The Norcross City Council deferred a discussion about lowering speed limits to 25 mph on all city-owned streets at its Oct. 19 policy work session, pending staff’s review of traffic analysis proposals.
Norcross is planning to partner with a consulting team to comply with a state law requiring “an engineering and traffic investigation to justify the change,” a city memo says.
City Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews said city staff received a proposal just before the Oct. 19 meeting and did not want to present it without review.
Speed limit discussion
Council Member Bruce Gaynor, who originally proposed the new speed limit ordinance, confirmed the citywide speed limit discussion will resume in December at the policy work session.
“The discussion item was for all roads, but we concluded that maybe two or three of them didn’t make sense,” Gaynor said. “What we would expect back is ‘these roads don’t make sense for these reasons, and this one does.'”
The proposal first came up at a September meeting and received mixed feedback from council members. The city does not need approval from the Georgia Department of Transportation, and only municipal roads would be affected.
Most of the city’s streets are residential, with 25 mph speed limits. The city has a population of around 19,000. Residents frequently cite traffic congestion and speeding as issues.
When introducing the item, Gaynor said he was motivated to bolster overall safety for community members while they’re walking and driving within the city.
Community survey
City officials are encouraging community members to complete the Norcross SS4A community survey and map as part of public feedback to create the inaugural Safety Action Plan.
The federal Safe Streets for All (SS4A) program identifies projects and strategies to reduce traffic-related deaths and serious injuries for everyone who uses Norcross streets, including pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and drivers.
Related stories:
• Norcross council considers citywide 25 mph speed limits
• City seeks community input on roadway safety plan
“Residents, business owners, employees, and visitors can contribute by sharing safety concerns and ideas for improvement,” an Oct. 20 announcement said. “Whether it is a difficult intersection, a challenging pedestrian crossing or a stretch of road where you feel unsafe, your experiences can help identify where improvements are needed most.”
🛣️ Access the safety survey and read more about the grant program here.
Historic moratorium update
The Norcross City Council discussed extending the existing moratorium on demolishing pre-1950 structures from early November to the first week of February. Elected officials will vote on the extension at the Nov. 2 meeting.
City Attorney Bill Diehl said the extension is necessary to give staff more time to develop new historic preservation ordinances with a one-month cushion. When the city council votes on the resolution extending the moratorium, the document will also restrict the ban to residential properties.
Council Member Josh Bare said he wants the updated moratorium to pull the exemption for city-owned properties because “the situation has changed on phase two” of the Norcross Downtown Development Authority’s plans.
Council Member Matt Myers said he liked the staff’s draft policy and tiered approach, and wants to understand the timing before granting another extension.
“When do we think we’ll get that in front of us so we can tweak that and get that approved?” Myers said. “Based on what I saw … it looked good to go.”
The city’s citizen-led boards, including the planning and historic preservation commissions, will weigh in next month before the council sees a draft plan in December, with a vote set for January.
