ATLANTA:4502548.2   Contents    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY....................................................................................4  INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................8  Geographic Boundaries  (A)..................................................................................8  Northwest Atlanta:  Existing Conditions...............................................................9  Atlanta Housing Authority:  A Successful Community Builder..........................11  Atlanta’s Emphasis:  Revitalized Communities & Sustainable Growth..............13  Overview of Tax Allocation Districts..................................................................14  PROPOSAL.........................................................................................................15  Grounds for Exercise of Redevelopment Powers (B)..........................................15  Northwest Atlanta Area Qualifies As a Redevelopment Area.............................16  Redevelopment Plan Vision & Goal....................................................................17  Hollywood Road Vision......................................................................................18  Current Market Conditions..................................................................................19  Demographics......................................................................................................20  Northwest Atlanta’s Potential:  Future Growth & Development.........................23  Proposed Land Uses after Redevelopment (C)....................................................23  Proposed Redevelopment Projects (D)................................................................23  West Highlands at Perry Boulevard.....................................................................23  Other Redevelopment Projects.............................................................................25  Carver Hills Neighborhood..................................................................................25  Almond Park Neighborhood................................................................................25  Hollywood Road Corridor Improvements...........................................................25  Bolton/Marietta Livable Community Initiative...................................................26  Brockbuilt Development Project..........................................................................26  Brantley Street Development...............................................................................26  General Shale Brickworks Development Project................................................26  Contractual Relationships (E)..............................................................................26  Relocation Plans (F).............................................................................................27  Zoning & Land Use Compatibility (G)................................................................27  Method of Financing / Proposed Public Investments for TAD (H).....................28  Assessed Valuation for TAD (I)..........................................................................28  Page - 3 -   Historic Property within Boundaries of Redevelopment Area (J).......................29  Creation & Termination Dates for TAD (K).......................................................29  Tax Allocation Increment Base (M)....................................................................29  Property Taxes for Computing Tax Allocation Increments (N)..........................30  Tax Allocation Bond Issues (O, P, Q).................................................................30  Amount of Bond Issue.........................................................................................30  Term of the Bond Issue or Issues.........................................................................30  Rate of Bond Issue...............................................................................................30  Positive Tax Allocation Increments.....................................................................30  Property to be Pledged for Payment of the Bonds...............................................31  APPENDICES.....................................................................................................32  Appendix A.  Maps & Drawings    1A. Redevelopment Plan Boundary Map (L)  1B. TAD Boundary Map  2A. Redevelopment Area Boundary Description (A)  2B. TAD Boundary Description  3. Northwest Atlanta Existing Land Use (Map 3, Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan)  4. Northwest Atlanta 15-year Land Use (Map 4, Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan)  5. Northwest Atlanta Current Zoning (Map 5, Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan)  6. Northwest Atlanta Flood Plain (Map 8, Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan)  7. Northwest Atlanta Transportation Improvements (Map 30, Northwest Atlanta  Framework Plan)  8. Proposed Changes to CDP 15-year Land Use Plan (Map 32, Northwest Atlanta  Framework Plan)  9. West Highlands at Perry Project Renderings  10. List of Tax Parcel ID Numbers (Redevelopment Area)  11. List of Tax Parcel ID Numbers (TAD)  12. Redevelopment Projects Map  Appendix B....................................................City of Atlanta Mayor & Council  Appendix C.........................................Fulton County Board of Commissioners  Appendix D..............................................................Atlanta Board of Education  Appendix E....................Atlanta Housing Authority Board of Commissioners  Appendix F............................................................................................Resources  * Headings followed by a letter in parenthesis [e.g. (A)] denote information required per Georgia Code Chapter 36, Title 44.
November 2002
This is not the complete plan
Page - 4 - Executive Summary    The City of Atlanta has invested heavily in planning for the revitalization of Northwest Atlanta through sustainable redevelopment, most recently as outlined in its “Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan.” The Framework Plan calls for large-scale public-private partnerships to provide the economic turnaround the area so desperately needs.  As a step in the implementation of that plan,the Atlanta Housing Authority and its private development partner, Perry Homes Redevelopment, LLC, have proposed such a partnership in the form of a $340 million revitalization of the former Perry Homes housing development.  While the Housing Authority has received HOPE VI funds and other grants and investments, it must find a mechanism to fund construction of the new infrastructure needed for the new development. To make these goals a reality, the City proposes the creation of the Northwest Atlanta Redevelopment Plan and Perry/Bolton Tax Allocation District. Approval of this proposed Northwest Atlanta Plan and Perry/Bolton TAD is important for the following reasons:  • To make possible the redevelopment of over 500 acres of real estate in the Northwest Atlanta area that currently make a marginal economic and social contribution to the City.  Development of the West Highlands at Perry project would transform vacant land and an area once filled with derelict properties and old apartments into a vibrant, mixed-use, mixed-income community that will improve the economic standing of the City as proposed in the Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan.  • To make possible Northwest Atlanta’s first new Traditional Neighborhood Development, a model project to build interdependent neighborhoods that foster a safe, vibrant sense of community with pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use public and residential redevelopments.  This project should offer a new market that should foster private commercial development.  Traditional neighborhood developments build a sense of place, offering the greatest promise of success and longest-term impact to any revitalized area.  • To build more than 1200 new homes in a variety of uses (single family, town homes, apartments, senior rental apartments) that will convert the original 152- acre Perry Homes site and nearby properties into a compatible mix of low-income to market-rate rentals and owner-occupied units.  This vibrant new residential community will serve residents of all incomes and ages, including affordable apartments for the elderly.  It will attract a larger labor pool with the variety of skills needed to bring new businesses into Northwest Atlanta and will provide the stimulus for development of new retail and service businesses in the area.    Page - 5 -  • To provide funding for implementation of the Bolton/Marietta LCI plan and the Hollywood Road vision and plan.  • To expand the residential base that will eventually enhance property and sales tax revenues for the City of Atlanta, Fulton County, the Atlanta City schools and the State of Georgia.  In addition to the homes developed within the original 152-acre Perry Homes site, new single family homes will be developed in other areas of the proposed TAD and the redevelopment area.  • To provide the incentive necessary to attract public and private investments of more than $350 million into Northwest Atlanta.  West Highlands at Perry will add over 1200 new homes, a library, a YMCA recreational facility, a school and more than 90 acres of green space, much for recreational use including trails, parks and an 18-hole PGA-caliber championship golf course.  Improved transportation and related infrastructure, neighborhood-serving retail and other pedestrian-friendly enhancements will attract more of the type of community-building investments that are drawn to such developments.  • To provide funding for improvements in the Carver Hills and Almond Park neighborhoods.  “This area has ‘been depressed for so long’ that only a massive project could be the catalyst to revive it.”    - “Northwest renewal project to get revamp,” AJC, 7-29-02  The Problem  Communities in Northwest Atlanta face a host of redevelopment challenges:    • Significantly underused and vacant properties and run-down buildings  • Perception of crime  • Conflict among land uses – residential, commercial and industrial  • Conflict between residential and commercial/industrial traffic   • Uninviting transportation arterials  • Lack of retail and neighborhood services  As identified in the City’s Northwest Atlanta plan, these challenges are balanced by opportunities like the area’s excellent location, proximity to employment centers and other amenities and an abundance of available land.  However, the constraints to redeveloping this area, more specifically the Perry Boulevard area, are also identified in the plan:  “The floodplain and rough topographical constraints of some of the areas discourage development.” (p. 66) The challenge for the City is to find a way to convert this area’s challenges into opportunities with incentives that will spur community reinvestment.  Demographics.  The population in the proposed redevelopment area, as in all Northwest Atlanta, has suffered from a general lack of economic opportunity and investment.  According to the 2000 Census, the dates of construction of the housing structures recorded for the six tracts    Page - 6 -  encompassing the proposed redevelopment area (Tracts 85, 86.01, 86.02, 87.01, 87.02 and 88) range from approximately 1954 to 1962.   Median Household Income for the households in these tracts ranged from $9,853 (Tract 86.02) to $14,063 (87.01) and $26,083 (Tract 88).  Median Household Income for Atlanta at this time was $34,770 – still only 82 percent of the Georgia median.  NOTE:  These numbers do not reflect the demographics of the former Perry Homes residents; this Census was recorded after these families were relocated to make way for the revitalization. The challenges to developing the parcels in the proposed Perry/Bolton TAD present a textbook case on the effectiveness of the Redevelopment Powers Law.  Despite this neighborhood’s prime location leading into Buckhead and downtown Atlanta and other major employment centers, it has not been subject to growth and development through private enterprise.  In fact, in its existing state it cannot reasonably anticipate a major redevelopment without approval of this Northwest Atlanta Redevelopment Plan and Perry/Bolton TAD. The proposed West Highlands at Perry mixed-income traditional neighborhood development, one of the projects proposed for the redevelopment area, offers Atlanta the opportunity to replace a blighted area of largely run-down, crime and drug-infested, predominantly rental residential units with over 1200 new homes and apartment units and amenities.  Development on this scale is needed to provide the catalyst for revitalization of the area.  About Tax Allocation Districts  Tax Allocation Districts (TADs) are authorized in Georgia under the Redevelopment Powers Act, Chapter 44, Title 36.  A TAD is a tool used to publicly finance redevelopment activities in underdeveloped or blighted areas.  A TAD derives its funding from the incremental increase in the redevelopment area’s ad valorem revenues as a result of new development.  These revenues are placed in a special redevelopment fund for the area and are used to pay directly for the redevelopment costs or to issue bonds to finance redevelopment costs.    Why the Redevelopment Area Qualifies for a TAD  The Northwest Atlanta Redevelopment Area qualifies as a redevelopment area under this statute for blighted characteristics.  Northwest Atlanta for decades has exhibited declining, unimproved economic and social characteristics that qualify the area for redevelopment under the Redevelopment Powers Law.  This area contains a predominance of vacant or dilapidated properties that depresses the economic potential of the area and negatively impact the social welfare of its residents.  In its current state, the Northwest Atlanta area under consideration:  • Contributes to conditions of unemployment, crime and poverty;  • Limits the tax resources of the City of Atlanta, Fulton County and the Atlanta Board of Education; and  • Endangers the safety, health, welfare and overall quality of life for the residents of Northwest Atlanta.   Page - 7 -  A revitalized Northwest Atlanta must not only offer new jobs, but also improve and expand its affordable and market-rate housing to invite population growth.  Atlanta and Fulton County have moved to create jobs and new homes with the approval of the Westside and Atlantic Steel TADs.  They are now being asked to approve the Perry/Bolton TAD, the first predominantly residential TAD proposed in Atlanta.  This next step will help Northwest Atlanta to share in the promise of the continued successful revitalization of Atlanta’s blighted communities, a success which relies upon approval of the TAD. The investment that AHA and its private development partner propose cannot happen, however, without investment in new and improved infrastructure.  When evaluating HOPE VI grant applications, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) looks to cities to provide infrastructure in the form of a “match” for the federal grant funds.  With the TAD, the city has a mechanism for funding the needed infrastructure investment without depleting existing City resources.  Creating this TAD will foster the type of large scale, public/private revitalization investment contemplated in the Framework Plan.  Making the Northwest Atlanta Redevelopment Plan a Reality  2.2.7  Economic Development  4.  Implement plans, programs and projects to promote growth and development  a.  Study the possibility to create a Tax Increment Finance District in the study area.  - Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan, 2000  The City of Atlanta’s Bureau of Planning, with participation from Northwest Atlanta communities, in 2000 developed a cohesive, comprehensive planning document to meet the needs of all citizens in this area.  Our leadership’s continued success in and commitment to using qualified TADs to aid in the City’s growth and development will have a tremendous impact on this area’s future.  Successful, sustainable revitalization is tied to both major job expansions and residential improvements that will elevate the economic activity and reputation in Northwest Atlanta to that in other sections of the City and County. As exhibited in the TADs created to spur redevelopment in Westside Atlanta and Atlantic Station, Atlanta’s citizens have signaled their approval for the use of tax dollars to build streets and sidewalks, to extend sewer and water lines and to complete new projects designed to encourage new development.  They have approved the establishment of tax allocation districts to allow the property taxes from new development to be used for these improvements. The City of Atlanta is granted the authority to exercise all powers authorized pursuant to the Redevelopment Powers Law.  The Northwest Atlanta area qualifies as a redevelopment area under this statute for its severely underdeveloped characteristics.  Page - 8 - Introduction    Many communities in Northwest Atlanta typify the wide variations between the economic and demographic growth of some portions of the City relative to others – and to the City, County and metro area.  The proposed redevelopment area, which represents about one-tenth of the population of the entire Northwest Atlanta area studied by the City, reflects very clearly the problems and opportunities offered in this area of the City. Despite a decade of tremendous population and employment growth, this section of Atlanta experienced a major population loss and still feels the sting of significantly higher unemployment rates, despite its job gains.  Poverty indicators such as median household income and poverty rates showed very little improvement in this area, while others flourished.  Northwest Atlanta communities are struggling to gain a toehold in the metro area race for redevelopment and investment.  Fostering growth in this community would better Atlanta’s economic position. Georgia’s Redevelopment Powers Law was amended in 2001 by the Georgia General Assembly to expand eligible areas and uses for tax increment financing within boundaries designated as tax allocation districts.  The State’s legislators considered TADs an underused economic development tool.  While many states that compete with Georgia for business relocations, expansions and investment have created hundreds of successful tax increment financing projects, cities in Georgia have created only a handful, including Atlanta’s Westside Atlanta and Atlantic Steel TAD, in the years since the State enacted the Redevelopment Powers Law.  A tax allocation district – and the financing it leverages – offers important tools for cities and counties like Atlanta and Fulton to use in attracting business investment. With the approval of the proposed Northwest Atlanta Redevelopment Plan and Perry/Bolton Tax Allocation District, and the redevelopment investments it will attract, economic growth in Northwest Atlanta will come closer to matching in economic promise its neighbors in north metro Atlanta.  Approval of this TAD, which is supported in a planning document approved by the City (Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan), is key to correcting the widely recognized imbalance in the City and County’s development, economic opportunity and growth.  Geographic Boundaries  (A)     The proposed Northwest Atlanta redevelopment area and Perry/Bolton Tax Allocation District can be described as the property within the following boundaries:   For the boundary description of the redevelopment area, see Appendix A-2A.  See Appendix A-2B for a boundary description of the TAD.   For a map of the redevelopment area, see Appendix A-1A.  A map of the TAD is shown in Appendix A-1B.  Page - 9 -     Tax parcel identification numbers for properties included within the redevelopment area are listed in Appendix A-10.  Tax parcel identification numbers for the TAD are listed in Appendix A-11.  Northwest Atlanta:  Existing Conditions  Northwest Atlanta’s Economic History.  As described in the City’s Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan, Northwest Atlanta is characterized by railroad lines that cross the area from the northwest to the southeast, dividing it and giving it a predominantly industrial character: The Norfolk Southern Inman Yards and CSX terminals in the heart of the area became a location for heavy industry and warehousing which developed close to the railroad tracks.  This community was primarily the industrial support area for the City and the region....as the new south emerged from the ruin and chaos of civil war and reconstruction...the increasing railroads tied the City to a national market economy, as industries developed along the rail lines and near labor supplies. The report notes that some of these industrial buildings became functionally obsolete as the need for warehousing changed.  Bankhead Highway, the redevelopment area’s southern boundary, was at its height in the 1960s and started to decline a decade later “when suburban growth began to drain the area’s vitality.  As a result, many longtime businesses closed and were replaced by low-rent businesses; and as population decreased the area began to deteriorate.... Over the last 30 years, the entire study area witnessed a steady decline in population, poverty conditions and the local economy.”  (Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan)   The study notes that in the last two years, the conditions in this area are slowly changing as intown living gains popularity, setting the stage for the viability of the plan for Northwest Atlanta redevelopment.  However, a substantial investment in infrastructure improvements is needed to facilitate such large scale development.  Demographics:  Population.  Perry Homes families were relocated in the last decade as the apartment complex was made ready for an eventual redevelopment.  Although Census Tract 87.01 comprises a much larger area than the former Perry Homes complex, the relocation of these residents is responsible for most of the population decline in this tract.  The generally poor conditions of this part of Atlanta and the lack of any significant new housing stock contributed to the low growth in the other census tracts within the redevelopment area. 
 
Employment.  Unemployment in these tracts is rising faster than it is in Atlanta and the State.  The unemployment rates for these tracts for more than a decade have been 50 percent higher than those of Fulton County, metro Atlanta and the State.  Recent growth in the labor force and new jobs shows no signs of closing this gap.  The working age population in this area would benefit from the new jobs that historically follow redevelopment growth in a tax allocation district.
 
Georgia Dept. of Labor, Labor Information Systems  Income.  Median Household Income for the families impacted by the proposed Northwest Atlanta redevelopment area and Perry/Bolton TAD have not yet shown any significant gain from the economic activity of the last decade.  Median income in the highest income tract in this area, Tract 88 ($26,083), is still less than half that of the metro area.  Page - 11 - 
 
These and many more demographic indicators point to the necessity to develop an aggressive campaign of incentives to help develop the inviting residential environment needed in Northwest Atlanta to capture additional new businesses and jobs, as the City has recognized in its planning documents.  Current indicators are starting to point to greater potential for growth in this area, but only if shepherded by a well-planned and carefully executed public-private partnership such as that proposed by the West Highlands revitalization.  The proposed Perry/Bolton TAD would allow for the scale of redevelopment that would help spur Northwest Atlanta and its residents to  rise to a position of economic health and prosperity that would benefit the City in many ways and for many years beyond its initial TAD investment. 
Atlanta Housing Authority:  A Successful Community Builder  The Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta was organized in 1938 under State of Georgia law to develop, acquire, lease and operate affordable housing for low-income families.  Its vision statement, created under the direction of Renee Glover, Executive Director of the AHA, expands its mission – to provide quality affordable housing for the betterment of our community – in light of today’s expectations for public housing: The Atlanta Housing Authority will be an economically viable and self-sustaining  provider of quality affordable housing and a catalyst for community revitalization and individual self-sufficiency. The AHA serves nearly 50,000 Atlanta residents in federally funded family residential properties and high-rise residential properties.  AHA seeks to transform public housing by taking existing distressed properties with a high concentration of poverty and creating revitalized, mixed income communities where people of all incomes and backgrounds can enjoy a high quality of life.  Its successful administration and transformation of public-assisted housing has led national efforts to improve such housing and services.  In 1996 the AHA created a financial and legal model to  Page - 12 -  allow mixed-income, mixed-finance transactions that include superior, market-quality affordable housing (including units reserved for public housing eligible families) as a component.  This model was so successful that it was used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in its HOPE VI revitalization program, which was created in 1993 to help refurbish, rebuild and create new communities.    In Atlanta this model has resulted in eight vibrant mixed-use communities:    • The Villages of East Lake  • Magnolia Park  • The Village at Castleberry Hill  • Centennial Place  • Ashley Courts at Cascade  • Ashley Terrace at West End  • Columbia Village  • Summerdale Commons  Centennial Place, the first redevelopment under this model, has been recognized by HUD and the Urban Land Institute as an exemplary community.  It features a math, science and technology- focused elementary school, a world-class community recreational facility (YMCA), a child-care facility and upscale retail.  Centennial Place is slated to offer for-sale homes in the near future. Other AHA redevelopments planned and under construction include Capitol Homes, The Villages at Carver and Harris Homes, which will put a whole new face on many Atlanta communities while serving the families the agency is charged to serve.   In its successful redevelopments and in its plans for the West Highland at Perry redevelopment, the Atlanta Housing Authority has proven its commitment to deliver quality affordable housing and to spurring community investment and redevelopment.  Its goal, successfully accomplished, is to forge “unprecedented partnerships, in both the public and the private sectors.  With the help of our strategic partners, we are building whole communities with quality affordable, safe and convenient access to transportation, neighborhood-serving retail, and the educational and employment opportunities that families need to thrive.” (www.atlantahousing.org)  But the funds received from HUD are not sufficient to accomplish the redevelopment.   Following are the HOPE VI activities funded under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as described on the HUD Web site:  • HOPE VI Revitalization grants fund the capital costs of major rehabilitation, new construction, and other physical improvements; demolition of severely distressed public housing; management improvements; planning and technical assistance; and community and supportive services programs for residents.   Page - 13 -  • HOPE VI Demolition grants fund demolition of severely distressed public housing, and the relocation and services for relocated residents  However, HOPE VI does not provide funding for infrastructure improvements, a necessary component of any major redevelopment.  HUD looks to the cities to provide public infrastructure as the local match for the HOPE VI funds.  A Note about Heman E. Perry  According to the late Atlanta businessman and co-founder of the Atlanta Action Forum,  W.L. Calloway, Heman E. Perry, the namesake for Perry Homes, was one of “two of the most outstanding early Auburn Avenue business pioneers.”  As remembered by Calloway in his book, The “Sweet Auburn Avenue” Business History 1900-1988, Perry was a pioneering African- American business leader who built major corporations, a few which still thrive today.  As reported in the book, Heman E. Perry founded the Standard Life Insurance Company in 1909.  By 1921 it had grown to become the largest black insurance company in America...Seeing the need to expand the scope of his insurance company into other fields of business for minorities, Perry began organizing subsidiaries of Standard Life...Citizens Trust Company Bank, Service Pharmacies, the Service Industries, Service Printing Company, and the Service Realty and Development Company.   Perry built a three-story building at 210 Auburn Avenue to house Citizens Trust Bank on the ground floor.  He used the other two stories as headquarters for Standard Life offices.  His Service Pharmacies grew to a chain of drug stores purchased later by successful black business partners.  The Service Realty Company built the first new subdivision for blacks in the prestigious west side of Atlanta on C Street (renamed Whitehouse Drive).  Service  Realty also sold a large tract of land facing C Street to the Atlanta Board of Education to build Booker T. Washington High.  Atlanta’s first public high school for blacks opened in 1923.  (Calloway was a member of the first class to attend this school and taught there from 1933 to 1941.)  Atlanta’s Emphasis:  Revitalized Communities & Sustainable Growth   The City of Atlanta, in all of its planning duties and documents, promotes sustainable growth with a balanced blend of new development and redevelopment of the City’s commercial and residential areas.  Its recommendations in redeveloping residential uses, as stated in the Northwest Atlanta planning study, focus on livable communities by promoting smart growth strategies, specifically:  1. Increase residential density in various sections of major corridors to support a variety of retail and services.  2. Support the preservation of stable, single-family neighborhoods.  3. Promote in-fill housing in already-developed communities.  4. Encourage mixed-density housing and a variety of housing types.  Page - 14 -   5. Provide for mixed-use development in various development nodes/sectors at major transportation corridors.  6. Adaptive reuse of vacant industrial lots/buildings for appropriate uses, including residential.  7. Encourage Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) emphasizing pedestrian accessibility and the orientation of homes toward narrow, tree-lined grid or integrated streets.  8. Encourage sustainable, affordable housing.  Atlanta’s current land use policies as outlined in its Comprehensive Development Plan build upon and further define the regional land use policies highlighted in the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Framework for the Future, ARC Regional Development Plan to promote sustainable development that encourages growth and a more prosperous quality of life.  Its goals for future development are directed toward the achievement of ideal land use policies.    The West Highlands at Perry plan focuses on pedestrian and transit-oriented mixed-use residential developments with a wealth of green space and residential amenities to create in Northwest Atlanta one of the top work-live-play communities in metro Atlanta.  Atlanta has revised its zoning to allow for mixed-use development and balanced growth management. As with Atlanta, Fulton County places a high priority on economic development.  Both the City Council and the County Commission, with input from their constituents, have developed comprehensive plans to provide improved housing options and help promote better, closer-in  employment opportunities for their constituents.   Each governing agency’s support is critical to creating a tax base that will support a better quality of life.    Public action on the redevelopment proposed in this plan and TAD will be essential to establishing a strong fiscal future for Northwest Atlanta, thereby assuring an even broader tax base for the City and county.  The setting of the West Highlands at Perry mixed-use residential development in northwest Atlanta will place new residential units in an area compatible with adjacent land uses and major transportation arteries.  It will add new properties on the City’s and County’s tax rolls.  This area’s proposed redevelopment adheres to City and county plans as described in this Northwest Atlanta Redevelopment Plan and Perry/Bolton Tax Allocation District report.  Overview of Tax Allocation Districts   A tax allocation district in Georgia designates an area in which tax increment financing is allowed.  Tax increment financing, a funding tool for redevelopment projects, was first used in the early 1950s in California.  In the last 20 or so years, following a general decline of federal and state economic development funding, tax increment financing has become one of the most widely used tax incentive programs and economic development tools in the United States.  Now more than 40 states, including Georgia, use tax increment financing to their competitive advantage.  Page - 15 -  A tax allocation district is established to stimulate major new construction and renovation or rehabilitation in underdeveloped or blighted areas.  A TAD offers local governments the  opportunity to promote redevelopment projects in areas that would otherwise not receive investment.  A tax allocation district in this part of northwest Atlanta will enhance the development community’s perception of the area’s receptivity to economic development.  The area will reinvest the benefits of extended economic growth brought about by the TAD back into the community.   There are other advantages as well.  Georgia’s tax allocation districts share redevelopment investment traits that are found in other U.S. cities that support tax increment financing projects:  • A stronger economic base.  Private development that would not have occurred without the TAD designation often follows this incentive.  • Redevelopment is effectively promoted without tapping into general funds or levying special assessments on property owners.  • Other cities have found tax increment financing an easier way to lure private development, attract new industry, create more jobs and, ultimately, expand an area’s tax base.  • Tax increment financing (TAD) is not subsidized by taxes from other areas; it is a self-sufficient financing tool that does not lower tax revenues collected in the redevelopment area.  • TADs make the State and its localities more competitive with surrounding states and other localities.  Tax increment financing has been used to successfully address site-specific development problems while it achieves broader economic development objectives.  TIFs have been adopted in response to projects both inside and outside the context of a comprehensive redevelopment plan.  In either planning context, TIFs have been shown to attract investment in areas that would  not otherwise see it, resulting in greater, long-term economic benefits to those areas in which they are created.  http://www.atlantahousing.org shapeimage_7_link_0
Proposal     Grounds for Exercise of Redevelopment Powers (B)      Tax Allocation Districts (TAD) are authorized in Georgia under the Redevelopment Powers Act, Chapter 44, Title 36.  A tax allocation district is a tool used to publicly finance certain redevelopment activities in underdeveloped or blighted areas.  A TAD derives its funding from the increase in the redevelopment area’s ad valorem tax revenues as a result of new development.  These revenues are placed in a special redevelopment fund for the area and are used to directly pay for the redevelopment costs or to issue bonds to pay for redevelopment costs.    Page - 16 -  In 2001, House Bill 409 was enacted to amend the Redevelopment Powers Law.  The new bill was created to change the legislative purpose of this law “to expand the meaning of redevelopment” and “to change the characteristics of areas eligible for designation as  redevelopment areas,” among the reasons cited in the first paragraph of the bill.  “Redevelopment area” now means “any area located within an urbanized or developed area which is substantially underutilized by containing open lots or parcels of land...any geographic area that is adversely affected by airport or transportation related noise or other environmental degradation, contamination, or other environmental factors which the political subdivision has determined to be impairing or retarding the redevelopment of the area....”   A redevelopment area is also defined as “[a]ny urbanized or developed area which by reason of a  predominant number of...inadequate parking, roadways, bridges, or public transportation facilities incapable of handling the volume of traffic flow into or through the area, either at present or following proposed redevelopment” and “any open area located within an urbanized or developed area within the corporate limits of a municipality which because of any factor or combination of factors enumerated...substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of the community.”  Northwest Atlanta Area Qualifies As a Redevelopment Area   With the formation of its Westside Tax Allocation District, the City of Atlanta was the first in Georgia to exercise its redevelopment and other powers authorized by the State pursuant to the Redevelopment Powers Law.  Within this TAD and the Atlantic Steel TAD, the City continues to exercise this authority, as now or hereafter amended, provided for by Chapter 44 of Title 36 of the O.C.G.A. As recognized in the City’s planning documents, the land parcels in Northwest Atlanta proposed for inclusion in the Northwest Atlanta Redevelopment Plan qualify as a Redevelopment Area under this statute.  Specific components of the proposed Northwest Atlanta redevelopment area that apply under the Act illustrate its condition as a poor candidate for attracting private funding without a public partner:  • The presence of a predominant number of substandard, deteriorated, or deteriorating structures and of vacant, underutilized lots that substantially impair and arrest the sound growth of the community, that  • retard the provision of housing accommodations or employment opportunities,  • and constitute an economic or social liability that is a menace to public health, safety, morals, and welfare in its present condition and use, and  • A substantial number of buildings that are 40 years old or older and are severely underutilized.  • Other related environmental degradation due to the area’s difficult topography and location within a flood plain and adjacent to a former landfill, and   Page - 17 -   • The area’s substantially underdeveloped characteristics.  Redevelopment Plan Vision & Goal     Perry Boulevard Vision  A community-based neighborhood focus on regaining its image as a beautifully landscaped residential community with viable businesses. City of Atlanta, Bureau of Planning, “Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan” Perry Boulevard, a major thoroughfare within the redevelopment area, is located at the center of the Northwest Atlanta study area.  One of the key opportunities that exists in this area is to “take advantage of the catalyst generated by the planned Perry Homes mixed-use development.”  (p. 66)  The City’s development concept for this part of Northwest Atlanta is to “identify strategies to promote the mixture of housing types in terms of density and income with a balanced commercial development, retail and support services...provide for adequate community facilities, provide for infill housing in appropriate locations, all of which will encourage development and reinvestment and a more balanced community.”  (p. 67)  New homes will signal the growing market that will support balanced commercial development. The City’s assessment goes further.  “The development concept will require streetscape upgrades.  The right of way will include improvements such as sidewalks and bike trails and would also include pedestrian lighting and street tree planting.”  (p.67)  The Recommendations for Implementation include several infrastructure and maintenance improvements for this area (pp. 67-68):  • The adjacent City park property needs to be cleaned up and public space/park needs to be incorporated into the overall concept.  • Provide a pedestrian/trail system to connect the neighborhoods with the open space network.  Plans are to provide bike lanes along Perry Boulevard.  • Promote street connections between neighborhoods and services.  • Integrate residential areas with community facilities and services required, such as extensions of (selected) roads.  • Preserve and enhance the natural aesthetics of landscape and topographical features of the corridors during future development.  • Ensure that  various transportation and traffic projects get implemented (bridge replacement, bike lanes, sidewalk improvements).  • Proposed passive recreational use for the closed Gun Club Landfill.  Page - 18 -  The principles guiding this and other City plans are meant to create sustainable communities that will endure over time.  Pedestrian activity promotes community interaction and leads to safer neighborhoods that are ultimately more affordable for residents.  Landscaping and infrastructure improvements lead to beautification.  A greater mix of owner-occupied housing protects property  values and creates stronger neighborhood alliances.  The mixed-income element brings sustainability and attracts quality retail and neighborhood services.  Hollywood Road Vision  A community based neighborhood focus on regaining its image as a beautifully landscaped residential community with viable businesses.  City of Atlanta, Bureau of Planning, “Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan”  Hollywood Road is a two-lane rural road that connects Bankhead Highway with Bolton Road and spans just over three miles.  It is home to several apartment complexes, convenience food stores, and churches.  There are three main commercial nodes on Hollywood Road: 1) at Bankhead Highway; 2) at Bolton Road and Main Street; and 3) at Perry Boulevard.   The Recommendations for Implementation include several infrastructure and maintenance  improvements for this area.     • Establish a mixed-use development node in the corridor at the intersection of Hollywood Road and Bankhead Highway.  • Establish two smaller neighborhood nodes: one at the intersection of Hollywood Road, Bolton Road and Main Street and another at the intersection of Hollywood Road and Perry Boulevard.  • Encourage mixed-use development (retail/office/residential uses) at Hollywood Road and Bankhead Highway intersection. to create the critical mass necessary to support a wider range of uses.  Encourage mixed-use development to be developed at four or five stories with commercial uses at the street level and residential and office uses above.  • Develop a minor gateway at Hollywood Road and Bankhead Highway.  Establish a Gateway Task Force to determine character of different elements.  • Re-use the Grove Plaza building for a restaurant.  • Ensure that various traffic and transportation projects get implemented:  • Provide bus shelters at certain locations with bus schedules posted.  Incorporate MARTA bus stops into the sidewalk design.  Require new multifamily/mixed use development to provide bus shelters on their property adjacent to public sidewalks.  Create a Bus Shelter Taskforce.  • Encourage developers to review the development and investment opportunities for the corridor.  Page - 19 - • Coordinate with One Stop Capital Shop to provide technical assistance to small businesses.  The Goal  The goal of this Northwest Atlanta Redevelopment Plan and Perry/Bolton Tax Allocation District is for the City to create a TAD in the proposed West Highlands area that will continue to promote the City and region’s pro-business attitude by establishing another effective public- private partnership with AHA and the developers.  This action will:  • Attract private investment to help finance a key mixed income, mixed-use residential development designed as a traditional neighborhood development (TND) that will serve as a catalyst for additional private commercial and residential investments in Northwest Atlanta;  • Spur new construction that will create hundreds of new housing units, creating quality of life improvements in an area formerly passed over for development; and  • Increase the tax digest for Atlanta and Fulton County, allowing the City and County to offer more services that will improve economic environment for all area residents.  The Northwest Atlanta redevelopment projects will promote the goals of Atlanta’s Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan and Comprehensive Development Plan, helping to secure a sustainable community in the northwestern quadrant of the City.  With this significant investment in a totally redeveloped community, the City and County will return former residents and bring new ones  who will generate significant economic impacts and cause a ripple effect that will spur growth throughout the greater Northwest Atlanta area.  Current Market Conditions    Property Values    Current property values for the property within the redevelopment area are as follows:   Fair Market Value $448,086,000   Taxable Value $128,598,020  Current property values for the property within the tax allocation district are as follows:   Fair Market Value $248,285,700   Taxable Value $60,430,670  The Census Tracts in which the proposed redevelopment area lies have seen no significant increase in property values over the last several decades.  Dates of construction of housing  Page - 20  structures range from 1954 to 1962.  This residential stock has deteriorated with age and poor maintenance.  Only four percent of the total 8,096 housing structures counted were built after 1990.  The current condition of the properties in this area breaks down as follows by age and value:  Housing Stock in Northwest Atlanta   Census Tracts 85, 86.01, 86.02, 87.01, 87.02, 88  Year Built # of Units Share  1990-2000 292 4%  1970-1989 1,324 16%  1960-1969 2,702 33%  1959 or earlier 3,778 47%   Value for Owner-Occupied Housing Units  $19,999 or less 88 3%  $20,000-$49,999 696 25%  $50,000-$79,999 1,308 47%  $80,000-$124,999 486 18%  $125,000 and above 191 7%  U.S. Bureau of the Census  The housing conditions in this area are not projected to change without a significant amount of new investment such as that offered by the West Highlands at Perry development.  Demographics    Northwest Atlanta and the proposed redevelopment area have not participated in metro Atlanta’s population, job and income growth explosion of the last decade.  While portions of Northwest Atlanta have grown, this area continues to support a larger percentage of female-headed households and more residents from the lower end of the economic spectrum.  The study area suffers from minimal population growth, higher unemployment and several other poverty warning indicators including a higher concentration of low-income households. In an attempt to build upon the City’s planning reports, this report will attempt to present the most accurate demographic portrait of Northwest Atlanta now available with the recent release of the latest Census income data and other reports.  Population Change and Household Income.  The northwest redevelopment area did not benefit from, or even add to, metro Atlanta’s population explosion of the last decade.  The 2000 Census reports the metro area grew 39 percent and added more than a million people, or an average of 155,225 new residents each year.  The Northwest Atlanta tracts analyzed in this report show a net loss of 1,923 residents during the same time.  Even if the former Perry Homes tract (87.01), which lost 2,469 residents, is removed from this count, the other tracts show a gain of only 546 people (2.6%) in the last decade. The average annual population growth rate for metro Atlanta is projected to continue at over two percent each of the next few years.  (GSU Economic Forecasting Center, Forecast of Georgia  Page - 21 -  and Atlanta, May 2002)  Without investment and redevelopment in this Northwest Atlanta community, how long will the nation’s incoming professionals and other job seekers, people who have boosted metro Atlanta into one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation, continue to drive past these communities on the way to their choice of intown, urban homes?  
Unemployment.  Northwest Atlanta unemployment rates are consistently higher than those of Fulton County, Atlanta, Georgia and the nation.  As of August, 2002, the average unemployment rate in the six Northwest Atlanta tracts under study was more than double the rates for Georgia (4.7%) and metro Atlanta (4.9%).  The highest unemployment in the area is consistently in the  former Perry Homes tract (87.01), which in August was 29.2 percent.  Even though the number of residents employed has risen since 1990, the unemployment rates have remained high.  Median Household Income and Per Capita Income.  For Northwest Atlanta, median household income in each of the tracts within the redevelopment area ranged from 28 percent to 75 percent of the City of Atlanta median as reported in the 2000 Census and from 33 percent to 66 percent of the State median.  Per capita income for this area is 50 percent or less that of Fulton County.    Page - 22 -  More than half of the households in the three tracts of the proposed redevelopment area and TAD fell into the lowest income range when counted in the last Census, a percentage that is twice that of any comparative area (except the City) as shown in the table below.  More than 80 percent of the households in the portion of Northwest Atlanta studied here reported incomes below $50,000.    Poverty & Related Indicators  Poverty Rates.  The 2000 Census counted 9.9 percent of Georgians with incomes below the poverty level.  The poverty rate in the redevelopment area tracts was 38 percent – almost four times higher.  In these Northwest Atlanta tracts, 17.1 percent of the children under 18 years of age and 18.7 percent of persons aged 18-64 lived below the poverty level, suggesting a higher than average concentration of poverty in this pocket of Atlanta and Fulton County.  Supplemental Income.  More than a third of the households in these tracts relied on Social Security income or Supplemental Security income as of the 2000 Census.  Heads of Households.  Females with related children under 18 years, no husband present, headed 22.3 percent of the households in the proposed redevelopment area, as counted in the 2000 Census.  Married couples with related children constituted 8.4 percent of these households.   Householders living alone accounted for 27.6 percent of the homes.  Home Ownership.  Renters dominate.  Of the total housing units counted in this area, 56.5 percent of those occupied were rentals.  Nearly 500 units were vacant.  Page - 23 -  Northwest Atlanta’s Potential:  Future Growth & Development    The City of Atlanta’s Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan provides a framework for the redevelopment of this section of the City with concept plans for several sub-areas, including the area encompassing the Northwest Atlanta redevelopment area proposed in this plan.  This proposed redevelopment plan uses the City’s plan as a guideline for suggested land uses and defining characteristics of the area’s residential and other uses.  For a copy of the Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan, contact the City’s Bureau of Planning or  go to www.ci.atlanta.ga.us and tap into the Bureau’s Web page.  Proposed Land Uses after Redevelopment (C)     The West Highlands at Perry development in the Perry/Bolton TAD is one of the first traditional neighborhood development TAD proposals presented under Georgia’s Redevelopment Powers Act.  This plan envisions the creation of a vibrant mixed-use, mixed income community that will include over 1,200 new residential units and other public and private developments that will support neighborhood needs.  These developments will help build a sound economic base into Northwest Atlanta, while creating and expanding connections with surrounding communities (i.e., Carver Hills, Rockdale, Almond Park, Hollywood Homes, Scotts Crossing, Riverside, Bolton), better integrating them into the economic and social fabric of Atlanta.  West Highlands will support and improve Atlanta’s economy and improve the quality of life for City and County residents in an even greater area. The residential, community center, green space and park uses proposed in this plan are intended to generate meaningful community revitalization.  West Highlands at Perry will develop a diverse blend of compatible uses that will better serve Atlanta and adjacent Fulton County populations.  More specific detail on the planned West Highlands at Perry development compatible with this redevelopment plan is outlined in the following section. The redevelopment plans prepared by the Atlanta Housing Authority and its private partners will demonstrate how a traditional neighborhood redevelopment may occur on property that otherwise suffers from substantially underdeveloped characteristics.  This proposed development should help foster additional new residential and commercial development opportunities that will secure Northwest Atlanta’s rise in its position in the metro Atlanta area.  http://www.ci.atlanta.ga.us shapeimage_10_link_0
Proposed Redevelopment Projects (D)   West Highlands at Perry Boulevard  “There’s tremendous value to it,” said Franklin.  “It’s new development in an area that hasn’t seen any for decades.  It’s literally thousands of new residents....”  - Mayor Shirley Franklin, Atlanta Journal & Constitution, 7-29-02  Page - 24 -   “This would be one of the first developments of this sort for this area....That’s exciting.”  - Richie Bishop, neighborhood planning unit chairman, on the proposed Northwest Atlanta Redevelopment plans, Atlanta Journal & Constitution, 7-29-02  Components of the Redevelopment  The West Highlands revitalization will be AHA’s largest community redevelopment project to date. Plans call for over 1,200 new homes, including:   • Multifamily rental units   • Affordable rental apartments for the elderly   • Single-family homes for sale (affordable and market rate)  • An 18-hole PGA-caliber championship golf course, designed by Jack Nicklaus and open to the public  • Quality retail and service businesses  • A new public library, YMCA  recreational center and school  The redeveloped community will offer residents  all the amenities, from swimming pools to  fitness centers and even computer labs. In  addition, the site plan includes over 92 acres of  green space, connecting this community to the full resources of the surrounding neighborhood.    (www.atlantahousing.com)  http://www.atlantahousing.com shapeimage_11_link_0
 
West Highlands @ Heman E. Perry Boulevard – The Atlanta Housing Authority Overview  In 1996, The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded The Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta (AHA) a HOPE VI grant in the amount of $20 million for the revitalization of the Perry Homes Community.  The Perry Homes Community, which consists of both Perry Homes and Perry Homes Annex, is situated on 152.8 acres of land in northwest Atlanta.  Constructed in 1955, Perry Homes originally contained 944 apartments located in 189 buildings.  Perry Homes Annex consisted of 128 apartments located in 24 buildings.   After numerous community meetings with a diverse group of stakeholders, including the Perry Homes Revitalization Planning Committee and Neighborhood Planning Unit-G, AHA and PHR LLC unveiled the enhanced redevelopment vision for Perry Homes and the surrounding area. The master plan for the community, to be renamed “West Highlands @ Heman E. Perry Boulevard”, is part of a multi-phase revitalization of the Perry Homes and Perry Homes Annex sites.  The vision for West Highlands is that of a vibrant, upscale, master-planned, mixed-use,  Page - 25 -  mixed-income community where people of all economic strata, races, and cultures will live, learn, work, play, and raise their families.  West Highlands is projected to be AHA’s largest community revitalization to date.  The entire site will encompass nearly 500 combined acres of land within the Northwest Atlanta redevelopment area. The plan contains a significant rental and home ownership initiative, a faith-based partnership for affordable home ownership, commercial development, a public golf course and other recreational opportunities.  The goal is to create a superior quality affordable housing component as part of a mixed use development. The heart of the West Highlands community is the Town Center, which is centrally located to the surrounding neighborhoods.  The West Highland Town Center will consist of a 65,000 square foot YMCA facility, an 18,000 square foot public library, and a school.  There is a central park within the Town Center containing a public plaza with a monument dedicated to Northwest Atlanta.  The plaza area will include mixed-use buildings of neighborhood-serving retail and small office space with residential above.   The master plan for West Highlands also proposes to transform the old Gun Club Landfill, a long time neighborhood liability, into an 18-hole PGA championship caliber public golf course.  Designed by Nicklaus Design, the golf course will become part of the overall public greenspace extending through the site.  Additional studies are underway to address certain issues and challenges presented by this aspect of the project.  Once complete, West Highlands will not only achieve AHA’s goal of providing excellent housing for families across broad income lines at the revitalized Perry Homes site but will also dramatically change the face of a major section of northwest Atlanta through the creation of meaningful physical and social bridges to the larger community.  Designed with full connectivity to the surrounding communities, the master plan for West Highlands offers over 30 acres of parklands, 18 acres of green infill, 34 acres of nature trails, and 9 acres of recreational fields, for a total of nearly 100 acres of green space.  Other Redevelopment Projects  Carver Hills Neighborhood  Provide for infrastructure and rehabilitation of housing units.  Almond Park Neighborhood  Provide for infrastructure and rehabilitation of housing units.  Hollywood Road Corridor Improvements  Create mixed-use developments (retail/office/residential uses) at the intersections of Hollywood Road and Bankhead Highway and Hollywood Road and Perry Boulevard. This will help to create the critical mass needed to support a wider range of uses.  These  intersections will support buildings of four or five stories with commercial uses at the street level  and residential and office uses above.  Page - 26 -  Bolton/Marietta Livable Community Initiative  The Atlanta Regional Commission granted Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) designation to the Marietta Boulevard/Moores Mill Road/Bolton Road area in January 2002.  As part of implementation of the Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan, this area is currently under study with a focus on encouraging development and redevelopment into a mixed use development node with the Moores Mill Shopping Center and immediate area as a focal point. The primary emphasis of the LCI program is to encourage pedestrian-oriented, mixed income residential development, as well as mixed use developments, and improve the connectivity at the activity and town center lever.  Funding includes $5 million for studies throughout the metro Atlanta region over the next 5 years and $350 million for implementation during the next decade.  Brockbuilt Development Project  The Marietta Road/Dupont Commons project is proposed to include 143 single-family homes and 65 attached townhomes on 35 acres.  Brantley Street Development  This 8.13-acre parcel located along Brantley Street will be developed with 24 single-family homes.  General Shale Brickworks Development Project  BHC Property Group is proposing to redevelop this 77-acre tract, the site of a former brickworks plant, into a new residential development of single-family homes, townhomes, and conversion quality apartments.  BHC Property Group proposes to construct new infrastructure, including new residential streets and sidewalks, plus tennis courts, a pool, and a community center.  In addition, 22 acres of wooded area along the Chattahoochee River will be dedicated for inclusion in the Chattahoochee River Park as envisioned in the Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan.    Contractual Relationships (E)       Pursuant to O.C.G.A. §34-44-3(a), the City of Atlanta will create and/or designate a  redevelopment agent to exercise redevelopment powers as needed to implement this Plan.  The City and its Redevelopment Agent may conduct the following activities and enter into the following contracts:    1. Coordinate implementation activities with other major participants in the Redevelopment Plan and their respective development and planning entities, including the Atlanta Board of Education, Fulton County and other stakeholders, as well as with various City of Atlanta departments involved in implementing the Redevelopment Plan.    2. Conduct (either directly or by subcontracting for services) standard predevelopment activities, including but not limited to site analysis, environmental analysis, development planning, market analysis, financial feasibility studies, preliminary design, zoning compliance, facilities inspections,  Page - 27 -    and overall analysis of compatibility of proposed development projects with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and the Redevelopment Plan.  3. Enter into development agreements with private developers to construct infrastructure and vertical developments to implement the Redevelopment Plan.  4. Develop and enter into public-private ventures, loans to private enterprise, and intergovernmental agreements as needed.  5. Coordinate public improvement planning, design and construction among City, County and State agencies and departments.  6. Prepare (either directly or through subcontract to other appropriate entities) economic and financial analyses, project-specific feasibility studies and assessments of tax base increments in support of the issuance of tax allocation bonds by the City.  7. Enter into contractual relationships with qualified vendors for the provision of professional and other services required in qualifying and issuing the bonds, including, but not limited to, legal, underwriting, financial analysis and other related services.  8. Enter into contractual relationships with one or more community development corporations to assist in implementation of the plan.  9. Enter into intergovernment agreements with the Atlanta Board of Education to address educational needs within the TAD.  10. Perform other duties as necessary to implement the Redevelopment Plan.  Relocation Plans (F)      As is currently foreseen, no relocation is anticipated within the proposed redevelopment area.   In any case where there is relocation of existing businesses, such relocation expenses may be provided for under all applicable federal, state and local guidelines if public funds are used for property acquisition and such sources of funds require relocation benefits to be offered to tenants  and users for relocation.  Zoning & Land Use Compatibility (G)      Although the Redevelopment Area is characterized predominantly by residential and industrial zoning classifications, land uses in the proposed TAD show the co-existence of a variety of uses, including industrial, residential, retail and commercial nodes, institutional buildings and parks.   A great amount of the existing land use in this area shows up as underdeveloped property, surrounded by single family residential and industrial uses.  Many of these parcels are vacant lots.  Transportation, utility, and industrial uses are found predominantly bordering the northeastern boundaries of the redevelopment area, with residential and industrial uses circling the remaining boundaries.  The projects proposed for the Redevelopment Plan are generally consistent with and will improve upon the existing zoning classifications and land uses.  They meet the traditional neighborhood development and additional guidelines suggested in the “Northwest Atlanta Framework Plan.”  Retail and commercial uses may increase somewhat as the proposed projects are developed.