What are your impressions, thoughts, concerns or suggestions regarding the proposed site plan and uses submitted by North American Properties for the Avalon Development at the northwest corner of GA-400 and Old Milton Parkway?

I like the plan as presented and believe it will be a great addition to the community.

I hope to see a Whole Foods included in the plan.

This is okay, but I have a few suggestions or concerns.

Let's get Westside Parkway open! Back in late October the mayoral candidates were talking that rights to the road were almost complete. And then an article in Revue & News had Arthur Letchas commenting that the deal was done and he hoped to have it opened by the end of the year ... 2011. Yet, there is not a sole out there even working on Westside yet.

At this point, whatever North American Properties wants to do is better than the eyesore there now.

Highlands at Park Bridge

This is okay, but I have a few suggestions or concerns.

The lack of green space will make this place look like a large parking lot.

However, green space aside I'm worried about ANOTHER movie theater being built within Alpharetta. Currently we have two on North Point with another being discussed for the Mall. I see two scenarios developing. Either United Artist or AMC will want to move to a state-of-the-art facility and leave a vacant building in its wake or Regal or another chain will move in and likely kill one of the existing theaters here, again leaving a vacant building in its wake.

I like the plan as presented and believe it will be a great addition to the community.

It's not the best in the world but it does what everybody who lives in Alpharetta wants, to get something that will look good and uses the space that has been an eyesore too long. Without having actual names of places that will provide services in that location it is hard to determine how much will be available for usage of the available retail space and also the type of Restaurants that will be there. The release of the current plans will ensure that we can see some progress and also it will complete the West Side Drive connector.

This is okay, but I have a few suggestions or concerns.

Nice presentation last night. Of all the things you said, the two that impressed me most were 1) emphasis on green-space as an amenity and 2) potential for chef-driven/locally owned restaurants. You almost said, but did not quite say, "farm-to-table" restaurants and that would have been impressive too.

You evaded the question on parking, perhaps for good reason, I don't know, but that remains a major concern and deserved some discussion I thought. I do see this venture as a parking nightmare. It's so much happening on just 80 acres - yes, parking is an issue.

As well, the point that our weather is not the same as San Jose is a great point when it comes to the life on those green-spaces. I am all for walk-ability and green-space and gardens and such, I'm just realistic about it. This is Georgia. The people making the most money on this development will be the management company (you) and the landscape services company. But, there are ways to work in sustainable landscape design and I hope you all are doing that.

I suspect that in the end, some combination of the elements you are bringing together will be a winning combination. Will it be hotel, office, retail, rental, residential-for sale all together like that on 80 acres? Unlikely. I think you (and the other developments you mentioned - in San Jose, etc.) are throwing the whole pantry into the cake and why not? But, I do think one or more of those ingredients portends an odd flavor.

This is okay, but I have a few suggestions or concerns.

I enjoy visiting the developer's LA project, "The Grove" and it is a MUST stop every time I visit LA. Some might consider it a concrete jungle, but I think it is developed very responsibly. I especially enjoy The Farmer's Market at The Grove and would LOVE to see this kind of element built into the Alpharetta Avalon project. I have worked as a marketing specialist for commercial and residential developments for over 15 years and know that not everyone can be pleased. I don't personally know this developer, but I know their work and have to say that I am pleased they are willing to take over our big eyesore. I definitely don't agree with adding parking structures, but would like to see beautiful walkways and common areas. If given a choice, I would rather see high-quality, long-lasting construction materials, over more green space.

This is okay, but I have a few suggestions or concerns.

It's good to see the plan progressing and NAP's interest in soliciting local opinion. As a close neighbor to the site (<0.5mi.), I'm very concerned about three issues: traffic flows in/out of the complex, ambient light/noise generated by the site, and allocation of acreage to parking.

First, NAP and Alpharetta's planners need to be sensitive to the probability of adding substantially more traffic to the Webb/Academy corridor. This likelihood will profoundly change the character of the neighborhood, producing vehicle noise, pollution, traffic volume, and degraded safety for bikes and pedestrians. While an unavoidable consequence of development, proposals for managing these issues, and methods for offsetting the impact to the quality of life for nearby residents, should be openly discussed and project resources assigned to address them in the site's design. Impacts should be brought to everyone's attention, estimates/predictions stated, and consequences agreed to that hold the developer accountable for creating conditions that exceed acceptability. Long after NAP has moved on, the site will forever impact the lives of nearby residents. NAP surely would like to have its name and reputation enhanced by creating a balanced project -- attending to the needs of the surrounding community as well as its investors and tenants.

Second, the site will generate substantial noise and light pollution, which ought to be a key element of the design team's priorities to manage and mitigate -- for customers and nearby residents. Adequate buffers need to be incorporated to diffuse the light "leaking" into the nearby residential neighborhoods -- both by directing sources away from residences, and creating filtering with trees and other means. Permitted activities on the property should be judged closely against criteria to protect the interests of nearby residents from unwanted intrusion.

Third, large tracts are shown in the NAP drawings to be allocated for parking. NAP and the city need to strive for efficient use of space for parking, and utilize vertical decks where possible to balance parking needs with inclusion of green space. Many in the surrounding neighborhoods will use the development as a destination for walks, biking, and other park-like activities. A vast spread of open, street lit parking lots will be a visual blight -- uninviting to pedestrians and those in the neighborhoods who might choose to routinely shop in the project's stores rather than drive elsewhere. Creating some semblance of linkage of this project and the development of downtown Alpharetta will depend heavily on how the two efforts address traffic, parking, pedestrian traffic, and balancing the interests of the contiguous neighborhoods and the commercial stakeholders.

Overall, the excitement of this project will create jobs, development, property value increases and other benefits for everyone. The NAP team and the city need to temper the excitement to proceed with careful design and attention to the local residents' need for a blended environment -- bringing the best commercial, residential, and transportation sensibilities to the table for consideration. Simply doing what's been done before in commercial/retail development will waste a tremendous opportunity for Alpharetta and the region. The leaders of this effort need to spare no expense to come up with a unique plan incorporating all the best thinking in urban and community design. (Is "Avalon" naming finalized? This is far from a favorite choice for me -- an island paradise for King Arthur? Surely there were other ideas floated. How about opening discussions for the locals to weigh in with alternative names?)

This is okay for a starting point, but there are some big changes that need to be made before I can support it.

I am an engineer and project manager at a design build construction company. Please read my comments below:

The main entrance takes you to a large parking lot which is situated in front of a 4 story residential building. This places all the traffic in front of the homes rather than the commercial areas. The commercial buildings are situated to the west, and there is no parking in front of them. There needs to be some street parking in front of the commercial space or under the space in a parking deck.

If it is the desire to place residential space in the front of the development then mixed use buildings should be utilized. Place lofts and condos on top of commercial spaces. Create spaces for people to walk.

I do not see any green space and the retention pond is being hidden. The retention pond should be used as an opportunity to create a water attraction with green space around it.

This space currently looks like a neighborhood next to a mall. I is my hope that the design is changed to look more like Atlantic Station and less like urban sprawl.

This is okay for a starting point, but there are some big changes that need to be made before I can support it.

I agree with everyone's comments of more green space, unsightly parking, too much commercial glitz. Take some ideas from California architecture and landscaping. Bring in the same look as our downtown. It should not be just another slick looking generic shopping center.

As of Feb. 13 2012.....disappointed at new design. Unfortunately it doesn't address our concerns. I don't see why Avalon ( why this name? How does it relate to Alpharetta?) couldn't continue the design concept of our Downtown area. It seems the most logical approach to a consistent design (throughout Alpharetta city).
. I would like to see a complete redesign using Downtown as a model and the suggestions of all the people that have contributed to this forum. Please consider this request.

Think subtle, classic, green, walkways, shops, outdoor dinning woven throughout. Think European esthetic. The people that are moving into this area and currently live here are used to a more subtle, casual sophisticated atmosphere. Think La Jolla at the cove, Del Mar, Santa Barbara, the winerys. Del Mar, Ca. has a beautiful shopping center in the middle of town. It has all the features people are asking for. You might take a look at that design. Please, go there. Walk through the Del Mar Plaza, have a drink and sit outside. That is the feeling we want when we envision Avalon.

Remember, Silicon Valley companies, biotech, communication companies are moving to this area. Might be a good idea to rethink the design. Take a trip to Calif. experience the atmosphere in those places.

# 1 idea: might be a boutique hotel and meeting facilities, a small plaza with a range of restaurants and a spa. We don't have anything like that in this area.

#2 idea: small plaza , town homes and garden homes, boutique hotel and green space.

#3 idea: plaza, town homes , condos, garden homes, offices and boutique hotel.

green belt surrounding the perimeter, park like setting
Curved pathways to all
Center area : is terraced plaza with shopping and restaurants, underground parking................see Del Mar Plaza, San Diego, Ca. (on-line)
Two, 3 or 5 level, terraced hotels or office buildings...facing Old Milton and Westside...........boutique style hotel...nothing like it in area.
Three, 2 level parking structures, underground parking if more space is needed. All surrounded by tree screens.
Fountains and green areas throughout
All structures except center plaza, at an angle with pathways
European cafe with outside patio and condos above, 1 or 2 stories only.............see Tuscany restaurant, off N Point Pkwy, Alpharetta
Townhouses........see new ones on Academy
Single family garden homes near Academy/Webb.
Brick, black iron work, urns and planters, traditional look to blend in with town.
Frontage road around perimeter.
Energy efficient technology with smaller terraced buildings.
No theaters, no high rise, no acres of parking.

This is okay for a starting point, but there are some big changes that need to be made before I can support it.

It’s a good start, but it could be so much more.

First of all, this plan adds a new traffic light to Old Milton Parkway. With three lights within about 1200 feet of each other we are making an already traffic plagued road that much worse.

Second, it’s like Atlantic Station Lite – except that all of the great things about Atlantic Station were cut out. There’s no green space, no parking decks, no underground parking. It’s just a new design on huge parking lots like Perimeter Place and the Avenues properties. Alpharetta has plenty of huge parking lots on North Point Parkway south of Haynes Bridge Road and on Windward Parkway west of GA-400.

It would be great if this area really connected with and accentuated the plans for our new downtown area: open, green spaces, with boutiques, higher-end retail and restaurants. I’d like to go to dinner on a nice Spring evening, sit on a patio, and look at a nice park and water feature, instead of a beat up 1996 Honda Civic and drainage gutters carved into hot asphalt.

Finally, the residential areas do not seem targeted to the demographic that would be interested in living in Alpharetta. Living over a retail outlet with a view of a parking lot may appeal to someone living and working in Buckhead or Midtown Atlanta. People live in Alpharetta to get away from that urban atmosphere.

Please consider reassessing your plans and making improvements that better reflect the people and values of our city.