Council weighs streetscape requirement versus parking loss on North Peachtree Road

Council revisited a deferred item concerning streetscape requirements on North Peachtree Road and Clemson Drive. Staff said redevelopment thresholds triggered the requirement to bring the frontage into UDO compliance; if the city required full streetscape, the property owner would lose roughly 6 parking spaces (staff) or 7 spaces (owner’s reading of the staff report) out of a total of 38, a loss the owner characterized as about 18.4% of his parking.

Owner Andrew (self‑identified in the record as "Andrew Co. Cabby"), who operates a dental office on the property, said losing the spaces would have a “significant negative impact” on his practice. He offered two compromise proposals: install the proposed patio and benches and avoid streetscape where the parking would be removed, or install streetscape only in limited areas and add lighting to support pedestrian safety. He emphasized that nearby conditions — including a cemetery on his side of Clemson Drive and a large parking lot across the street — make the timing and location of sidewalks unpredictable.

Councilmembers expressed sympathy for the business but raised precedence concerns: the on‑street/right‑of‑way parking spaces are city property and allowing private use could set a difficult precedent. Staff said examining the site plan could reveal options such as parallel on‑street parking as part of future streetscape; council discussed tying any exception to a condition that the city could reclaim right‑of‑way spaces if needs change. The council did not record a final vote during this meeting.