Smyrna’s downtown corridor will soon be redesigned with an open concept that replaces the fountain and roundabout in front of the city library with more green space.
City Council voted 5-2 to approve the plan Monday night. Council members Susan Wilkinson and Charles “Corkey” Welch opposed the makeover, saying they were concerned about traffic issues. They were also against the location carved out for a new downtown parking garage.
Both pointed out that the board saw no alternative proposals and worried that the city wasn’t selecting the best possible redesign for the corridor.
“Let’s look at some other options instead of just taking the first one that we get and deciding that’s we’re going to do,” Welch said.
City Council must still vote on details like landscaping, textures and surfacing to refine the overall concept. Officials said construction won’t begin until at least November.
Wilkinson motioned to table the plan. It failed with only she and Welch voting to delay adoption of the concept. She argued that the city has overlooked pivotal parts of the design phase that would refine the final plan.
“I feel like we’ve missed some of those steps and I think the devil is in the details. And I think those are vital steps to come out with the best design for the community,” she said.
Mayor Derek Norton reiterated his mantra that the design opens up the city’s downtown and makes it more pedestrian friendly. Councilmen Tim Gould, Austin Wagner and Travis Lindley all cited the additional green space in voting for the plan.
“I think the mayor laid out a pretty sweeping vision, one that I endorse wholeheartedly,” said Lindley, who attended via phone.
The plan includes a $4-million, three-story parking deck just north of the Community Center that holds 250 parking spots. A traffic light will be installed at Powder Springs Street and Atlanta Road.
The fountain and roundabout at Centennial Park at Village Green will be replaced with kid-friendly splash pads. The new park will extend from the Community Center south to Bank Street.
Stillfire Brewery, a three-story pub, will be constructed on a 1.7-acre lot along Atlanta Road just across the road from the Community Center. Norton on Monday said City Council has approved terms and intends to sell the city-owned property to the brewery.
Nearly $6.7 million in special purpose local option sales tax money is dedicated to Smyrna’s downtown redevelopment. Another $4 million in SPLOST funds will pay for new parking deck.
Residents got two chances to weigh in during public hearings this month. Nearly 150 people attended the June 8 and June 14 meetings. They suggested ways to decrease traffic along King Street and the improve aesthetics of the parking deck.
Norton insisted that the redevelopment of downtown is nearly two years in the making. Pond & Company, a Peachtree Corners architectural and engineering firm, conducted a downtown study and presented a master plan to City Council in August 2020. That was the first time many council members recalled seeing the concept that was approved Monday.
Some who attended Monday’s meeting, however, felt the plan was rushed.
“You’ve been discussing this with your design agents, and among yourselves, and with key stakeholders for months,” former councilman Mike McNabb told City Council. “But the public takes longer on any major issue to catch up.”
