The Hanover Co.'s development at the Buckhead Triangle is a step closer to fruition, following general approval of the variances required to start construction. The project, mired in disputes stemming from the loss of parking for the adjacent Buckhead Theatre, could soon go through permitting. With its second appearance before the Development Review Committee, the project's feedback was generally supportive, with the committee mostly approving of a staggering 15 variances required for the project to proceed. Assuming that things progress according to plan, the 21-ish story building is slated to house 351 apartments and almost 13,000 square feet of retail space. And it could go a long way in linking the commercial vibrancy of the Buckhead Atlanta area with the older bar district.
Many of the variances the committee recommended have to do with parking and access on the site, which is characterized as restrictively narrow. Rather than making you read 15 snooze-worthy variances, here's the gist, per the DRC:
1. The overall number of spaces provided should be decreased from 769 to 662, and the required number of loading docks should be decreased from four to two. During construction, the removal of the surface lot for the Buckhead Theatre may be permitted, provided that a plan is put in place for offsite parking.
2. Access to the site can be provided by two curb cuts (i.e., little vehicle passageways) on Early Street — in lieu of one each on Early and Irby streets — and one on Roswell Road. The second driveway on Early Street can be 26-feet wide and sit closer than 100 feet from the nearest intersection.
3. The building doesn't need to be set back an additional five feet from Early Streets and Roswell Road, provided that space is accommodated for outdoor dining at the corner of Irby Street and Roswell. Due to the topography at the corner, a retaining wall should be permitted.
4. The developers should contact Livable Buckhead to devise a transportation management plan, which one would assume means they may participate in the Buc Shuttle system.
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In addition to the recommended approvals, the committee did ask for a few changes:
1. More architectural study should be undertaken to break up the long wall along Early Street and to better screen the mechanical units from the street. Golf clap.
2. More glass should be incorporated in the street-front retail to better engage the street. (Don't sell pricey jeans).
3. The developer should work with GDOT to provide a signalized pedestrian crossing to Charlie Loudermilk Park. Golf clap.
All in all, the committee was supportive of the design, meaning the next step is to move toward permitting, and then construction. With the clock tower installed across the street, and more changes planned along Peachtree, it's possible that cranes, and people, will soon flock to the Buckhead Triangle.
· 3116 Roswell – Hanover (Second Visit) [Livable Buckhead]
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