Design review board approves Continuum multifamily tower; requires larger Piedmont Spine trees and vent placement controls

The City of Alpharetta Design Review Board on May 16 approved the exterior design and landscape plan for the Continuum multifamily development, a mixed‑use residential building within the larger Continuum master plan, setting conditions for streetscape trees and the placement and finish of exhaust vents.

Project overview: The applicant presented a mixed-use building with approximately 281 one- and two-bedroom units, retail/restaurant space along the western street frontage and a landscaped internal courtyard with a rooftop clubroom and an elevated pool deck. The site organizes parking internally and wraps retail around the west edge, with pedestrian-focused storefronts and residential stoops facing the residential streets.

Board conditions and why they matter: The board approved the landscape plan with directed changes: install larger canopy trees along the Piedmont Spine (final species to be approved by staff) to better match the mass and height of the new building; replace Bermuda grass on the shaded north side with a shade-tolerant groundcover (staff-approved selection such as mondo grass or similar); and reconsider plant selections on shaded facades. These changes respond to concerns that narrow, upright trees and sun-loving turf would not provide sufficient long-term shade, buffering and pedestrian comfort at street level.

For the building exterior the board required vents (kitchen, dryer and other makeup air) to be located on balcony returns or recessed into balcony soffits “as much as possible.” Any vents exposed on the main facade must be painted to match adjacent wall materials; the final locations and quantities will be reviewed and approved by planning staff. The board also required precast caps at retail wall breaks and entrances to improve the arrival experience.

Material palette and visibility: The approved exterior uses a restrained set of materials—two fiber-cement panel colors, a warm wood-textured Nichiha accent, brick base walls and prefinished aluminum storefronts on the retail level. Architect renderings showed the parapet and rooftop equipment screened by the building parapet in standard views from Windward Parkway and the immediate streets.

Votes and implementation: Both motions (landscape and building exterior with conditions) passed unanimously (6–0 for members present on those motions). Staff will coordinate final tree species and precise vent locations during permit and LDP/LD review and will verify that the rooftop mechanical equipment and utility meters are screened or relocated as needed.