Alpharetta council defers Fulton Science Academy plan, asks for stricter traffic and safety review

The Alpharetta City Council on Feb. 24 voted 5–1 to defer a master plan amendment and conditional‑use request from Fulton Science Academy to reuse an existing two‑story office building at 8995 Westside Parkway as a pre‑K through elementary campus serving up to 600 students, returning the item to council on March 24 for further review.

The council’s action followed more than two hours of presentation and questions about stacking, parent drop‑off/pick‑up procedures, pedestrian safety, emergency access and the adequacy of the applicant’s traffic study. Council members repeatedly pressed for a detailed, enforceable traffic and circulation plan and asked city staff to ensure the fire marshal and city traffic engineer are present at the next hearing.

City planning staff described the project as a reuse of an approximately 53,000‑square‑foot office building in the Northpointe overlay and said the applicant proposed a phased conversion: initial occupancy of the first floor for the school while an existing office tenant remains on the second floor through 2028, followed by full‑building use and enrollment growth to 600 students. Planner (City of Alpharetta staff) summarized the applicant’s on‑site stacking plan and noted staff had asked the applicant to adjust the drop‑off point to provide a minimum of 200 feet of exiting stacking at the signalized intersection.

The applicant’s representatives, including Jim Weiner of Make3 Architecture and traffic engineer Abdul Amir, defended the stacking and circulation approach and said the Fulton Science Academy operates a managed drop‑off system at its main campus with staff to escort children from cars. “They move very quickly and safety is critically important to them,” Weiner said, describing staged drop‑off and on‑site attendants to move children from vehicles into the building. Amir said his queuing analysis shows available on‑site stacking and that the proposed layout separates school stacking from circulation for other office users to minimize conflict points.

Council members pressed multiple technical and operational issues: whether the proposed play area would be fenced; how many cars the school’s drop‑off system would actually move per minute; how the projected number of parent vehicles maps to the city’s parking requirement; and what contingency measures exist if queueing backs up onto Westside, Morrison or Hembree parkways. Several council members said they had not received the traffic study in the council packet and asked that the study and any revisions be included with the next hearing.

The motion to defer, made by Councilman Will and seconded by Councilman Mitchell, directed staff to work with the applicant on a traffic management plan and requested the city’s traffic engineer and the fire marshal be present at the next hearing. The motion passed 5–1. The council set the follow‑up hearing for March 24, 2025.

Discussion vs. decision: Council’s vote was a deferral (postponement) rather than final approval; the applicant may revise the circulation plan and submit additional material for the March 24 hearing. The planning staff said the item originally carried 16 recommended conditions from the planning commission; council asked staff to review and, where needed, tighten conditions addressing circulation, temporary traffic control devices and playground fencing.

Why it matters: converting an office building on a busy signalized corridor into a school for up to 600 students raises traffic, safety and emergency‑access questions that affect nearby office tenants, busy intersections and residential commuters. The council’s deferral signals a requirement for clearer, enforceable on‑site management measures before final approval.

What’s next: the applicant will return March 24 with a refined traffic/circulation plan, and staff will provide the traffic study and any additional technical reviews requested by council for that session.