To reduce crashes and improve safety on city-owned streets, Norcross Council Member Bruce Gaynor is proposing a citywide ordinance that would lower speed limits to 25 mph on all city-owned streets.
The Norcross City Council discusses several topics at its Sept. 21 policy work session, including speed limits, honoring the late Marshall Cheek, the Piedmont Pathway park project, and the ongoing moratorium on historic demolitions.
“Almost all of our streets are already 25 [mph],” Gaynor said. “One of the things we’re trying to do is make streets safer. And part of what we’re ending up with is traffic calming, lower speed limits: less speeding in the city.”
Speed limit details
The proposal to lower all speed limits on city-owned streets to 25 mph received varying levels of support from elected officials.
Most of the city’s streets are residential with 25 mph limits. The city has a population of around 19,000, but traffic congestion and speeding are frequently cited issues among residents.
Buford Highway (SR 13), Jimmy Carter Boulevard (SR 140), Beaver Ruin Road (SR 378), and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard (SR 141) see more than 140,00 vehicles a day, according to traffic counts from the Georgia Department of Transportation.
The proposed ordinance would not affect county- and state-owned roads, including the major commercial thoroughfares above and I-85. According to a city memo, the city would need a traffic analysis to justify the change, but would not need GDOT’s approval. Associated costs mostly include road signage.
Norcross Police Chief Bill Grogan said he’s concerned about the ordinance because the department would need state approval for officers to enforce new 25 mph limits with speed detection devices. Grogan said he supports changing some segments and conducting a low-cost study.
Public Works Director Len Housley agreed with Grogan that some roadway segments should have speed limits reduced, like along South Peachtree Street near downtown. Housley said that other commercial ones, like Atlantic Boulevard, don’t have a documented safety problem.
Community residents can learn about the development of the city’s Safety Action Plan at Wednesday’s 6 p.m. open house.
Update on historic demolition moratorium
Elected officials shortened the prohibition period on demolishing pre-1950 homes from six months to 84 days and focused on defining what qualifies as historic. City staff is working to update the city’s historic preservation ordinance.
City Attorney Bill Diehl, with Thompson O’Brien Kappler & Nasuti, said the city wants “carrots and sticks,” including incentives for owners investing in historic preservation and enforcement on nuisance properties.
In early August, the city council narrowly approved a moratorium on demolition permits for pre-1950 structures until Nov. 2, looking to align policy with the community’s desired historical character.
Some ideas include giving city boards and staff more authority to help applicants understand state tax incentives and dividing historic properties into tiers with varying levels of scrutiny.
Because the Architectural Review Board meets on Oct. 20, elected officials won’t have comments from its members before the next policy work session, where the ordinance will be discussed.
Diehl said council members may need to decide whether to extend the moratorium or allow it to expire before approving a new preservation ordinance in November.
“If one of the boards needs additional time, we may come back to you,” Diehl said. “We are doing everything we can to meet all the publishing deadlines, get all the boards to look at that, and for you guys to have feedback.”
