Several businesses around the intersection of Roswell Road and Hammond Drive – ranging from a gas station to a barber shop — could be displaced by a Hammond widening project recently unveiled by the city of Sandy Springs.
The design concepts were revealed at a Feb. 26 meeting and have 18 commercial and residential locations marked for possible displacement. The City Council has yet to review the concepts and decided whether to continue the planning, which could result in changes to the design and its possible property impacts. A public comment period about the conceptual design runs through March 13. Comments can be emailed to communications@sandyspringsga.gov.
Owners, operators and brokers of the businesses marked on the conceptual design for possible displacement could not be reached for immediate comment.
Among the businesses and commercial properties marked for potential displacement are the following:
- A BP gas station at 5995 Roswell Road at Hammond.
- A Verizon Wireless store at 6000 Roswell Road at Hammond.
- Gramma B’s, a home, garden and gift boutique at 300 and 310 Hammond.
- A building at 155 Hammond that is home to an alteration shop; Twin Brothers Gallery, an African art and jewelry store; a Good Nutrition health food store; a barbershop; and a locksmith.
- The very end of a strip of stores, where a cleaner is located, in the Hammond Springs shopping center at 5975 Roswell Road.
- International Visa Service at 316 Hammond, which has a for-sale sign posted in the yard.
- A former lawn ornament dealer’s location at 336 Hammond, where an Antico Pizza Napoletana restaurant was slated to go in a plan that fell through last year.
Possible residential displacements in the design concept include: 504, 514, 534, 544 and 576 Hammond Drive; 509 Hilderbrand Ave.; 6026 and 6029 Kayron Drive; and 636 and 643 Lorell Terrace.
The conceptual designs, created by Gresham Smith and Partners, run between Hammond’s intersections with Roswell Road and Barfield Road. The design would make Hammond four lanes, adding a lane in each direction. The design would also create two large roundabouts at the intersections with Hilderbrand Drive and Brookgreen Road/Lorell Terrace. The intersection with Glenridge Drive would be widened and improved.
The designs propose six new cul-de-sacs and private access roads along Hammond to give some residents easy access to their neighborhoods as well as protect them from cut-through traffic.
The design also proposes a pedestrian underpass that would run underneath Hammond at Kayron and multiuse bicycle and pedestrian paths along Hammond, as well as green space.