post 2 Tom Taylor, Post 3 Robert Wittenstein, Post 4 Danny Ross, Post 5 John Heneghan, Post 6 Dunwoody Citizens Dunwoody City Staff Warren Hutmacher, City Manager Rebecca Blanford, Planning Coordinator Kimberly Greer, Assistant to the City Manager Chief Billy Grogan, Chief of Police Howard Koontz, City Planner Michael Lockett, I.T. Manager Chris Pike, Finance Director Michael Smith, Public Works Director Mike Tuller/Jennifer Peterson, Community Development Director Steering Committee Al Alberghini Pattie Baker Ray Dankberg Bill Grant Bill Grossman Renate Herod Barbara Koehler Bob Lundsten Robert Miller Queenie Ross Doug Thompson Yvonne Williams Consultants Pond & Company ARCADIS Ross and Associates REVISED 03.17.10 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF PLANNING PROCESS ................................................................ 3 SECTION I. COMMUNITY VISION ............................................................................................. 5 City-wide Vision Statement ........................................................................... 5 Future Development Map and Character Area Narrative ..................... 6 Georgetown-Shallowford Road .................................................... 9 Jett Ferry Gateway ........................................................................ 12 Tilly Mill Gateway ........................................................................... 13 Winters Chapel ............................................................................... 14 Perimeter Center ........................................................................... 15 Dunwoody Village ......................................................................... 24 Institutional/ Campus .................................................................... 27 Office ............................................................................................... 28 Suburban Neighborhood ............................................................. 29 Multi-Family/Mixed-Use ................................................................. 30 Future Development Areas: Quality Community Objectives ................ 32 FINAL LIST OF ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES............................................................... 36 SECTION II. SECTION III. POLICIES AND GOALS ......................................................................................... 40 SECTION IV. IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM ................................................................................ 52 Long Term Programs (beyond 5-year STWP time frame) ........................ 52 Short Term Work Program ............................................................................ 65 Attachment I: Dunwoody Green Communities Certification Checklist ......................................................................................................... 67 SECTION V. PARTICIPATION SUMMARY .................................................................................... 72 -1- REVISED 03.17.10 MAPS & FIGURES FIGURE 1: Future Development Map ............................................................................. 8 FIGURE 2: Design elements envisioned for the Georgetown-Shallowford area ..... 9 FIGURE 3: Appropriate transitions: change in building heights, strategic parking and buffers ....................................................................................................................... 10 FIGURE 4: Example sketch of the types of land use and amenities appropriate within the Georgetown-Shallowford Corridor Area .................................................. 11 FIGURE 5: Perimeter Center LCI Framework Plan: development types .................. 17 FIGURE 6: Development Opportunities ........................................................................ 18 FIGURE 7: Plan-view Perimeter Center Parkway Build- Out with Linear Park and Green Space ................................................................................................................... 19 FIGURE 8: Transit Village Vision: Perimeter Focus: Envisioning a New Atlanta Center Update (LCI 2005).............................................................................................. 20 FIGURE 9: Development Opportunities, Transitional Zone (p 49, LCI Update 2005) ........................................................................................................................................... 22 FIGURE 10: Dunwoody Village will feature buildings close to the street, an active pedestrian zone with bicycle options that are safe and inviting. ........................... 25 FIGURE 11: Results of Community Workshop: New Parks, Priority Destinations, City Hall and Police ................................................................................................................ 46 FIGURE 12: Results of Community Workshop: Priority Destinations and Bicycle Connections .................................................................................................................... 48 TABLES Table 1. Summary of Tax Based Financing Methods ................................................ 57 -2- REVISED 03.17.10 C OMMUNIT Y AG E NDA INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF PLANNING PROCESS The City of Dunwoody has completed the process of creating its first Comprehensive Plan. The Community Development Department led the effort of coordinating goals and policies across city departments, and a Steering Committee served as an advisory role both in soliciting public input and reviewing draft documents. A team of consultants facilitated meetings and prepared drafts, as directed by city staff. The Comprehensive Planning effort contemplates the 2010-2030 planning period and has been completed per the Rules of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA), O.C.G.A. Chapter 110-12-1, effective May 1, 2005. It establishes a long-range vision and commits the City to a short-term action plan. DCA rules state the format of the Comprehensive Planning process consists of three distinct components as follows: Community Assessment Community Participation Community Agenda Summary of existing conditions with supporting data and maps Program for providing public input opportunities Policy goals and strategies for plan implementation The Community Agenda is the heart of the Comprehensive Plan; it articulates the community vision for a 20-year planning period and provides the policy that guides land-use decision making. It also specifies the short-term (five-year timeframe) strategies by which the community intends to pursue its vision. The Community Agenda is based largely on input derived from the community during the process of citizen involvement as outlined in the Community Participation Program. A Steering Committee met regularly to help draft the Community Agenda and balance the various viewpoints expressed during the public input process. Over a ten-month period, the City of Dunwoody conducted ten community meetings to identify issues and opportunities and to define future development for different neighborhoods in the City, defined as Character Areas. Five of the meetings focused on the Character Areas where public input indicated change was most desired or pressure for change was likely to occur. During these meetings, residents were most concerned with the traffic impacts of any change of future development activities. They also emphasized the need to retain the two-lane road character of the City. While consensus emerged regarding the overall vision of the City – achieving more connectivity, walk-ability, green space and community gathering places and amenities -- there were very divergent viewpoints about ways to achieve those changes. Ultimately, the -3- REVISED 03.17.10 Steering Committee recommended to promote change in strategic areas such as the Georgetown area and in Dunwoody Village, but addressed concerns about impacts through defining transition rules (buffers, building height limits) and requiring functional green space should an exceptional, mixed-use project be proposed to transform these areas into the vision that the community desires. Furthermore, where appropriate, Character Area descriptions set parameters for innovative parking and analysis of traffic impacts. The Community Agenda contains three substantive sections, which include required and optional components of the DCA planning standards: the Community Vision, Issues and Opportunities, Policies and an Implementation Program. These sections were developed through a process of community participation, relying upon the base-line data and map generated for the Community Assessment (see both the Executive Summary and Technical Appendix). The Character Areas are located within the Community Vision section. The Comprehensive Plan documents the Dunwoody Community Vision through the tool of a Future Development Map (FDM) and the description of each Character Area defining land use, building form and site design. Together, the map and the intent described for each Character Area comprise the official land use policy that the city zoning ordinance must aim to implement; this policy framework must be referenced for individual land-use decisions to be valid. In addition, however, the Community Agenda establishes a set of policies regarding transportation, population and housing, community facilities, economic development, natural and cultural resources, and intergovernmental coordination that also inform land use – as well as other decisions such as infrastructure and capital improvement planning. The Implementation Program includes a Short-Term Work Program (STWP) and on-going programs to structure long-range activities. The STWP serves to prioritize the goals and objectives that emerged through the Comprehensive Plan process. As a five-year strategic plan, it assigns benchmarks and tasks to specific city agencies and departments and, when appropriate, also assigns cost estimates. The City of Dunwoody will update the STWP annually in conjunction with its annual budget process so that Council members review the City’s progress in conjunction with the STWP schedule, revisit priorities determined within the STWP, and subsequently allocate or re-allocate resources accordingly. Through the annual update, the STWP will be extended one year and stay current. It will also help the City identify any necessary amendments to the Comprehensive Plan in the interim years prior to a full update (conducted every 10 years). Dunwoody’s STWP is also organized to serve as a management tool so that department heads can establish workload priorities and revisit these priorities with future City Councils. A minor amendment may be made at any time by Council; a major amendment requires notifying ARC and DCA, as well as a public hearing process. -4- REVISED 03.17.10 SECTION I. COMMUNITY VISION The community vision paints a picture of what the City of Dunwoody desires to become during the 20-year planning period from 2010 to 2030. It provides a description of the development patterns expected by the City and under what conditions certain development may be appropriate. Through a series of public meetings and workshops, Dunwoody residents and other stakeholders considered the character of different areas of the City; each character area is delineated on the City’s Future Development Map (described below) and has a vision associated with it to guide future decisions regarding land use and design. This section begins with a generalized vision statement for the entire City, then presents the Future Development Map, and establishes land use and design policy via supporting text and illustrations for each character area in the City. City-wide Vision Statement The City of Dunwoody showcases its “big city appeal with small town feel” from the moment you cross its gateways. Through its unique, high-quality character as a safe, comfortable and thriving place to live, work, shop and play, the City of Dunwoody preserves the past, promotes economic vitality, protects the residential nature of its neighborhoods, presents viable options as a place to live through all stages of life and ability, and prepares for the future through:   Historical designation designed to save, restore, and promote our heritage properties Continued high-quality development of the Perimeter business area designed to promote the economic engine of the City while enhancing convenience to products and services for our citizens Conservative, conscientious redevelopment of our other commercial nodes designed to enhance the quality of life of our residential neighborhoods Development of a variety of living options designed for all stages of life and ability Increased connectivity, enhanced transportation options—including bicycle and pedestrian, expanded functional greenspace and park ownership designed to improve the health, vitality and recreational enjoyment of our City’s businesses and residents and the long-term sustainability of our City    In 2030, the City of Dunwoody will continue to offer a small town experience, with metropolitan access. Capitalizing on its location – direct access onto Atlanta’s perimeter I-285 and minutes from Interstate 85 and Georgia 400, the City draws corporate offices and education centers whose employees enjoy the charm of Historic downtown. Master planning efforts coordinated with the Dunwoody City Council, major property owners, and investors throughout Dunwoody will transform areas into more efficient and attractive corridors. Additionally, the City will create gateway areas which give Dunwoody visitors and residents a distinct sense of arrival. -5- REVISED 03.17.10 Future Development Map and Character Area Narrative The Future Development Map and associated narrative below emerged from a series of ten community meetings (see Section V for the public participation summary). This section establishes the vision and intent for each character area. Starting from a character area map prepared for the Community Assessment, the steering committee and community meeting participants refined the boundaries and established parameters for the type of future development desired. The Future Development Map (FDM) delineates the boundaries of each character area. It is a visual representation of the City’s future development policy. Interpretation of the map is provided in the supporting text to be considered along with the City’s zoning, the Quality Community Objectives and other local policies when decision-makers consider land development questions or requests. The supporting text provides written and graphic description of the types, forms, styles and patterns of development that the City will encourage in each area via implementation measures, primarily zoning. The specific land use and other character features described will inform the preparation of zoning districts appropriate for each character area, with regulations concerning permitted and conditional land use, as well as criteria for urban design, environmental sustainability, connectivity, and infrastructure requirements. The Short Term Work Program identifies updating zoning and development regulations as an action for the Community Development Department. The City of Dunwoody has added to its STWP a category of “type” to identify specific measures (regulations, investments, master plans) and has also prepared a set of longrange programs to detail the measures that the City will undertake to implement the vision and goals documented below. Furthermore, three sub-area plans adopted or supported by the City fall within character area boundaries found here, specifically: the Perimeter Livable Centers Initiative Study (LCI) and the two master plans programmed for 2010 - the Georgetown/Shallowford Master Plan and the Dunwoody Village Revitalization Master Plan. As a City near full build-out, Dunwoody will experience change incrementally (lot by lot) in the majority of the City. Three areas, however, are likely to experience market pressure for redevelopment or are locations where the City intends to provide incentives for revitalization, and rules for both types of change need to be established. The community desires that the majority of its land use – that dedicated to Stable Suburban Neighborhoods – remains the same. The other development types described below can be defined similarly by use: Multifamily/Mixed-Use, Institutional, Regional Activity Center, Village Center, and Neighborhood Commercial. However, the Future Development Map names the different characters primarily based on the location – such as street names or historical reference, to give it geographic context. -6- REVISED 03.17.10 The character areas shown in the Future Development Map are: Perimeter Center Dunwoody Village Georgetown-Shallowford Road Winters Chapel Redevelopment Area Jett Ferry Gateway Tilly Mill Gateway Suburban Neighborhood Multi-Family/Mixed-Use Community Facility/Water Treatment Institutional/Campus Office The supporting narrative provides policy direction for regulating future scale, design, and use to create an overall character as defined by an orienting “vision.” Where appropriate, statements for policy and goals are also established. Section III Policy and Goals supplement these with citywide policies and long-range programs. The City’s eleven character areas are identified by name and the color used on the map. No vision or development standards needed to be developed for the Community Facility/Water Treatment site, as this use will remain unchanged and maintained by the water treatment facility. -7- REVISED 03.17.10 FIGURE 1: Future Development Map -8- REVISED 03.17.10 Georgetown-Shallowford Road Vision/Intent By 2030, this area will redevelop into a pedestrianoriented activity center with medium-scaled intensity of activity. A mix of commercial, office and high-end shopping integrated with multifamily as an accessory use, or as a primary use for senior living. Redevelopment will incorporate functional open space and greenways and preserve single-family homes. Ideally, this area includes a community center where senior and youth activities achieve the City’s desire to be a “lifelong community,” allowing options for aging in place. Multi-use paths and transit options will invite alternative transportation modes and greater connectivity; new pedestrian options will link area to Perimeter Center. It focuses more intense development along I-285 with transitions to adjacent residential subdivisions. Redevelopment takes advantage of the planned neighborhood transit station. FIGURE 2: Design elements envisioned for the Georgetown-Shallowford area -9- REVISED 03.17.10 Future Development Intent • Height: o o 2-3 stories along the border of character area where adjacent to Suburban Residential Character For interior section of the Character Area, 5 stories maximum anticipated, but potentially up to 8 stories if and only if project proposal provides appropriate amenities such as civic spaces for assembly, public functional green space, streetscape improvements, internal grid patterns, innovative parking solutions and way-finding signage. Until such time as the City establishes amenity criteria for zoning and development regulations that can implement this vision, an applicant should indicate with site-plan-specific drawings how their project meets the vision and intent Heights and densities will transition downward as development moves west along I285 and towards the adjacent Suburban Character areas o • Form: • Buildings and site design organized to take advantage of transit Characterized by transitions to adjacent uses (step down of building heights, buffers) Public functional green space and connectivity Innovative parking solutions including underground options and pedestrian oriented features such as wrap-around parking, landscaping, and a senior-friendly environment o High quality materials such as stone and brick mix characterize architectural treatments Uses: Appropriate uses include a mix of quality, public space (plazas, pocket-parks) and Civic Institutional uses, Commercial, Office, Mixed-Use with residential components accommodating the creation of a lifelong community: o o o o o Residential Density: Up to 18 units to the acre for a mix of condominium and townhouse, only on the interior and along I-285; up to 30 units to the acre for agerestricted, senior housing only on the interior of the character area; 12 units to the acre elsewhere but require 2 story maximum and transitions along border of suburban character area Commercial: Big-box retail is not appropriate (75,000 square foot or greater) o FIGURE 3: Appropriate transitions: change in building heights, strategic parking and buffers - 10 - REVISED 03.17.10 FIGURE 4: Example sketch of the types of land use and amenities appropriate within the GeorgetownShallowford Corridor Area (example only; actual locations will vary) Goals • Land Use and Development o Re-development projects demonstrate appropriate transitions between intense uses and adjacent neighborhoods; transitions include gradual increases only in height-plane, buffers and landscaping and intensity of uses o City prepares a Master Plan detailing parcel-specific vision that promotes investment to redevelop the hospital site and Shallowford Road corridor o Incorporate sustainable building and site development practices o Mixed-age residential including active-adult housing and a range of continuing care options near new public amenities Transportation o Neighborhood scale transit station potential location in Georgetown incorporated into redevelopment projects with safe and inviting access and reducing need to rely on automobile as primary transportation o Bicycle and pedestrian connectivity provided throughout character area, and all new destinations facilitate this by providing bicycle parking • - 11 - REVISED 03.17.10 Jett Ferry Gateway Vision/Intent Neighborhood-scale commercial node focused on providing a unique destination for surrounding residents, creating a pedestrian friendly environment through multi-use paths, streetscape, and well-designed parking areas and vehicular access. Cohesive architectural design and streetscaping will define gateways into the City of Dunwoody. A unifying design feature such as way-finding signage or city marker will link the gateway with the rest of the City. Future Development • Height: Maximum 3 stories • Form: Jett Ferry node with buildings oriented towards the three major commercial roads (Mount Vernon Road, Dunwoody Club Drive and Jett Ferry Road); public functional green space; new development will carefully consider parking; high quality building and landscaping materials; pedestrian and bicycle friendly streets with way-finding signage and/or public art Uses: Retail use, neighborhood-scale commercial (no large-scale retail “big-box”); mixeduse, allowing residential up to 8 units to the acre • Goals • Land Use and Economic Development o Establish gateway with features that define “arrival” to City of Dunwoody o Fill the vacancy of the Ace Hardware o Re-orient site layout to reduce surface parking and create public plaza o Retain quality materials and landscaping Public art helps create sense of place Quality materials establish orderliness but not necessarily character or sense of place - 12 - REVISED 03.17.10 Tilly Mill Gateway Vision/Intent Neighborhood-scale commercial node focused on providing neighborhood level services for surrounding residents. Community-scale may be appropriate if providing architectural interest. Cohesive architectural design and streetscaping will define this area as a gateway into the City of Dunwoody. A unifying design feature such as way-finding signage or City marker will link the gateway with the rest of the City. Future Development • Height: Maximum 2 stories • • Form: High quality building and landscaping materials, potentially add signage to unify, functional greenspace, pedestrian and bicycle friendly street design Uses: Neighborhood-scale retail and commercial; single-family residential no greater than 4 units to the acre Goals • Land use and design o Establish gateway o Improve quality of materials in development • Intergovernmental Coordination o Partner with Gwinnett County and DeKalb County to actualize vision Neighborhood scaled commercial refers to small tenant spaces (less than 30,000 square feet) which are one story in height unless at an intersection, where it may go up to two stories. Businesses serve the immediate neighborhood. Streetscape features maintain the scale with benches, trees greater than 8 feet at planting, onstreet parking and designated parking for scooters and bicycles. All three Gateway areas envision this scale. Community-scale retail or commercial refers to grocery stores, banks and other businesses between 20,000 and 75,000 square feet serving a market area within a threemile radius. - 13 - REVISED 03.17.10 Winters Chapel Vision/Intent Neighborhood-scale commercial node focused on providing neighborhood level services for surrounding residents, with connectivity to functional greenspace and trails along the reservoir and, ultimately, the potential power easement. The City will seek opportunities to integrate this area with the rest of the City through unifying elements of distinctive Dunwoody character. Quality materials and sidewalks characterize the area. Future Development • Height: 2 to 3 story development • • Form: Development should focus on providing public functional green space and buildings with high quality materials Uses: Small office use, commercial and neighborhood shopping, single-family residential no greater than 4 units to the acre; use of streetscape and entrance areas for plazas or other public space Goals • Intergovernmental Coordination o Coordinate with Gwinnett County to promote redevelopment of surrounding area • Land Use and Economic Development o Redevelop older commercial stock o Maintain occupancy and promote public spaces to gather o Build on existing commercial activity to promote community events - 14 - REVISED 03.17.10 Perimeter Center Vision/Intent To create a “livable” regional center with first-class office, retail and high-end restaurants in a pedestrianoriented environment that serves as a regional example of high quality design standards. The City of Dunwoody works in partnership with the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts (P-CIDs) to implement and compliment the framework plan and projects identified in the Perimeter Center Livable Centers Initiative study (LCI) and its five-year updates. By 2030, the area successfully adds public gathering space and pocket parks, continues to create transportation alternatives, mitigates against congestion, and reduces remaining excessive surface parking. The area creates the conditions of possible true “live-work” environment, with a downward trend in the jobs-to-housing ratio from 6.2 in 1990, to 4.5 in 2012 and trending towards 3 or less in the long range. All future development continues to emphasize high quality design standards and building materials. Future Development The boundary of the Character Area designation extends slightly beyond the boundary of the PCIDs/LCI study area to include either existing commercial or to provide a transition where the Character Area abuts adjacent Suburban Character. The locator map also shows where the PCIDs/LCI boundary extends both east into Sandy Springs and into unincorporated DeKalb County, south of I-285. The first section identifies the City’s intent for the area outside the P-CIDs; the subsequent section incorporates components of the LCI framework plan which lie within the City of Dunwoody boundaries. Outside the Perimeter – CIDs/LCI: Development within the Perimeter Center Character Area that abuts the Suburban Character area should demonstrate conformance with the principles of the LCI Transitional Area, albeit at a lower scale, intensity and density. Unless accompanied by an exceptional buffering (for example, 75 - 100 feet wide landscaped buffers, usable open space provisions), density should be no greater than 4-8 units to the acre and commercial should be very low intensity (under 20,000 square feet). - 15 - REVISED 03.17.10 1999 parking lot conditions in the Perimeter Center area 2009 conditions above (outparcel development); the City envisions continuing the trend of converting existing surface parking to better uses, ideally including pocket park and green space Within the Perimeter-CIDs/ LCI study area: In 2000, the Perimeter-CIDs engaged in a Livable Cities Initiative study to craft a vision and strategy for the Fulton and DeKalb Perimeter Community Improvement Districts. This process resulted in a future land use plan that divided the CIDs into defined, development sub-areas -Transitional, High-Density, and Transit Village -- indicated on the Framework Plan below. The City of Dunwoody incorporated these areas as official land use policy, when it adopted the DeKalb County Comprehensive Plan as an interim policy. Where located within the Dunwoody City limits, new development should conform to the intent of these areas, as described in the Perimeter LCI adopted by City Council and summarized below. In 2005, the Perimeter-CIDs went through a process to update the LCI and document growth strategies for each area. The City will partner with the P-CIDs for a 2010 Update and amend this Comprehensive Plan, if appropriate. - 16 - REVISED 03.17.10 A Community Improvement District (CID) is an authorized self-taxing district dedicated to infrastructure improvements within its boundaries. The P- CIDs are governed by two boards – one each for Fulton and DeKalb. The PCIDs spent or leveraged public funds to invest $55 million in Dunwoody alone; over $7 million from ARC’s LCI program was directed to the P-CIDs. This makes it one of the most, if not the most, successful CIDs in the region. The P-CIDs’ mission focuses exclusively on transportation improvements: To work continuously to develop efficient transportation services, with an emphasis on access, mobility, diversification and modernization. FIGURE 5: Perimeter Center LCI Framework Plan: development types Zoned when the area was under unincorporated DeKalb County jurisdiction, several of the parcels located within the City’s character area remain undeveloped. Zoning currently would allow around 5,000 new units within the city limits. As actual market values adjust in the postrecession climate, the City anticipates opportunities to establish development regulations to provide appropriate recreation and open space amenities for the public, especially where open space potential is identified within the Perimeter LCI “Transit Village” and “Transitional” section described further below. - 17 - REVISED 03.17.10 Perimeter Center - Transit Village: FIGURE 6: Development Opportunities - 18 - REVISED 03.17.10 Transit Village Sub-Area: Defined by a half-mile radius around the existing MARTA Stations, the Transit Village area will develop as a high-density urban district promoting a mix of residential, commercial and institutional uses. The LCI update plan cites two reasons for this decision, based on the location of major transit infrastructure which provides opportunities for alternative transportation. Highdensity development makes these large infrastructure projects feasible, and second, there exists an increasing demand for more urban environments offering transit convenience. During the development of the LCI, the desire to generate a “Town Center” near Perimeter Mall to reinforce business development and a sense of identity for the area emerged. The plan argues the vision for the Perimeter Mall “Transit Village” can serve as the “prototype spearheading development at other MARTA Stations.” Perimeter Mall North FIGURE 7: Plan-view Perimeter Center Parkway Build- Out with Linear Park and Green Space - 19 - REVISED 03.17.10 FIGURE 8: Transit Village Vision: Perimeter Focus: Envisioning a New Atlanta Center Update (LCI 2005) High-Density Mixed-Use sub-area: This development sub-area currently has a concentration of commercial uses, mostly due to accessibility from I-285. The Ravinia complex on the north side of I-285 includes an upscale hotel (Crown Plaza) and two high-rise office towers surrounded by undeveloped land. The parcels north of Ravinia are a part of the Perimeter Center East commercial properties, owned by Equity Office Properties. These buildings vary from low-density offices built in the 1970s (such as 77 Perimeter Center West) to high-rise buildings (including the former Philips regional headquarters) fronting I-285. The City envisions continuing commercial development along with encouraging compatible residential uses to balance office expansion. As described in the LCI 2005 Update, the interchange at Ashford Dunwoody Road is one of the major transportation bottle-neck locations in the Perimeter area. Current road patterns require all of the traffic on Ravinia Drive and Perimeter Center East to converge on to Ashford Dunwoody Road. Given the commercial nature of the developments on both these roads, morning and afternoon rush hour times create huge congestion issues south of Perimeter Center West. Similar issues are created south of I-285 at Ashford Dunwoody Road, where vehicular traffic - 20 - REVISED 03.17.10 from offices at Perimeter Summit and Lake Hearn backs up during peak hours. The recent interchange improvements at Ashford Dunwoody Road are aimed at reducing congestion on Ashford Dunwoody Road, on both sides of I-285. Additionally, the P-CIDs completed the Perimeter Center Parkway Bridge (flyover) in 2007. This bridge provides much needed vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle accessibility connecting the Dunwoody MARTA Station to Perimeter Summit. The parkway improvements were achieved through a collaborative partnership between the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Livable Centers Initiative, Georgia’s Fast Forward bond program and DeKalb County. The City also envisions realizing the LCI goal of expanding the open space from the trails behind the Ravinia Towers to additional areas when Ravinia is further developed in the future. A public plaza would also be appropriate at Perimeter Summit, to serve the large number of residents and employees that will be using the complex. Public art such as sculptures or fountains could enhance these open spaces. This would anticipate a conversion of excess parking (Wal-Mart) into usable pocket parks. In 2009, the P-CIDs broke ground on the nearly $18 mi l l i o n half-diamond interchange at Hammond Drive and GA 400. Construction will include building entrance and exit ramps from Hammond Drive to GA 400 and replace the four-lane Hammond overpass with a nine-lane, higher bridge to meet current and future traffic volumes. This will provide alternative access to the area. The project had been planned for more than 15 years. Perimeter Center Transitional Sub-Area: Geared specifically towards protecting the single-family communities that become vulnerable to density pressures given high land prices, this sub-area actively discourages incompatible infill and loss of neighborhood character. The City of Dunwoody intends to implement the LCI plan’s recommendation for establishing a “buffer zone” where transitional regulations can be put in place to offer contextual sensitivity. The Framework Plan narrative indicates low and medium density office and multi-family residential. For the PC-Transitional sub-area, the City of Dunwoody considers up to 8 units to the acre “low density” and 12 units to the acre “medium density.” The LCI study identifies two areas of potential open space, as indicated on the development opportunities map below. They include surface parking that could be converted into more appropriate uses, including usable open space amenities. - 21 - REVISED 03.17.10 FIGURE 9: Development Opportunities, Transitional Zone (p 49, LCI Update 2005) - 22 - REVISED 03.17.10 Perimeter Center Character Area Goals • Land Use o New residential development will include amenities and provide public functional green space o New residential development will address school capacity issues and applicants will work with Board of Education and City for better resolution of school issues o Reduce surface parking and promote livable centers in the immediate areas surrounding MARTA station o Achieve a lifelong-community for residents who can age in place with safe access to medical and recreational services • Transportation and Circulation o Support implementation of the Perimeter LCI Plan o Create bicycle, pedestrian and potential golf cart options to connect with the rest of the City of Dunwoody o Work with the Perimeter Transportation Management Association (TMA) to actively reduce automobile dependency and emerge as a leader in alternative transportation for the region • Intergovernmental Coordination o Work to strengthen Board of Education relationship for creative solutions to school capacity o Work with the P-CIDs boards to implement vision o Coordinate with the City of Sandy Springs for LCI Updates and implementation o Coordinate with the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) for continued implementation of LCI study o Coordinate with MARTA regarding Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) (or other regional service) and urban design surrounding all transit stations - 23 - REVISED 03.17.10 Dunwoody Village Vision/Intent Dunwoody Village has historically been the “heart” of Dunwoody. A master planning process will have established a detailed vision for this center of the community, focused on pedestrian amenities, public functional green space, traffic calming, architectural controls, connectivity and place making. A sense of history will add to the charm and sense of place. This area will offer a “village green” with civic activities and amenities, and redevelopment will draw community members to shopping, dining and entertainment. Furthermore, redevelopment should have a residential component for day and evening activity to foster community. The design should embody the unique character of Dunwoody. The marker or unifying signifier (whether a “logo” or other identifier) that the City creates for itself and employs at gateways should be hallmarked in the Dunwoody Village in a distinctive, prominent way. Future Development • Height: 3 stories, but allow potentially up to 5 at intersections if and only if a unique project is proposed with architecturally distinct features, innovative parking solutions (covered decks, underground parking, or alternatives) and spaces for public use. A 5-story building would only be considered at the core of the Village; the boundary properties of the Dunwoody Character Area will not be appropriate if greater than two stories • Form: Master planned design, high quality building materials, civic amenities, integrated open space and appropriate transitions from greater to less intense uses. The periphery of the character area will include a 100-foot transitional area to protect adjacent properties, as solidified by Overlay District regulations Use: Mixed-Use (combined office, retail and residential where residential is located only on the second floor or above) up to 12 units to the acre, although age-restricted projects would be granted consideration for additional densities; live-work units, civic institutional, community retail (not greater than 50,000 square feet), local and unique business, boutique retail, public assembly and entertainment • - 24 - REVISED 03.17.10 FIGURE 10: Dunwoody Village will feature buildings close to the street, an active pedestrian zone with bicycle options that are safe and inviting. Goals • Land use o Create an active community center with public places to gather, following a master planning process that potentially supports a redevelopment investment program o Through the Master Plan process, establish way-finding or landmark features that unify the Village and can be used across the City, if a way-finding or gateway plan does not already exist for the greater City as a whole o Master Plan should consider shadowing effects of taller buildings and appropriately regulate to not visually impose on adjacent single-family residents o Implement the Dunwoody Village Overlay and review regularly to ensure enforcement meets intent of overlay and Character Area vision • Transportation and circulation o Creatively address the parking and congestion that new local activity may generate o Master Plan process will identify solutions for structural parking o Establish bicycle network for new connectivity throughout the City so that “all roads lead to the Village” o Establish infrastructure thresholds that new development must meet • Community Facilities o Pursue site location evaluation and financing plan locating City Hall, Police and other civic functions, including options for joint public-private partnership o Create venues for cultural events like music and create programs for public uses of City Hall and library; promote a local recreation center such as a YMCA - 25 - REVISED 03.17.10 City of Duluth City of Suwanee City of Smyrna Several regional examples of redevelopment with open space were referenced during Community Meeting discussions about Dunwoody Village. The City of Smyrna allows higher buildings adjacent to the plaza at the Market Village shown. The City of Dunwoody envisions similar development and rules whereby densities may increase, contingent upon the provision of amenities (open space, plazas, etc) or development features such as mixed-income provisions. - 26 - REVISED 03.17.10 Institutional/ Campus Vision/Intent A defined area for academics, culture, and recreation supporting the missions of its respective institutions while considering the mobility needs of Dunwoody residents. Future Development • Height: 3 stories (with transition required for 4 stories) • Form: High quality design and building materials with managed access and parking; buffers and landscaping Use: Institutional and cultural facilities • Goals • Transportation o Improved roads with better ingress and egress management o Womack Road is the central corridor in the Campus and Institutional area, connecting Chamblee Dunwoody with Tilly Mill Road. Continued growth of Georgia Perimeter College’s Dunwoody campus, along with Dunwoody High School, has caused increased congestion in recent years. Roadway restriping should be considered in order to facilitate more efficient use of Womack Road. Improvement of existing bike networks and transit development should also be employed as a means to address the issue, as road widening is not a feasible solution in this context Georgia Perimeter College - 27 - REVISED 03.17.10 Office Vision/Intent This area features low to medium scale intensity offices. Future development will be limited to offices only, with a maximum building height of 5 stories. Building height transitions of 2-3 stories are required where the office buildings are located adjacent to existing Suburban Character Area. Future Development • Height: 5 story maximum (with 2-3 story maximum transitions required when adjacent to single-family residential) • Form: High quality design, high quality building materials, with managed access and parking; buffers and landscaping. Functional greenspace is to be located contiguous to the office buildings. Use: Office • Goals • Land Use and Design o Maintain mature canopy tree coverage and enhance landscaping with any new project • Transportation o Improved roads with better ingress and egress management - 28 - REVISED 03.17.10 Suburban Neighborhood Vision/Intent Stable, owner-occupied single-family residential area that is characterized by a traditional suburban pattern of development with accessible sidewalks, extensive landscaping, and access to parks and functional greenspace, places of worship and schools. Future Development • Height: 2 story typical although high quality, 3 story attached residential units (townhomes) may be appropriate if and only if featuring high quality architectural treatment and only where existing townhomes currently allowed by past zoning • • Form: Traditional homes with quality building materials, high quality design, streetscaping and pedestrian amenities Uses: Single-family residential, public gathering spaces, places of worship, officeresidential or neighborhood scale commercial at key intersections (less than 10,000 square feet); townhomes only where existing townhomes currently allowed by zoning Density: Maximum residential density 4 units to the acre • - 29 - REVISED 03.17.10 Multi-Family/Mixed-Use Vision/Intent Providing high density housing options along I-285 and along Peachtree Industrial Boulevard with high quality material and amenities that are contextually sensitive to the surrounding land uses. The City envisions aging, existing apartments to redevelop into mixed-use developments, adding public functional green space and more owner-occupied options. Future Development • Height: 4-5 stories, but up to 8 stories if redevelopment includes a mix of uses (that is, not for stand-alone multi-family use) and also creates additional, functional greenspace; building demonstrates transitional height planes for stepping down to single family neighborhoods • Form: Strong continuity between developments through high architectural standards, quality building materials, prominent placement of amenities such as functional greenspace and pedestrian walkways Uses: Multi-family and Mixed-Use, primarily medium-density with a mix of high density multi-family, attached and detached single-family Density: Unless otherwise grandfathered, maximum 14 units to the acre; redevelopment to encourage attached single-family or mixed-use but including multi-family between 24-30 units to the acre if and only if project proposals provide appropriate amenities including functional public green space and streetscape improvements. • • - 30 - REVISED 03.17.10 Quality Community Objectives DCA has established a number of Quality Community Objectives that provide targets for local governments in developing and implementing their comprehensive plans. Principles established by the Quality Community Objectives were introduced throughout the community participation process and in the development of the Community Agenda. Objectives that will be pursued in each Character Area are indicated in the table below. - 31 - REVISED 03.17.10 Future Development Areas: Quality Community Objectives Quality Community Objective to be pursued 1. Development Patterns: Traditional neighborhood development patterns should be encouraged, including use of more human scale development, compact development, mixing of uses within easy walking distance of on each other, and facilitating pedestrian activity. 2. Infill Development Communities: Should maximize the use of existing infrastructure and minimize the conversion of undeveloped land at the urban periphery by encouraging development or redevelopment of sites closer to the downtown or traditional urban core of the community. 3. Sense of Place: Traditional downtown areas should be maintained as the focal point of the community or, for newer areas where this is not possible, the development of activity centers that serve as community focal points should be encouraged. These community focal points should be attractive, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly places where people choose to gather for shopping, dining, socializing, and entertainment. GeorgetownShallowford Road Dunwoody Village Perimeter Center Winters Chapel Redevelopment Jett Ferry Gateway Tilly Mill Gateway Suburban Neighborhood MultiFamily / Mixed-Use Institutional / Campus Office - 32 - REVISED 03.17.10 Quality Community Objective to be pursued 4. Transportation Alternatives: Alternatives to transportation by automobile, including mass transit, bicycle routes, and pedestrian facilities, should be made available in each community. Greater use of alternate transportation should be encouraged. 5. Regional Identity: Each region should promote and preserve a regional "identity," or regional sense of place, defined in terms of traditional architecture, common economic linkages that bind the region together, or other shared characteristics. 6. Heritage Preservation: The traditional character of the community should be maintained through preserving and revitalizing historic areas of the community, encouraging new development that is compatible with the traditional features of the community, and protecting other scenic or natural features that are important to defining the community's character. 7. Open Space Preservation: New development should be designed to minimize the amount of land consumed, and open space should be set aside from development for use as public parks or as greenbelts/wildlife corridors. Compact development ordinances are one way of encouraging this type of open space preservation. GeorgetownShallowford Road Dunwoody Village Perimeter Center Winters Chapel Redevelopment Jett Ferry Gateway Tilly Mill Gateway Suburban Neighborhood MultiFamily / Mixed-Use Institutional / Campus Office - 33 - REVISED 03.17.10 Quality Community Objective to be pursued 8. Environmental Protection: Environmentally sensitive areas should be protected from negative impacts of development, particularly when they are important for maintaining traditional character or quality of life of the community or region. Whenever possible, the natural terrain, drainage, and vegetation of an area should be preserved. 9. Social and Economic Development: Growth Preparedness: Each community should identify and put in place the prerequisites for the type of growth it seeks to achieve. These might include infrastructure (roads, water, sewer) to support new growth, appropriate training of the workforce, ordinances and regulations to manage growth as desired, or leadership capable of responding to growth opportunities and managing new growth when it occurs. 10. Social and Economic Development: Business Appropriateness The businesses and industries encouraged to develop or expand in a community should be suitable for the community in terms of job skills required, long-term sustainability, linkages to other economic activities in the region, impact on the resources of the area, and future prospects for expansion and creation of higher-skill job opportunities. 11. Social and Economic Development: Employment Options A range of job types should be provided in each community to meet the diverse needs of the local workforce. GeorgetownShallowford Road Dunwoody Village Perimeter Center Winters Chapel Redevelopment Jett Ferry Gateway Tilly Mill Gateway Suburban Neighborhood MultiFamily / Mixed-Use Institutional / Campus Office - 34 - REVISED 03.17.10 Quality Community Objective to be pursued 12. Social and Economic Development: Education Opportunities Educational and training opportunities should be readily available in each community – to permit community residents to improve their job skills, adapt to technological advances, or to pursue entrepreneurial ambitions. 13. Social and Economic Development: Housing Choice A range of housing size, cost, and density should be provided in each community to make it possible for all who work in the community to also live in the community (thereby reducing commuting distances), to promote a mixture of income and age groups in each community, and to provide a range of housing choice to meet market needs. 14. Governmental Relations: Regional Solutions Regional solutions to needs shared by more than one local jurisdiction are preferable to separate local approaches, particularly where this will result in greater efficiency and less cost to the taxpayer. 15. Governmental Relations: Regional Cooperation Regional cooperation should be encouraged in setting priorities, identifying shared needs, and finding collaborative solutions, particularly where it is critical to the success of a venture, such as protection of shared natural resources or development of a transportation network. GeorgetownShallowford Road Dunwoody Village Perimeter Center Winters Chapel Redevelopment Jett Ferry Gateway Tilly Mill Gateway Suburban Neighborhood MultiFamily / Mixed-Use Institutional / Campus Office - 35 - REVISED 03.17.10 SECTION II. FINAL LIST OF ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES This section presents a list of key concerns, needs, assets and opportunities which the Comprehensive Plan document addresses through policies and implementation measures. These concerns and strengths oriented the development of policies and programs of the Comprehensive Plan. The list of Issues and Opportunities presented here evolved during the community participation component of the comprehensive planning process, but began with the Quality Community Objectives Survey (QCO), recorded in the Community Assessment; items identified by the QCO are indicated. Population and Housing Issues • No special needs or housing services (QCO) • No zoning/development allowing for small lot housing (5,000 square feet) (QCO) • Lack of housing choice potentially for aging population • Increased vacancies anticipated in the future • 16% of all renters spend more than half their income on rent (monthly gross rent with utilities $1,021) • Residential developments along the east side of Dunwoody near Peachtree Industrial Boulevard have aged badly and would benefit from redevelopment • The City wants to promote greater home-ownership Opportunities • Employment and housing densities generated by Perimeter Center support transit opportunities for the area; those who choose not to or cannot drive because of special needs have greater opportunities for mobility • Diverse housing options; of all occupied units (that is, not calculating vacancies), 58.2% home owner occupied and 36.2% renter occupied Land Use Issues • No inventory of vacant sites • No local agricultural networks (QCO), but there exists opportunities through relationships with local growers selling at existing farmers markets • No local conservation or green space program • Natural resources inventory should be updated (the state provided inventory recorded in Community Assessment’s Technical Addendum provides a baseline) • Lack of GIS parcel data hinders immediate capacity for analysis desired for planning purposes Opportunities • Preparing Comprehensive Plan prior to undertaking re-write of zoning ordinance • Regional support for creating lifelong communities, where development supports “aging in place” through better access and connectivity - 36 - REVISED 03.17.10 Economic Development Issues • No Business Development strategy • Incorporated during recession, which will affect new City’s first budget cycles • Around 2,000 community members live at or below the poverty level Opportunities • Diversified economic base not hit as hard as other jurisdictions during recession • High income and highly educated workforce • The slowdown in development gives City time to prepare for the series of approved DRIs and remaining development within the Perimeter Center • The P-CIDs program for streetscape and other improvements tested and proven • Perimeter Center successfully thrives beyond the typical life cycle of a regional development mall; serves as high quality design example for the region • Recent incorporation provides an opportunity to develop a gateway program that helps to “brand” the City • Newly vacant hospital and surrounding land provides an opportunity to redevelop in a “senior friendly” manner Transportation Issues • Lack of bicycle network and complete sidewalk network for residential areas • Several congestion hot spots are on roads where increasing capacity (adding lanes) is not possible given existing constraints • Perimeter College presents the challenge of having an institutional use in a residential neighborhood with few alternatives for public transportation Opportunities • Location of future transit site to be determined by 2010 • Several public transit options, especially needed by the 20% of population under 18 and the 13.5% over 65 (anticipated to grow to 23% by 2030) who may begin considering alternative modes of transportation • Excellent sidewalk network in intensely developed areas but need improved connectivity from surrounding residential • Upcoming Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), including light rail, trolley, golf carts, and other alternatives that explore connectivity and networking options • Upcoming City of Dunwoody Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) Natural and Cultural Resources Issues • The State and region face a water management issue and need local government leadership for sustainable water quality and supply management • No clean public areas/public areas safety programs (QCO) • No city ordinance regarding historic preservation (QCO) • Severely degraded streams throughout Dunwoody - 37 - REVISED 03.17.10 • Lack of connectivity between City’s green spaces • Underutilized green space by MARTA and within Perimeter Center • Limited ability to use stream ways as linear parks due to buffer and floodplain restrictions. Opportunities • A Sustainability Commission created in the first month positions the City for leadership in establishing responsible policy and gaining immediate recognition through the Atlanta Regional Commission’s certification program for Green Communities • The City has the foundation for conducting a complete historic inventory • Several large community centers through the City’s diverse religious institutions • To explore utilizing the utility easement for trail purposes • To utilize stream buffers for bike and pedestrian trail connectivity • To build on the Dunwoody Preservation Trust to investigate the possibility of a Historic Preservation program • The Hightower Trail offers a unique cultural resource, one that could possibly be utilized as a historic pedestrian trail • To build upon existing resources to further develop a cultural arts program Community Facilities and Services Issues • The ratio of parks to population is 3.23 acres per 1,000 people, somewhat low; to maintain this level of service as the City grows, the City will need to add at least 31 acres of new parkland by 2030 • Lack of control over much of the green space in the City • Vacant land that is suitable and well-located for parkland is very limited • The use of easements (such as the power transmission line) and floodplains as linear parks, trails or bikeways must be negotiated individually with each property owner over whose land the park or trail is or will be located • Police services will need long term facilities • Need to review senior services and facilities • The City’s administrative offices and police department are housed in temporary, leased office space. Permanent City Hall and police headquarters will be needed in the long term • Unappealing above-ground utility lines throughout the City • The use of stream ways as liner parks is somewhat limited by state restrictions on land disturbance within 25 feet of the stream banks, and local floodplain regulations Opportunities • There are a few areas in the City appropriate for redevelopment. A new City Hall and/or police headquarters could provide a valuable anchor to spur private development activities • The City enjoys many private and religious community center and recreation services • Perimeter Community Improvement Districts (P-CIDs) provide a good template for further infrastructure improvements in various nodes city-wide - 38 - REVISED 03.17.10 • • New incorporation provides opportunities for control and planning of park facilities within City boundaries in the future A parks strategy of providing neighborhood parks throughout the City would require 10 new park sites, ranging in size from 2 to 5 acres, with service areas of ½ mile or less walking distances The City is crossed east-west by a major power easement, contains a DeKalb water transmission easement from the reservoir northeasterly to the city limits, and is crossed by the floodplains of several streams that flow through and between numerous neighborhoods. All of these areas are candidates for linear parks with trails or bike paths, subject to separate agreements with each of the property owners. There are several specific destination nodes in the City that establish a basis for designing an integrated pedestrian and bikeway system that will serve public demand • • - 39 - REVISED 03.17.10 SECTION III. POLICIES AND GOALS The City of Dunwoody adopts the following policies and goals to achieve both the city-wide vision and the vision and intent of each character area as described in Section I, and to address issues identified in Section II, as required by the State of Georgia planning rules. In Section IV, the City describes long range programs and short-term implementation activities that will help the community to achieve these goals. See also the Character Area section (Section I) defining goals specific to individual Character Areas, as appropriate. Population and Housing (PH) The City of Dunwoody has an active and engaged citizenry, and its residents expressed a desire to create a high quality of life for all members of the community. The following policies and goals define the City’s effort to address the needs related to population and housing. Policies • Through careful planning, the City of Dunwoody seeks to ensure that population growth will not exceed infrastructure investment • The City of Dunwoody seeks to promote a strong quality of life by fostering active civic engagement by all ages and demographic groups and by celebrating the diversity of the community. Furthermore, city planning and programming will aim to make Dunwoody a “lifelong community”: that is, a place individuals can live throughout their lifetime and which provides a full range of options for residents, including: o transportation options: allow ways to remain mobile and retain independence o healthy lifestyles: create environments that promote physical activity, the production of local food, and social interaction o expanded information and access to services:  provide housing options near services for the continuum of care needed through aging years  modernize and extend network of information • The City will promote ways to achieve a greater level of owner-occupied housing • New housing will be considered appropriate if accompanied by a mechanism that determines if existing or proposed recreation, open space, schools and other infrastructure can support new residents • The City of Dunwoody recognizes the diversity of the community and will actively consider mechanisms for boards and commission membership to reflect this diversity to ensure broad representation • New housing infill into existing neighborhoods will be contextually appropriate and compatible with surrounding properties Goals • Within the zoning ordinance, establish defined criteria for the location of density as depicted by the Future Development Map and associated narrative to responsibly manage redevelopment - 40 - REVISED 03.17.10 • Develop strategies to review annual population estimates, such as maintaining an internal process to review annual permitting data to accurately project population numbers Promote and pursue senior and active adult housing and services (community center, access, housing options) Consider housing services and resources for cost-burdened home-owners as identified in the Community Assessment and those with special needs. Maintain work-force housing subsidies for police force and evaluate applicability to other sectors 1 • • • Land Use and Development (LU) The City of Dunwoody’s existing land use footprint was developed before the City was incorporated. However, the City seeks to assert its new direction through land use strategies that will further enhance quality of life and ease mobility. While supporting transit-oriented development in the Perimeter Center Character Area, the City aims to maintain low density for the majority of its land use, yet find innovative solutions for linking land use and transportation. In addition to the goals established for specific Character Areas (see Section I), the City commits to the following: Policies • Preserve the character of existing residential neighborhoods • Preserve strategically located, existing undeveloped land that could be a viable option for functional greenspace • Encourage a mix of compatible land uses in future infill development and redevelopment • Promote walk- and bike-“ability” to homes, schools, shopping, civic uses and open space • Promote the conversion of surface parking to other land uses (outparcels, plazas, open space) and encourage structured parking solutions • Ensure that regulations clearly define infrastructure thresholds and criteria for land use decisions • Land use decisions will concurrently consider implications for transportation and open space • Encourage mixed-use development and design standards that enhance pedestrian movement, lifelong communities and healthy living • Protect properties located on borders of Suburban Character Area with compatible height, building placement, densities, massing and scale, buffers, tree protection and other associated site development and building regulations • Champion sustainable development in all land use and development practices 1 The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines “cost burdened” as renter and owner households with monthly housing costs which exceed 30% of their household income. Severe cost burdened households are those households that allocate more than 50% of their monthly income towards housing. - 41 - REVISED 03.17.10 Goals • Create a "sense of place" through Dunwoody identifier/logo on signage, a wayfinding sign system, a gateway program, and design standards for corridors, nodes and gateways • Establish Design Guidelines or Overlay Districts for nodes or prepare city-wide design standards sufficient for commercial node and key corridor redevelopment • Determine appropriate location for City Hall as a strategic effort to promote redevelopment (see also Communities Facilities subsection) • Implement the Perimeter LCI recommendations and Framework Plan, as updated in the 2005 Perimeter LCI Update. Furthermore, the City will be a joint partner of the 2010 LCI update with the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts and City of Sandy Springs • Establish incentives and/or bonuses for large lot land holders to preserve open space • Prepare master plans for the character areas of Georgetown and Dunwoody Village that will further refine each character area’s vision and purpose • Update the zoning ordinance to compliment the recommendations made within this Comprehensive Plan, including a requirement for utilities to be placed underground • Promote the reduction of parking minimums, while setting parking maximums in commercial zones • Use design standards to ensure infill residential development is consistent and compatible with existing development • Prepare electronic parcel data (GIS layers) to allow (1) accurate record keeping and (2) analysis necessary for land use and infrastructure investment decisions • Develop a city-wide green space plan • Promote development of Community Gardens Economic Development (ED) The City benefits from a strong and diversified tax base due to the mix of land uses, primarily concentrated in the Perimeter Center Character Area. Maintaining the economic health currently enjoyed by the City is a top priority, residents desire this priority to be balanced with the existing character of Dunwoody’s neighborhoods. In addition to establishing a sense of place and identity as a way to promote community and pride in its quality of life, the City of Dunwoody also seeks to “brand” itself as a way to define the City as a great place to do business. Policies • The City of Dunwoody is business-friendly and supports its small businesses that add to the character and quality of life for residents • The economic priority for the City is to protect a diversified, healthy tax base in order to function as a financially responsible government and provide the services and capital improvements desired by its residents and business owners - 42 - REVISED 03.17.10 • • • Cultivate a healthy, cooperative relationship with the Perimeter CIDs, which serves the general welfare of the City of Dunwoody Development in Dunwoody will be recognized for its high quality design standards throughout the City The City of Dunwoody commits to maximizing resources through incentives and grants; this will especially target opportunities to promote unique development, such as adaptive reuse of buildings with historic value Goals • Develop a business strategy with an action plan that engages local community support for local businesses and targets sustainable, local products and services • • • Pursue the possibility of a real estate inventory identifying key parcels to market to possible developers and/or industrial businesses Develop and implement a redevelopment plan for the Georgetown/Shallowford and Dunwoody Village Character Areas Develop a financial feasibility study for joint partnership to redevelop the Dunwoody Village area or the Georgetown/Shallowford area to potentially accommodate a new City Hall/Civic Center Create a distinctive identity for Dunwoody through the placement of gateways and wayfinding signage at strategic points that help communicate and market the City’s identity • Transportation (T) The City of Dunwoody will undertake a Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) in 2010, building on the foundations of the Comprehensive Plan. The following policy and goal statements will guide that effort in detailing a transportation plan that meets the specific needs of Dunwoody. Policies The City of Dunwoody’s CTP will explore ways for Dunwoody to: • Prioritize multi-modal transportation options in a Comprehensive Transportation Plan • Create a community-wide pedestrian/bike path network • Provide safe and secure parking to support multi-modal transit services • Increase network connectivity to accommodate demand between adjacent neighborhoods and developments without accessing the major thoroughfare system • Promote the use of zero-emission Low Speed Vehicles (LSV) and Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) and consider other emerging and innovative technologies • Establish pedestrian and bicycle friendly programs and road standards • Promote travel demand management (TDM) strategies to reduce trips • Preserve current transportation investment through effective maintenance of transportation system - 43 - REVISED 03.17.10 • Support GRTA, MARTA, ARC and GDOT efforts related to express transit service and regional bus rapid transit (BRT) initiatives to connect Dunwoody to surrounding communities Goals • Prepare a bicycle and pedestrian plan (see also Community Facilities subsection) • Explore trade-offs and implications of roadway capacity along high demand corridors • Improve two-lane roads for efficient operations and safety, but maintain two-lane roads as integral to City character • Prepare appropriate local ordinances to allow bicycle use of sidewalks, as provided by State of Georgia law • The City will promote a grid network of streets and multiple connections between subdivisions when re-development opportunities arise • Find appropriate mechanisms for traffic mitigation along Womack Road • Consider innovative, long range schemes for relieving congestion in the Dunwoody Village area, such as designated parking external to a pedestrian-only zone, potentially served by a shuttle or some service jointly operated with Perimeter-CIDs • Explore feasibility of golf-cart use as transportation mode and identify needs (improvements, striping, signage) for roads determined appropriate for this potential • Bikeways along streets should be separated from the automobile lanes. At signalized intersections, provide a separate pedestrian-bicycle phase and “no turn on red” restrictions to avoid conflicts with motor vehicles • Where possible, demarcate pedestrian and bikeway crossings at all intersections with contrasting roadway materials Community Facilities and Services (CF) As a new City, Dunwoody faces a set of challenges in establishing new services and facilities to meet its needs now and into the future. Although Dunwoody currently has a multi-year lease for its City Hall and Police Headquarters, a decision regarding the location of future facilities will need to be made within the next ten years. Policies Parks and Greenways • Acquisition priorities focus on the purchasing agreement with DeKalb County to acquire the following parks or sites with potential open space opportunities: o Liane Levetan Park at Brook Run o Dunwoody Park/ Dunwoody Nature Center o Vernon Springs Park - 44 - REVISED 03.17.10 o Windwood Hollow Park o Donaldson-Chestnut House and Cemetery Consider Greenway opportunities along: o south side of Mount Vernon Road from Sandy Springs border (Ridgeview) to AshfordDunwoody Road o median on Perimeter Center East from Ashford Dunwoody Road eastward Consider alternative, creative funding sources such as an Impact Fee Program to finance parks and other infrastructure Undertake a Parks and Recreation study based on a neighborhood parks strategy (supplemented with community-wide parks such as the DeKalb Nature Center and Brook Run Park). The study should build on the parks survey results (see Section V Attachments) and: o identify potential park acquisition sites (see Community Workshop Map below for search area sites indicated by green dots, in addition to the Greenway opportunities in second bullet above) o identify the recreation facilities to be constructed in the new and existing parks o consider utilization of the power and water easements and the stream ways as linear parks with trails o identify the capital costs of the park system and identify revenue sources The City will seek to create more Neighborhood level parks (2 acres) and explore creative means of providing greater park and open space amenities The City establishes an interim level of service (LOS) for parkland of 3.6 to 10 acres per 1,000 population. The City currently has a level of service (LOS) for parkland of 3.23 acres per 1,000 population. To maintain this LOS level given future population estimates, the City would need to provide 31 new acres. This can be accommodated by the addition of 6 neighborhood parks at an average of 5 acres each by 2030. Moving to a higher level of service requires more park land to be added. The City can likely reasonably obtain a slight increase to 3.6, but desires a greater increase, targeting 10 acres per Dunwoody resident. Providing 5 acres per 1,000 population creates a future demand of 48 new acres. This demand could be accommodated by the addition of 10 neighborhood parks of about 5 acres each by 2030. However, a study of potential and appropriate acquisition needs to be conducted to determine the feasibility of the higher target. In the interim, the target range of 3.6 – 10 establishes the City’s goal until a feasibility analysis of potential acquisition can inform the most appropriate LOS policy. • • • • • - 45 - REVISED 03.17.10 FIGURE 11: Results of Community Workshop: New Parks, Priority Destinations, City Hall and Police City Facilities and Safety • Provide conveniently located and efficiently managed City Administration services, demonstrating commitment to sustainable practices in managing city-run resources • • Provide a safe and secure environment through the delivery of fair and impartial police services, proactive problem solving and increased community partnerships Strategically locate new city facilities and investments so that goals such as creating community gathering places, expanding green space, and attracting redevelopment investment can be achieved Goals Parks and Greenways • The City will investigate the possibility of utilizing the Georgia Power utility easement for a multi-use trail based on the PATH Foundation report, DeKalb’s Greenway Trails: A Master Plan for Multi-Use Trails in DeKalb County, Georgia. The City of Dunwoody recognizes that this would involve negotiations with owners of approximately 100 parcels; while challenging and likely extending many months or years, the City commits to this goal - 46 - REVISED 03.17.10 • • Establish redevelopment incentives to obtain open space and/or recreational amenities for redevelopment sites Prepare and implement a parks and green/open space plan and incorporate nature resources inventory update as part of site feasibility analysis; plan should consider acquisition as well as sites outside the current city boundary Negotiate with DeKalb County Board of Education regarding use of existing and vacant facilities for recreational purposes, including potential maintenance sharing to off-set costs • City Facilities and Services • Implement the Police Department Strategic Plan • Undertake a space-needs study to quantify the amount of floor area that would be needed to address the City’s administrative, court and police needs through 2030 o • The space-needs study should include an evaluation of physical inter-office relationships and lay the groundwork for architectural and floor layout designs Undertake a location study for City Hall and Police Headquarters. Additionally, the study should evaluate o o the feasibility of including outdoor ceremonial space and public greenspace the possibility of funding the project through a private-public partnership whereby an investor could offer a re-development project incorporating City Hall, Police Headquarters, public assembly space, plazas, etc. under joint or shared financing • • Undertake a feasibility study to establish impact fees Maintain and expand the City’s Adopt-a-Spot program Multi-modal Amenities • Coordinate the bikeway section of the CTP with the Parks and Recreation Plan such that new park sites are served as destinations by the bikeways whenever possible • In all planning activities, pursue the goal of creating a fully integrated pedestrian and bicycle system of connectivity to parks, schools, between residential and commercial areas, and other high priority destinations identified in this Community Agenda As part of developing the Comprehensive Transportation Plan, create a bikeway and sidewalk plan that is destination demand based, interfaces with proposed linear parks, and serves both a recreational and transportation function • - 47 - REVISED 03.17.10 FIGURE 12: Results of Community Workshop: Priority Destinations and Bicycle Connections Natural and Cultural Resources (NCR) In terms of natural resources, Dunwoody recognizes environmental stewardship as one of the long term responsibilities of the citizens and businesses in Dunwoody. During the first month of incorporation, the City Council chartered the Sustainability Commission to promote measures to reduce the environmental footprint of the government through policies, practices, buildings, and fleets. The Sustainability Commission is pursuing the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Green Community Certification. This voluntary certification program recognizes and promotes local governments that are leading the way to sustainability by reducing their cities’ environmental footprint. Dunwoody is making progress towardss certification by adopting policies and ordinances to affect the actions of both the City and the community (see Section IV Attachment I for the checklist of progress). Green Community Certification is important to the City of Dunwoody because it fosters civic pride, creates a positive image of a place to live or conduct business, sets an example for businesses and organizations seeking to reduce their environmental impact, and leads to greater quality of life. In terms of cultural resources, interest in historic preservation and efforts to maintain a sense of “place” and its connection to the past are important to the City of Dunwoody. In a society - 48 - REVISED 03.17.10 where the built environment is destroyed and redeveloped at increasing rates, protecting historical sites develops a cultural identity for the City and provides a nostalgic reminder of its history. As a result, the community gains a sense of pride in the historic resources, stabilizes property values, encourages economic development, and fosters civic beauty. Most importantly, historic American architecture expresses heritage, something that can never be duplicated or replaced, and therefore invaluable to the character and identity of the community. As inventoried in the Community Assessment, Dunwoody benefits from several historic buildings including the Cheek-Spruill Farmhouse. The work of the Dunwoody Preservation Trust has helped to raise public awareness and helped define the City of Dunwoody by establishing a sense of “place.” The City will seek to formalize support for protecting and enhancing its historic and cultural resources by reinforcing these efforts through official government resources and regulations. The City of Dunwoody intends to continue its community-oriented approach towards natural and cultural resource planning. This strategy of community partnership and involvement strengthens Dunwoody and engages citizens in stewardship. Specifically the City of Dunwoody commits that it will: Policies Natural Resources • Demonstrate regional leadership in promoting efficient and innovative use of resources • • • Engage regional, state and federal resources for improving local sustainable practices Obtain Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Green Community certification (see specific program components in Section IV - Implementation) Support community gardens, including the Dunwoody Community Garden at Brook Run, and community-supported agriculture encouraging local food production Cultural resources • • Create and maintain programs to support historic preservation and/or campaign for grant dollars that award historic preservation dollars Support the arts and opportunities for cultural activities and events Goals Natural Resources • Implement policies and regulations that assist the pursuit of certification under the Green Communities program established by the Atlanta Regional Commission • • Integrate sustainable practices and environmentally preferable procurement in all City projects where feasible in consideration of life cycle costs Staff the Sustainability Commission to implement and monitor programming that fosters environmental stewardship - 49 - REVISED 03.17.10 • Undertake a Sustainability Plan that builds upon the Green Community certification to integrate economical, environmental and social sustainability goals, milestones and performance measures specific to the City of Dunwoody’s opportunities and challenges. Among other objectives, the Sustainability Plan will explore: o o o o o o o o o green economic development innovative low impact development practices improving residential quality of life reducing costs and increasing efficiency within public facilities increasing energy independence increasing local food security increasing quality and innovative use of the waste stream and reviewing and improving existing sustainable programs to increase efficiency marketing implications of achieving sustainable development objectives • Cultural Resources • Undertake a city-specific Historic Resources Inventory that builds upon the Community Assessment list generated from the DeKalb History Center, the Historic Preservation Division of Natural Resources, and the Dunwoody Preservation Trust • • Create initiatives that leverage federal and state resources in order to facilitate historic preservation and heritage tourism Consider zoning regulations and procedures that protect historic and cultural resources Intergovernmental Relations (IR) Located in DeKalb County, Dunwoody is bordered by the City of Sandy Springs, Fulton County and Gwinnett County. Due to its location along the I-285 corridor and as home to a portion of the Perimeter Regional Activity Center, the City of Dunwoody plays a strategically important role within the Atlanta Metro Region and the state. The City commits to working with other governmental entities where there is a shared interest in appropriate land use, economic development, transportation and environmental planning. See the transportation section regarding intergovernmental coordination the City will pursue related to transportation and transit. Policies • The City will work to improve relations with various DeKalb County authorities, including the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, Keep DeKalb Beautiful, and the DeKalb County Board of Education to address existing concerns and needs - 50 - REVISED 03.17.10 • The City will coordinate with Gwinnett County, to the extent of where interests are shared, especially for future improvements to Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and/or any improvements along the borders of Winters Chapel Character Area The City will explore a possible linking to the Gwinnett County’s planned Crooked Creek Greenway during its assessment of the Georgia Power utility easement as a possible greenway • - 51 - REVISED 03.17.10 SECTION IV. IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM The implementation program is the overall strategy for achieving the Community Vision and for addressing each of the Community Issues and Opportunities. It identifies specific measures to be undertaken by the community to implement the plan. The Implementation Program includes the Short Term Work Program, Long Term Activities and Programs for on-going action items and the Short Term Work Program, for a five-year project oriented plan of activities. Long Term Programs (beyond 5-year STWP time frame) Sustainability Program The City of Dunwoody’s sustainability work currently includes the policy structure of a commission, supported by a regulatory framework. The City provides staff to the Sustainability Commission and coordinates across departments to implement the mission and achieve the adopted benchmarks. • Sustainability Commission. o Vision statement: “To harness the individual and collective abilities of our citizens, businesses, institutions and government in order to create a more sustainable city that meets the needs today and tomorrow of our specific community in relation to a changing world” o Priorities:  Assist the City through the ARC Green Community Certification process  Development of a comprehensive Sustainability Plan and 2030 Vision • Green Community. Attachment I documents Dunwoody’s progress to date towards achieving the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Green Community certification. This spreadsheet of measures is divided into the different areas in which the ARC has established benchmarks and to which the City hereby aspires. These include: o Green Building o Transportation and Air Quality o Energy Efficiency o Recycling and Water Reduction o Green Power o Land Use o Water Use and Reduction o Education o Trees and Green Space o Innovation The City of Dunwoody will continue to update this checklist as it pursues the Green Community certification. - 52 - REVISED 03.17.10 • Sustainability Plan. The City will establish an action plan towards achieving more sustainable practices. This Sustainability Plan will build upon the Green Community certification to define what Dunwoody citizens envision for economic, environmental and social sustainability goals, and to establish milestones and performance measures specific to the City of Dunwoody’s opportunities and challenges. Historic Preservation Program The City will establish a program that builds on the initial work conducted in the Community Assessment and evaluate each of the potential sites listed for eligibility of historic preservation status. The program will also: • Consider a regulatory framework for including guidelines into approval processes: pursue an historic district or other classification to formally protect historic resources through local ordinances, as well as national registrar, as appropriate • Promote community awareness and pride through various activities, events and mechanisms for including historic resources in other civic forums and activities Wayfinding/Signage Program Building on the momentum of Dunwoody’s recent incorporation, the City will develop a visual signifier or logo that expresses an image or identity held in common by City residents. The process of developing the graphic will further a sense of community, as citizens, business owners and other stakeholders focus on the key elements that make community life in Dunwoody unique. Once adopted, the logo or city identifier should be referenced in a variety of ways, to visually unify different areas of the City. Wayfinding refers to signage or other cues to signal destinations or special sites within the City. Furthermore, it helps ease confusion as people try and navigate around the City, which helps the economic development of the City as more consumers find it simpler to get to where they desire to go. There are a number of elements that a successful wayfinding program must consider. • Define the cost and budget of the proposed program • Undertake a process to define what will be within the scope of the program. For instance, some cities limit wayfinding to monument signs that direct people around an historic or business downtown; others have consistent signage on street poles throughout the entirety of the City. Some reference civic, natural features and commercial locations, while others only reference civic. • Hold an involvement process for determining design and materials • Identify priority locations and create a strategy for phasing in elements - 53 - REVISED 03.17.10 Examples of wayfinding signage that incorporates color thematic or city identifier Gateway Program The Future Development Map identifies two gateways, although additional sites were considered in the Character Area Map of the Community Assessment. Gateways are a place-making device that can transform specific and strategic locations within transportation corridors into inviting and memorable public spaces. Gateways are high profile, heavily trafficked locations, which garner a significant level of public exposure and attention. Well designed gateways act as symbolic representations of community excellence. As such, gateways should go beyond simple signage and indicators, and instead bring in design elements that differentiate the physical space from that which lies outside of the boundary. The City of Dunwoody’s gateway program will include: - 54 - REVISED 03.17.10 • Crafting an appropriate vision for use and design through a public involvement process, such as a charette or voting campaign, then generating definitive construction documents Ensuring harmony with the City’s wayfinding program by incorporating design elements and consistency between gateways through complimentary building materials Locating funding sources and identifying costs associated with construction and materials. Incorporating a public art campaign will ensure that each gateway, while thematically consistent, has elements of diversity and uniqueness. • • • Funding Strategy Program While the planning process results in a realistic and intelligent blueprint for future actions, in the end it is just that—a blueprint for the future. One element of that blueprint is the Short Term Work Program (STWP), presented in the next section below. The STWP identifies the major tasks to be undertaken over the next five years. In order to realize the benefits of the STWP as a management tool it must be implemented and appropriate funding allocated according to fiscal year priorities. Many elements of the STWP can be described as operations and maintenance costs, or ‘O&M.’ These costs, often annual or cyclical in nature, will be met by general fund expenditures as part of the annual budgeting process of the City. Many items, particularly equipment and rolling stock, are included in the City’s annual budget for funding out of property tax collections and other general fund revenue that year. This budget is adopted each year and funds the ongoing operations of the City, including salaries, supplies, upkeep and refurbishment related to the City’s departments and the services they provide. Capital items under the O&M budget are paid for in the year purchased or are acquired under a short-term lease agreement. Short-term 2 loans and long-term debt instruments are also funded from general fund revenue. But other project costs may exceed the ability of the City to fund as part of an annual budget, or even a series of annual budgets—often because the cost of the projects is too high to be met with any realistic increase in the property tax rate. These capital improvements are different from typical O&M costs in that they represent a long term investment by the City and involve relatively high costs. Capital improvements include such City facilities as administrative buildings, parks and recreation facilities (such as ball fields, picnic pavilions, tennis courts and trails), streets and sidewalks, and stormwater infrastructure. Major equipment items can also qualify as capital improvements, such as dump trucks, backhoes, and internal support systems such as computer networks and telephone systems. Improvements to an existing capital facility that goes far beyond normal maintenance, such as a building expansion or major renovation, are also categorized as capital improvements. 2 The City does not operate any facilities that would be eligible for Revenue Bond financing. - 55 - REVISED 03.17.10 A further consideration comes into play when the City looks at who will benefit from these capital improvements, as opposed to who will pay for them. A project that benefits the current residents and businesses of the City may appropriately be funded by the existing tax base, for example, while it may be inappropriate to fund a project intended to serve new growth from existing property tax revenues. In the next sections the available funding sources for the nonO&M costs are discussed. The benefits and shortfalls of each funding strategy are explained. In the end, the funding strategy of the City should be as broad-based as is practical, in order to provide the most benefit to current and future taxpayers. In general, the elements of a potential funding strategy could be grouped as follows: o o o o o o o o o General Fund: Operations and maintenance. Loan or Bond: Purchase of land for redevelopment, including City Hall site. Public-Private Partnership: Construction of a City Hall in a mixed-use setting. Other Taxes: Where appropriate to supplement operations and maintenance costs. Special Tax Districts: To provide improvements desired by particular neighborhoods, such as sidewalks. TIF Funding: Needed infrastructure improvements resulting from Master Plans of the Georgetown and Dunwoody Village areas. User Fees: Stormwater utility, building permits, inspections, business licenses, etc. Impact Fees: Major capital improvements in parks, roads, and stormwater facilities. Can also be used to construct police facility space. Grants & Other Funding Sources: Specific projects as grants become available; supplement to operations and maintenance costs (where appropriate). The general public is familiar with General Funds and bonds as financing tools. However, other options may be less understood, and a brief description will help orient citizens as the City of Dunwoody considers various options including Impact Fees and other recommendations that will emerge from programmed Master Planning efforts. Tax-Based Funding Methods There are two other general tax-based funding methods: special tax districts and tax increment financing. The more common of these two is the special tax district. Special tax districts are often created to provide a direct benefit to the property owners who will be included within the district. For example, property owners can agree to pay an additional tax or assessment that in turn is used to purchase and install street lights in their neighborhood or sidewalks along their streets. In the case of a special tax district, the tax ends with the completion of the improvement being paid for, or the special tax can continue for direct on-going costs (for instance, the electrical service to the new street lights). If the improvement is based on a front-footage assessment, it is usually spread over several years. With tax increment financing, the tax is not dependent upon a single project or improvement. Tax increment financing can be a continuing source of revenue to local - 56 - REVISED 03.17.10 governments that intend to provide support for development and redevelopment opportunities within specific target areas. Through this practice a local government can use an increase in the millage rate charged to property owners in the target area to either guarantee bond issues or to create a dedicated fund that can be used for specific projects. Funds raised through these methodologies can also be used to attract 'matching' funds from private-sector sources. All three programs described below (TAD, CID and CBID) are administered either by the local government or by an appointed or elected board that operates under local government oversight. The following table summarizes the eligible types of projects, and the legal requirements, of the three tax financing options that are available in Georgia. Table 1. Summary of Tax Based Financing Methods Types of Eligible Projects Infrastructure enhancements for development Financing Method Tax Allocation District o Driven by new development, redevelopment or revitalization Used for infrastructure projects Community Improvement District Driven by property tax increase within the CID Used for infrastructure projects o o o o o o o Business Improvement District Driven by property tax increase within the CBID Used for supplementary services o o o o o Required to Create o o City ordinance Approval of any other taxing body in district (except schools) o Property not Taxed None Street and road construction Sidewalks & streetlights Parking facilities Water systems Sewage systems Public transportation Park facilities and recreation areas Advertising Promotion Sanitation Security Business recruitment and development o o o City ordinance subject to State enabling legislation Majority of property owners in district 75% of value of property in the district Petition: signatures of majority of taxpayers in the district Plan of services City approval o o o Residential Agricultural Forestry o o Any nonbusiness property o o While these methods are all oriented towardss making sub-area development or redevelopment attractive to the private sector, the three financing mechanisms summarized here have very different applications in practice. The specifics of each program are discussed in the following sections. The following tax-based funding methods could each be considered when developing - 57 - REVISED 03.17.10 Master Plans for the Georgetown and Dunwoody Village areas, and may also be applicable in the City’s creation of other overlay districts. Tax Allocation District A Tax Allocation District (TAD) is a system that uses an expected increase in property tax revenue to guarantee bond issues. These bonds are, in turn, used to fund capital programs that improve the infrastructure of the TAD. The program is initiated by the local jurisdiction and the boundary of the district is adopted. The property value revenue for the district is frozen at the current level for an agreed upon number of years; a five year period is common. The normal property assessment and appraisal process of the local government continues as before. Within the described boundary any increase in property value revenue after the adoption of the TAD is put into a separate fund. This fund is pledged to pay for specific improvement projects and/or to pay bonds that are issued by the jurisdiction for infrastructure improvements within the TAD. This type of program is most effective when tied to a specific, large-scale development as it depends upon new tax value generated from development for its bond revenue stream. As can be seen in Table 1, the creation of a TAD requires the approval of the other government (DeKalb County) that is charging property taxes within the district. The TAD can be administered by the local government or by an independent board operating under city review. Community Improvement District A Community Improvement District (CID) is a financing mechanism for infrastructure projects and programs. CIDs are becoming popular around the state as methods of improving areas in order to attract redevelopment and to provide a higher level of service for ‘public’ improvements than generally available city-wide. The Perimeter CIDs have operated in this manner since formation in 1999. A CID is created by city ordinance with the permission of a majority of eligible property owners and of those who represent at least seventy-five percent of the tax value of the eligible properties in the proposed district. Residential, agricultural, and forestry properties are not considered 'eligible' in this program. Typically, a CID will be created in a retail, office, or service-sector area, and are generally most attractive to an established commercial area where a higher level of public services is desired. However, the ability to form CIDs must first be authorized by enabling legislation through the State Legislature specific to Dunwoody. The CID revenues are used to either guarantee bonds or as a special fund. The improvements that can be funded in this way are summarized in Table 1. The maximum mills that may be added to the tax assessments of the eligible properties within the CID is 25, or 2.5% of the assessed value of those properties. The additional millage is set by the - 58 - REVISED 03.17.10 CID Board and the revenue is administered by the Board with the approval of the local government. Typically, the millage rate results in an increase of around 5 cents per square foot of floor area in the retail and office buildings in the CID. The taxes would be collected along with all other property taxes by the County and, after deduction of an administrative fee authorized in the State CID Law, remitted directly to the CID Board. City Business Improvement District The intent of a City Business Improvement District (CBID) is to provide supplemental services to businesses within the created district. Many of these services mirror those normally provided by local governments and chambers of commerce. A CBID is created by city approval of a petition from a majority of eligible taxpayers in the proposed district as well as a plan of services to be provided. Eligible properties are defined here as those that pay business or occupational taxes. The plan of services must include: • • • • • • Map of service area; Description of boundaries; Description of services; Proposed maximum millage rate or surcharge; Budget; and, Design and rehabilitation standards. The tax charged within a CBID can be a millage rate or a surcharge on business and occupational taxes. The administration of the CBID is by the local government; the services provided can be provided by the local government or contracted out by that government. Summary of Taxed Based Methods The application of the three tax increment financing methods outlined above depends upon the expected level of development or redevelopment within the designated area as well as the long-range goals for the area. The creation of a TAD will be most successful if it is tied to attracting a large-scale development or encouraging a major redevelopment of an area. Otherwise, the revenue stream from 'naturally' increasing property values will be so insignificant as to preclude the jurisdiction's ability to pledge the revenues towardss a bond issue. A CBID is instituted as a supplement to existing government and non-government business services within the CBID. It may be predicated upon a certain business district positioning itself as a unique 'product' within a jurisdiction that is comprised of several such districts. The CBID, in this way, acts as a ‘chamber of commerce’ that is focused on an area somewhat smaller than the entire jurisdiction. - 59 - REVISED 03.17.10 The CID mechanism offers Dunwoody a flexible menu of infrastructure programs while maintaining a pro-development focus. A CID can be created for the implementation of specific projects or as a more general improvement program. The CID is most effective where there is a significant nonresidential tax base already in place. The difference between a TAD and a CID is that a CID can only be applied to nonresidential properties, where a TAD can be applied to all property. Both the TAD and CID are financing mechanisms for infrastructure development or enhancement; the CID, however, is not dependent upon short-term increases in property values to provide a revenue stream. Finally, the administrative costs for any of these methods must be taken into account when evaluating the three schemes. In addition to plan review and approval, as well as administering a possible business or occupational tax surcharge, a CBID requires that the local government either provide certain services or oversee the provision of those services. Administratively, the CID and TAD methods can be the least labor- intensive for local governments. Plan formulation, bond issuance, and revenue expenditures under these methods are administrated by an independent board for a CID and can be assigned to such a board for a TAD, with minimal review and oversight by the City. Other Taxes There are some other taxes that can be charged by the City. These include: alcoholic beverage excise taxes, local excise taxes on distilled spirits, insurance premium taxes, business and occupation taxes, financial institutions business license taxes, hotel-motel taxes, and excise taxes on rental motor vehicles. While charging these taxes may reduce the overall burden on the property tax payers in the City, two considerations should be made before implementing any of them. First, the City must weigh the revenue to be gained against the cost to administer each tax program. (Some of these taxes, such as the insurance premium tax, do not allow for an administrative cost to be calculated as part of the tax revenue.) Second, the benefit gained for the current property tax payers must be weighed against any competitive disadvantage that charging these taxes may have. Sales Tax At present, sales tax revenue is not expected to play a direct role in a city funding strategy. The County currently charges a county-wide sales tax through a HOST program. Funds generated by this tax are unavailable to the City for project funding purposes. This sales tax also precludes the adoption of a county-wide SPLOST program, since the County cannot implement both a HOST and SPLOST program. Without the possibility of SPLOST funds, the City should not expect to fund any projects or programs from sales tax revenues. Fees Unlike the property and sales tax strategies discussed above, the use of fees has an important distinction: Fees must directly and reasonably relate to the services or benefits - 60 - REVISED 03.17.10 being received by the fee payer. Often, too, there is an obvious limit to the amount of the fee. The City must balance two competing demands: the need to provide some level of funding for City services, versus the realization that there is some limit to what an individual would be able to pay in fees and still conduct business in and with the City. User Fees Some functions of city government can be funded in whole or in part through user fees. Typical of this type of revenue source are building permit fees, inspection fees, business license fees, and charges for copies. It is important to include all of the City’s costs in setting a user fee. For example, a building permit fee should cover the actual staff time to review and evaluate the permit application, as well as all related costs involved including such items as utilities for the office, medical coverage for the staff members and equipment costs (such as inspector vehicles). The City currently charges user fees as listed above as well as a fee for its stormwater utility. Impact Fees Another, potentially valuable revenue source for the City is impact fees. Impact fees are authorized by State legislation (the Development Impact Fee Act) and must adhere to stringent guidelines. The purpose of impact fees is to generate revenue from new growth and development in the City to pay for the capital facilities that are specifically needed to serve new growth. Stated another way, only capital facilities that have to be built, expanded or improved because new growth is coming to the City can be considered for impact fee funding. The State law limits the use of impact fees to specific facility types and to improvements having a useful life of at least ten years. Those qualified facility types applicable to Dunwoody include: o o o o Parks, open space and recreation (including off-road trails); Public safety, such as police facilities; Stormwater facilities; and Roads. Note that while stormwater is identified in the list as a potential impact fee category, the City does not currently charge an impact fee for this category. The utility fee associated with this service is charged for operations and maintenance of the system, not for capital improvements. One thing that makes impact fees attractive for jurisdictions is that by charging new growth as it arrives in the City and demands services, the current tax payers are not charged to provide those services. Impact fees, in this manner, offset potential future tax increases. In order to implement impact fees, the City would be required to follow a series of steps that are dictated by state law and regulations. First, the City will need to create an Impact Fee - 61 - REVISED 03.17.10 Advisory Committee. This group is made up of between five to ten members, and at least 50% of the committee must be representative of development professions (builders, developers, bankers, real estate agents, etc.). Next, the City would create a Capital Improvements Element (CIE). The CIE identifies the future population to be served, the projects that are intended to serve that population, and the anticipated funding sources for those projects. The CIE is subject to review by ARC and the state before adoption. Finally, an impact fee ordinance must be developed and adopted in order to provide the framework for impact fee collections and expenditures. Throughout the process, the City would develop local policies regarding impact fees in conjunction with the Advisory Committee. The creation of an impact fee program typically takes six months to a year to complete. While impact fees can be targeted to improvements for specific areas, they are most commonly collected city-wide. Fees can also be exempted or reduced to encourage special opportunities for ‘extraordinary’ economic or employment growth, and/or for affordable housing projects, at the City’s option. Grants There are a variety of grants available to the City from both the State and federal governments. There is little practical ability to predict what grants may be made available in the future, limiting the use of grants in a funding strategy to short-term planning. Grant application runs parallel to planning, in that the City must both identify projects that it wants to complete (through a planning process) and have an eye towards potential grants that will fund those projects. Essentially, the City must constantly watch for grant opportunities and be prepared to move quickly when they become available. The sheer number of available grant programs can be bewildering. For this reason, grant writing and administration is often a full-time staff position, sometimes carried out in conjunction with a Downtown Development Authority. A recent catalog published by the Department of Community Affairs identified several dozen grant and loan programs available in the state just for the category of economic development; Georgia Main Street identifies almost 50 potential private sources for a variety of grant programs. Government-run loan programs, such as the Downtown Development Revolving Fund Loan (administered by the Department of Community Affairs) can be an important part of a funding strategy, but as a source of funds they have many of the same limitations that are often found with all grant programs. Namely, their availability can be difficult to predict, many are competitive against a limited pool of funds, and they require staff time to research and apply for. Unlike a grant, a loan must be repaid. Typically this repayment would come from tax revenues, making a government loan much like a general obligation bond in terms of indebtedness and taxing requirements. In addition to the time it takes to research and apply for a program, grants do have two other shortcomings to be aware of. They may require a matching amount of money from the City, or they may require debt service payments in addition to the initial loan amount. To the - 62 - REVISED 03.17.10 extent that matching funds are required, the current tax payers would pay the City’s share of the grant program. Other Funding Sources Other funding sources are available to the City, though many of them are more modest in scope or restricted in their application. Examples include fines, forfeitures and court costs, investments made by the City, franchise fees, and alcoholic beverage licenses. Like grants, the ephemeral nature of these sources can make it difficult to plan a long-term funding strategy around them. Public-Private Partnerships are another potential element of a funding strategy, and can take about as many forms as there are potential development partners. While not always a source of direct funds to the City, the ‘private’ element of a partnership may represent a reduction in costs to the City by assuming some portion of the over-all funding responsibility. One example of an application of this type of strategy is the method used by the City of Suwanee in the implementation of that their Town Center Master Plan. Based on the Plan, the City first negotiated to purchase the land to be redeveloped. The City then sold the land it did not need for its own municipal buildings to private developers to be developed in accordance with the Plan. Profit realized by the sale of property was used to help fund a new City Hall, city park and other related city projects. As important as the generation of funds, the City’s control of the design of their Town Center by private development was equally important to the City. Developing a Funding Strategy In order to implement the plans of the City, and specifically to fund the projects and activities listed in the Short Term Work Program, Dunwoody would be well-served by pursuing a balanced funding strategy based on multiple revenue sources. Property tax collection can meet the annual operations and maintenance budget requirements of the City, but property taxes as a funding source are limited by real-world implications. There is some practical limit to the rate of tax that can be charged. Bonds can be attractive as a method for leveraging the tax digest value of the City, but bonds have one important limitation: they must be approved by the voters. A balanced approach for funding capital projects might be a mix of funding strategies. Local projects, intended to improve specific areas within the City, might be tackled through the use of the various tax-based funding methods, tailored to the needs of each specific area. City-wide capital projects, such as a City Hall, may be met through the issuance of a general obligation bond funded by property taxes, coupled with off-sets from a publicprivate partnership. Some other capital improvements, such as park and police facilities, could be funded through an impact fee program. One proven approach has been to combine a bond issue (and tax increase) for non-impact fee eligible improvements with adoption of an impact fee program, with the assertion that the impact fees will only be adopted if the bond referendum passes. By mixing several revenue sources—property tax, sales tax, user fees, impact fees, and grants—the City can: - 63 - REVISED 03.17.10 o o o Minimize its exposure to reliance on one or two funding sources that are affected by changes in the economy; Maximize the funding available from people who do not (yet) live in the City; and, Minimize the funds needed from property tax collections. Consolidated Action Plan While individual actions are described in various sections of the Community Agenda (in terms of goals and the STWP), the funding strategy section consolidates them here: City Hall o Identify potential location for City Hall. o Develop master plan for the area. o Purchase the property for the City Hall site, either through Downtown Development Revolving Fund Loan and/or by the issuance of a bond. o Sell excess property to private developers for redevelopment consistent with master plan for area. o Use proceeds from property sale to construct City Hall. o Promote the use of a Tax Allocation District or Community Improvement District for local infrastructure improvements. o Apply for grants specific to the needs identified in the master plan. Redevelopment of Georgetown and Dunwoody Village areas o Develop master plans for the areas. o Promote the use of a Tax Allocation District or Community Improvement District for local infrastructure improvements. o Apply for grants specific to the needs identified in the master plan. Parks and Road Improvements o Initiate a Parks, Trails and Recreation Plan. o Initiate an impact fee study to identify potential funding that could come from impact fees. o Appoint an Impact Fee Advisory Committee. o Create a Capital Improvements Element. o Create an Impact Fee Ordinance. Pedestrian/Bicycle Connectivity o Prepare a detailed Connectivity Master Plan. o Include off-road trails in the impact fee program. o Include planned sidewalks in impact-fee eligible street improvements. o Identify funding sources for sidewalks that are not impact fee eligible. o Assure inclusion of planned sidewalks in State or County road projects in the City. - 64 - REVISED 03.17.10 A successful funding strategy, therefore, should encompass elements that are city-wide in their application and support for development, redevelopment and revitalization in specific areas. While this portion of Dunwoody’s Implementation Strategy provides a broad outline of creating an overall funding strategy, and identifies the most viable funding approaches, more detailed planning will be required, as discussed above, to flesh out specific initiatives for city-wide improvements and the needs of specific target areas. In the short run, these include: o o o o o o o o Master Development/Redevelopment Plans for the Georgetown and Dunwoody Village areas. Impact fee study. Space Needs Study for City Hall and Police Headquarters. Master Connectivity Master Plan. Parks, Trails and Recreation Plan Initiation of general CID enabling legislation through the State Legislature. Promotional Action Plans for establishment of CIDs and TADs in targeted areas. Create and Promote a Neighborhood Improvement Program based on special tax districts/assessments for areas desiring sidewalks or other local improvements. Short Term Work Program The Short Term Work Program (STWP) identifies specific implementation actions that the local government intends to take during the first five years of the planning period. In Dunwoody, the Short Term Work Program covers activities to be undertaken from 2010-2015. These include any ordinances, administrative systems (such as plan review, code enforcement, etc.), community improvements or investments, financing arrangements, or other programs or projects to be undertaken to implement the plan. The City will consider ways to enhance the STWP with benchmarks or other evaluation systems to further maximize the benefit of a STWP for strategic planning purposes in the future. This establishes the accountability the citizenry sought when pursuing incorporation and instills confidence in City administration. The Short Term Work Program includes the following information for each listed action: • Brief description of the activity; • Timeframe for undertaking the activity; • Responsible party for implementing the activity; • Estimated cost (if any) of implementing the activity; and • Funding sources, where applicable. The Dunwoody City Council will review the STWP as part of the annual council budget process and staff will prepare a Report of Achievements; these steps will make the Comprehensive Plan a hands-on, strategic tool for achieving community objectives. A new year will be added to keep the STWP a five-year, working plan that will be evaluated on an annual basis. - 65 - REVISED 03.17.10 While the STWP designates department and government authorities as completing the action items, the elected Council of the City of Dunwoody bears ultimate responsibility for implementation of the adopted Comprehensive Plan. Short Term Work Program [INSERT TABLE] - 66 - REVISED 03.17.10 Attachment I: Dunwoody Green Communities Certification Checklist - 67 - REVISED 03.17.10 Attachment I: Dunwoody Green Communities Certification Checklist - 68 - REVISED 03.17.10 Attachment I: Dunwoody Green Communities Certification Checklist - 69 - REVISED 03.17.10 Attachment I: Dunwoody Green Communities Certification Checklist - 70 - REVISED 03.17.10 Attachment I: Dunwoody Green Communities Certification Checklist - 71 - REVISED 03.17.10 SECTION V. PARTICIPATION SUMMARY The City of Dunwoody prepared and followed an established schedule for Steering Committee meetings, community meetings, and public hearings to ensure public participation from all Dunwoody citizens, business owners, property owners and other stakeholders. The Participation Plan adopted by the City Council organized community meetings to provide information regarding planning issues prior to the elaboration of formulating desired development for the future. After an initial set of five community meetings organized around planning themes, the City of Dunwoody conducted five more meetings that focused on specific character areas of the City to provide greater input and to further explain the Comprehensive Plan process. Meeting power-points, drafts and meeting summaries were available on the City of Dunwoody web page. Additionally, after draft documents were initially presented at community meetings, an on-line survey was prepared to provide all citizens an avenue for voicing opinion regarding the draft documents. Most meetings attracted between 100 to over 250 people. A Steering Committee appointed by the City Council was established by the adoption of the Participation Plan in May 2009. Agendas and sign-in sheet were prepared by the consultant team and summaries of meetings were prepared and maintained by city staff. Members of the Steering Committee included: • • • • • • • • • • • • Pattie Baker Queenie Ross Bill Grant Al Alberghini Ray Dankberg Barbara Koehler Doug Thompson Renate Herod Robert Miller Yvonne Williams Bob Lundsten Bill Grossman Members of the public, staff and City Council were welcome to listen to the proceedings of these working meetings. Councilmen - 72 - REVISED 03.17.10 Wittenstein, Shortal, Ross and Heneghan each attended at least one of the Steering Committee meetings during the development of the community agenda. In addition to on-going communication via e-mail exchange and review of draft documents, the Steering Committee met on the following dates: 28-May-09 16-Jun-09 30-Jun-09 21-Jul-09 25-Aug-09 24-Sep-09 15-Oct-09 29-Oct-09 3-Feb-10 16-Feb-10 2-Mar-10 The list of the community meetings and official meetings conducted is provided below: City Council and Mayor City Council and Mayor Community Meeting Community Meeting Community Meeting Community Meeting Community Meeting Community Meeting Community Meeting Community Meeting Community Meeting Community Meeting Community Council Planning Commission City Council and Mayor City Council and Mayor Regular Session: Kick-Off Public Hearing: Community Assessment and Public Participation Plan with Schedule Community Kick-Off: Issues and Opportunities and Change/Preserve Workshop Transportation, Gateways and Urban Design Parks, Facilities and Funding Putting it all together: Vision and Future Development Preliminary Draft Review Perimeter Center Area Dunwoody Village Area Georgetown / Shallowford Jett Ferry Area and Tilly Mill Area Winters Chapel Area Community Information Meeting Public Hearing Work Session Public Hearing Dunwoody City Hall Dunwoody City Hall Dunwoody United Methodist Church Dunwoody United Methodist Church Dunwoody United Methodist Church Dunwoody United Methodist Church Dunwoody United Methodist Church Dunwoody City Hall Dunwoody United Methodist Church Atrium at Georgetown Park 20-Apr-09 26-May-09 2-Jun-09 23-Jun-09 7-Jul-09 3-Aug-09 24-Sep-09 29-Oct-09 3-Nov-09 5-Jan-10 Marcus Jewish Community Center 12-Jan-10 Congregation Beth Shalom Dunwoody City Hall Dunwoody City Hall Dunwoody City Hall Dunwoody City Hall 21-Jan-10 23-Mar-10 20-Apr-10 10-May-10 24-May-10 [Attachment II: Participation forthcoming] - 73 -