Critics: Despite popularity, Beltline needs more community engagement
Despite enjoying a large and well-informed fan base, the
Atlanta Beltline is still a bit of a mystery to some.
The project, which will link 45 neighborhoods through trails and greenspace, opens its newest segment — the westside trail in southwest Atlanta — this fall. But critics in the area say Atlanta Beltline Inc., which oversees the 22-mile infrastructure plan, has not reached out enough to residents who have limited knowledge of the Beltline’s impact.
Those people, critics claim, could be negatively impacted by so-called “predatory buyers,” who have swarmed westside trail neighborhoods in the last year hoping to convince homeowners to see their houses at prices well below their true value.
A detailed look at the issue, including Mayor Kasim Reed's advice to homeowners, is available to myajc.com subscribers here.
