Alpharetta officials give approval to North Point mixed-use project

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — After 35 years of reimagined use, Alpharetta city leaders voted to revamp 47 acres at North Point and Windward parkways to allow a mixed-use development.

The Alpharetta City Council voted 6-0 at an April 24 meeting to approve an amendment to the Windward Park Master Plan for the development, which project staff say will feature townhomes, condominiums and office and retail space.

City Planning and Development Services Manager Michael Woodman said the project was recommended for approval by the Alpharetta Planning Commission April 13 with 18 conditions. The project allows for up to 100 for-sale townhomes, 130 for-sale condominiums, 500,000 square feet of office space and 31,400 square feet of commercial space.

The conditions include a concurrency requirement that states the first 50 must be built on site five of the plan which is located close to Dryden Road. The remainder of the townhomes will be constructed along with retail spaces and restaurants.

The concurrency clause further requires the developer to construct or be substantially underway with construction of a minimum of 31,400 square feet of retail/restaurant use before certificates of occupancy are issued beginning with the 51st townhome.

Project developers said the changed plans for the property resulted from shifting economic trends and the market. Smith, Gambrell & Russell attorney Kathryn Zickert, who represents the project, said the development was first zoned in 1988 as an office park.

Zickert said as years passed, demand for designated office spaces shifted toward residential and mixed-use purposes.

“This application has done nothing but improve along the way,” Zickert said. “We think that we have done a good job in trying to respond to whatever concerns have been basically expressed by anyone.”

The Windward Master Plan was amended in 2015 to allow for the mixeduse development on the site. The 2023 amendment will modify the residential housing mix but will not change the overall density.

Addressing concerns

With the concurrency clause, Councilman Doug DeRito expressed concerns that a portion of the property could be left unfinished if developers did not complete the project.

DeRito and Councilman Donald Mitchell also agreed the appearance of the townhomes was unappealing, and Mitchell requested varied masonry on the final product.

Speaker Elnajjar Munther Hassan, a homeowners association board member of the neighboring Caravelle development at Windward Park, asked the council to table the matter to allow more time for discussion with the developers, META Real Estate Partners and Empire Communities.

“This is the first time that the residents at Caravelle actually have a say in the community and in the META association,” Hassan said. “Because we’re paying $50,000 a year in HOA fees to this development … Do we have a sayso as voting members?”

Councilmembers unanimously approved the amendment with an additional condition to require 30 percent varied brick and stone shingles, siding and ceiling heights on front setbacks, as well as an adjustment to a condition’s language to better ensure preservation of trees on the lot.

Councilman Jason Binder was absent from the vote.

Alpharetta Jail agreement

In other action at the April 24 meeting, the City Council approved an agreement with the City of Roswell to allow Roswell law enforcement to house inmates at the Fulton County-operated Alpharetta Jail.

Public Safety Director John Robison said the partnership follows similar agreements with Johns Creek and Milton, and the facility is equipped to house inmates from each jurisdiction.

Councilmembers also approved a memorandum of understanding with Fulton County Schools, which Robison said formalizes practices the city already uses with the school system.

He said the agreement clarifies jurisdictional powers, as well as emergency response and communication. The agreement also gives the city Public Safety Department access to the district’s camera system.

In other matters, Mayor Jim Gilvin proclaimed May as Building Safety Month to recognize city planning and building staff for their efforts.