Box 5, Folder 16, Document 41

Box 5, Folder 16, Document 41

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NORTHWEST- BR OVvNTOWN AREA
A i'-iEIGHBOR HG OD STUDY
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City Planning Depa ·trne ni"
City Hall
Atlanta, Georgia
October, 1967
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ACKNOWLEDGMANTS. --··-· ---::---··
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The City Planning Department wishes to express its gratitude to area
r e sidents and to the following organizations and departments for their
valuable assistance in this studi,-::
Northwest Perry Homes Citizens N~ighborhood Advisory Council
Atlanta School Sys t""',n · . · .• ·
Atlanta Parks Department
Atlanta Construction Department
Atlanta Public Library~ .
Atlanta Housing Authority
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Fulton County Health Department
It also wishes to express its gratitude to the following members of the
Special Planning Committee of the North~·1 est Perry Homes Citizens Neighborhood
Advisory Council for their cooperation and patience in working with planne rs
to develop this study:
Mr. Hub e rt Brcwn
Mr. Robert Dobbs
Hrs. Odessa Hill
Mr. Fred A. Morris
Mrs. Mary Sanford
Mrs . Odess a Wheeler
Mrs. Josie Wynn
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�TAB LE OF CONTENTS
Acknowl edgements
Table of Contents
I N"T RODUCTION ---------------------------------------------------------- l
SUR\'E Y OF CCtl'.:CNlTY FACILITIE S ;
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PROBLE'r-'..S &. NEEDS --------------------- 5
Identific.1.tion of Com:.mmit y Probl ems -------------------- - -------- 5
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Discussion of Con·munit y P:.:ob l ems
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Needs --------------- - - ··------- 8
I MP LICATIONS O:' FUTURE RE SID:Si·i.'..'1.:/.L GROWTH FOR C01:1HU~'f:.TY F!-..G:LIT IE S
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Residential Growth in Nor thwest ---------------------------- ~--- - - 17
I mp lications For Community Fac il i t i e s------------------------ - - -- 19
Pr obl ems of Publi~ Housing

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RECOMMENDATIONS---------------------------------------------- - -------- 23
Transitional Nat ure of N. W. Browntown Area -------- - -- :- - - --- - --- - 23
Recommendat ion - - -------------------------- - ------------- - - - --- - - - 24
STUDY YiAP - --- - -------------------- - ---------·· -------------------- - ----


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I NTRODUCTION
This report represents a prelimina ry study of corr~~nity problems in the
Northwest Brm:m town Area of Atlanta.
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It is not a comp rehensive p l an , bu t
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moreso an assessment of the existing a nd f uture communit y need s brought ab out
by the problems which the area is facing at t his par ticular point in it s
development.
It is hoped that the repo r t and 'its recommenda tions will g ive
both residents and city officials a better sens e of direction in dealing with ·
the growth problems of the area.
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BOUNDARIES
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The area referred to in this repo r t as t he Nor thwest Brmmto~m St udy
Area is bounded by Perry Boulevar d on the north; the Louisville and Nashville
Railway on the west; Bankhead Highway on the sout h; and Bolton and Nash Roads
on the east.
Included within these boundaries are t he Anti-Povert y Ta r get Areas H
and I , and the residential commun ities of Carve r Hil ls , Ho l lywood Hi ll s ,
Lincoln Homes, Bolton Homes, Perry Homes, Scot t s Cros s ing , and Bowen Homes .
HISTORY
The Northwe st Browntown Area is part of the a rea wh i ch wa s annexed t o
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the City in 1952.
At t he time of annexat ion i t was one of the rel a ively
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undeveloped f ringe areas existing out side the City limi t s a nd cons isting
primarily of s mall semi-rural communities .
Howeve r, not long afte r a nnexa t ion residential growth i n t he area pro ceeded v ery rap i dly.
Perry Home s, a l arge public housing pro jec t o f 1 , 000
unit s , was opened i n 19 55.
Then other r e side ntial projects, l ar~cly in t he
middle to low- i ncome range , f ollowed.
Today t he are.:i cont ains ab out 17 , 00Q
peop le and 4,425 housing units, of which 1 , 650 a re pub l i c and 2, 775 are p r ivate •
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�-2The re side nt ial growth ~~1i ch has occur r ed during the past 15 years i n
Nort l:n;1cct Brow ntown h.:i..s generally been unplanned .
Res identia l s ubdivisions
have be en cons tructed without concommitant commun i t y fa cilities.
The deve lo p-
ment and improvement of schools, pa rks, and s ewer s have lagg ed behind r e s idential growth.
The result is that today, despite t he built -up residential concentrations,
the area still retains many characteristics of an undeveloped rural a r e a.
One finds, for example, relatively dense concentrations of public hou sing
units amidst large stretches of heavily wooded areas with unpaved roads and
rough ·terrain.
Most community facilities are eithe r opera ting av~r
c a pacity
or are still not sufficiently developed t o mee t populat i on needs.
Even worse, residential growth occur ring in the are a is by no mcu ns s l owing down.
Several new major housing projects and a ddi tions to exi st i ng
housing totaling about 3,250 units are be ing consid e red for const r uc t io n .
CIP estimates indic ate that the popula t i on of t he a r e a will doubl e i n abo ut
10 years and reach a total of about 40,000 peop l e by 1983.
The dilemma facing Northwest Browntown is h?W to up - g r ade and i mprove
a l ready deficient community facili ties i n l i ght of co nt inuing reside nti a l
g rowth.
Residents i n the area have b egun t o fa ce up to this d ilemma by
organizing against f urther housing const ruction, p a rticularly public housing,
unt i l more attention i s g iven by the Cit y t o scho ols, sewe rs , parks and at e r
corr.rnunit y fac i lit ies and services.
THE BROWNTOWN ZO NING I SSUE
The most r ecent and impo r tant ef f o rt by res i dents t o p revent further
publ ic hous i ng co nstru ct ion concerned the Brownt own. Zoning Issue.
This
ef f o rt stemmed from an app l i c at ion filed on June 29, 1967 t o change the
zoning of a portion of property covering ab out 50 a cres and located north
�of Brownto'Wll Road and west of Jar:1cs J.:i.ckson rarkuay. ~The application
requested that the proper ty be changed from ~-1 (Light-Industr ial) to A- 1
(Apartments).
The purpose of this rezoning was t o allow tL.C constru ct ion of
510 low-cost housing units under the turnkey program for public housing .
Under this program the housing units would be developed privately o.nd then
purchased by the Housing Author ity.
A hearing on the zoning change was held .ugust 10 , 19 6 7, by the Zoning
Committee of the Board o f Aldermen .
At t hat ti~e they recomrr.ended adversely
on the request for a change in zoning
ue to comp laints by residents of the
Browntown Area on grounds that curren
school) park and s ewer facilities in
the area are already inadequate and would be further over- burdened by the
new development .
Since no comprehens ive study had ever been made of Browntown's
community p roblems , this study was initiated to help clarify and .assess
those issues affecting it s f u ture deve lopment so that both residents nnd city
officials might have a more effect ive framework f or dealing with its problens .
APPROACH AND METHOD OF STUDY
As c an be surmised from the above background information, this repor
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merely a first st ep in provi ding orderly development of the Northwest :::- ~,: :,town Area.
The approach is to focus on comrr~nity facilities and the attend u.
communit y problems and needs arising from their utilizat ion.
In surveying community needs the report d istinguishes both existing and
future needs.
Existing needs ref er to those it ems needing i mmediate atte ntion;
while future needs refer to those estimated to develop in about 5-10 years ,
when the population is expected t o be about double its present size.
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- 4The approach taken for t hi s study cons i st ~d of t he f0llowi ng st ep s:
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identific ;:i.y ion of major cor.miun it y p r oblems b y City pl :rnnc r :; in
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conjunction with the s pec ial Pl ann ing Commi tt ee of
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he N. W.
Perry Homes Cit izens Ne i ghbo rhood Advi sory Council
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an assessment by the planne rs of exis.ting and future com::nunity
needs generated by the above probl ems and an inqui r y into t he
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implications of future reside nt ial grou t h for up g r a ding c ommunity
fa cilities and services
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the formulation of a set of r ecommenda tio ns pointing out u h at
needs to be done to meet exis ting deficiencies and anti c ipate
future needs
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a final meeting between planners and the sp e cial Planning CorriIJittee
to discuss the findings of the study .
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-5SUR.VEY OF COi'IT-rLJNI'.i'Y FA.CIL I TitS :
IDENTIFICATION GF
PROBLENS & Ni::EDS
corn-mTI'Y I?ROBLEiv..S
This section itemizes tRc major problems involving corr.munity £aciliti~s
.i.nd sarvic es in the $tudy area.
It doeG no t cover all the problc:t,W ,:.:·:1~:.:csr, d
by the residents or observed by the planners, but coverG only the most signif ·icant one s affecting the general devel opment o f the area .
The Problems Include
SCHOOLS
(1) · Serious Overcrowding at Ar cher Hi2;h School
With the 10 portable classrooms current l y being con~tructed , this ~cho ol
wi l l have facilities f or an approxi~ate c npnc i~y of 1, 200 students, yet
as of September 11, 1967 it had an actual e1rollment of nearly 1,700
students,
(2)
Extended Session at Archer
Due t o the overcrowded cond it ions , Archer is operat i ng on C'tended
session, whi ch means that a large ~roportion o f the students are out of
s chool at 12 o'clock and hence a re without parent al supervision a ra.:ijo r
par-t of the day,
(3)
Ove r crowding at Elementary Schools
Al t hough overcrowding at the elcmc nt~ry schools is no t as serious . cit
is at Archer, stil l mos t ol the eleme nt ary s chools are operating near or
at peak capacity. This means they are unable to abs orb any large increase
in populatio n,
PARl(S AND RE CREATION
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(1)
No Neighb orhood Parks or Programs for Lincoln Ho~es and Perry Homes
These two important comnunities whi ch cont ai r:. from 7 , 000 to 9,000 peo le
have virtually no City recreational fa ci lities and programs and very
limited access to those in other areas. Lincoln Homes has no neighb orhood
park at all and Perry Homes, while i t has s ome :recreationa l services
rendered through the YMCA and the Girl's Club, has no City rec~~c -i onal
service.
(2)
Inadequate and Po orly Developed Parks and Pluylot:
Hill Park and Hol.lywood Hills Playlot
Gun Club Park, Center
�Gun Club I':ir k is th e com1r.unit y pc. r ·( dcsic nccl :::o scr ,c t h e st udy nrccl
po pulation. It i s currcn · ly unde r P 1asc I I of it s construction sched ule
and 6 o:r 7 of the to t .:il !~2 . 9 acre s 11 .::ivc bee d8velopcd. Hm-, eve r, -1h.:1t
has been buil~ _shows lit tle apprec i a tion for the p re~crences o f t he
local r esidents. Fo r example, the ma in re c reationa l faci lity built so
far ha s been t ennis court s. Yet res id enLS ma i ntain that the tennis
courts have been unused be c ause no one in t'1e community plays te-anis and
basketball courts would have been n:ore s ~ i ~.:i.1::lc.
Ce 1ter Hi ll Park , a neighborhood park of 16 ac,:-e s, has i r.s uffic i er:.t
facilities co nsisting only of a baseball diamond and a foot ball f i e l d .
Hollywood Hills Plavlot , loc ated at the s out hern end of Nagnolia Ceme t e ry,
has been the . targe t of cornp L:lints by seve:cal r e3id ents due to its cl os e
proximity to an unsafe and u r,healt fu l floo d pla in.
(3)
Ins u ff icie nt Distribution of Re c reational Le adersh ip
The . one recreational l eader working in t he whole st udy area i s stationed
at Sco tt Scho ol ,-, hich me ans none o f the comrnuni ies out s ide t he service
a r e a of Scott School are served by a rec rcctional leader .
SEI-JE RS
(1)
Backup and Overflow of Sanit ary and Storm Sewase
Steady rainfall for a d ay or more brings about nurr:e rous c ases of s cuage
overflowing into residents' yards and into vacan t lots and open spa ces.
(2)
Flooding of Procto r Cr eek
The flooding of Pr octor Creek during steady rainfa ll is res pons ibl e not
only for mu ch of th e s ewa 6 e overflow, but o.l s o for several rm-:ning
incid e nts tho.~ have occurr ed in t he area .
OTHER FACILITIES
(1)
Ins u ffi c ient Access to Health and Library Facilities
De c entralized health centers in the study a re a arc not conveni e_ tl y
a cc essible to al l r esidents , es pecially those of Carver Homes and Holl ywood Hi lls, and there i s no direct publ ic transportation rout e to ~he
nearest hospital .
The nearest l ibrary, the Dogwood Branch, is located at the·southe rn
periph ery o f the study area and there is no direct acc ess t o it fron
much o f the nort h ern part o f t he area.
(2)
Inadequat e Public Transportation
Inadequate bus service is basic to the p rob lc~s of a cc ess to health and
l"ibrary facilities and places of P.mployment. Public transport ation do e s
not provide dir e ct rout e s to these fa c ilities . . · . . -.: '
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Hi scellaG~ous T1: .1f{ ic 2nd St:::e ct :t ?roblcms
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This r efer s t o su ;b problems .'.l S t he lack of a t_.:i:'..'fic ::; i 0 nul i.l .: J .:::c'.-:s o n
p~1.-:(,.1.:ty .::;nd l\rO'i·m l\G\m Road, a major inte:rscct:f_o r;_ c:;:os ·:cd dv.ily by
school childr-21-:, /.,nd the general neglect to clear rubbis h anc tr i-;.-; 0 r o.s s
along t h e s treet J)
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(4)
Employ~-nt Probl & s
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Host of the res i ~rnts who work rr.ust g o ou ·· sid-2 i:l1e area to their ?l a ce
o £ employment . ·,fnc e they are primarily of mid d le - to - low incor;-.e this
pla c es a h e avy lrr d en on them i n terms of c osts for t ransportation ,
child car e serv i es, etc.
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�DISCUS SION OF COHMUNIT Y PROBLEMS
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1"7EEDS
.This se ction expands upon t1e p .oblems i dentified in the p r evious
section.
It exa.'1li ne s what is being done to allevi a te t .c pro l ems ar:.
mo re
i mp ortantly asse·ss es the existing .::md future corr.r;;unity neecL whi ch the p roblEn:s
gene rate .
When possible, cost est inates of selec ted corrmunity needs are
provided.
SCHOOLS
(1)
Ove rcrowd ing and Exte nded Session at Ar cher High 3chool
Based upon t he conc ern expressed by resid ents, overc rowd in 6 a t Arche r
repre sent s the sing l e most c ritical probl em in t he study area . T. is
prob l em is fort l:--er complicated by the inadequ at e a creag e of t he school
s i te a nd the ot1tmoded design o r the school build i ng .
West Fult on is another h i gh school located near the study are a which
could serve a smal l part of its population, bu t i~ als o is overcrowded.
(2)
Overcrowding at Elereentary Schoo l s
The ~ain p roblem here i s the inab i li y of exi s ting element ary schools t o
absorb signific antly l arge increases in po-~lat·o n .
(3) _ Cu rrent Devel opme nts
(a)
Expansion of Arche r and West Fulton Hi 0 h Scbools
Pre s ently th e re are pl ans fo~ t he vc rtic .21 cxp~nsio n of both Arc her and
West Fulton High Schools which would incrc.:isc thei r capa citie s to 2,000
students each . Barring a ny s udde n l .:ir ge in c rccs c ::; in popul a tion, t ·lis
expans i on wou ld do r,mch t o allevi.:it e the ove rcrowded conditions. The
main problems conironting expansion arc I i 3ncin3 end t iming . Fun's fo r
the exp ansion are contingent upon~ possibl e school bond election in t te
spring of 1968 and whether the bond issue pa sses .
It usu a lly ta k es two years t o 3et a s cho ol cons t r ucted f rom th tine a
bond issue passes. However, if an .2rchit e c t c a n be aut ho:: - i zcd t o b~f. in
pl anning the p roject bef ore the bond i ss ue pa3s cs, abo ut G·~ .. i0 ~onths
c an be cut from t"he needed amount of time . If this p;:-o c e.i,i:::c w-:::! r o foll ued
in relat ion to the e xpansion of Archer High School , cons t r u ct i on could
start in the summer of 1968 and be complet e d by the fall of 1969 provid i ng
that the bond issue passes.
(b)
New Elementary Schools
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Since most clcxcntary sclc o l s arc ope r ating _at pRa~ c~p~city, it will be
desirable for a ny ne,-1 l a r g e l:0usint pr.03 ect s · to include cit2s for
elementary schooli int .cir plans. One of t he major propos e d projects,
Roc'.·dal c Pa rk, includes a site for .:m clerr.enta y school in its p lans, but
some of t h . oth rs do not.
(4)
Est i mate of Comr~unity N2eds
Existing Ne eds (Tho se requi ring inuned i ate at ten ·ion.)
(a)
Exp.'..l.nsion of Archer 2nd West Fulton ligl Schools by Fal· of 1969
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This would r equire t hc t the expansion be pl a c d o. sc~ool ond i c s ue by
Spring of 1968 and t: hc.t an ar ch i tect be au tl- orize' to begin planriing "t· .e
expans ion befo re the bond ele ction.
(b)
Inclusion of El2mentary School Sites in any Neu Hous i ng Proj e cts
Appro· ching 300 Units in Size
This has spe c ial referen c e to the B m-1ntm-,n Road publi c hou s ing
which 10 acres s nou ld be se t aside for a elcment.3ry s chool i _
units of publi c housing ;: ·o b constructed.
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Future Leeds (T- ose likely to devel op in a pe .. iod o f about 5- 10 years, during whi ch
t i~e the popu lation i s pro jected to double.)
(a)
New High Schoo l
Although a rrew high school is not neede nm·, unde r cur-- ent school s anda ds,
increasing population over the r:.ext f ew yc .:n:s wi l l crea " the nee £or a
new facil it y. Plans for t e £.:ic ility shou l d be;s i no¼'.
(b)
New Junior High School
Tha construction o f a junior h i gh s chool i n t he fut ur e wi ll help to
alleviate potentia l overcrowd ing i n t he e l e~cn ·ary s chools. T~e Ci y own s
a possible site for su ch a. 3chool. west of J ame s Jackson Par. way a nd north
of Williams Elementary Sc1Lool.
(c)
New Elementary Schoo]_:,
Anywhere from 4-8 new el ementary schools wil l be r equi ed to s erve t he
population over the ne~t 5 - 10 years. The s i tes of the s chools will depend
upon future growth patterns.
(5)
Cost Estimates of Selected Items
Archer High School
New high s chool
(20CO students )
v erti c al additional
tot ~l cons t ru c t i on
mi nus land co s ts
$2 , 000 , 000
5, 000, 000
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L1:ew j r. h i 0 h s chool
( 1200 student s )
New e l eme ntary school
( 1000 stude nts )
tot al c ns truc tio~
n i nus l a :1d c o s ts
3 , 000 , 000
t ot al cons t_u ct io n
mi nus l and co s ts
2, O0O, OC
PARrs Al'.1) RSCREATION
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No Parks and Rc crcat i onal Servic es At Linco l:.:1 & Pe.:- r y ::0~;e: ::;
Lincoln Home s
Actua lly t h e n e ed f or a ne i3hb o~hood pa _k in Linc oln Eo ~s was b~ cught
out i n A<ld itio a l P.:i.rk La :1 Su:t y by :: L:-:: P:i..:~nnb g Dc pa r tm2n • T. L:;
s u rvey r e com:-ne nded a s i t e f o r- t t;.; p,1;:-k at the end o _ Fe r ~ Dr ive.
Pre s c n l y , however , t he Pa ·ks Dep a~t m~n · l ac ks f unds t o p u r c h a se ad i tional
pa rk land . So the devel opme n of a neigtb or. ood pr~ fo r Linco ln Horees
wil l h ave t o wait upon the next bond i ssue .
Perrv Horr.cs
The lack of adequat e r e cre at iona l se r vic e ::; i n ? ~ry omes i s du e to a
c onfli ct in regu lati ons be twe en t .e City Pa~ks Dc pa r t ~cnt anG t !1c 3ou s i ng
Au t hority . A prel i min a ry inves · i gat i on int o t he conf lic t 1as rev ea l ed
t he f ol low ing :..:ituat i on . The mn i n i:..:suc c :,tcrs ~1 ou d t he co .., t of
r ec r e a tiona l l e adersh i p an pe r s on ne l . The Hou sing Au t hor i ty cc n ,~c t
the co sts for re cre a t i onal s pi c e and 311 t yp es of physic a l facilit i es ,
bu t it i s prevented b y fe de ra l l aw fro m allo ca t i nr; any expend.i ure s to
r e cr eational perso nnel. _'he P.'.l.i. ks Dep ar t me n t can me e t 5G% o f p 2rs on nel
cos t s , but wants the Hou s i ng Autho rity t o pay t he o the ~ alf . So ur,t il
. the othe r 50% of personnel cos ·s i s me , Pc.1::.. y Homes will be wit hout
recre ationa l se r v ices .
(2)
Inadequate and Poo rly Deve l oped Fa c il i t i es
Gun Club Park
( a)
Cu r r e nt Construction
Gu n Club Par k is cur r ent l y unde r constr uct i on throu gh f u ~d s be i n ~ p r ovie2d
f r om fe dera l , st c1te , and l oc al sou r c es . The sit e wa s a cquir ed on Noveu:Je:.:2, 1964 for a purchase pric e o f $55, 000.
The c onstruc t ion i s div i ded int o thre e phases . Phnse I co s t $~3 ;45 6,
b eg an on Ap ril 11, 1966 and wa s co;:;-,plcted in Fcb :cu ary , 196-7 . It c c .~.s.is t e<l
of c learing and grading t he a r e a and buil d ing park ing fac ilities, tennis
courts , fenc e s and r etai ni ng walls, e tc.
Ph ase I I , which co s t $52 ,206 , bega n on Augus t 4, 1967 and i s s cheduled
for comple t ion in De c ember 196 7. I t consi sts o f b u ilt.ling the r emaining
portion of t he parking lot, ~ mu l t i - use court a rea , v ar ious pl ay .:.ree. s ,
c amp ing are ~s and the gr ading o f a t hle t i c fie l ds .
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Pb::.sc _II, whicl co sts $15 0 , 000, is s ch.::clulcd t o t :~ e •'lace du:-:-in::; 1968
and will consist of the co,st uction o f a b .:...t . house aud a n&jor
swir-cruing pooi.
The cor:1;-i lction of -,hasc III, h m-wv2:c, Hi ll not pro ,i.d. . Gun Club P .1.r'c
with c.11 t: c nc ccss.:i:ry ..c .::i.cili~i,~.'.:I for a f u ll y e:quippcd corn:!un ity park .
There will s till te the ncc u for a communit y club house.
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(b)
Tennis Courts
Rq;arding the unused tennis cour D, the I'arko Dc r :.1rtrncnt has st.:1tcd t h::t
it would be willing to r emove the t cnnlG courtG a~ erect baskc ~ .'.111
courts if the corr. 1unity so d~ s ires. ·1cncc, the sulution of this r,rob lem
simply awnits the ncccs ~2.ry c c::,;:; -nicati on bt.:tween ·he c om:r uni ty g rouns
anc.1 the Parks Department cu rinz which the cor.,munit y g r oups can po int
out exact ly what they want done.
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(c)
Footbridge
The need to ere ct a footbridge '\-1:,ich (> rovi 'es access £:::err, Pe rry Eonc s
to Gun Club Park is cur ren ly being met by t he At lc: 1: t · :-.:)US ing ,ut· ority ,
which b egan receiving bids for construct··on of t h<:: bridge on Scpterr:ber 21,
1967.
Center Ri ll Park
The Parks Department h as allocate $40 ,000 from i~s Supplemen~al ?und
to bring about general i mµ rovcm0nts for Center Hill Pl! .. k during t e
coming year. These ir.:provcmcnt ;; ui ll include ; site p:c~ 1).'.l _atio u:i.d
drainage, drive- uay .:m<l parki n:; spaces, pav ed court area , a c il ren I s
area, and the relighting of the existing ball fi ld .
Hollyyood Hills Playlot
The Parks Department has affir~ed its wi l lingness to meet re sid2nts 1
dissatisfaction with the unsafe l ocat ion of: i: ollywood Hills · 1nyl ot
ne a r a hazardous flood pl ain. The Depar t ment holds th at it crect a the
playlots as temporary, SQa ll-scale play ate2s at the re quest of the
citi zens and at sites sel ct d by the c itiz ns. Th re are no si 6 nifica~t
problems in removing the playlots or chanzing them to a di£f2rent 1 cQtion
since the facili ties are temp or a ry and easily reffiovable.
(3)
Insufficient Re creational Le ade rship
The problem of insufficient recreational lca.dcrship is due, in lc...: i; e
part to the ~oor development of re c reational facilities in Bencral. 11
order to provide recreational workers the Pa1+s Dena-::t• .cnt rec:ui:: :s ... h.:::.t
the park or school to which the worker i s assigned have i ndoor f -cilities.
Unfortunately, most of the parks and schools in the are a do not havG su ch
facilities and hence are not manned .
As r ecreational f acil ities are i .. proved, e. 0 • when Gun Club Park is
compl eted, one should expect rr.orc rccreatio r!..::.l lc.:1dc i.·ship. In :: ,1,:; r.:e3ntime , an ef [ort should be made on the par· of eithe r the local corr:nun i ty
�-12or the Parks Department to check out those schools or parks which do
have adequate indoor facilities 60 that recreational leaders can be
as signed to them.
(4)
Estimate of Community Needs
Existing .Needs
(Those requiring immediate_ att enti-o.x)·-··-- · ·-· ='
(a
)
··
Neighborhood Parks, Preferably With Recreational Leadership, For
Lincoln and Perry Homes Communities.
Lincoln Homes
Since the Parks Department has no funds for additional park land, the
request for a neighborhood park for Lincoln Homes will have to be placed
~n the next bond issue. This matter should receive 'high priority'
attention from the Parks and Planning Departments.
Perry Homes
The physical facilities for a park here can be provided by the Housing Authority. Since the H. A. is prevented by Federal law from meeting
recreational personnel cost, it is recommended that the City find means
of paying total personnel costs instead of the 50% level it is operating
under now.
... .-..
·f -·- ~
--
(b)
Completion of Gun Club Park
•4- ..
_.,...
_.~,,...
While it is true the Gun Club Park is under construction now as a 1 high
pr i ority' project, still it is neces sary that plans be drawn for its
comp l etion beyond the current construction plans. A community park,
fully equipped with a community club house, is sorely needed in the area.
Moreover, the plans should be drawn up in such a manner that the local
resident ~ can have a voice in selecting the types of facilities to be
erected ~n the park.
(c)
Establishment of Effective Communication Links Between Loca l
Community Groups and The Parks Department
Many of the park problems, i.e. Hollywood Hills Playlot, appear to be
primarily a result of poor communication b etween the local corr:munity
and the Parks Department . Evidently many of the immediate problems
could be given prop er attention if the local community groups had
organized channels for addressing their grievances to the Parks
Department and if the Parks Department, on the other hand, would keep
the community informed of and give them a voice in its plans for the area.
Future Needs (Those likely to develop in a period of about 5•10 years; during which
time the population is expected to double.).
/
�~ -- - - - -
r-·- -- ...--- -- -~~--~-----------,......._ ___. . . ,_-_.-~--...._ ....._.. . _,____ _,_-.·,,D...;h,..
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-13-
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. -~
•
(a)
7 ,
·.· ·.
Community Park
- ~ r.
•• •
····..~ : .
.
- ~.·
This pa rk need not necessarily be located within ·the boundaries ·used for·:. ··. · ·. ·: .·_:-,j
t hi s s tudy . Any of the area to the west of James Jackson Parkway from ·. ·. . .:· .: .·!
iloit on Road to the Chattahoochee might be desirable.
·
·· -~ :
.:;:-:: ··.-: .·:~:]
. ..
(b)
·..


,·


of these are already proposed and their tentative ·sites seem
desirable . The possible site for another would depend upon the future ·
growth pattern of the area.
.,··. ·.
T-wo
(c)
,_.:. ~~
... .. .
At Least Three More Neighborhood Parks
~








--
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1. .
•-. ,
....: . .
. :.


··.·


.. ·.· ...... -~./
Establishment of a Park Development Program
·,: '.i





This is a program that could be carried out by the Planning and , Parks
Departments in close conjunction with the local community ·for the purpose
of expanding and improving park facilities as population increase demands
it. -


.


.
-.
,


.~


.. .
·... ..
.
One example of the type of expansion that might be desirable and e~en
ne ces sary in the future concerns Center Hill Park. Although adequate in
size f or existing population, in t he future it would probably be desirable ·
t o extend its northern boundary f _rom Hill Street across the now vacant
land to North Grand Avenue. This would not only increase the space for
the park, but would also facilitate access from a major thoroughfare,
. . ... . .~. - · · ~:: .... ·~Hollywood Road.
_.,. _ ------:-· ·-···
. . . ·:
I
i·
-·
(5)
_.,,
-
"
Co s t Estimates of Selected Items
New neighborhood park
New community park
Recre ation leadership
Perry Home s
Gun Cl ub Pa rk - Third
Phase
Community Club House
Total construction minus land costs
Total construction minus land costs
$200,000
·soo, ooo
6-8 ,000
Total construction minus land costs
Total construct i on minus land costs
150,000
150,000
SEWE RS ·
(1 )
Explanatio n of Sewage and Flooding Problems
There are severa l r e as ons for the s ewage and flooding problems _i n the
Northwe s t Brownt own Area. The t hree most prominent reasons a re:
/Y.
-- -
a.
b.
c.
The limited ca pa c i t y of Pr oct or Creek a s a dr ainage system;
Poor sit i ng of several re sidential home s ;
General ly de fic ient and ob s o l e te st orm and· sanitary sewers.
Limit ed Capacity of Proct or Creek
the problems of Proctor Creek are in a sense no more than· a reflection of
the area's general problem of growth imbalance, in which the development
of community facilities have not kept pace with the residential growth.
�-·
li" ·-~ . ··.:-·· ... ..---
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·. :' -


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Proctor Creek has served as a major dra ina13e bas in for s torm and san{tary:'. ··;._:.<:·, ·:' ·.".
s ewage in the Northwest area long before it _became annexed to t he C_ity.: · .< ·. . :: .·} >-. ·,:\
and developed. As a result, it is not adequately suited now to serve · ·
. ·..\ · ·; .-.--.
the newly built up population. This is the reason for much of the over -. ., . ... ; /~_--:'<;/
f l ow and more specifically is the reason why the worst cases ,of overflow . ..
-· ··-··
occur at residential homes and areas bordering the creek.
·
·..· ' ·.·· · · · ,·
There is no question that this problem of Proctoi Creek .is a large scale
one which demo.nds a long -term s olution.. The solution prcposed by th e ·· . ._.:_:· . · :-· ;_i_ /:::<'.:~
. :_ ~
Cons truction Department is the Sandy Creek Improvement Program ( Phas es I ·.
t o III) which i s supposed to begin some time in 1969 and will require 15 ·.·
to 20 ye ars for its completion. Up until the time of the i mp le~e nt a t i on ·· ·· ··
. ~of the Sandy Creek Improvement Pr ogram, the Construction Dep art me nt wi ll · · '.__.· · ·
be utili zing whatever temporary solutions are possible. Presently under .
··' .
co nz ideration i s the construction of a small 'package 1_ plant to alleviate · ..~<· ·· - ..,
,.
the l oad on some of the major lines.
·--:--·· .
',
~I
_
The_ problem of flooding itself in Proctor Creek can only ·be resolved
. ·..
. --~-'·/ ..
.. .. ·,, ;~-:. -
.
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- ~+
by r e s t ricting children from the floOded portions and by preventing · t l1e · . .. ~-- ('t ... ·:- :__-- · . ··.:
. ·· .
construction of residential homes and play areas at sites near the creek
wh ich are too low. This point leads into the second major recson behind ·. ,.. ;,·,:: )\
the flooding and sewer problems in Northwest Browntown.
Poo r Si ting of Residential Homes
Act ually several homes built ne ar Proctor Creek,· i.e., along Clarissa
Dr ive , never should h ave been built there in the first place bec ause
t he ir sites are too low in rel ation to the creek. It has been s ugges t ed :
that the City purchase these homes since there is no economically feasible
s ol ut ion for h andling their sewage and f looding problems.
.
·; '
Generally De f i c i ent and Obsolet e Stor.m ~r.d Sanitary $ewers· ·
Undoubtedly, -many ca ses of flood ing i n the a rea a re due to t he ol d ,
obs olet e sewer s throughout the area. Replacement and repairing of these
s ewers , howeve r , a r e minor in comparison t o what needs to be do ne with
Proct or Creek and will be handled by t he Cons t ruction Department as
qu i ckly as it s limit ed funds will · allow.
(a)
Initiat ion of the Sandy Creek Improveme nt Pr oj ect As Soo n As
Possible.
This is the only ultimat e s olution t o t he maj or sewage problem in the
a re a . So its imp lementat i on should be giv en h igh priority.
(b)
.,,-- - f -
- ..... . --
Some Planned Action on Poorly Sited Homes
The re is an urgent need for s omething to be done with those homes which
are· t oo poorly situat ed nea r Proctor Creek f or anything economic a l ly
feasible t o be done ab out t hei r flooding and sewage problems. It i s
suggested tha t a study be made, pr obab l y by the Construction Department,
to i dent ify t hose homes which are beyond he l p and t o r e commend a solution
which wou l d satisfy bot h the owners and the Ci t y. The possib i l i ty of .the
City buying the homes shou ld be carefully s t udied.





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/·;
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-15-
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(3)
T
-
..a-..;.; - :-- - ' • •
. . . _ ,,
I,. r··
-v· ,
Co s t Estimates of Selected Itema
Sa ndy Creek Improv ements:
/
Phase I
Pha se II
Phase III
General Storm Sewer Improvements:
$3,3L.O,OOO
2,050,000
5,166,000
400,000
OTHER FACII,ITIES
The time and scope allocated to this report was not enough to allow f or an indepth s tudy of tho s e pro!)lems associated with library, health, employment and
trans portation faciliti e s. Thus no attempt is made to analyze all the various
r amific ations of these problems or to specify the existing and future community
needs which they might generate. Instead attention was focused on only the
most obvious and general needs in these areas.
The Needs Include:
(1)
More Effective Communication Links Between Local Community Groups and
Ci ty Services
An investigation into several traffic and transportation problems r evealed
the ne ed for stroneer co-.:cmunication links between local community groups
a nd the various City agencies furnishing community services. For ex ample,
note the following two cases:
Lack of Traf fic Si gn.?.l at .Jacks on Parkway and Browntown Ro ad
According to :the Traffic Engine e ring Depar tment a study wa s made of this
i nt erse ction 5 or 6 years ago which revealed that no traf fic light wa s
needed at the time. No complaint s had been received about the i nte rsec tion then, so the depart me nt had no way of knowing it was a troub l e
s pot. However, upon request of the Planning Dep a rtment the Tr a ff ic
Enginee r i ng Department will make a no t her s~udy of traffic condit ions at
t he intersection, after which it can de termine what type of t raff ic
f acility can best handle the contlitions.
Poor Care of St r eets
The Sanit at i on Div i sion of t he Co ns truc tion Department confirmed that
it handle s the clear ing of rubbish fr om t he s treet, but that the trimming
of gras s border i ng t he street s is a r e spons i b i l ity of the property
owners. It fur the r s tat ed tha t it had a s hor t ag e of wo r kers to clean the
streets s o that its men a re s pread thin Qv er t he City. However, if
any community f e lt it had been neglected and wanted ·cleaning services f or
its streets , the community should make a request to the Sanitation
Div i sion and the request wi ll be acted upon.
More Effe ctive Communicat i on Links
\
The ~ain fact or unde rly ing bo t h of t he above traf f i c and Gt.~oet c8re
problems is the need f or mo re effective communication links between l ocal
�-16community groups and the City services. This may sound rather ·trite,
but actually it has important implications for both the local groups
and the City agencies.
On the one hand, the local groups must establish the necessary organizational machinery to direct their complaints to the appropriate agencies ·
and to follow through to see that their complaints are acted upon. One
the other hand, when a public agency receives a complaint or request
from a community group it should act upon the, compl°aint and if unable to ·
do so, should give the community a clear explanation. Also, whenever
possible the agencies should keep local communities informed of the various
projects planned for the area.
I
II .
I
!
ii
(2)
- ······--···· .
Pub lie Transport at ion Study an<l Impr"ovements
As mentioned earlier, inadequate bus service underlies the main problems
which residents face in terms of access to needed facilities: libraries,
hea1th centers, places of employments. This clearly demonstrates the need
for a study which pinpoints the improvements which would be necessary to
alleviate the problems and which recommends ways in which the improvements
can be carried out.
(3)
Local Employment
Possible Development of Nearby Industrial Areas
According to the zoning map, the N. W. Browntown Study Area is heavily
bordered -by industrial land and thus is better situated to a potential
employment base than roost other areas in the City. However, much of
this industrial land is undeveloped; so the kind of employment it offers / ·.,
to Browntown residents will depend upon its future course of development.
If possible, the City should try to attract those types of industries ·
which would offer employment opportunities to local residents.
- ... ---
. -,. . _


,.-- f ··


., . . .. -
Hire Local Residents First on Government Sponsored Projects
In addition to attracting local employment-generating industries, the
City can utilize whatever other opportunities are available to help
alleviat e local unemployment. A case in point is the additional public
housing units planned for the N. W. Area. It would not onl y help
alleviate the problem of unemployment, but also do away with much local
dissatisfaction if the City required the developers of public housing to
hire local residents first in recruiting work~rs.
' ..
�.. ~-,,..,.....,.-....,., ·., , --~~ro°""'s;,.· "";.;,,,,.,;:-,;,"' .c,;1
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. .···; ·~:
·- · .,
Ii'1PLICATIONS OF FUTURE RESIDENTIAL GROv1TH
FOR COMMUNITY FACILITIES
·.
The previous twc sections have examined problems "and needs of partic~_lar :·. i>:". ..... . .....
... . .
• :.?~. ~
·:-~=-~:
community facilities. The i;urpose of this section is to look ·into the impact ·_ "' . ,· ..
~
~
•
of future. resi.dcr,tic.l growth on community facilities · in general.
L\ ot!-:::1 wrn::'..,~, it will focus on such <iuestions as:
and housinG \lJ.ll be coming into the N.
w.
how much population
Browntown Area over the next few
years?, what kiT).ds of problems will they create?, 'what community facilities
will they lack? , will this lack put a drain on existing facilities or will ·
- ~- -~-·-
-
!
current imprm-e,u~ntc be able lo ·1ii0~t futur2 r',eeds?
These all a4e important questions, for which existing data is too incomplete
to give fully accur.:.tc answers.
Yet they must be answered as accurately as
existing dnta will allov if a start is to be made in planning for the N. W.
Browntown Arce\.
RESIDENT:::AL GROWTH IN NORTHWEST
Before looking directly into the impact of future residencial growth, it is
necessary to first recognize the fact of future population and housing growth
in the N.
...,,, ~

·--·
,,,-..,.,.. - -·
w.
Area .
Any consideration of the ·area's
dev elopme ot
must recognize firstly that it will be experiencing large increases in popul ation
(
_.
/
-£·-·
and housing over the coming years and that some of the housing will be low-income
and public ho~sir.g.
(1)
Forces Be hind Growth
The reasons behind such growth are really not too complex for in actuality
t he growth is no more t h an a reflection of metropolit an economic-pop\llation
increases and the need t.o a lleviate i;,ov<;ir-e, housing s hortages in the City as
a whole.
�.,. . --.. -__ . ._ -~ ·-----v- ----- - - - - --------------~---.. .=. ., 01.
I
·;..:i-=:,.,_~,~-=-.:,":-,;+·..c• _;.,~.;..:...:,,.;,..:.,_i
-18-
1
r
r
(a)
Economic-Population Increase
The economic and population growth in the Atl anta Metro politan Area
is primar ily a re s ult of its role as the fin ancial and commerc i al
center of the Southeast and as one of the fastest growing metropolitan
r eg ions i n the country. Projections de rived from GIP studies indicate
that current rates of economic growth will continue for at l east the
next 15 yc nrs. The proj ec t io ns f ur ther indicate that t he Cit y of
At lanta will have an increase of over 100,000 people by 1975 and
o~e r 150,000 by 1983.
The areas in the City most likely to absorb this growth are t he
relative ly undeveloped areas outside the central city such as the
Northwest area. .Due to the intensive concentration of people and
activities at the central core and the resultant lack of space,
more and more of Atlanta's population will be dispersing towa r d the
fringe areas.
(b)
Housing Needs of Atlanta
In addition to the sheer pressure of economic and population g rowth,
Atlant a is also experienc i ng the prob l em of severe housing shortages .
This i s due no t only to t he lage_of housing supply behind popul ati on
growth, but al s o to the displacement of many resident s th r ough var ious
f orms of governmental act i vity, i.e. urban renewal, highwa y cons t ruction
etc.
Accord i ng to the GI P Relocation Report (Septembe r 1966) , during 1956- 60
At l a nta d isp l a ced 21,000 fami lies a nd 67,000 people mostly low- income,
through such a c tiv i t ies and thereby severe ly agg r avat ed the existing
short ag e of housing i n the City. So t he fac t i s that At l ant a does
not have t he housing resourc es t o me e t the needs of it s popu l ation,
particular l y t he low-income segme nt s. Estima tes indicat e that nearly
17, 000 new housing unit s wi ll be r e quired over the next 5 years in order
t o adequately hous e the people .
•·
The ge nera l s hortage of hous i ng in At l a nta is the main factor behind
the bold housing pr ogr am wh i ch the City is curr ent l y pus hing . This
curre nt program s eek s to ge t 16, 800 unit s withi n a f ive-year pe riod
a nd 9,300 of thes e wi t hin the next two ye ars .
(2)
GIP Projections f or Nort hwest Brownt own
The t e ndency f or populat io n growth in .Atla nta to disperse t oward the
fr inge are as is one reas on why CIP proj ections indicate such l a rg e s c ale
populat ion increases f or t he Northwest Br ownt own Study Area over t he nex t
15 years. The projections indicate that the population will double· t o
a total of abo ut 33,000 people in a decade and will reach 40,000 by 1983 .
, -
,;
~· ...
. . ;.
·· ~ ,:
�.--- - ......------------------------------------------11.Dt--.. . .,·--~
·-·:-,. . . ---19So the re a l quest ion for. nny in".?,uiry into the future development of the
study nrea is not , ;l;~tl·,·-:..:~ it will gain more people and housing, but what
is the scale oft~~ grow~h likely to be and what will be its probable
impact on cor.:munity facihtios and services.
IMPLICA~:ONS FOR COMMUNITY FACILITIES
(1)
Projected Housing f:or Br~wntown
'
A good indictltion c£ scale of residential development that will probably -·
occur in the N. W. Brm,~t:o;"11 Area can be seen in the housing projects
• •
currently being co~sider~d for construction in the area. Seven such
projects are now beiag c~ usidered; four by public housing authorities
ri.nd th;;::ee by private dev.-:1.opers. Some of these prc,jects are definite;
other3 are tc::.tative and s till in the earli~st plenning £tsges. Together .·.
they would b;:ing an estim,-;!ted total of 3,254 housing units and 13,025 people into the area.
., ·
I:.
•
• •
··. :: T.
The table below show how these estimated population and housing - units .-·
are diat ribut;ed amoung the various p-.:ojecta.
I.
PROJFC7ED PUuLIC HOUSING
LOCATION
· , .. .
N',.,11,mE R OF UNITS
Perry Homes
Magnolia Cem~tery
Bankhead Highway
Browntown Road
Total
146
202
540
510
--·l,398
ESTIMATED
·.....
POPULATIOJ·
700 :
1,000 ·
2,700
2, 50Q.
6,900
-~- ·: .
._,
.
PROJF.C~ED 221 (d) (3) and PRIVA!E HOUSING
LOCATION
NUMBER OF UNIT§.·
Rockdale Park 221 (<l.) (3)
Gun Club Park
Hollywood . Road (Lincoln Homes)
(2)
1,500
200
_J)._~
1,856
ESTIMATED
POPULATIOi'
4,950
660 ·
515
6,125
Implications f or Community Facilities
-~
In or.d;;r to d,~al with the implication _of future residential growth for
co-:mnu:1.ity fa:::l.lities in the Northwest, this report will assume that the
above p7: ojc'..:t:8 wi.ll be carried out an~ completed in the comicg ?ears and
thus di:'. lerm:l.n.= tr, ·~ need in comm,mity facilities that will pro';)ably develop ·:
from tI :e co.::.st ruct:i.on of the p:::ojects.
In ef.foct, the report will be asking two questions: What kinds of
community f.:v::'...lities would be included in the projec ts? What kinds would
not Le inch11Ld? Tl-.e facilities which are not included should then give
an iciea of the community needs that a~ likely to be generated through
construction of the projects.


-'


'
�-20(a)
Facilities Likely to Be Included
According to information from public housing authorities and from
plans of private developers, i.e. Rockdale Park, it appears that
the projects
Jld include such facilities as community buildings
and var ious .l:orms of parks and recreational spaces.
w,
Public housins would allocate space and facilities for community
buildings, child care centers, and enough recreational spaces to
meet the requirements of a neighborhood park. In the case of major
project generating the need for a new school, it might cooperate
with th~ 3chool Department by allocating part of its total land area
-for a school site. Large private or 221 (d) (3) developments , such
as Rockdale Park, would not only provide adequate recreational
facilities, but also an elementary school and a health center.
So in summary one would expect the housing projects to include:
(b)
(1)
Community center, i.e. central meeting building, child
care centers, etc.
(2)
Recreational spaces adequate to meet requirements of
Neigh!:>orhood Parks.
(3)
In the case of one large scale project, i.e. Rockdale
Park, an elementary school~- and health center.
Facilities Not Likely To Be Included
From the above discussion it · becomes apparent that except for
Rockdale Park, the proposed housing developments would not
include the following facilities:
(1)
Elementary and High School's
(2)
Collll!lunity Park
(
-
.
(3)
Maj or Sewer Improvements
(4)
Other Facilities, such as Librarie s, Health Cent ers, etc • .
·-
•••• 1
~
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...
".
.·?
· ...:;.·,._.. :
This me;;.ns that if the housing developments are cons truct ed
they will probably be creating a need for these facilities . ..
(3)
List of ~equired Items and Conditions
Be 1.ow
iB
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.....
... .
..·
~
·-.
~
.,
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- . -.. , . : ,-(,
a list of the items and con<lttions that will probably be re- ··, ~
, .. - ·}_
(iU"~ r:,~. 'l ~: the hou r;i.1::g ;;i 1:r>jects cur·.rE:ntly considered for Northwest BroHi'\.~ : a
• ·., ,· · .,
tc,1,.11:' .are ,"'.o;:lCt'L·1Kt. !C!, vl1~n possible, cost- estimates of the it ems are :··
gi·-.,,. n, I t sr.0ulo. .h.;;i lt.,::µt. in mind that these required ite ms and conditions
nm <>ri·ty i;;en~r <i.L ,;~.t:L;;;... ~~s designed to give some idea of the sc.:,.le o f
co ..1.1r.1;_~, ;.~~\7 -.~!e<, 6: ,.r.. ohou!.\l not be taken as precise formulations · to apply
to ev~Y-::~, f,c·.rc!.cular situation. Also, these needs do not represent . sotr..e ~ :
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thing t ha t must be met at once, but as the ho~sing projec ts will probably
be bu ilt in a gradual fashion over a 3 or 5 year period, so the needs
wil l develop in s uch a fashion.
COST
ITE MS
I
l high s choo l
To t a l
3 elementary schools
±ot a l
1 complete community pa ~k Total
( A more detailed discussion
seen in the ' Dis cussion of
report)
const ru ction minus land costs $5,000;000
cons truction n1inus land CO $ tS
6,000 , 00 1
construction mi nus i.:lnd co sts
400,000
and cxpl;:tni:it:.ion of these items c nn b e
Community Problems 1 13cction of this
CONDITIONS
( 1)
Sewer
As cons truction of the hous i ng proj e ct s are undcrway 1 it . is also .
probable that Phase I of the Sandy Creek Sewer Improvements will : be
underway and will begin t o reliev~ many of the sewer probic~s i n the
area. However, it is doub t ful that the fl ooding
Proc t or Creek· . ·
will be relieved any time in t he near future. In thi3 c as ~ it i s
important that future housing be located at safe distances fro~ the
creek.
of
(2)
Park Expans i on and Improvement
As population in the a rea be gins to build up, it will be ne cessary
and desirable to i mprove and cKpand s ome of the parks. s~e, for
example , the suggested e xpansion o f Center Hill Park in previous
section of this report.
(3)
Traffic and Transportation
The a dditional population in the area would incre a se even· furthe r
t he need f or many traff ic and t r a nspor t ation improvements . Of spcci.s.1
urgency would be reschedul i ng and r outing of bus se rvice more in
tune with transportation needs of the people .
(4)
Other Facilitie s
it is quite po ssib le t ha t the need f or other s uch ~acil i t ies as
libraries and hea lth will deve l op .
PROBLEMS OF PUBLIC HOUSING
Disturbing Trend
\.lhi le it is true that N. W. Browntown, like ma ny other areas in the City,
will have t o accommodl)te some of the lcw~income public housing scheduled
to be built over the coming ye ar n, statis tical data indicates that N. W.
Browntown is receiv ing a disproportionate share of the City's public
housing. Although containing only 3% of the total nutnber of housing
units in the City, 1t already con.ta.ins nP.m::ly 20% of th~ total
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public housing units in the City and about 50% of the housing currently
considered for development in the area is public housing.
Socia~ Implications
Residents of the N. W. Browntown have expressed strong concern about
becoming a "dumping ground" for the City 1 s public housing. Studies of
this city and many others have attested to the danger of concent~Gting
too many public housing projects in one area, showing that concentrati on
of public housing in one area usually means the concentration of all the
social problems commov.ly associated with pub lie housing: family
instability, unemploymP.nt, idle youth, etc. Such concentrations can
me an potentially explosive situations which in turn can only further
aggravate the existingbifu~~at2onbetween low-income and middle to
' upper income areas of the City.
Necessity To Est.~blish Limits
Without a doubt, it would be to the advantage of all segme nts of the
City's population to arrest the trend toward over concentra t i on of
public housing before the accumulation of serious social p r oblems that
could affect the City as a whole. It is difficult to say just where
the line should be drawn as to how much public housing Northwest
Browntown should be expected to absorb. Undoubtedly more information
would be needed on the availability of possible sites throughout th e
City. Yet it is important that residents and public offici a ls beg in
now to make some effort to create a more healthful mixture of housing
types in the Northwest area.
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�-23R.:.:COMMENDATIONS
Based upon the
ah:s;~Q
analysis and assessment of coID:IDunity problems
and needs in N. W. Browntown, this section proyides the recommendations designed
to as., _.st public officials in their decisions to meet the problems and needs
of the area.
If carried out, the recommendations should eliminate the ~resent
lag between the developm~r.c of community facilities and residential growth,
they should correct existing deficiences and anticipate major future needs.
Bvt
before getting directly into the recommendations, it is important
one l ook at the transitional nature of the N. W. Browntown Area.
i:l.c.t'
For it is
only within this context that one can appreciate the real value of the reco mmendations.
'I RANSITIO NAL N.A~lJ RE OF N, W. BROWNTOWN ARE A
Many of N. W. Browntown's problems accrue from the dilemmas which it
fac e s at thi s particv 1,~'t" point in its community development .
N. W. Brownt owri
is a new ly devE:- l oping area which is just at the point where it is t oo large
f or many e~is t ing facilities, but too s mall to justify many i mmed i at e l arge
/
seal .~ imp rovements.
For exampl e , Arche r High is t oo s ma l l and over crowded f o r the number of
n i gh scho o l students current ly in t he area, yet th i s current h i gh school
? Opulat i on is not l arge enough t o j ust i fy the cons t r uc tion o f an addit~~nal
h i gh schoo l.
Io t he cas e o f s ewers t he mai n l ines are operating near or at
peak capacity and the Pro ct or Creek system is operating ab ove its o r iginally
des i g11 u<l c ap acity.
Yet the needed improvements are necessar~ ly of a long
term nature and al t hough they canno t be comp leted i mmediate l y~ i n all pr obab ility .
they wii.L be comp l et ed i n t i me t o !Support the pOl)U lation of the area when it
becomes heavily deve l oped .
�- 24 ·An~i hcr ~ spcct of this sit u ation ist .at V3r ious city and county 3crv ic e
agencies v e3/
ra re ly plan pr oje ct s 5-10 ye ars ahead .
Of cour se , ic would be
(,
ideal if / ~ ey were involved in long-r ange planning so that they cou ld antici.
,_,/
pa~,.4~ oblems rather than res.p ond to them as they occur. But due primarily to
~:/
_.......,,,-/,? fimit ed funds, the age ncies are more o r l ess compe ll e d t o respond prair.:.:;.tically
-;;¢:'."'
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to community problems.
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The value of this report then is that it tends to ~ake up f o r the lack of
long -range planning for various city services.
Through its asses sment of
co mmunity needs and its recom.~e nd at ions, it can be of inva luab le assistance to
public officials by pointing out wh~t needs to be done to meet existing problems and foreseeing future needs in the Browntown Area .
RF.COMMENDATIONS
In ord er to e liminate exi sting deficiencies and bring about ord e rly
growth i n the N. W. Browntown Area, it is reco,mr,e nd ed:
Schools
(1)
That a vertic al addition to Archer Hig~ wh ich wo uld in crease its
capacity to 2000 students be placed on a bond issue by Spring, 1968.
(2)
That an elementary school site be included for any new housing projects ·
approach ing 300 units or mo re in size.
(3)
That planning be started now for the cons truction of a new high school in the area as population increase demands it.
(4)
That plans be started now for the construction of a juni or high school
on the already a cquired site located west of James Jack.s on Parkway as
population increase demands it.
Parks and Recreation
(1)
That a request for a neighborhood park for Lincoln Homes be rlaced on
the next bond issue.
(2)
That the City find a means of paying all of the personnel costs needed
to maintain recreational services i~ Perry Homes .
~
�- 25 (3)
(4)
Th~t pl a ns be started for securing funds to build u con-:rr.uQ ity cl ub house


_;_nd iully equip Gun Club Par.c - s a community park .


That p l ans be started for the devel opment of a com:nunit y po . k to the
.
..
o f Jame s Jackson Parkway as population increase de:· ,il , GS it.
wes
(5)
Tha t plans be s tarted for the development of at least on.i= more neighbor hood park in addition to t he two a lreau.y proposed f or tLe 2.re a .
(6)
That the Par ks Department _be prep ared to expand and i Dprcve upon existing
parks and recreational facili ies as population increase dema nds it.
Se·w ers
(1 )
That the Sa ndy Creek I mp rovenc nts Proj e ct be ini tiated as s oon as
po ·sible in order to bring about the major so l ution to most of th e sewage
and flooding problems in the a r e a,
(2)
Tha t until the Sandy Creek I mp rov ements Project is ini ti ated wha t eve r
temp orary solutions a re fe.:z.sibl e b e i mple ,ented to a l leviat e sei:rge
condit ions before large new holls;i.._ng_ prc,ject-a a:ci2: <.:u nstrucceci.
,I
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~·-- ... ....
(3)
Tha t a plan of action be developed t o ident ify and aid th e owners of
those homes which are too poorl y s ituated near Proctor Creek for anyth ing
economically feasible to be done ab out their sewage and fl ooding problems .
Other Facilities
(1)
That a public transport a tion study be made to spe c ify problems face::d by
residents in terms of ac cess to library, ,ealth, and employment facili ies
and to r e commend feasible alte4na tives for r esolv ing t he situation.
(2) . That the City make a conccntritcd effor t to upcr3de street and traf f ic
facili t ies in the ar e a, including the erection of traffic faciliti es at
needed int erse ctions, the co nstruction of street l ights in un lighted
r esidential areas, and the general maintenance of cl ean and well _ paved .streets.
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.:· • .
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(3)
That eff ort s be made to attr~ct to nearby industrial areas firns that
would generate employment op portunities for local residents.
(4)
That the City requi r e that developers of any pub lic housing projects in
in the area hi re l ocal residents first in recruiting workers .
Ge ner al
(1)
That local community group s establish the ne c ess~ry orbani zutionai
~achinery to direct t h eir cox:1p l ai::1ts and reque:;;ts to the ap p rop riate
public .:lgE:ncies and to follow through ar,d see th at their comp laints and
re~uests are acted upon o
�il
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,.
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(2)
That t he public service agencies act upon complaints and r e que sts fr o~
l o cal community groups and g ive t he g:.oups a ciear explanation if t h ey
are unable to rr.eet a re quested serv ic e.
(3)
That eve ry effort be made to develo~ a health i er mixture of low and
midd le income h ous ing types t h .. oughout the City so that pub lic housing d
does not b e come furt he r overconcent r ated in the Northwest Browntown .
�N O RTHW ES T BROW N TO WN STUDY
GU IDE LINES FO R IMPLE MENTATION
Most ac tion toward im pleme nta t ion of the recommendat io ns o f the N o rthwest Brown town Study
mus t in it iate from the N o rthw e st Brow n town comm uni ty itsel f. As sta ted in o ne o f the re commendati o ns
o f the stu dy the local comm uni ty mus t es tab lish the ne c essa ry or ganiza t iona l mach ine ry to di re ct
th eir conce rn s and requests to the a p pro pr ia te pu bl ic a ge ncies.
The fo llow ing c har t·k ind ica tes the e le c ted poli t ic al bod ie s a nd ad m inistrat ive a gen cies to w h ich
th e communi ty should dire c t its effor ts in ini ti a t ing ac t ion on part icular recomm end a t ions.
RECOMMENDATIONS
ELECTE D PO LITI CAL BODY
ADM INIS TRATIVE A G EN CY
At lan ta School Board,
Dr . Ru fus E. Cl eme n t ,
Re presenta t ive from Th ird Wa rd
Bu i ld ing & Grou nds Commi ttee of
School Boa rd,
Fred M. She ll, Cha irman
D ivisi on o f Schoo l Pla nt Planning
& Co nstruc t ion o f Atl an t a Pub li c
Sc hools,
Darw in E. Womac k ,
Assis tan t Su pe r intenden t
A ldermani c Parks Comm i ttee ,
Char les Le ftw ich , Chairman
Pa rks Department,
J a c k De liu s, G ene ral Manager
Schools
Re commenda t ions 1,2,3 & 4
Parks & Re creat ion
Re commendati ons 1, 3 , 4 ,5
&6
Re comm e ndati o n 2
Mayo r 1s Offic e ,
Da n Sweat , J r ., Direc tor o f
Gov e rnm e n tal Li aison
Sewe rs
Recomme ndations I, 2 & 3
Alde rman ic Pu b! ic Works C ommittee
G. Ev erett Mi lli can , Chairman
Pub Iic Wo rks Departme nt
Ra y Nix on, Chie f o f Pu b lic Wo rks
Di v is ion o f Wa ter Po ll u tion
Co ntrol,
Rober t H . Morr iss, Eng in eer o f
Wa ter Poll u tion Control
·k
Th is c hart is d esig ned to ac compa ny the re commendations I iste d on pages 24-26 of the N orthw est
Brown town Stud y .
�RE CO MMENDATI O NS
ELECTED POLIT IC AL BODY
ADMINIST RATI VE A G EN C Y
Re commendati o n I
Aldermanic Traffi c, Parking &
Transi t Committee ,
Jack Summ ers, C hai rman
(Atl an ta Transi t System ,
Robert Sommervi l e , Presiden t)
Re com mendat ion 2
A !dermani c Traffi c, Park ing &
Transit Committee ,
Jac k Su mmers , C ha irman
Pu bl ic Works Department ,
Street Di vision , G. F. S teele ,
Engi neer o f Stree ts
Traffic En g in eer in g Department ,
Kar l A . Bevins , Ci ty Traff ic
Engineer
San itary Depa rtment
Ray N ix o n , C hief o f Public
Works
Re commendatio n 3
(C hamber of Commerce ,
Division of Ur ba n Affairs ,
Cu rtis H . Driskell)
Recommenda t ion 4
Mayor 1s O ffi c e
Dan Swea t , Jr., Di re c tor of
Governmen tal Liaison
Board o f Aldermen ,
Sam Masse 11 , Jr ., Pres ident
Ot her Foci I ities
G eneral
Re commenda t ion 3
Aldermanic Planning & Development
Committee,
Rodney Coo k , C hairman
Aldermanic Zoning Committee
John M. Flanige n , C hairman
Planning De partment ,
Co llier B. G lad in, Planning
Director,
Land Use Con trols Division of
Planning Department,
Tom Shu ttleworth, Div is ion Ch ief
�NORTHWEST
BROWNTOWN
STUDY MAP
N
s
MA JOR PROBLEMS, PROGRESS & RECO MM ENDATIONS
LEGEND
11111111111111
STUDY AREA BOUNDARIES
MAJOR STREETS
PROCTOR CREEK
EXISTING COMMUN ITY FACI LI TIES
(schools, parks, libraries,
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PROPOSED SCHOOL SITE
PR OPOSED PAR KS
I) O ne community pork to west
of Jomes Jackson Parkwa y
I) New high school
(capac ity 2,000)
2) New junior high school
(ca pac ity 1200)
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