ATLANTA | Development Thread V

[Canguy]

Originally Posted by joecool

Are they going to remove that huge power line? I would hope so...

If it has made it this long into the construction phase, odds are it will stay. If they were coming down they would have been pressing GA Power for that in the early stages to not have it encroach and present additional hazards during construction. They are well past that point.

[OZ1970]

Originally Posted by Canguy

If it has made it this long into the construction phase, odds are it will stay. If they were coming down they would have been pressing GA Power for that in the early stages to not have it encroach and present additional hazards during construction. They are well past that point.

That's a very good point, Canguy - it might very well stay because Georgia Power would have probably moved it in the earlier stages for all the reasons you stated.

[bryantm3]

they need to pressure ga power to tunnel all the high-voltage power lines around the core. they run through piedmont park, through downtown, west midtown, etc. they look terrible and are hazardous.

[thebigATL]

Is the atlanta connector project still a go, because a few months ago they were saying they will be starting phase one early 2014

[shakman]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

they need to pressure ga power to tunnel all the high-voltage power lines around the core. they run through piedmont park, through downtown, west midtown, etc. they look terrible and are hazardous.

I have always loved the concept of removing overhead lines and placing them underground. It will take more than just giving a wish list to GA Power since it is an expensive process.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by shakman

I have always loved the concept of removing overhead lines and placing them underground. It will take more than just giving a wish list to GA Power since it is an expensive process.

we have a laundry list full of infrastructure improvements the city needs to keep businesses interested, make room for more people, and improve the lives of the people that are here. unfortunately nobody wants to pay for it.

[AtlantaMustang]

StAubin at city data posted a link to some renderings that I hadn't seen of the MMPT downtown:

Originally Posted by StAubin

I went to a presentation at Georgia Tech a couple of months ago where they presented the latest designs for the MMPT plan. I've been searching the internet for those renderings for a while and I finally found them.

http://integral-online.com/featured-projects-2/

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by shakman

I have always loved the concept of removing overhead lines and placing them underground. It will take more than just giving a wish list to GA Power since it is an expensive process.

Why not require developers to do this as they build new projects?

Georgia Power is not going to do it for free and the city certainly doesn't have money for things like that.

[Frankster87]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Why not require developers to do this as they build new projects?

Georgia Power is not going to do it for free and the city certainly doesn't have money for things like that.

If I'm not mistaken, aren't developers already required to pay impact fees for their construction? If I remember correctly, the issue is that the fees weren't always allocated to the areas affected because the city or whoever was controlling those funds weren't required by law to do so. I also remember hearing of this law changing to better enforce the funds actually being spent where the impact is. I'll try to find a resource on this....


*EDIT: Okay, so maybe those fees I was referring to are only used for police, fire/EMS, parks, and road/"Transportation". Not sure if power lines would fit into any of that but I think there should be a general infrastructure allocation.

Source: http://www.atlantaga.gov/index.aspx?page=347#Developmental Impact Fees

[Canguy]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Why not require developers to do this as they build new projects?

Georgia Power is not going to do it for free and the city certainly doesn't have money for things like that.

Was in a meeting today with GP discussing this very item. Georgia Power will do anything for a fee. You do have some pull with the fact that you will be producing revenue once structures are complete. They have no incentive to bury lines that are cheaper to maintain overhead due to the fact that they work just fine as is until developers come up with plans that interfere with GP's infrastructure. Than the check book comes out and GP will accommodate as well as upgrade on the customers dime.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Frankster87

If I'm not mistaken, aren't developers already required to pay impact fees for their construction? If I remember correctly, the issue is that the fees weren't always allocated to the areas affected because the city or whoever was controlling those funds weren't required by law to do so. I also remember hearing of this law changing to better enforce the funds actually being spent where the impact is. I'll try to find a resource on this....

Impact fees depend on where the building is located. In Buckhead or the southwest, they will probably get zapped. In Midtown, downtown or the west side, it may be exempt from impact fees.

And yes, a state law was passed requiring at least part of the fees to be used where the impact is actually occurring. In the past, the city took the position that if someone built a building at, say, Lenox, the impact fees could be used at Greenbriar or anywhere else.

In any case, I'm not sure the fees can be applied to burying utility lines. One could argue that they relate to transportation but that seems like a stretch.

I was thinking that we could just make utility relocation a condition of new building permits. It's my understanding that the cost is in the range of $2 million a mile, so if you allocate that out per block it doesn't strike me as prohibitive.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Canguy

Was in a meeting today with GP discussing this very item. Georgia Power will do anything for a fee. You do have some pull with the fact that you will be producing revenue once structures are complete. They have no incentive to bury lines that are cheaper to maintain overhead due to the fact that they work just fine as is until developers come up with plans that interfere with GP's infrastructure. Than the check book comes out and GP will accommodate as well as upgrade on the customers dime.

I've heard similar comments from GP.

I wonder if there's an argument that putting the lines underground will save on maintenance and repairs? No more tree pruning, ice and wind storm repairs, idiots running into utility poles, etc.

[Canguy]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I've heard similar comments from GP.

I wonder if there's an argument that putting the lines underground will save on maintenance and repairs? No more tree pruning, ice and wind storm repairs, idiots running into utility poles, etc.

I would imagine they have tight budgets that they are adhering to while maximizing revenue at the present. The upfront cost of burying lines probably doesn't fit for them. Maybe the tree pruner department are the ones holding the cards....

[thebigATL]

Originally Posted by AtlantaMustang

StAubin at city data posted a link to some renderings that I hadn't seen of the MMPT downtown:



http://integral-online.com/featured-projects-2/

It looks like their bringing 20-35 stories towers around this project = retail and mixed used development so my question is when will construction start??

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Canguy

I would imagine they have tight budgets that they are adhering to while maximizing revenue at the present. The upfront cost of burying lines probably doesn't fit for them. Maybe the tree pruner department are the ones holding the cards....

Oh, I agree. I don't think GP will ever bury the lines at its cost.

What I was thinking is that they might be willing to give the developer a break on cost if they could be persuaded to figure in reduced maintenance and down time costs.

Of course dealing with GP still leaves the issue of cable and telephone lines. They are all over the place in many areas.

[testarossa50]

There's a world of difference in cost of burying high voltage transmission lines and low voltage distribution lines. I'm no expert, but I understand it varies by, like, an order of magnitude.

If it were as little as $2MM/mile I don't think they would have spent all that money upgrading 14th street through Midtown and left the lines standing.

Maybe the developers can get GP to paint the pole black? Because I'll bet that's about as much as they're going to get out of them.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by testarossa50

There's a world of difference in cost of burying high voltage transmission lines and low voltage distribution lines. I'm no expert, but I understand it varies by, like, an order of magnitude.

Good point, testa. I was referring to distribution lines and forgot the thread was about high voltage lines.

[7even6ix2wo]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I'd love to see the city plug the holes between the Lenox district and South downtown with 5-25 story buildings before going way up.

I too would like to see several thousand new buildings.

[thebigATL]

Originally Posted by 7even6ix2wo

I too would like to see several thousand new buildings.

Would be cool to add another portion to the city between midtown and buckhead I really don't mind having a uptown like with towers really unique towers like spinning(creative not something regular)

A few days ago I had a dream that buckhead,midtown,downtown,perimeter,cob-marrietta skyline combined. And it was very colorful diffrent types of people it just felt like heaven

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by 7even6ix2wo

I too would like to see several thousand new buildings.

I think even 75-100 would make a gigantic difference!

And that's entirely doable.