Council approves larger Tucson Court mixed-use plan with timing and amenity conditions

Peachtree Corners city council approved a change of conditions on May 26 to allow a larger mixed-use development at 5660 Spalding Drive, increasing the previously approved multifamily component from 170 units to a maximum of 238 and adding 23 owner-occupied townhomes.

City staff and the applicant said the project retains the existing 100,000-square-foot office building, adds a five-level, shared 348-space parking deck (totaling 604 parking spaces in staff materials) and roughly 14,000 square feet of shared amenities including a fitness center, co-working space and clubhouse. The applicant's team said the multifamily building will comprise one- and two-bedroom units and that the development remains below the jurisdictional maximum density for the site.

Why it mattered: Council members and dozens of residents focused on traffic impacts, the reduced cafe footprint, and whether retail and amenities will be open to the broader public rather than only tenants. Several residents urged that public amenities and the proposed townhomes be built early in the schedule; business representatives argued that activating an underused office site brought jobs and tax base. The project drew sustained questioning about whether the larger unit count reflected market reality or a developer's need to meet financing thresholds.

What staff recommended and what changed: Community Development Director Sean Adams walked council through the application as a change of conditions to the 2022 rezoning (RZ2022-003). Staff recommended approval with updated conditions that tighten "substantial conformity" requirements, reference an updated traffic review, and require activation steps for the nonresidential program. During the hearing council and staff negotiated three notable amendments that were included in the final approval:

- Deadline trigger for further review: Council approved language requiring that if a land-disturbance permit (LDP) has not been issued within three years of the ordinance's effective date, the applicant must return to council for review before any further permits are issued. The change was designed to avoid a long-dormant entitlement without additional public review.

- Trail timing: Council tightened the construction timing for the Corners Connector trail segment on the property so the trail is built earlier in the sequence (council discussed a 50% multifamily completion trigger rather than waiting for the final residential certificate of occupancy).

- Minimum shared amenity/retail floor area: Council added a condition specifying a minimum aggregate area of public-facing retail, restaurant, co-working or other shared amenity space (the council discussed a 10,000-square-foot minimum across those categories) to ensure the project provides street-level activation rather than only internal, tenant-only amenities.

Applicant and owner comments: Applicant counsel Melody Glen (Anderson Tatton Car) said the change-in-conditions does not seek a rezoning and that the revised plan supports the existing office and nearby businesses while adding housing choices. Principal Bruce Fernald and owner Andrew Webb told council they had commissioned a market study and believe a location-specific demand gap exists; Webb said the land for the 23 townhomes would likely be sold to a specialist builder and stressed that the multifamily and shared-parking components support the office building's viability.

Public reaction: The Peachtree Corners Business Council offered written and in-person support, saying activation and investment are needed. Many nearby residents opposed the increase, citing peak-hour congestion on Spalding Drive and Peachtree Parkway, skepticism about leasing claims at comparable projects, and a desire that public amenities and the townhomes be built before or concurrent with apartment construction.

Council action and next steps: After debate the council voted to approve the change of conditions with the amendments described above. Staff will incorporate the revised conditions into the ordinance language and proceed with typical land-development review; if the applicant proceeds to LDP within the three-year window, the project may advance under the approved conditions. If the LDP trigger is not met within the set timeframe, the matter will return to council for renewed review.