Buckhead CID Looking to Expand Into West Village

is looking to expand into and make infrastructure improvements to the SPI 9 district, which includes a large portion of and a second section including part of Piedmont Road.

The CID voted at their most recent meeting to approve a $20,000 contract to Lowe Engineers to conduct an assessment of West/Buckhead Village. The assessment will evaluate existing conditions to provide recommendations for short and long term improvements, as well as the cost of each.

The West Village area in question is between Irby Avenue and East Adrews Drive and to the west of Roswell Road. The SPI 9 zoning, adopted by Atlanta City Council on October 4, 2010, sets the stage for a more walkable, urban community with an international appeal.

Buckhead CID Executive Director Jim Durrett said it was always the intention of the CID to move into SPI 9 and wants to give commericial property owners and tenants in the area a chance to ask the CID questions about their intentions. With this in mind Durrett said the has been reserved for 5:30 p.m. on June 20 for a question and answer session.

"We want to demonstrate the sorts of improvements that we would be able to make in short order in this area," he said.

Durrett said he expects Lowe to come back  with sidewalk, crosswalk and street lighting improvements that can be made to help the West Village area function better and be safer. He hopes to be able to share that information at the question and answer session.

"We want to bring the whole area up to a certain standard that folks would like in this area."

Durrett said the 61 parcels in question have an assessed value for taxation purposes of around $20 million dollars, which would bring about $61,000 a year into the CID.

Once the process is complete, another area between Maple Drive, E. Paces Ferry and Piedmont Road (both sides north of E. Paces) will likely be given the same treatment. Durrett was excited that the CID might be able to further improve Piedmont Road, which is on the project list.

"If we are able to get this area into the CID it would allow us to spend capital dollars to make further improvements there," he said. "So the project that folks are voting to fund with the referendum, we might be able to improve it even more that it is already planned to be."

CID Vice Chairman John Lundeen was the only one to abstain from voting for the study, as he raised issues with the amount of revenue the West Village area would generate versus the cost of the study. Lundeen said he wants to see each area introduced quicker into the CID to generate more revenue.