Archive for the 'Local Information' Category
Interview with Alpharetta City Councilman DC Aiken
categories: Alpharetta Real Estate, Local Information, Local Market Conditions
I had the opportunity to sit down with Alpharetta City Councilman DC Aiken and ask him about the city, how it is faring in the current economy, what projects are going on, what’s happining with Prospect Park and Westside Parkway and his take on the likleyhood of Milton County.
Part 1
Part 2
DC Aiken is an Alpharetta City Councilman and VP for SunTrust: www.suntrustmortgage.com/dcaiken
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently 2 Comments »
Updates on Some Alpharetta Projects
categories: Alpharetta Real Estate, Community Highlights, Local Information
Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak with David Belle Isle, along with a small group of Realtors who attended a gathering put on by Jack Berube of Berube & Company Realtors.
For those who may not know, Belle Isle is a sitting Alpharetta City Councilman and is currently running for State Senate in District 56 . During his short discussion he shared updates on a few Alpharetta City Projects.
Prospect Park
Yes, you know it well. The mud pit and concrete forest we see every time we drive down Old Milton Parkway. I don’t know how it got approved, although there are ideas being thrown around , but there it is. The question is, what’s the status? The developer, Stan Thomas, has filed for bankruptcy - to reorganize. Apparently his intent is to hold on to the property in hopes of developing it down the road. An idea that was thrown out in the discussion was to have something like The Inforum there. The Inforum is something along the lines of a multi-purpose facility with office space, convention center, theater, etc.
I’m a strong believer in property rights but a little eminent domain here might be the answer. How about a park or ball fields? Maybe someone should sneak down there and plant some kudzu, it will be covered in weeks!
Westside Parkway - When will it be finished?
See Prospect Park….The last section of Westside Parkway is tied up in the parcel that is the Prospect Park project. So, while it is in bankruptcy litigation there is nothing that can be done with the last few hundred feet of what will one day be a great way to avoid Hwy 400.
Windward Parkway / 400 Offramp
Apparently it was determined that a tremendous number of cars getting off of 400 onto Windward Pkwy and going east end up turning onto Northpoint Pkwy, so there is a plan to put a dedicated turn lane at the off ramp that will take those drivers directly to NP Parkway, alleviating a ton of congestion.
Oversupply of Strip Centers
Another thing we all notice as we drive around Alpharetta and Milton. The abundance of empty retail space is amazing but there are signs of improvement. Some properties have been purchased out of foreclosure, giving those new owners a much lower cost basis and allowing them to potentially fill retail space. Now, who’s betting on a couple more mattress stores.
The Alpharetta City Center Project
What was planned originally was a mixed use, pedestrian friendly project developed around a new City Hall. There were going to be office and restaurant space, civic facilities, retail and parking decks. The desire by the City Council to do this project is still there but we’ll have to wait for stronger financial times. The businesses that are downtown now have wanted a project like this and the community would strongly support it but until it happens we’ll continue to see business struggle. While two spaces downtown were filled by Digital Scientists and The Coffee Pot , we lost a fitness center and a lacrosse store.
Do you have anything to add about these projects or others? Let us know.
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently 3 Comments »
New Bethany High School Plans Introduced
categories: Alpharetta Real Estate, Local Affairs, Local Information, Milton Real Estate, Schools
If you didn’t have a chance to attend the community meeting last week to review the proposed site plans for a new high school in Milton, you will want to review the information below. This is a first draft, not a final proposal, that was shown to the community by the architects, CGLS Architects, and by Fulton County Schools. CGLS is the same firm that designed the new Johns Creek High School and due to the short time-frame that they have to finalize a design for the new high school, they will be working with something along the lines of the Johns Creek High School plans.
The site is located at the corner of Bethany Bend and Cogburn, across from Kings Ridge, on a 64.48 acre site. Approximately 25 of those acres will remain undisturbed due to some wetlands, stream buffers which flow intermittently, and an existing pond that will remain intact. It will take 24 months to build and will be open for the 2012 school year.
There were quite a few residents in attendance and many questions were brought up (no shortage of opinions by any means!), some of which I’ll share with you, but first I’ll give you the short list of what is proposed:
Key Points of Interest
- Enrollment: 1,900
- School size: 327,640 sq. ft
- 600 - 700 parking spaces for cars, 24 for buses
- 600 seat performing arts theater
- 200 seat gymnasium w/ raised 3-lane running track
- 5 tennis courts
- Baseball field w/ batting cages
- Sports stadium which will accommodate 2500 home and 1200 visitor attendees
- Softball field
- A separate practice field
- A band practice area
Student Population and Redistricting
I had to chuckle at the first question from the crowd when a gentleman stood up and asked "where on that plan will the trailers go?". As you probably know, trailers are an issue at some of the schools in North Fulton and certainly not unique to schools all around Atlanta. This is a local sore subject I mentioned in an earlier post regarding redistricting and trailers at Cogburn Woods . The answer was reassuring, and hopefully accurate. When this school opens and pulls students who would have otherwise attended Milton or Alpharetta High Schools, there will be no requirement for trailers at any of these schools for some time to come.
The last question led into the next obvious question regarding redistricting and who will be allowed to remain at the other schools. The answer is rising 10th, 11th and 12th grade students can choose to remain at the High School they are already attending but parents will have to provide transportation to that school. Redistricting meetings will take place in the spring of 2011 and the final lines will be drawn by August 2011. Families impacted by the redistricting will be notified by that winter and the spring of 2012. Fulton County Schools has a Redistricting page on their website for additional information.
Other Questions from the community
Another big question had to do with potential access from Hwy 9 in order to minimize traffic on Bethany and Cogburn. A good question but with all commercial property along that side of the school property it isn’t an option. However, the plan does provide for an entrance off both Bethany and Cogburn for drop-off and pick-up which will ease traffic concerns on those roads.
From there the questions ranged from wanting the school to have a look and feel that will mirror our rural, equestrian community to a concern over the distance from the locker rooms to the softball field. With no vehicle access to the softball field, kids will have to carry their equipment too far. Hmmm… maybe the school should be a barn and the kids can ride horses to the stadium.Ok, I’m just kidding….
Some of the other questions or comments had to to with: The cafeteria being too small to feed that many children, why isn’t there a swimming pool, why isn’t it a 3-story building instead of a 2-story building, will the school be built by Americans or illegal aliens, how long will it take to acquire books for the library, will the sports programs and band programs be in place at the beginning or be built from scratch. I have to give Katie Reeves, our district representative from Fulton County Schools, credit for breathing common sense back into the conversation when the discussion would go a little astray. As she pointed out, the principle is hired one year out from opening. Teachers, staff, sports and band programs and operations will all be worked out in advance in order to have a fully prepared and operating school from day one.
What about Money?
With declining tax revenues a question was raised about building costs. Katie Reeves pointed out that while SPLOST revenues were down over $6 Million, building and material costs were down significantly and would "save the day" allowing for the school to be built within budget. We were assured that teacher and staff salaries were in the budget when a question was raised about hiring quality teaches in light of the recent teaching layoffs and staff cuts. Oddly this was the only question of the night regarding education…
It’s great that we have such overwhelming community involvement from local parents and certainly you can’t please everyone but I’m sure the school will be something we will all be proud to have our children attend. You can see the full presentation from that evening on the Fulton County Schools site. If you missed the meeting and have some ideas about what was discussed we would like to hear from you. Tell us what your thoughts or concerns are. Or better yet, what do you think we should name this school?
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently No Comments »
Cogburn Woods Overcapacity: School Superintendent Loe Outlines Plan
categories: Alpharetta Real Estate, Local Information, Milton Real Estate, Schools
Tuesday night at the Milton High School auditorium Fulton County School Board Representative Katie Reeves and Superintendent Cindy Loe, PhD met with a group of concerned parents about the overcrowding at Cogburn Woods Elementary.
In light of the issue, it seemed to be a pretty small group of people who showed up but some of those that did show up expressed their frustration with the mistake. The issue centers on the fact that Cogburn Woods is over enrollment by 10.9%, all on the heels of a wide redistricting last year that should have prevented this. As you can see in the chart below, Manning Oaks Elementary is also over planned enrollment by 4.4%:
| Comparison of Enrollment - May 2009 to September 2009 and FY10 Projections | ||||
| School | FY09 End of Year | FY10 Month 1** | Forecast | Over/Under |
| Alpharetta | 760 | 711 | 717 | -0.8% |
| Birmingham Falls | N/A | 765 | 752 | 1.7% |
| Cogburn Woods | 952 | 1007 | 908 | 10.9% |
| Manning Oaks | 973 | 756 | 724 | 4.4% |
| Summit Hill | 1058 | 794 | 780 | 1.8% |
| **Official First Month Enrollment; 9/4/2009 | ||||
The issue occurred when school board planners under-estimated the number of students coming from apartments and new townhome communities close by; and in turn didn’t move enough students from Cogburn Woods to Summit Hill or Birmingham Falls - or moved too many students from Manning Oaks to Cogburn Woods. However, I have to take my hat off to Superintendent Loe for stepping up and stating, “the planning department is right on target with projections 99.9% of the time but in this case…we just plain blew it”. Anytime anyone in a position of responsibility takes ownership for a mistake I’m more inclined to trust a plan from them to correct the issue.
So, what is their plan? First I’ll tell you what it isn’t. There were a few calls for some students to be moved immediately so the total enrollment would be in line with original projections. Kudos to Katie Reeves for shutting down this suggestion right away. I think it’s safe to say it would solve the immediate problem but not one parent would want it to be their kids and we should never consider moving students in the middle of the year, disrupting their education.
The plan is two-fold; first parents in Cogburn Woods would be offered an opportunity to apply for hardship transfers if they feel the overcrowding is effecting their child. Hardship applicants would be given a first-come first-served option at moving their child to Summit Hill or Birmingham Falls ONLY if slots exist as no additional teachers would be staffed to accommodate this. Those parents would also be responsible for getting their children to and from school.
Secondly, the school board planners would re-evaluate student population and projections in December / January and a meeting would be scheduled after that so the community could hear the proposal for some small adjustment / redistricting for Cogburn Woods and Manning Oaks. However, this is problematic as both schools are over enrolled and are in a high growth area. Some parents attending made suggestions that student enrollment at Summit Hill and Birmingham Falls would need to be included in that evaluation as well. I agree with this as the over enrollment issue for Cogburn shouldn’t simply be pushed back on Manning Oaks.
This is a sensitive issue for all parents involved but a question comes to mind and I wonder what others think about this. There are some classes at Summit Hill that have more than 25 kids becasue they didn’t have quite enough kids in a particulare grade to warrant an additional class. Cogburn Woods as a whole is over enrolled but their class sizes are 25 or less. Which situation is worse? An over crowded school with appropriate class sizes or an under enrolled school with some larger class sizes?
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently 2 Comments »
Matilda’s Music Under The Pines - A Hidden Gem in Alpharetta
categories: Local Information, Miscellaneous
I’ve run into more than a few people lately who have said, “I’ve heard of that, it sounds like fun I should really go”. Well the concert series runs through the end of October so if you haven’t yet, you should really check out Matilda’s Under the Pines one Friday or Saturday night before then.
If you don’t know about Matilda’s, let me paint you a picture. Just south of Alpharetta, on Hwy 9 there are a collection of funky little cottages full of artwork, painted furniture and crafts from a wide range of local artists. Mary Jane Potter has created something you won’t find anywhere else and once you visit you’ll wonder how you ever missed it (although you’ve probably driven by it a thousand times).
Easy, Casual and Fun:The music usually starts around 8:30pm every Friday and Saturday and it’s $10 ea. to get in. There are tables and chairs or you can bring your own, along with a picnic basket of food and the drink of your choice. But if you decide to go at the last minute, don’t worry. There is great barbecue for sale - just bring your cooler and stroll on in.
This past Saturday the Barn Rats played some great bluegrass and the weather was perfect. In this economy who isn’t looking for an easy, inexpensive, fun night out? An how cool is it to relax with a glass of wine or cold beer and listen to live music being played on the front porch of a little shack in Alpharetta? I’m looking forward to hearing some blues this weekend. Oh, by the way, your dog is welcome too! If you go, let me know what you think and say hi to Mary Jane (on the right below)!
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently 1 Comment »
Pure Expands and Woodstock Says Thanks!
categories: Local Information, Stuff I like to talk about
I had the opportunity to take part in a pre-opening event Friday for a new Pure restaurant in Downtown Woodstock and it looks like another hit for Sedgwick Restaurant Group. For most everyone in Alpharetta and Milton, we know how popular the original Pure is every night of the week and by all accounts the new location will be just as busy, but with a rooftop bar and more space for patrons.
This pre-opening event was a chance for the community to try out the great food and for the staff to ramp up for what I’m sure will be a local favorite. We started with margaritas on the roof top and it felt like we were at a resort. The had live music and the view of downtown Woodstock was great. Chris Sedgwick came up with a design of canvas “sails” and the furniture is sleek, cool and comfortable.
Because this was a pre-openning “warm-up” for the staff, they let each table draw their appetizer and dinner selections from a cup so each dish was a surprise. The Tres Ceviche with shrimp, fish and octopus was light, fresh and a perfect appetizer. For dinner the chipotle chicken tacos and hanger steak with jalapeno mac & cheese was awesome.
For those loyal Pure fans, don’t worry! The food, atmosphere and awesome margaritas are just a delicious as they always are. This is the first of many new locations that the Franchise is planning to add, with Inman Park coming on line in a few weeks.
Coincidentally, this also happened during Downtown Woodstocks Friday Night Live event. Similar to Roswell’s Alive after 5 on historic Canton St., there is live music, art galleries, events in the park and, of course, great food from local restaurants.
I encourage you to check it out and let me know what you had that was the best, and if it was the margarita - that’s fine too!
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently 1 Comment »
Shaping the Future Of Milton Town Center
categories: Crabapple, Local Affairs, Local Information, Milton Real Estate, Stuff I like to talk about
“We shape our buildings…thereafter, they shape us”. It may seem odd to open this post with a quote from Winston Churchill but it has a lot to do with what local developer J.T. Adams is trying to achieve with his proposed plans for a City of Milton Town Center and gives us some insight into his philosophy of how communities should be designed.
Another way to look at it would from the perspective of James Kunstler. An outspoken critic of suburban sprawl, his view that “…public spaces should be inspired centers of civic life and the physical manifestation of the common good. Instead, he argues, what we have in America is a nation of places not worth caring about”. Public spaces should have an active and permeable outer edge where people go in-and-out. In-and-out of shops, stores, restaurants. These are places where people want to be, where they are drawn to.
A little over 3 years ago the City of Milton was born and much has happened with the local real estate market and development over that time. There are more than a few subdivision graveyards out there and while no one is benefiting from the downturn, the development and density in the area would be drastically different had this downturn not happened.
So, the question is, how do we plan to move forward while keeping the City’s Vision Statement in mind, “..embracing our small town life while preserving and enhancing our rural character”. What J.T. Adams proposes, right in the heart of Crabapple, is to remove high density residential and put in its place a city center that would be part of a walkable community surrounded by dozens of unique shops, restaurants and well positioned parks with monuments, mature landscaping and water features. There is an opportunity to create something that would not only embody what I feel the City of Milton should be but to rival the small city centers around us, like Alpharetta and Roswell.
In this setting will exist the new Milton City Hall, a 250-seat performing arts center, a new public library, small outdoor ampitheater and a bed-and-breakfast / events center. All this rather than dozens of high-density townhomes and over-supplied residential properties.
While this plan hasn’t been formally presented to the city, it has been presented at some Town Hall Meetings. We have an opportunity to get involved, provide feedback and be a part of what the City of Milton could become. Please share what you think the City Of Milton should look like.
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently 2 Comments »
Alpharetta Farmers Market - A Good Morning Spent
categories: Local Information, Stuff I like to talk about
What are you doing Saturday morning? In historic downtown Alpharetta, the Alpharetta Farmers Market offers great locally grown food and locally produced goods.
It’s open for business every Saturday through October 24th from 8am to 12:30pm. This is the 3rd year for the Farmers Market and they have put more of a focus on locally grown organic food. The further we get into the season we’ll see more produce and more vendors, so go back throughout the season for different offerings.
So, wether you are getting fresh vegetables, locally produced honey or a straight-out-of-the-lemon glass of lemonaide, come on down, grab a coffee and meander around the street and see what looks good. Take a look at the video below and see for yourself.
Posted by Bob Strader | Currently 2 Comments »
