Developer, Decatur residents discuss controversial project

The seats in the council chambers at Decatur City Hall were arranged in circles rather than in rows Wednesday night, and each circle was equipped with a flip chart.

About 55 participants were invited to each pick up an iced bottle of water and then “find a circle that looks like you just belong there.”

That was Otis White talking. He’s a public policy consultant who was hired by Decatur to go boldly go where few have been paid to go before — into the middle of a community conflict to mediate it.

Many of the people at Wednesday’s meeting last met in a tense, nearly six-hour zoning meeting to oppose JLB Partners’ plan to build a parking deck and apartments on the parking lot of an office tower at 315 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Decatur officials tabled the matter. Then, White was hired to “facilitate” a community meeting to help residents and the developer try to reach some level of common ground. White was paid $4,500 to conduct the meeting and was told to keep it to just two hours.

After short presentations by the developer, a resident and Decatur’s city manager, it was time to get down to business. Residents were asked to express both their concerns and hopes for the controversial project in their small groups.

Once the discussions began, Wardell Castles, who lives near the proposed development, told his group he’s concerned about the magnitude of the project which calls for a parking deck that would be shared by office tenants and apartment residents.

Neighbors also expressed they fear parking would spill over into their narrow streets and worry about construction noise and the quality of the proposed development.

Castles participated in the process, but outside the meeting indicated he didn’t think it had much merit. “The purpose of this meeting is for the City Council to at least say they had a roundtable discussion,” he said.

Anna Jefcoat, who lives directly across from the planned development, said she thought the meeting helped to clarify residents’ concerns. “I think that making those concerns more clear and more established will encourage the developer to work more with the neighborhood,” she said.

White said he wasn’t surprised by some skepticism.

“What surprised me a little,” he said, “is how much people love this city.”

Residents’ comments are to be compiled in a report White will share with the developer.

As for the meeting’s time limit, White almost was right on target. It started about 6:40 p.m. and ended at 8:50 p.m.