Residents denounce road plan near U.S. 78

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Residents denounce road plan
Foes say street will ruin neighborhood

By MICHAEL PEARSON
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/19/08

It may seem as if the biggest thing going along U.S. 78 as it barrels past Stone Mountain on its seven-mile run to Snellville is the state-run project to dismantle the road's vexing reversible lane system and build a raised median.

But it's a tiny two-lane street proposed just north of that project that has residents of the Rainbow Estates subdivision revved up.

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Laura and David Keller say that if a proposed plan for a road parallel to U.S. 78 goes through, the view from their backyard swimming pool will be of Stone Mountain Highway.

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Residents in that subdivision and other homes near the road fear plans to build the new street connecting Hewatt and Britt roads will ruin their back yards, cheapen their homes and bring unwanted traffic, noise and intruders into their neighborhood.

It's a street most commuters on U.S. 78, also known as Stone Mountain Highway, will never use. Most won't even know it's there. But it will have a devastating impact on nearby homeowners, said Donald Hale, who owns nearly 3 acres, separated from U.S. 78 and the businesses that line it only by a thick row of trees.

"It will kill this subdivision," he said. "They're planning on coming in here, devaluing this property and then picking it up for nothing."

The project — actually two smaller projects that together will cost more than $3.6 million — is part of a larger plan for a series of parallel streets connecting signalized intersections along U.S. 78.

The idea is to take some local traffic off Stone Mountain Highway and make it easier for shoppers to reach businesses when the state Department of Transportation median project is complete, said Brett Harrell, executive director of the Evermore Community Improvement District.

The self-funded business group, which formed to find ways to enhance the median project to the benefit of businesses, has been planning the projects for years.

The Hewatt-to-Britt project is still in the planning stages, but funding has been secured, and the work is scheduled to be complete in 2010. A third project, involving a new street from Rockbridge Road to Davis Road, is scheduled to open in 2009.

Harrell has heard the opposition among residents near the Hewatt-to-Britt project. He expects some of that criticism will be reflected in changes to the plans once public comment, collected by the DOT in March and April, comes back.

"Some people don't see the value and just oppose it outright," Harrell said. "Others have what I think are really good constructive positive or negative comments."

What Harrell doesn't agree with is the belief among some residents that the CID is trying to ruin nearby residents' land or otherwise ignore their concerns.

"Who spends their money at those businesses? It's the people who live there," Harrell said. "We don't want these people to be upset with us."

It's not working so far. At least 32 residents of the area have signed a petition circulated by Jack Townsend. He argues the street isn't a sure-fire traffic fix but is a sure-fire way to reduce the quality of life around the home where he has lived for 55 years.

"I'm not especially wanting to move," he said.

David Keller, who lives on Rainbow Circle and said he would lose a chunk of his backyard under the proposed plan, said the street isn't even necessary. He believes allowing shoppers to drive from one parking lot to another among businesses lining U.S. 78 would accomplish what CID officials say they're trying to do.

If that's not possible, Keller said, he'd like to see the road scaled down to something like the narrow service drive that already exists behind a few of the businesses near his subdivision. The small road forces drivers to slow down and is clearly designed to serve only nearby businesses, he said.

The two-lane, sidewalk-lined road the CID has proposed would cost him part of his heavily landscaped backyard oasis and, he said, leave his family with a view of Stone Mountain Highway and nearby businesses while swimming in their pool.

Besides, he said, local residents already know how to cut between Hewatt and Britt by way of Bruckner Boulevard.

"We just see it as a needless way of doing it," he said.

Among business owners, the project has more support.

"The more traffic you have around your business, the more business you have," said Alex Roman, owner of the Amazing Cars dealership at Parkwood Road and U.S. 78.

Harrell said officials are open to changing the project to make it more accommodating to residents. One easy fix: taking out one of the sidewalks, cutting the project's footprint down by six to 10 feet, he said.

"I'm hopeful that the objections will be reasonably dealt with" once the plans are complete, Harrell said.

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Comments

By jetclampette

Jul 29, 2008 6:01 PM | Link to this

Just remember who these politicians are and what their vote was for this project and vote them out of office when the time comes. They are elected by the people not the developers or businesses. Homeowner property rights are under assault and politicians need a lesson on who they work for!!!!!!!
To devalue someone's property for business interest is a crime against the constitution.

By A

Jun 30, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this

The real problem is that the right decision wasn't made in the first place with regard to fixing US78. The freeway should have been continued east from ParK place. The only reason it wasn't was becasue of politacal pandering to these businesses.

By me

Jun 12, 2008 11:33 PM | Link to this

Steve . . if the story is so worthless why did you waste your precious, valuable time reading it? And certainly wasting your time writing a blog. Maybe, just maybe your opinion is worthless, too! Why don't you take your opinion and stuff it where the sun don't shine.

By The Truth

May 21, 2008 5:11 PM | Link to this

BTW, all those businesses that are in favor of these proposed access roads . . you'd better get your security systems upgraded because the "better access" to your businesses is going to be by the criminals and burglarers who are going to use these access roads to get in and out of your businesses in the wee hours of the night and make their get aways without having to get on 78 highway . . just think about that!!!

By The Truth

May 20, 2008 12:08 PM | Link to this

I've lived in this subdivison for 37 years. 78 Hwy was basically undeveloped when I built my home here. While I expected growth and knew that one day 78 would become commercial . . . is one thing. But, to build a road that runs pararell to 78 to give better access to "businesses" is absurd and serves no purpose! 78 is not an interstate . . where access roads are usually found. The decline of 78 is already underway any additional access is a waste of tax dollars. Just look at the vacated buildings/businesses, etc. coming down from Stone Mountain and as time goes on there will be more and more; this decline began years ago long before medians were being contemplated. Building this access road will serve absolutely no purpose but to destroy the home values of those who have lived in my subdivision for years. Bret Harrell is only trying to appease the businesses and used the access road as a means to do that in order to get them to buy into his "pet" project. As for as Amazing Cars they recently built at their current location within the last year knowing about the 78 project . . so I say tough!! to them!!! They are at a corner where there is a traffic light so access to them will not be a problem. Any way they did not get properly zoned to begin with and built anyway. There are not that many businesses that will be impacted between Hewatt and Parkwood. The BP station, the small shopping center and Wages funeral home already has a little road behind them. Then there is a vacant land parcel, the Castleberry furniture and Amazing cars(which is at the corner of 78 and Parkwood already). So, tell me why this road is necessary!! Bret Harrell is a big time joke!!

By deanh

May 20, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this

Hey "Boo Hoo" Steve, learn how to spell first before you make a comment (rediculious should be ridiculous). Steve said �then move it you don�t like it�, Hey Steve, who�s going to buy a house with a road going though there backyard? You? The folks live in that area can get around without getting on to Hwy78. The road is a bad Idea. It�s not going to help. I hope they (developers) come to there sense and drop this dumb idea. If the developers want it bad enough, they should buy the whole neighborhood. What business is it going to help? Lets see, they a BP gas station on the corner, a paintball house, a tattoo parlor, a funeral home, furniture store and a used car lot. Seems to me, you don�t need to take away homeowners backyards to make a cut thought.

By The Truth Hurts

May 20, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this

By Steve

May 19, 2008 7:08 PM | Link to this

Well boo hoo. Move if you don't like it. Am I the only one who thinks this story is rediculious? Is there nothing news worthy out there anymore?

By Steve

May 19, 2008 7:07 PM | Link to this

Well boo hoo. Move if you don't like it. I'm tired of these lame stories.

By Steve

May 19, 2008 7:06 PM | Link to this

Well boo hoo. Move if you don't like it. I'm tired of these lame stories.

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