Quote:
Originally Posted by shivtim
For the last time, these spots are NOT required by law. Why on earth do you think Fulton County parking codes supercede Atlanta's zoning? It's simply false.
Nobody is saying there should be no parking anywhere in Atlanta, that's the strawman you're attempting to set up. The only argument I'm seeing here is that *this specific site* should not have 3,500 parking spots, as it is immediately adjacent to 4 heavy rail lines, over 90 bus routes, has bikeshare access, and is in the historic walkable core of the region.
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Let me start with where we agree: these spots are NOT required by law. Additionally, I could get a shit about Fulton or Atlanta parking codes as well. Now follow me shivtim...
What you and a few others on here are missing is - LENDERS CARE ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES. Why you ask?
This is Atlanta f'en GA - the most spread out city in America with a Downtown population of +/- 20K and a metropolitan area with 5.5 Million. Therefore if I am a lender and I am looking at funding a retail, residential, hotel or an office development, I damn sure better see a parking space - to - square foot ratio greater than most cities in the US because there is a greater than 95% chance that any development I fund there with require a renter, tenant or customer to have a car. So when I as a Lender hear a developer or a citizens harp about this area is "transit-rich" I say, "I don't give 2 craps because the renter, customer or tenant we will need to target requires a medium income greater than the local demographics." You can't rent an apartment at $2.50 sq ft or eat fillets at Mortons on $45K a year. Additionally I as the Lender would state, "Given Atlanta's limited mass transit across the metropolitan area any development in the CoA will (most likely) require said renters, customers and tenants to commute via car."
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...DRGnrfUf4EB18Q
So let's net this out:
- We both agree there is not a law that requires paring spaces
- (I) don't give a shit about parking codes - Atlanta or Fulton
- Lenders that fund projects in CoA give a shit about parking
- If we force your strategy on developers we get Nothing because developers will not get funding
MAKE SENSE?
Let me tell you shivtim what a smart person that cares about urbanism would compromise on. They would allow development in the CoA per the parking codes that exist today in Atlanta/Fulton and
over time as more development and density comes to the CoA and as MARTA is built out deeper into the metropolitan area, this enlightened urbanist would then petition for a gradual decrease in parking/codes in "transit rich" areas of the city. But to say you are only are in favor of developments that mirror transit developments found in other urban cities of the country with more developed mass transit is both unproductive and will lead to economic disparity to the areas of the city that need it most. Sorry to school you, but this economics of reality.