Atlanta developer Stephen Macauley grew up in England where he came to appreciate roundabouts — those circular intersections popping up in neighborhoods across the metro area. Not only are roundabouts great tools for slowing traffic, Macauley says, they also can be vehicles to beautify neighborhoods. Consider the charming one dedicated a few weeks ago in Garden Hills, a northeast Atlanta neighborhood tucked between Peachtree and Piedmont near the Lindbergh Center MARTA Station. At the convergence of three streets in the neighborhood’s heart now sits a landscaped garden and fountain. The roundabout is most notable for the four sculptures by local artist Martin Dawe of children holding hands, staring at the clouds, being kids. It should come as no surprise that Macauley was the project manager on the roundabout, which took almost a decade from concept to reality and, incidentally, sits at the end of his street.
Q: Can you describe Garden Hills for people who don’t know the neighborhood?
A: It is what its name implies — a neighborhood of parks and gardens. It really attracts families for its walkability and strong sense of community. It is a rarity in Buckhead for its green space and parks.
Q: Why was a roundabout needed?
A: It really started as a pedestrian and children safety issue. Its location is the intersection of Rumson, Bolling and Pine Tree. Everybody saw that as the central point because that is where the pool, the field and the playground are located.
Q: You said it started there. Did it grow?
A: A larger fundraising effort helped upgrade the pool area and the field that are owned by the City of Atlanta but managed by the Garden Hills Pool and Park Association. The crowning jewel was the roundabout itself and the crowning jewel of that are the sculptures.
Q: Are roundabouts really safer?
A: Oh heck yeah. You can’t shoot through them, you have to go around them. They are big traffic calming measures.
Q: How much did the roundabout cost?
A: $245,000. That included repaving the street around it, getting approval from the City of Atlanta for the engineering and design, and of course, implementation. There was a lot of pro bono work by residents.
Q: Did the City kick in anything?
A: About $30,000.
Q: There’s a marker recognizing the Atlanta International School. What was its contribution?
A: The school was a significant contributor. It feels like it is a part of the community and wanted to reach out and show its respect to the community.
Q: It took almost a decade to get to build the roundabout. Was there much discussion about doing it?
A: We had numerous community stakeholder meetings. What was nice was that all of the neighborhood groups — the garden club, the civic association, the pool and park association, the neighborhood foundation — all came together and worked to define what the neighborhood would be for generations to come.
Q: Were there a lot of ideas about what the roundabout would look like?
A: Oh yeah. Should we have a fountain, not have a fountain? What kind of sculpture? What made it easy is that residents Jim and Nancy Floyd stepped up and dedicated the sculptures in memory of their late son. The grouping is called “The Children” and it was a perfect match.
The Sunday conversation is edited for length and clarity. Writer Ann Hardie can be reached by email at ann.hardie@ymail.com.
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