Alpharetta panel approves rezoning for Brookside townhomes, permits gated access

The Alpharetta Planning Commission on April 23 approved MP-26-03 (TPG Brookside West), clearing the way to redevelop an 8.76-acre site at 3650 Brookside Parkway from a 130,000-square-foot office building into 104 for-sale townhomes and incorporating the parcel into the Portman Brookside mixed-use development.

Michael Woodman, a community development staffer, told the commission staff had originally recommended an R10M residential district but later determined the correct zoning request was MU (mixed use). The applicant amended the request accordingly; staff recommended approval subject to 27 conditions and noted three condition edits to reflect the MU district, to add dwelling-for-sale-attached as a permitted use on the property, and to set the permitted office/institutional percentage for the Portman Brookside development at 17.4%.

"The comprehensive land use plan designation shall be mixed use," Woodman said during the presentation, asking the commission to add that standard condition. He also said the development would reduce projected peak-hour vehicle trips compared with the existing office use, estimating about an 82% drop in AM peak trips and about a 79% drop in PM peak trips.

Warren Chie, who identified himself as president of the Providence Group and the applicant representative, argued the office building is functionally obsolete and urged approval. "The gate is very important for this project," he said, describing the development as a "lifestyle" product with pedestrian gates and daytime vehicular access and noting gates are typically opened during the day and closed at night.

Commissioners debated the gate request and broader policy implications. Several members said they supported allowing a gate for this parcel because it will be a largely residential, single-use component within a broader mixed-use area and because the on-site open space and pool would serve residents rather than the public. At the same time, commissioners and staff voiced caution about creating a precedent that could fragment open, walkable mixed-use areas.

The approved site plan keeps the previously presented layout: 18 three-story buildings, a mix of 18-, 20- and 22-foot townhome units, rear-access alleys and two-car garages (total private parking on the parcel: 416 spaces plus about 24 on-street spaces). Staff reported combined open space across the Portman properties would total about 16.63 acres, above the minimum requirement. Staff also noted that some parcel trees along Brookside Parkway will be preserved while most internal parking-lot trees are not slated for retention.

A motion to approve MP-26-03 with two edits carried on a voice vote. The edits replaced condition language so the proposed development "may be gated as depicted on the site plan prepared by Kimley-Horn dated 4/12/26 as approved by staff" (the commission amended that to explicitly permit gating per the applicant request) and added a condition that the comprehensive land use designation shall be mixed use. Woodman said later that community development staff will coordinate any final gate approval with other city departments such as fire and transportation during land-disturbance review to confirm sight-distance and safety considerations.

No members of the public spoke during the hearing. The commission’s approval is a recommendation; the rezoning, conditional use and variance now move to the City Council for final consideration on May 4.