A developer’s latest plan to build a grocery store on Lindbergh Drive is meeting some neighborhood opposition, but has won approval from a City Council committee.
Buckhead’s Neighborhood Planning Unit-B voted 17-8 on Dec. 2 to oppose a request by Fuqua Development to rezone 13 acres between Morosgo and Lindbergh drives for a mixed-use development. But last night, Dec. 9, the Atlanta City Council Community Development Committee voted to approve the plan. The request is expected to be considered by Atlanta City Council in January.
Fuqua plans to build an 82,000 square foot Kroger supermarket in partnership with Greystar Development, which would build more than 190 apartments. Some of those apartments would be for seniors.
Fuqua had modified the site plan to include more greenspace, reduce surface parking, more pedestrian connections and reorient the main entrance to line up with Lindbergh City Center’s Main Street across Piedmont Road.
Residents of Cosmopolitan at Lindbergh, which is adjacent to the property, squared off with each other over the rezoning issue with some wanting the Kroger and others vehemently opposed, especially because of traffic the big box grocery store would attract.
NPU board member Abbie Shepherd said she was voting against the rezoning because the development was “being sold as a neighborhood grocery store when it’s obviously not.”
NPU Chair Andrea Bennett said she was also against the rezoning because the plan for the property called for high density residential and not mixed-use.
Fuqua has been trying to develop the property for nearly four years, originally wanting to build a Walmart on the site. That was met with strong community opposition and was ultimately denied by the Atlanta City Council.