Alpharetta City Council voted 6-1 to move forward with a master plan for its City Center Project that includes some mixed-use structures to accompany a new city hall, a library and parking deck on 22 acres.
While most who spoke at the meeting Monday night gave the plan a resounding endorsement, some residents said they were frustrated that it bore little resemblance to the vision they voted to spend $29 million for last November.
"I still don't think we're getting what we were promised," said Kim Bailey, who voted for the bond issue last fall.
Bailey said the vision proposed before the election accented green space and limited commercial and residential development. But others argued the latest proposal provides a perfect balance for a vibrant downtown.
David Bristol called the plan "visionary excellence in action" and "as close to perfect as I need to see it."
Council members said the proposal has always been a fluid process, changing as more public input was received.
Mayor David Belle Isle said the space cannot be enjoyed by the public unless there is a reason for the public to be there. He said the city could have built a 19-acre park with a library, but it wouldn't have generated the same amount of interest as the mixture being proposed.
As it stands now, the plan includes a new 47,000-square foot city hall, a 450-space parking deck, a 4.95-acre park and a .9-acre town green with sidewalk and landscaped borders. It also includes a new 25,000-square-foot Fulton County branch library and space for future mixed-use development.
"This is not the final plan," Councilman Chris Owens said. "This is the first step in many to get us to that master plan."
He said engineers have made adjustments to reduce commercial space and add more green space than plans submitted in recent months.
Councilman Jim Gilvin cast the lone dissent, saying there were no studies performed to show what impact added commercial space would have on downtown traffic, especially with Haynes Bridge Road reduced from four to two lanes. He also wondered why parking for City Hall was two blocks away, while the library and all commercial structures had attached lots.
Councilman D.C. Aiken said the planning process has tried to conform to residents' wishes. There is no conspiracy, he said, and there is no intention to mislead anyone.
Monday's vote left most of the nearly two dozen in attendance satisfied. But not everyone.
"I voted for the bond based on the presentations I'd been to," said resident Diane Scaglione. "As a citizen, I'm frustrated."
About the Author
