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Planning commission approves conditional use for Dominique Dawes Gymnastics at Northpointe Mall
Summary
The Alpharetta Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a master-plan amendment and conditional use to repurpose the former Total Wine building at 380 Northpointe Circle as Dominique Dawes Gymnastics and Ninja Academy, with conditions on uses, hours, landscaping and design review.
The Alpharetta Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a master-plan amendment and a conditional use on Aug. 7 to allow Dominique Dawes Gymnastics and Ninja Academy to occupy the former Total Wine building at 380 Northpointe Circle. The commission’s recommendation goes to City Council on Aug. 25.
The proposal would add “recreation facilities, indoor” to the Northpointe Mall master plan and allow the applicant to reuse a 20,000-square-foot building on a site of just over 2 acres. Planning staff said the business would operate daily, 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and the applicant anticipates about 40 employees.
Staff said the site currently contains 114 parking spaces, exceeding the use’s minimum requirement of 49 spaces, and that the reuse does not trigger Northpointe EcoDistrict measures because there are no building or parking changes proposed. Michael (Planning staff) told commissioners the applicant has committed to sustainable landscaping at new planting locations and to providing alternative-transportation parking (vanpool/ride-share) in addition to cleaning and painting exterior surfaces.
Commission discussion focused on how an entertainment-and-recreation use might fit with longer-term Northpointe Mall redevelopment. Michael said the outparcels along Northpointe Parkway are separate from redevelopment efforts at the mall itself but that adding “experience” uses could attract more customers to nearby restaurants and retailers.
Applicant Miguel Durand described the business program and said the 20,000-square-foot footprint will be divided among a preschool area, a Ninja (obstacle-course) area and additional activity space, plus party rooms and restrooms. Durand said the proposed location would be the company’s first in Georgia; the chain has three locations in Maryland and one in Alpharetta where the principal partner grew up.
The staff recommendation includes 10 conditions: adding the conditional use to the master plan; limiting the tenant to no more than 20,450 square feet; restricting the approved tenant to Dominique Dawes Gymnastics and Ninja Academy and prohibiting subleasing to other indoor recreation users; limiting the permitted activities to gymnastics training, an agility obstacle course, children’s parties and open-gym time; setting hours to 8 a.m.–8:30 p.m. daily; requiring exterior changes to follow Northpointe Overlay District design guidelines and Design Review Board (DRB) approval; linking ecodistrict commitments to permit submittals; requiring landscape assessment and replacement of dead material with native/drought-tolerant species; screening the dumpster with painted metal doors; and adding native/drought-tolerant foundation plantings.
No members of the public registered in favor or opposition at the hearing. The commission approved the application by voice vote and forwarded it to City Council for final action on Aug. 25.
The commission’s record includes a citizen-participation report noting supportive comments at the community zoning information meeting (CZIM). Staff said no formal public opposition was received during the review period.
