By John Schaffner
editor@reporternewspapers.net
Buckhead residents and businesses apparently won’t have to worry about paying an extra tax to fund a trolley running up and down Peachtree Road for several years—maybe a decade.
Raymond Christman, chairman of the Peachtree Corridor Partnership, told a group of steering committee members for the BeltLine’s sub area 6, Nov. 27, “The Peachtree Streetcar is not coming to Buckhead in Phase I.”
Christman said the Peachtree Streetcar implementation of Phase I will include Downtown and Midtown Atlanta, possibly as far north at 17th Street. He said the Partnership hopes to get Phase I implemented in seven years.
He said in Phase II, the plan would be to bring it as far north into Buckhead to where it would connect with the BeltLine on Peachtree Road, just north of Piedmont Hospital.
In response to questions, Christman explained that the Peachtree Streetcar would be paid for all locally from two sources: the city’s general funds and through a special taxation district that would include a quarter mile to each side of Peachtree where the streetcar runs. He said single family homes would not be included in the special tax, but multi-family (condos and apartments) and commercial properties would be included.
Asked if there would be a tax referendum vote to approve or deny the tax, Christman said that was not necessary, that city council can approve the tax without a referendum.
In response to one person’s concerns about losing a lane of traffic on Peachtree for the streetcar’s use, he said the streetcar would not have a dedicated lane, but would rather share the traffic lane with automobiles.