By John Schaffner
editor@reporternewspapers.net
Mayor Eva Galambos relayed her “state of Sandy Springs” to more than 40 Harry Norman Realtors agents and management recently, specifically addressing some of their concerns on items such as development density in the city, protection of the neighborhoods and the city’s restrictions on temporary real estate signs.
Addressing the issue of density of development in the city, the mayor told the group which met Aug. 8 at the firm’s Sandy Springs office at 5920 Roswell Road, that buildings along Roswell Road in the central business district can go six stories high.
“If you assemble five acres or more, we will look at more than six stories,” the mayor added. “In the downtown area, we are looking for mixed-use developments.” She said the idea along Roswell Road is to “take these little parcels and put them together.”
She also hinted to the group that one developer is planning to soon announce a major development “that everyone will be thrilled about.”
She indicated the city does not want the type of density in downtown Sandy Springs that is developing along Peachtree Road in Buckhead “or anywhere in Sandy Springs, except immediately adjacent to the Interstate (highway). So, around the four entrances to I-285, there are no restrictions on height.”
The mayor added that the city is saying to developers, that in return for that height, “do something at ground level with open space. We want green at ground level.”
“We are very strict on density within the neighborhoods,” the mayor said. “We want to preserve our beautiful, beautiful neighborhoods. We want to see the density along Roswell Road, but inside the neighborhoods, keep the density the way it is.”
Responding to a request to discuss temporary real estate signs in the city, the mayor said, “We have a real easy ordinance to follow. We just have one standard rule. The standard rule is that the sign can be four square feet and no more than three feet high. You must not put them in the right of way. That is where you get into trouble.” The right of way is usually 10 feet from the curb. That’s for all properties, residential and commercial.