[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6571793,"mediaKeyId","3148969-98046086ba88ac5598955ac47879d501","parentId",3148969,"title","Council tables conditional-use permit for 7950 Main St. (Adair Walk) after public parking and stream-buffer concerns","audioSeconds",3543,"startMs",3024000,"endMs",6567000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3148969-98046086ba88ac5598955ac47879d501&start=3024&end=6567","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3148969-98046086ba88ac5598955ac47879d501/thumbnail_3024000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6571793/Woodstock-City/Cherokee-County/Georgia/Council-tables-conditional-use-permit-for-7950-Main-St-Adair-Walk-after-public-parking-and-stream-buffer-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6571793-a8f724cd37fa9115214683feed9fab1a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163634&Signature=N1h9PiWwsiMNLLyDLTxpjloCra19RRpc1cYstZR62hfas2d5l9oB-pdGU20-Q8qumJY569hJk~tEbWjwgXCE9KbAmTwmlD4QkhRFn3HbVk490elA-H1aMtE6ujimYlAuzG1MBIzqgs0z6XSt2H5YDVOIxA8Q1LmS0eyT-ejBk1kn4mjdrsS16LmlilrWP6S8vjoPQL9bN6Zgm4-5aBs-Bk-blI20bYeT7B45GBPeSbkblwc~MJFNCvoBa4Ar3hNztbViG76TsAvIQB0GXHxXr95gODvHRPH8XUPZ7Q68GMopk3Rh6OBwecTWC~nsDr9FYYQMavkztm~EPT-6Lp7WRQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Woodstock GA ","date","2025-04-28T18:53:00Z","article","The City of Woodstock mayor and council on April 28 tabled consideration of a conditional-use permit (CUP) and related variances for 7950 Main Street — a 1.12-acre parcel the applicant markets as Adair Walk — after extended staff presentation, applicant remarks and six public speakers opposed to the plan. The motion to table passed 5–0 with one absence (Councilmember Potts).

Staff presentation: Mr. Dunn of the community development team summarized the application as conditional-use permit case 8524 (CUP and eight variances). The parcel is zoned DTRO with a future-land-use designation of urban village; the applicant originally proposed nine single-family homes with three accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and multiple private alleys, later submitting an updated site plan with eight units and retaining three ADUs. Dunn said the site is constrained by a stream that runs along the Main Street frontage and sharper topography; the applicant proposes to pipe the stream, which would require state approval and would remove the combined local/state stream buffers currently totaling about 75 feet.

Staff and Planning Commission recommendations: Staff and the Downtown Planning Commission recommended partial approval of the CUP and variances but recommended denial of two requests: (1) a reduction in the width of storm and drainage easements (city-required 20 feet to be reduced to 10 feet) and (2) a variance to provide fewer than the minimum parking spaces. Staff added conditions that would: limit the development to the code-required density (eight units), preclude short-term rentals, limit ADUs to two rather than the three proposed, require paving of the Short Street extension and add traffic-calming measures, and designate the site's interior open space as private.

Applicant position: Dr. Eric Richards, the property owner and applicant, told council he has owned the lot since 2018 and described three options: sell the lot for a custom single-family home; develop under a negotiated development agreement with the city; or have the city acquire the parcel and install the road. Richards said the site has limited development value without piping the stream, and he said he would not proceed with the project without a development agreement that addressed costs and risks. He described an estimated city purchase price of about $1 million and a separate approximate $600,000 road cost if the city were to acquire and build the connection.

Public opposition and concerns: Six speakers in opposition — residents who live on Short Street, Henderson Street and adjacent Mason/Maine properties — raised these themes: insufficient on-site parking and likely overflow onto Short Street and Henderson; safety issues at the steep Henderson/Main Street intersection; impacts of additional traffic on a narrow, residential Short Street; precedent concerns about detached ADUs being treated like primary units; and the fairness of granting variances when other property owners had earlier worked around stream buffers at their own expense. Several opponents asked council to require adequate on-site parking and to avoid shifting parking burdens to neighboring streets.

Council response and next steps: Multiple council members said the central issue for them was the applicant's statement that he would not proceed without a development agreement or the city acquiring the parcel. Several members expressed no appetite for a development agreement that would commit city funds to pipe the stream and build the road; one council member said the public interest bar for a development agreement had not been met. Given that posture, Councilmember Aik moved to table the item; Councilmember Wolff seconded. Councilmembers noted the public's concern about parking and drainage and asked that those issues be addressed if the applicant returns with a different proposal. The motion to table carried 5–0 with Councilmember Potts absent.

Ending: The CUP and variances remain on the table. Councilmembers said they would consider further filings if the applicant revises the plan or pursues alternative arrangements (sale, city acquisition or a different development proposal). No final approvals or permits were issued at the April 28 meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council of Woodstock GA - City Council - Apr 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The City of Woodstock mayor and council on April 28 tabled consideration of a conditional-use permit and related variances for 7950 Main Street (the Adair Walk proposal) after staff presentation, applicant remarks and extended public opposition citing parking, traffic and stream-buffer concerns.","taxTitle","Woodstock City, Cherokee County, Georgia","taxId",51313,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6571796,"Consultants present Highway 92 LCI study, recommend flexible design standards tied to market feasibility",1229,935000,2164000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3148969-98046086ba88ac5598955ac47879d501&start=935&end=2164","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3148969-98046086ba88ac5598955ac47879d501/thumbnail_935000.jpg","/articles/6571796/Woodstock-City/Cherokee-County/Georgia/Consultants-present-Highway-92-LCI-study-recommend-flexible-design-standards-tied-to-market-feasibility","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6571796-14b2b91c55007833279bbe9f9858cd0d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163635&Signature=G4HBePKr0rlXPMtVCxdVHU9q0t5IDiQEXwFJPXn82xYRYRgxGSS0U381m-B~q~nLQ7CQr7jui3xu6CfWyYPVKRQ2YoFS2Nl6ewo4-1U3~kz11I1exb-1z3UaKn9t5gGPNHBYfOIEYvm99z4wMsW-BwP3PeNOcu7H8TmJ9dYMbW0Xh~HgaIJatevMOib7whCDbcZOLYhfVXVvGAXKD-XPFVfF1zzFroYmVHl68sWOGBn2MYLg-c-lli9~jCr4wX4DtR7eW23Hfz9RNsXOahvX3zelR39xNhW7Z~ZFHxEFL56yn8TypT12zxPyE3N1aOGWpyE~ft7AL~oD80H2xbFeag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tracy Albers, community development director for the City of Woodstock, presented the Highway 92 Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) study to the mayor and council on April 28, detailing design concepts and market feasibility work funded by a 2023 grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission.

The study team — led by Lord X. Sargent (consultant Bob), KB Advisory Group (Tate, development analyst) and engagement staff including Quinn (Lord X. Sargent project manager) and Renata Madison (Atlanta Regional Commission) — summarized phase-two findings and showed conceptual redevelopment options for three focus sites along Highway 92. The consultants emphasized the scenarios were illustrative: \"We're not saying this is what we think should happen. We're just saying this is what could happen,\" Bob said.

Why it matters: Highway 92 is a large, heterogeneous corridor where one uniform set of design rules would not fit all parcels. The study ties conceptual design to realistic market outcomes so that any regulatory changes are grounded in what developers can finance and operate.

Most important facts: The study tests three representative sites — the roughly 10-acre Woodstock Commons (site of a Goodwill), a smaller two-acre Woodstock Exchange site adjacent to the trail, and a Main Street–adjacent block near Sam's Club — with scenarios ranging from small-scale infill to higher-density mixed-use redevelopment. The team used a financial \"rule of 3\" (post-development net operating income roughly three times pre-development revenue) as a screening threshold for feasibility based on comparable regional examples.

Key quantitative and design takeaways from the presentation included:
- The Woodstock Commons scenarios ranged from minor infill to schemes adding roughly 430 housing units in one mid/high scenario and about 580 units in the highest-intensity scenario; lower-intensity options produced feasibility multiples near 1.12 (not feasible by the team's rule), while some mid/high options exceeded the 3x threshold and were classed as financially plausible.
- On the smaller Woodstock Exchange parcel the team found it would likely need retail rents north of about $40 per square foot to be feasible today; the consultants called that \"not feasible in today's market\" without nearby catalysts.
- For the Main Street–adjacent parcels, an assemblage scenario produced feasibility at roughly $27–$30 per square foot, which the team judged within reach in the current market assumptions.
- The study identified that the current local residential cap of roughly 12 units per acre would not support many of the feasible redevelopment scenarios; scenarios typically required densities in the 25–40 units-per-acre range for redevelopment to work financially.

The consultants urged the council to avoid a single prescriptive standard for the entire corridor. Tate said the corridor contains \"big sites, little sites, medium-sized sites\" and therefore recommended a regulatory approach that pairs design principles with a negotiated site-plan process — in staff terms, an approach similar to a planned-unit development (PUD) that sets outcomes and lets project-specific plans demonstrate how they will meet them. Bob called that approach \"give[ing] your staff some control and ability to say, we know what we want to do. Show us how you've met those design things.\" Mayor Michael Caldwell added that he valued the financial analysis: \"I love not just the plan but the plan with a financial, feasibility component.\"

Council members lauded the emphasis on parallel surface streets to create walkable connections off the state arterial and noted the trail-oriented concept as an opportunity even if it may be a later-phase catalyst.

Next steps: The consultants said this presentation closes phase two. They will return with final recommendations and more detailed design standards in the months ahead.

Ending: The study is advisory at this stage; the team asked the council to use the next months to refine standards that can be applied differently at distinct sites rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all rule set.
","City staff and consultants presented a draft Livable Centers Initiative study for the Highway 92 corridor, showing multiple redevelopment scenarios, a market \"rule of 3\" feasibility test, and a likely move toward a flexible planned-unit-development approach rather than a one-size-fits-all zoning standard.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6571788,"At a glance: key council votes from Woodstock meeting, April 28, 2025",3678,2995000,6673000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3148969-98046086ba88ac5598955ac47879d501&start=2995&end=6673","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3148969-98046086ba88ac5598955ac47879d501/thumbnail_2995000.jpg","/articles/6571788/Woodstock-City/Cherokee-County/Georgia/At-a-glance-key-council-votes-from-Woodstock-meeting-April-28-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6571788-a25e9dd2ca4a008b46dc6db6d124545e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163635&Signature=cjhdMXWiIoaUq3K0Z3Fvi558QvZmIdaHhKcwjvY-cUAI1PuOiIkB-ABuVjLlwwhw9C~w1AFOWLl6WEXk8hYFG79w95XdSqFHKV1ny9dSEj8r7qrqA6wVDA8XwcRONbVaS1gP8Qb93aql-H~fUUA2~XfZuoP-kjITLaVM4KLibDDMqV3STCuZCOiJ8S~ZvFEZAt1yiToEvqswKWaGM7RJ3odG8lG2JMwVcdSZAV6tNM2V4WLd~k8E6Vdl4N~Icg8nRnaVDHgJY5g-PAy4CdqszBfzXLPCbh8Gch5Naoml-PX~qMIM39j6Ry~IkEizUtTKEZEQLCA1PlfWjaHXW3ZE~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The mayor and city council of Woodstock took several formal actions during the April 28 meeting. Key votes and outcomes are listed below. All recorded votes referenced here carried 5–0 with one absence (Councilmember Potts) unless noted otherwise.

Votes at a glance
- Consent agenda (items 7.1–7.x): Adopted (motion to approve; mover and seconder recorded). Vote: 5–0 (Potts absent). Staff noted five departmental reports are publicly available in the agenda packet.

- Conditional-use permit (CUP case 8524) and related variances for 7950 Main Street (Adair Walk): Motion to table consideration of the CUP and variances. Motion by Councilmember Aik; second by Councilmember Wolff. Outcome: Tabled 5–0 (Potts absent). Staff and the Downtown Planning Commission had recommended partial approval subject to conditions; the applicant said he would not proceed without a development agreement or city acquisition and several council members said there was no appetite for a city-funded development agreement.

- Resolution expressing interest in a county land bank authority: Adopted (motion by Councilmember Wolff; second by Councilmember Usher). Outcome: Approved 5–0 (Potts absent). The resolution expresses interest only and does not commit city funds; staff said details (including veto rights for city-held property) would be included in future agreement drafts.

- Addition of agenda item 9-1 (to deny an anti-item notice regarding James Leverage): Motion to add the item passed 5–0 (Potts absent). The council then considered the item and voted to deny the anti-item notice for Mr. James Leverage; the denial carried 5–0 (Potts absent).

- Executive session and adjournment: Council voted to move into executive session to discuss personnel, litigation and real estate (motion and second recorded); motion carried 5–0 (Potts absent). After returning from executive session the council voted to add and then deny the anti-item notice as noted above and later adjourned the meeting by voice vote.

Ending: The meeting concluded after the executive-session return, the added item and denial, and an adjournment vote. Several matters (notably the 7950 Main Street CUP) remain pending and may return to council at a later date.","Council adopted the consent agenda and a resolution expressing interest in a countywide land bank, added and denied an anti-item notice, and tabled a conditional-use permit for 7950 Main Street; votes shown with tallies.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council tables conditional-use permit for 7950 Main St. (Adair Walk) after public parking and stream-buffer concerns

Consultants present Highway 92 LCI study, recommend flexible design standards tied to market feasibility

At a glance: key council votes from Woodstock meeting, April 28, 2025