Face-lift for Moreland corridor south of I-20 explored

By Paul Donsky

The stretch of Moreland Avenue south of I-20 isn't pretty to look at.

The road is dominated by fast-food restaurants, gas stations and aging shopping centers fronted by acres of asphalt.

And then there's the traffic. Nearly 30,000 vehicles a day travel on the corridor, which frequently jams up during rush hour.

But a group of neighborhood and community leaders have come together over the past few months to brainstorm ways of transforming Moreland from a grim pseudo-highway into a neighborhood-friendly road lined with stylish townhomes, shops, parks and shady sidewalks.

Moreland itself would get a face-lift, with landscaped medians in spots, wider sidewalks, attractive streetlights and a buffer of trees between sidewalks and the road.

A study, which cost about $110,000, is being funded largely by the Atlanta Regional Commission through its Livable Centers Initiative program, which helps cities develop plans to improve transportation and other quality-of-life issues.

Bringing the plan to reality could take decades, if it ever happens. The effort will require complex zoning changes and cooperation from dozens of property owners as well as the state Department of Transportation.

But some neighborhood leaders say the study will help set the agenda for decision-makers regarding Moreland for years to come.

Robert Ross, an architect who lives in Ormewood Park, on the west side of Moreland, said the planning process itself represents a major step for an area that has long been overlooked.

In many ways, Moreland is the victim of its geography. It's the dividing line between Fulton and DeKalb counties and separates two Atlanta city council districts. With no one responsible for the entire corridor, Moreland has mostly been left alone -- to its detriment, Ross said.

"I'd like to see Moreland become one of Atlanta's great boulevards," he said.

The time is right to make changes, said Carla Smith, an Atlanta City Council member who represents neighborhoods west of Moreland.

Moreland "has not been upgraded or updated in forever," she said. "Now we've got people moving to this side of town that really care about the aesthetics of Moreland."

Smith said the plan wouldn't gather dust on a shelf somewhere, pledging to work to find grant money or other funds to fix intersections and improve the road's sidewalks and streetscapes, as well as address zoning issues that could improve the corridor.

One of the biggest hurdles could be the state DOT, which has oversight of Moreland as well as the I-20 interchange.

Moreland is a transportation workhorse, serving as one of Atlanta's primary north-south arteries. The road, technically a section of State Route 42, links I-285 and I-20 on the city's south side, providing an alternative to the Downtown Connector.

A showdown could arise between neighborhood groups, which see Moreland as a local road that should be better incorporated into the surrounding residential areas, and the DOT, which views Moreland as a critical piece of the metro area's road and highway network.

Traffic lights at I-20, as proposed in the new plan, may diminish Moreland's traffic-handling capacity. And the DOT often frowns, for safety reasons, at placing trees along the side of state roads.

However, the agency has become a bit more flexible in recent years. For example, it approved plans of Buckhead leaders who raised money to make substantial changes to Peachtree Road -- which, like Moreland, is also a state route -- including a median, turn lanes and wider sidewalks with trees.

"There are ways that DOT and locals can come together and make these corridors be aesthetically pleasing and part of the community at the same time," said Crystal Paulk-Buchanan, a DOT spokeswoman.

Some change is already taking place along the Moreland corridor.

After years of decline, surrounding neighborhoods like East Atlanta and Ormewood Park have become hot spots for young families.

Several decrepit buildings have been torn down to make way for trendy condos and shops, including a stylish hair salon and an Internet coffee shop.

On the southern end of the corridor, a new shopping center is being built on the site of a closed Kroger, and the Atlanta Housing Authority plans to demolish a neighboring public housing project. On the northern end, an Atlanta developer is planning to build 200 upscale apartment units on Moreland just south of I-20.

THE FINAL PLAN ...

... to be released tonight, is ambitious and includes:

• Reconfiguring the Moreland-I-20 intersection to do away with the current cloverleaf design in favor of a more traditional design with traffic lights and signalized pedestrian crossings.
• Realigning the Moreland-Glenwood Avenue intersection to eliminate Glenwood's dog-leg, clearing the way for possible new development and a public plaza.
• Changing zoning in certain areas to allow for higher density housing along Moreland, such as townhomes, and to enable commercial strips to be redeveloped as mixed-use centers.
• Transforming land east of Moreland at Custer Avenue that includes Entrenchment Creek into a new park.
• Redeveloping the Moreland Plaza shopping center and its sprawling parking lot into a mixed-use neighborhood with new shops and housing.

IF YOU GO

The Moreland Avenue redevelopment plan will be discussed at 6:30 tonight at Mount Nebo Baptist Church, 1025 McDonough Blvd.

Read entire article at: Atlanta Journal-Constitution