“Big ideas” for roadway and trail changes will be presented at the next Buckhead master plan meeting, slated for Jan. 19 at the Atlanta International School.
Among the ideas in the “BUCKHEAD REdeFINED” master plan, according to a press release: a “diverging diamond” interchange replacing the Ga. 400/Lenox Road intersection; eliminating the Lenox ramps near the Phipps Plaza mall; and a multi-use loop trail. A diverging diamond is an intersection design where traffic switches sides of the street to speed traffic flow; an innovative example in metro Atlanta is the Ashford-Dunwoody Road/I-285 interchange in Dunwoody, which opened in 2012.
The master plan is focused on streetscape and connectivity improvements in the neighborhood’s commercial core. It also includes previously independent planning processes for Lenox Road improvements and a possible park capping Ga. 400 between Lenox and Peachtree roads.
The new concepts are based in part on input from a community meeting in October and online and in-person surveys conducted since then.
“There are some big ideas on the table for discussion,” said Denise Starling, executive director of Livable Buckhead and project lead for the master plan, in the press release. She said more public input will be sought at the Jan. 19 meeting, scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. at the school at 2890 North Fulton Drive.
“We need to hear from all segments of Buckhead’s population,” Starling said in the press release. “High-rise residents have a different perspective from people who live in single-family homes, and it’s important for our plan to reflect the priorities of both groups. We intend to begin implementation on some of the ideas in this plan in the second half of 2017, so now is the time for people to make sure their voices are heard.”
For more information, see buckheadredefined.com.