November 6, 2020
Welaunee Arch Master Plan (WAMP) Update and Requested Action
Keep It Rural supports the revisions to the Welaunee Arch Master Plan (WAMP). The Alternative Development Program provides a viable mechanism and incentive program for the creation of the Welaunee Habitat Park in Phase 3 – District 5 (with the caveat and proviso that the last sentence of Policy 13.2.44 (1)(B) be deleted in its entirety). We appreciate the refinements that have been made to the WAMP resulting from listening to and responding to stakeholder concerns. Developing the WAMP has been a long, hard, year-long negotiation and should not be repeated; however, irrespective of the process issues, we have finally landed on a planning document protective of our Community’s values.
There are many good planning concepts and environmental protections incorporated in the WAMP including the 40% open space set-aside requirement, phasing requirements, stormwater master planning, street trees, a grid street network, expanded Canopy road and neighborhood buffers, the interconnected and contiguous system of parks and greenways, and of course a mechanism for creating the Welaunee Habitat Park. We want these provisions and protections in the Comprehensive Plan in order to ensure that future development is in harmony with our Community’s desires.
On this basis, and because of the changes made to incorporate stakeholders’ concerns we support adoption at this time. In addition, we are concerned that further delay without specific proposals for revisions will not lead to a better plan and could lead to no agreement on the WAMP leaving the issue wide-open, and we want to ensure that the Community has a good framework for development of the Arch codified in the Master Plan before a developer purchases the property.
Finally, in order to enhance the WAMP we continue to support Buckhead’s grid street network proposal for the NE Gateway District; weshare Killearn Homeowners Association’s transportation concurrency concerns, and we support harmonizing the document globally for consistency and conformance with the stated intent of key policies and objectives in order to ensure there are not contradictory or confusing provisions.
With the change that we have requested to Policy 13.2.44 (1)(B) the Welaunee Habitat Park is a win-win for our Community writ large and the primary reason we now support the WAMP. Thank you for your continued support, and we ask that you support Keep It Rural’s efforts and position for adoption of the WAMP on November 10, 2020.
Sincerely,
Jeff A. Blair, President—On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Keep It Rural Inc.
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