3 minute read
Choice Avenue Lot
At the corner of Choice Avenue and South Meaders Street, the lot located across from the Dahlonega United Methodist Church is the smallest of the three proposed parking areas reviewed as part of the Dahlonega Downtown Renaissance Fellowship. Although not far from the public square, this lot is more difficult to find than the other two proposed sites. Unlike the other parcels studied, this lot is not adjacent to any major arterial streets and is not visible from the public square. In addition, no signage exists to guide visitors from the public square or surrounding arterial streets to this location.
This property is already controlled by the City of Dahlonega and used for public parking, so it potentially could immediately be developed into a downtown parking deck. However, size constraints, site context, the narrow width of the property, the need for truck access, and the internal circulation requirements all make developing an efficient parking deck on this site challenging and less feasible than at the other two potential sites studied. The angled parking along South Meaders Street would need to be removed or significantly altered to fit an aboveground parking deck into this narrow lot and incorporate community requirements such as a service area with truck access at the adjacent 47 Park Street property currently undergoing restoration. Each potential parking deck site has strengths and weaknesses that community leaders will need to carefully consider.
Originally constructed by Dr. Homer Head in 1909, the Head House is currently undergoing restoration to house the Dahlonega DDA. The renovated historic home will include the DDA office on the second story and a leasable first-floor space.
CHOICE AVENUE PARKING DECK DESIGN
The rendering below shows a parking deck on this site at the intersection of Choice Avenue and South Meaders Street. The brick columns help the parking deck blend visually with the historic buildings in Dahlonega. Cables are used in place of concrete walls on the upper two levels of the parking deck to allow more light to pass through and minimize the overbearing feeling of heavy concrete walls. A low concrete barrier on the lower level helps delineate the space and acts as a car stop.
EXISTING
The image above shows the current condition of the parking lot at the corner of Maple Street and South Meaders Street. The lack of vegetation compounds issues of stormwater runoff and also makes this space unwelcoming to visitors in the hot summer months. The unnecessary striped paved area could be put to better use as planting beds and pedestrian amenities.
EXISTING
In the rendering below, the corner parking lot has been improved, with bump-outs at the front of the street adding aesthetic appeal to the parking lot and assisting in stormwater management. The Head House is clearly visible from both sides of Choice Avenue. Improving this parking area allows for this historic building’s beautiful façade to stand out along Choice Avenue.
CHOICE AVENUE BEAUTIFIED PARKING LOT
The rendering above shows the beautified lot at the corner of Maple Street and South Meaders Street. The bump-out featured in this image includes breaks in the curbing to collect stormwater from both South Meaders Street and the intersection. The sidewalk along South Meaders Street extends to the edge of the bumpout for easier pedestrian access to the Dahlonega United Methodist Church adjacent to this lot.
