Atlanta City Council approved the redevelopment of Amsterdam Walk on Monday.
It’s a decision that goes against the wishes of nearby residents and several neighborhood organizations.
The council voted 8-6 in favor of the project, which will transform the shopping center into a large-scale mixed-use development with 1,100 housing units and roughly 1,400 parking spaces. The project is led by Portman Holdings and involves property owned by Jack Halpern of Halpern Enterprises.
Ahead of the vote, about a dozen residents spoke during public comment, urging council to reject rezoning for the project. Concerns centered on increased traffic, pedestrian safety, and the project’s overall scale. Residents cited recent accidents on Monroe Drive and said the development would overwhelm the already congested area.
Resident Erin Kirkpatrick, who commented along with her two young sons, said that her mother was struck by a car on Feb. 11 while trying to cross Elmwood Drive near Monroe Drive.
Opposition to the project also came from multiple civic and neighborhood groups, including the Morningside-Lenox Park Association, Ansley Park Civic Association, and their respective zoning committees. The city’s Zoning Review Board had also recommended denial. An online petition opposing the development gathered more than 2,000 signatures.
Councilman Alex Wan, who represents the area, voted against the redevelopment and acknowledged the volume of community pushback.
“I will be honest with you, in the 11 years I’ve served on council, I’m not sure I’ve seen this level of activism, discussion, and advocacy,” Wan said before the vote, adding that it was not enough to change the minds of the majority of council.
In a newsletter statement Monday afternoon, Wan added: “With this outcome, this puts additional urgency on the Monroe Drive Safer Streets project to ensure the safety of our community both before and after this project comes online. I will double down on my efforts to accelerate the delivery of this project.”
seems to be a pattern, City ‘listens’ then ignores all, including NPU and ZRB