Alpharetta Takes Lessons on Redevelopment from Woodstock

With the recent growth of downtown,  is the one giving advice on redevelopment these days. Alpharetta was next in line seeking any tips to help revamp its downtown.

The Cherokee County city's Community Development director met with city officials and downtown business owners before taking a walking tour of downtown Alpharetta to offer advice.

Richard McLeod, who grew up in Roswell, told the city officials and members of the Downtown Alpharetta Trade Association's board of directors one of the key ingredients to successful redevelopment is patience.

Parking is always brought up as an issue for downtown, but McLeod gave warning.

"Be careful what you ask for. Nothing will ruin an area more than big, empty lots of surface parking," he said.

Alpharetta Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard said developers are always asking for reduced parking requirements. But when the spaces they build are out for lease, real estate agents tell the city it doesn't have enough parking downtown.

During the walking tour through downtown Alpharetta, Diana Wheeler, the city's Development director, pointed out 44 Milton Avenue.

"When you see a building like this, you see what is possible," she said.

The incentive zoning for downtown Alpharetta allows extra benefits for developers who meet other city criteria, including exterior design and use of ground floor space only for retail.

This particular building is listed with higher lease costs than the market will bear today, city officials and some DATA members agreed.

"Maybe when things pick up a little bit" it will lease, Wheeler said.

McLeod encouraged Alpharetta to seek slower speed limits on Main Street from the Ga. Department of Transportation, which governs it as a state highway (GA 9), and to reduce it to two narrow lanes if possible.  Woodstock has GA 5 running through it, but McLeod said if motorists want to move quickly north or south through the city they should use I-575.

He even suggested eliminating right turn lanes.

"Do you really want right turn on red in downtown?" McLeod asked.

Woodstock has a mandate for on street parking on all of its downtown streets, another method to slow traffic and make it more pedestrian friendly.