Perimeter Community Improvement District Executive Director Ann Hanlon said during the Sandy Springs Conservancy Thought Leaders Dinner on Sept. 17 that taxes that commercial property owners pay fund trails that boost economic development and increase their property values.
The Perimeter CID has initiated public-private partnerships since its founding in 1999. Hanlon said it initially funded big infrastructure projects such as roads. Since COVID, the Perimeter CID board members have become interested in trail projects, investing millions of dollars in them.
“Trails are a marketable, tangible amenity that makes their property values higher. And that’s what CIDs are for. At the end of the day, the CID exists because we want our members to experience an increase in their property values over time,” Hanlon said.
Related stories:
• Sandy Springs, CID host open house on Peachtree Dunwoody trail
• Brookhaven’s Lake Hearn sidepath will connect with Sandy Springs
• Perimeter CID gives Sandy Springs $4.4 million for paths
The existence of trails help when the city of Sandy Springs tries to recruit companies to relocate to the city or remain in place. Hanlon said having a trail project within walking distance of a property could be the difference between a company choosing Sandy Springs or going somewhere else.
Trails have gotten expensive and complicated, requiring more resources than a city can provide. Hanlon said groups like the Sandy Springs Conservancy, CIDs, chambers of commerce, and other civic organizations need to participate. Developers, business districts, and individual commercial property owners increasingly seek ways to partner with cities on new trail systems. Public-private partnerships can set the community apart from others by bringing together resources to create a trail system.
Hanlon described to attendees current trail projects from the pavilion at Morgan Falls Overlook Park. One of the projects is a trail along Mount Vernon Road.
“We are a funding partner with the city, and it will create a new big trail that’s going to run all the way from City Springs over on Roswell Road along Mount Vernon, pretty much all the way to the Sandy Springs MARTA station,” Hanlon said.
The Perimeter CID contributed $3.5 million to the project.
Using federal dollars from the Federal Transit Administration, Sandy Springs has a project to connect the hospital area on Peachtree Dunwoody Road with the MARTA Medical Station. The Perimeter CID added $960,000 to that project.
Hanlon said another project is a trail along Peachtree Dunwoody Road from Hammond Drive to Abernathy Road. She said the Perimeter CID sees it as important enough to split its costs evenly with Sandy Springs. The city and the Perimeter CID have each invested approximately $3 million.
Hanlon said trail access increasingly shapes the future of cities, communities, and commercial real estate investment. The paths connect neighborhoods, parks, business districts, and transit hubs. For people who doubt this, she pointed to activity along the Beltline in Atlanta.
Hanlon said a recent study from the Urban Land Institute showed that walkability and access to open space are now among the top considerations for commercial site selection. That’s particularly true as employers consider how to attract Gen Z millennials and even Gen Alpha workers.
“The trail network is not just a perk; it is a recruitment and retention tool. Trails bring people and people bring spending,” Hanlon said.
