Friday, April 20, 2001
Friday, April 20, 2001 |
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Transit station talk abandoned to speed up West Village transportation study
By JOHN
MUNFORD With a June 1 deadline fast approaching, the task force studying the development of the West Village area has agreed to forget about a potential transit station at least temporarily. The impending deadline is to complete a study on how alternative transportation specifically the golf cart path system will be configurated into the newly developed area. The study is crucial to possible grant money that could come for the path system from the Atlanta Regional Commission through its Liveable Centers Initiative program. The ARC needs the study by June 1, and the City Council must sign off on it before then. That means the task force has to act quickly. The first two meetings of the task force were bogged down in a consultant's proposal for the location of a possible bus/rail station. It was the subject of much debate among task force members before it was abandoned at last week's task force meeting so the study could be completed on time. An ARC representative was also on hand at that meeting to insure the task force members that ARC would not force the transit station, or any transportation improvements, on the city. But the grant money available from ARC must be used on transportation improvements since the funds are coming from the Department of Transportation, he added. Rast said the funds could be used to construct another bridge over the CSX railroad tracks to provide another link to the West Village area. In the rush to get the entire project done before the deadline, a planning charrette will be held Saturday, April 28, as the task force breaks up into groups to develop recommendations for the final version of the study. The cart path system is just one part of the West Village equation that the task force is studying. It will also look at landscaping requirements and architectural covenants to help make the area look more cohesive. The West Village is already burgeoning with new development, as the Summit Apartments are essentially completed, while work is underway at the Cedarcroft subdivision of modular homes north of those apartments. Also, John Wieland Homes will have a subdivision in the area further north of Cedarcroft that will add a maximum 350 homes to the area. And there are plans on the drawing board to expand the Wynnmeade subdivision. But the path system hasn't been fully developed in the area yet, pointed out City Planner David Rast. The hope is to connect all those residents to the shopping centers at The Avenue, the Marketplace development and the future Home Depot/Wal-Mart stores, Rast said.
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