Proposed Northern Arc divides neighbor from neighbor, Southside from Northside

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 02/04/02 | Julie Hairston

[FreedomFriend]

Actually, Fayette County is very attractive to new homebuyers. The city of Peachtree City is one of the wealthiest median income cities in the entire state. They have walking and jogging trails, golf courses, seperate villages, lakes and ponds for swimming and fishing, etc. Great town.

Now, I don't consider the southside to be unattractive. In fact, the terrain on Atlanta's southside is by far more attractive than anything Dallas has to offer. Those frontage roads in Dallas are quite an eyesore.

I suppose the difference between the northside and southside is that on the northside, the hills are more steep, and the foliage is predominately hardwood, interspersed with a few pines. On the other hand, the southside is dominated by smaller hills, and a much greater percentage of pine trees, perhaps a 50-50 ratio of hardwood to pine.

[texas booster]

Looking at the map, why doesn't the planning commission use the right of way along Hwy 20? The ARC already parallels Hwy 20 for most of its length.

Here in Dallas, most freeways and tollroads were placed over the ROW for the railroads. I think that its that way over most of the country. Every community that is growing is faced with these problems. Remember Simcity?

BTW, I have been told that most development across the US pushes north since that is usually higher elevated land, making water projects easier. That is a project to consider, adding waste water treatment plants up on the north side!

I try hard not to adopt the Colorado method of city zoning (I've moved here, now you stay out!) Gotta admit, now that the D/FW metroplex has 6 million people and is 115 miles east-west and about a 100 miles north-south, it sure seems a lot more reasonable.

[FreedomFriend]

I realize that I've gotten away from my point. I'm not necessarily objecting to growth, I'm objecting to this highway which will destroy the character of the area. All that really needs to be done is that Ga. 20 needs to be upgraded.

[FreedomFriend]

Well, they could parallel the arc from Cartersville to Cumming, for that area is less populated. However, the stretch from Cumming to the Mall of Georgia is quite populated these days. There's a lot of houses there, and the residents would be in an uproar. The plan they used was chosen so as to not uproot that many residents.

I've always considered Conservation a Conservative issue. How is wanting to Conserve nature a liberal idea? It's not. However, I'm all for private property rights. What irks me is the government meddling into the issue so much, and proposing transportation projects where it is not likely needed. They do this because of the added revenues that will come into their hands at the expense of new residents from the new development. As far as the section of the arc from Cumming to the Mall of Georgia, I have no problem with it, though an upgrade of Ga. 20 would be the best bet.

[PogySailor]

My inlaws live southwest of Atlanta in Sharpsburg, outside Newnan in Coweta County. The growth there has been phenominal for the past 10 - 15 years. I keep thinking that it'll slow down sometime, but everytime we're in town there's a new shopping center and/or housing development.

[Trailerpark Badass]

The Outer Perimeter/Northern Arc has been common knowledge for more than 25 years, as has its proposed route. All a homebuyer needed to do was look at a county tax map to see if their potential house/lot purchase would be impacted by the highway. Sounds like a bunch of folks bought their quasi-rural retirement "dream homes" without doing some basic research. A limited-access expressway is desperately needed to connect I75 to I85 on the northside; It is absurd for anyone trying to get from Gwinnett to Cobb, or Forsyth to either, to choose between rural two-lane higways or competing with intown commuters by going south toward the city and across on 285.

Growth will be stopped naturally when it encroaches on the mountains, where land and development costs will make large-scale residential developments unaffordable to most.

You must not have been around when Lake Lanier was made. THAT really messed things up, but the area survived. The Northern Arc is a flyspeck in comparison.

[FreedomFriend]

Yes, the southside of Atlanta has experienced phenomenal growth over the past five years. I really like the Coweta and Fayette County area. Henry County is not bad. Clayton, on the other hand, is turning into a real dump.

[editor-surveyor]

"Though I normally find the Sierra Club to be extreme in their take, I agree with them in regards to the Northern Arc."

Are you joining the socialist NIMBY's?

The Gumbels need to wake up and see that the project will make them much wealthier. - They can take their money and run somewhere else.

As our population grows, these things will happen. - If they didn't recognize the possibility of this project they were blind. - Their arguments are emotional, not logical.

[editor-surveyor]

"Though I normally find the Sierra Club to be extreme in their take, I agree with them in regards to the Northern Arc."

Are you joining the socialist NIMBY's?

The Gumbels need to wake up and see that the project will make them much wealthier. - They can take their money and run somewhere else.

As our population grows, these things will happen. - If they didn't recognize the possibility of this project they were blind. - Their arguments are emotional, not logical.

[FreedomFriend]

I live in Cobb County, and I regularly commute to Gwinnett County via I-285. IT's not that big of a deal, and it is much faster than any northern arc would be. Unless you're talking about driving from Acworth to Dacula, the highway is worthless.

[FreedomFriend]

No, I wouldn't ever join the Sierra Club. However, they have some valid points in regards to what this road will bring.

This road has the potential to thrusts Atlanta onto the scale of a Los Angeles or New York. I don't think that's something us Conservatives should cherish. Like I've said, I have no problem with developers developing. My problem is with this unneeded road, at least the part from Cartersville to Cumming. Notice how the western end of the arc takes a northward path. Completely unnecssary, in my opinion, when you consider that traffic on Ga. 20 isn't that bad between Cartersville to Cumming. Furthermore, if it's that bad, they should four land the two lane road. That's the route to take.

[FreedomFriend]

I do know that in Birmingham, the southern side of town is the more developed, more attractive side of town. It's where Red Mountain, and a few ridges are located.

[eddie willers]

My bone fides:

Born... Emory Hospital, 1952.
Raised...DeKalb County, near Shallowford Road /I-85 /I-285.
Reside...Duluth

Opinion:
They can't build that sucker soon enough!

[FreedomFriend]

My question. Why?

[FreedomFriend]

Born 25 Years later.

[cva66snipe]

The Gumbels need to wake up and see that the project will make them much wealthier. - They can take their money and run somewhere else. As our population grows, these things will happen. - If they didn't recognize the possibility of this project they were blind. - Their arguments are emotional, not logical.

How many times though? Seriously I have a proposed by-pass that may in the next 10-15 years be coming within a quarter mile of my secluded home. The second time this has happened BTW. I live in a rural area to purposely stay away from the noise and crowds of the city only to have the city export it's problems such as a landfill in my community. Now they want a by-pass. No I don't live in Georgia but rather north of Knoxville, Tennessee. I'm sick of giving up my rights to my dreams and my peace for the benifit of developers. I'm sure if I bought some land on a mountain top some high dollar friend of a politican would find a way to use it as well. Atlanta could build a by-pass starting in Chatanooga and still complain.

But at the same time Tennessee has yet to even finish I-40 and I-640 the current by-pass through Knoxville. I find it interesting that the frontage property in question for these projects usually get's bought up several years before the government actually settles on a route. In other words money talks and my rights as a property owner come second to the developers money and political influence.

[editor-surveyor]

"Get back funky cat,

Livin' in the city ain't where it's at,

It's like trying to find gold in a silver mine..."

The one time that Elton was right, he was really right!
But that's what this is really about; the jobs are in the city but nobody in their right mind would live there. - There is no solution to your problem.

[yawningotter]

From what I can tell, Atlanta is already developing Alabama-when they are not trying to steal our water. Let them mess up their own lakes and leave ours alone. Also, if people from Atlanta want to get away from the crowds, then head for middle Georgia. I've driven through some areas over there that are hardly populated-probably because everyone moved to Atlanta. A great place for telecommuters.

[FreedomFriend]

So you would suggest paving over the entire countryside, so that it's all the city, much to which you don't like? Doesn't make sense.

[FreedomFriend]

I appreciate your post. Most people do not realize that they're getting the negative effects of the garbage that our government and big businesses place on us.

That is, they want to pave over everything, so that there is no retreat. Yet, they also hate the small business man and tax him to death till the point that he goes out of business.