By Jim Osterman
No doubt one of the transcendent toys of all time would be Legos. Little plastic pieces of all shapes and colors that can build a variety of objects simply by snapping them together. No batteries need be included.
The rocket ship built an hour ago can now be a wilderness fort. A few hours from now it will likely be a pirate ship. It is, literally, child’s play.
Of course in the world of grown-ups it is never as facile. If I want to open a store trafficking in jello molds I must hire a lawyer, secure the land, obtain a business license, get a building permit, get a builder, make sure I’m zoned correctly – this list could go on but I’m getting dizzy.
And once the building is up I’d best be in it to win it because if the jello mold business is not all it is cracked up to be I can’t just shift a few pieces and start peddling used cars or lingerie.
This week – 2-4 p.m. Wednesday in the Community Room of the Heritage Sandy Springs office building, 6110 Bluestone Road – the City of Sandy Springs will host a public information meeting for developers interested in being part of the team that helps recast the look of our wee corner of heaven.
Downtown property owners are urged to take part as well, so if you have ever wished “someone” would do something about our downtown that someone can be you.
Like many small cities Sandy Springs lacks a consistent cosmetic appeal. Newer buildings sit next to older ones and much older ones. Some really old buildings are likely held together with chewing gum, chicken wire and a middlin’ amount of prayer.
Most of this is not the result of poor planning but the fact precious few cities ever really have a plan for how they want to look. Someone wants to buy a piece of property and build a business? Great! More tax revenue. Someone wants to build a shopping center? All the better.
Having sat in a number of city council and county commission meetings through the years as decisions were made on business licenses, I never heard anyone seriously question whether the new business would complement the present landscape. This is how cities end up with a white-shoe law firm adjacent to large fiberglass frankfurters bolted atop Billy’s Bucket ‘o Wieners.
Speaking solely on my behalf these are a few things I would want to see:
Ingenuity when it comes to the current use of the land. Anyone can propose coming in and bulldozing the landscape bare and getting started. Can anyone come up with a plan that is inclusive to current business/property owners?
Practicality when it comes to the use of the land, not to mention what is built on top of it. If you build it they may not necessarily come. They may say: “What were you thinking?” and run in the other direction. If one wants to see a project fairly well executed ride over to Smyrna and stroll around the complex build for government and citizen use. Yes, Smyrna.
Finally, as we circle back to Legos, keep in mind that once brick and mortar are joined together we’re stuck the result for a long time. This is pass/fail city planning.
Speak now or forever live with the consequences.
Jim Osterman has lived in Sandy Springs since 1962. He can be reached at jimosterman@rocketmail.com.
