Council approves conditional-use permit for 60-unit mixed-use development on Main Street with traffic-study condition

The City of Forest Park mayor and council voted May 5 to approve a conditional-use permit allowing Prestwick Land Holdings to develop a 60-unit mixed-use project in the downtown Main Street district, provided the developer submits a traffic study and preserves the architectural design shown in the planning materials.

The 1.62-acre proposal would add 48 new residential units to bring the site’s total to 60 units and include ground-floor retail and shared parking. Presswood Development Company representative Edrick Harris described the plan, saying the developer intends to pursue Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) tax credits and financing through Truist Community Capital. Harris told council the total development cost is about $23 million and that the project targets workforce households earning roughly $40,000–$62,000 annually.

Why it matters: Staff and the applicant said the development aligns with the city’s downtown land-use goals and the locally adopted Livable Centers Initiative. Planning staff noted the Planning Commission recommended approval on April 17.

Council conditions and discussion

Council members raised traffic and parking questions; the applicant confirmed plans to commission a traffic study and to provide 64 dedicated on-site parking spaces plus additional peripheral parking and shared-parking agreements with adjacent users. To address council concerns, staff recommended — and council added — a condition that Prestwick submit a traffic study prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy. Council also required that the final development preserve the architectural design depicted in the application materials.

Outcome

The council approved the conditional-use permit with the added conditions. According to the motion on the floor, the council required the traffic study and the architectural preservation condition before final signoff.

Next steps

The developer will submit the traffic study to planning staff for review and proceed with subsequent planning approvals. The developer reported an application to Georgia DCA would be submitted May 16; DCA scoring typically concludes in late summer, and the developer said construction could begin in mid‑2026 if tax credit funding is awarded.

This article attributes direct quotes only to council members, staff and the developer who spoke at the hearing; those speakers are listed below.