ATLANTA — Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has halted new construction permits and rezoning requests in the area surrounding Westside Park due to concerns about “pricing out” longtime residents.
Bottoms issued an executive order directing the Directors of the Office of Buildings and the Office of Zoning and Development to “refuse to accept new applications for rezonings, building permits for new construction, land disturbance permits, special use permits, special administrative permits, subdivisions, replattings, and lot consolidations for non-public projects” in the neighborhoods surrounding Westside Park to address rapid gentrification occurring in the area.”
The moratorium outlined in a subsequent ordinance introduced by the Administration will expire in 180 days and will not affect existing building permits or building permits required for emergency work.
“A key pillar to the Administration’s comprehensive affordable housing plan is ensuring long-term residents are not priced out of the neighborhoods they have built,” Bottoms said. “We know that every permit triggers some form of change in these communities, and it is of the utmost importance that development is carried out in a deliberate, fair and thoughtful manner.”
During the moratorium, the administration says it will engage in a “robust community planning effort,” which will include all relevant City departments and agencies.
Additionally, the executive order and ordinance requests the following:
- Request that the Department of City Planning identify the immediate impact area which is being most affected by the development of the Westside Park;
- Develop an Equitable Development Framework for the immediate impact area;
- Re-engage the Westside Park and other Beltline parks in the immediate impact area;
- Align activities in the One Atlanta Housing Affordability Action Plan;
- Develop a Westside Park Transportation Plan in alignment with the One Atlanta Strategic Transportation plan;
- Identify city or other public agency-controlled land located in the immediate impact area.
You can read the full executive order at this link.
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