Committed to Removing Parking Spaces (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: apartment, condos, houses)

[ATL_GUY]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Going to be impossible to Atlanta. Paris can do that because it has a world-class transportation system, walkability that extends for miles and miles around the core, and large population densities. Paris is about 10x as dense as Atlanta and as many as 15-20x as dense as Atlanta in it's tightest core area.

Exactly but I would still love to see Atlanta take that approach. I hate the so many huge parking lots. They're so ugly and take you so much space. That space can be used for better things. Parking lots are needed but there's better way of handling it.

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by ATL_GUY

Exactly but I would still love to see Atlanta take that approach. I hate the so many huge parking lots. They're so ugly and take you so much space. That space can be used for better things. Parking lots are needed but there's better way of handling it.

They do a good job of hiding them on Peachtree St. in Downtown. However, go one or two blocks east or west and bam, parking lot city. Thankfully, GSU is building the new law building that would probably be the last of visible parking lots from Peachtree St. in Downtown from Five points through the Hotel District.

[jsvh]

It has been said before, but Atlanta needs to get rid of the code requiring parking spaces. If you want to build a new building you are required to have X number of parking spaces. This is silly, it is one thing if the business or homeowner decides that they want them. But most of the parking lots and decks are required by law. That is stupid, and getting rid of that law should be the first step.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by jsvh

It has been said before, but Atlanta needs to get rid of the code requiring parking spaces. If you want to build a new building you are required to have X number of parking spaces. This is silly, it is one thing if the business or homeowner decides that they want them. But most of the parking lots and decks are required by law. That is stupid, and getting rid of that law should be the first step.

The state would probably step in and shoot down the idea. Since they like telling the city what it can do anyways, eg: Hotel/Motel taxes collected by the city.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by cqholt

The state would probably step in and shoot down the idea. Since they like telling the city what it can do anyways, eg: Hotel/Motel taxes collected by the city.

I don't think they would. They would have to pass a state law requiring it. But we wont know until we try.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by jsvh

I don't think they would. They would have to pass a state law requiring it. But we wont know until we try.

The state likes to bully Atlanta into doing what it thinks is right, like restricting tax money collected from the Hotel/Motel tax to just going to a new football stadium instead of transportation fixes.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cqholt

The state likes to bully Atlanta into doing what it thinks is right, like restricting tax money collected from the Hotel/Motel tax to just going to a new football stadium instead of transportation fixes.

You wouldn't want to see the city of Atlanta without the enormous leadership and financial support provided by the state of Georgia -- the state Capitol, the many state office buildings and the thousands of state workers, Centennial Olympic park, the Dome, the GWCC, the new 5th, 14th and 17th street bridges, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, UGA, the streetscape improvements on Simpson, 10th, 14th, Peachtree in Buckhead, Midtown and downtown, and on and on.

As to limiting the hotel tax to the Dome/new stadium, I don't recall hearing any objection to that from the city of Atlanta government. To the contrary, they were gung ho in favor of it.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by arjay57

You wouldn't want to see the city of Atlanta without the enormous leadership and financial support provided by the state of Georgia -- the state Capitol, the many state office buildings and the thousands of state workers, Centennial Olympic park, the Dome, the GWCC, the new 5th, 14th and 17th street bridges, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, UGA, the streetscape improvements on Simpson, 10th, 14th, Peachtree in Buckhead, Midtown and downtown, and on and on.

Atlanta is the economic engine driving Georgia. If Atlanta could succeed from the state and form its own, I am confident that it would be better off the the rest of the state. I cannot find the data but there is no way Atlanta is paying less to Georgia in taxes than it is getting back. Do you have any idea how much money we drop into all the 100 mile long 4-lane rural highways through Podunk, GA? So yes, I would not mind seeing Atlanta without the financial "support" of the state (more like Atlanta's support of the rest of GA).

Edit:
There does not seem to be data out there on Atlanta but New York City sent $11.1 Billion more to New York state than it recieved back. I would expect a similar trend in Atlanta.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governm...ty#City_budget

[GeorgiaLakeSearch]

Actually if Atlanta were to break off we would be in worse shape. A good amount of Buckhead homeowners work in Sandy Springs/Perimeter and Cumberland area.

I bet if Georgia was blue people would not be saying to break off. There is a reason companies left blue states for red states. There is a reason why wealthy NYC residents flee to Florida when they retire. There is a reason DC area companies pick VA over MD. Lets look at the Atlanta property tax collection... most comes from the redest sections of the city.

[ATLTJL]

How come the same people who want Atlanta to break off from Georgia are against the balkanization of Atlanta and they want they city to incorporate as much as possible and are against north Fulton becoming Milton county?

I don't get it. Either you're for the residents who make more money contributing to the common good of the area, or you're against it. How can you be against it when it comes to Atlanta versus Georgia but for it when it comes to metro Atlanta versus Atlanta proper?