A Roswell development considered a failure by City Council members became a touchstone in discussions Monday about the city’s development code.
During a discussion about changes to the development code, which is a guide to future development inside the city, councilmember Marcelo Zapata traded exchanges with Mayor Lori Henry about a 2017 project that wasn’t built as originally planned.
Only apartments stand on a nearly empty 18-acre property on Ga. 9 at Sun Valley Road — the location where a developer had promised to also build a grocery store, office, retail and restaurant space.
Residents and city officials have said they want to attract more development to the city, but no new development projects have been completed in Roswell in several years. The empty swath of land at Sun Valley Road is a reminder of what could have been before the developer, Fuqua Development, backed out of the project.
City Council has tweaked the building code several times in an effort to address a lack of development around the city. On Tuesday, Councilman Matt Judy said Roswell’s regulations and policy for constructing new developments is the most divisive element in the city.
“It’s become a political rallying point that a lot of people don’t understand,” Judy told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’ve heard from multiple people and business owners that the (development code) doesn’t fit anymore for the wants and needs of the citizens.”
During Monday’s meeting, councilmembers gave a first reading to a new rule that would prevent developers from building projects that are only residential in a commercial corridor without approval from City Council. The council must vote again Oct. 12 to formally approve or reject the new rule.
The officials also agreed builders of mixed-use projects involving residential, commercial and retail would be required to provide the city with plans for how a project will be built in phases. Permits to begin building the residential portion of a project would only be issued after a certain amount of the non-residential construction was underway.
Zapata and Mayor Lori Henry are often at odds but were in agreement on the need for building code changes. Zapata said that the code changes have been difficult to bring about and suggested it’s happening because it’s an election year.
Zapata is not up for re-election. He served on City Council in 2017 with then-Councilwoman Henry when the project at Sun Valley Road was approved. They both voted against the project.
City Council and the planning commission brainstormed earlier this year on changes to zoning for mixed-use development. In addition, the planning commission and city staff researched more than 20 cities across the U.S. looking for strategies on how to better approach mixed-use projects in Roswell.
“... It was a mistake what happened at Sun Valley, intentional or unintentional ...,” Zapata said of the project’s 2017 approval. “We had to put up a big fight almost for the last year here to get this done. We’re still here in 2021 discussing this item ... I think this will definitely make sure this doesn’t happen again in Roswell.”
Henry, in response to Zapata, encouraged residents to review the 2017 minutes on the project.
“I have met with the developers of Sun Valley and I am at odds with them for what has taken place,” she said. “Sun Valley was built, now we’ve got to deal with it.”
Judy said he wants City Council to review the city’s entire development code and update it.
The city’s development and zoning guidelines were adopted in 2014 after more than 100 meetings with residents and property and business owners in the community, city spokeswoman Julie Brechbill said.
