Petition against Sembler Development on 14th St (Atlanta, Roswell: Home Depot, neighborhood)

[atl-gal]

Please take a moment to read and sign (if you agree) the online petition at Inappropriate Development in Home Park Petition
against the current design of the proposed Sembler development on 14th St. This is Georgia Tech foundation property that is being sold to Sembler for development of a Home Depot, among other retail in the Westside Crossing. Neither the Georgia Tech Foundation nor Sembler are working with Home Park to have the development fit within Home Park's master plan. A design of the development is on Sembler's website at Westside Crossing - Atlanta, GA - The Sembler Company
Also, please forward this to other interested parties.

[onemanarmy]

I'm really torn on this one. Sembler is has a reputation for making big box stores that don't fit the neighborhood, but on the other hand I feel Home Park is a neighborhood that cannot be saved from becoming an all infill neighborhood. The doom of Home Park came with Atlantic Station. That's irreversible in my opinion.

[atl-gal]

Originally Posted by onemanarmy

I'm really torn on this one. Sembler is has a reputation for making big box stores that don't fit the neighborhood, but on the other hand I feel Home Park is a neighborhood that cannot be saved from becoming an all infill neighborhood. The doom of Home Park came with Atlantic Station. That's irreversible in my opinion.

Home Park is not against infill development. It is against putting a suburban style stripmall in an urban environment. The neighborhood Master Plan calls for DENSER development on that site, not a big box store surrounded by a suburban parking lot.

[blackrabbit]

I signed it. I agree its against the spirit of the agreement to put another big box store there. Personally I think we don't need any big box stores anywhere ITP anymore. The one on Roswell Rd just inside the i285 is also terrible, is that Sembler?

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by atl-gal

Home Park is not against infill development. It is against putting a suburban style stripmall in an urban environment. The neighborhood Master Plan calls for DENSER development on that site, not a big box store surrounded by a suburban parking lot.

ITA; IMO Sembler is not the least bit interested in designing their developments to complement the neighborhood...they pay plenty of lip service to the idea, though. Lindbergh Center was a big disappointment to local residents that expected some more urban and walkable.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by blackrabbit

I signed it. I agree its against the spirit of the agreement to put another big box store there. Personally I think we don't need any big box stores anywhere ITP anymore. The one on Roswell Rd just inside the i285 is also terrible, is that Sembler?

Yes, it is.

[onemanarmy]

Originally Posted by atl-gal

Home Park is not against infill development. It is against putting a suburban style stripmall in an urban environment. The neighborhood Master Plan calls for DENSER development on that site, not a big box store surrounded by a suburban parking lot.

Sorry, that wasn't a mutually exclusive statement. I don't care for big boxes, but I detest parking lots. So I'm not for Sembler and his "projects." When it come to Home Park, I just feel this is never ending, because of AS having Target and Ikea every developer is licking it's chops to bring more big box stores and I just don't see how it survives, but I'll fight with Home Park, but I'm not very optimistic. Sorry, I wasnt trying to be cavalier.

[atl-gal]

Home Park has been trying to work with Sembler and the GT Foundation to get them to build a parking deck that is buried underground, with the retail above it. However, Sembler just isn't interested in working with the neighborhood. The GT Foundation isn't being much of a help and is not being a good neighbor to the neighborhood that sits directly in between the Georgia Tech campus and Atlantic Station.

Sembler is known for ignoring the concerns of the neighborhood in which it places its developments. The GT Foundation should be more responsive.

[PeteyNice]

Like most above, I am not against big retailers being intown. It is necessary. I am against the suburbanish stripmall that always accompanies them for some reason. It doesn't have to be that way!



That is a Home Depot on 23rd St in Manhattan.

[wxjay]

Originally Posted by blackrabbit

Personally I think we don't need any big box stores anywhere ITP anymore.

That is WAY too sweeping a generalization. Not everywhere ITP is an urban oasis and some areas NEED more retail in this form.