Savannah Leaders Visit Alpharetta For Development Lessons

ALPHARETTA, GA — City leaders from Savannah last week paid a visit to Alpharetta to learn more about some of the signature projects that have cropped up in the area. The delegation came to Alpharetta to learn how the city "plans, partners on and brings to life" projects such as AlphaLoop, City Center and Avalon, Alpharetta said in a press release.

Savannah's leaders are seeking to redevelop its Canal District and want to learn what lessons their counterparts in Alpharetta learned when taking on large projects. Most people know Savannah from its Landmark District, which contains the city's famous park-like squares, carefully preserved historic buildings, and trees lined with majestic, moss laden live oaks.

This area of the city suffered from decline, but saw a rebirth in the 1980s with preservation efforts by Savannah College of Arts And Design and tourists who were drawn to the area due to the publication of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." However, the same can't be said about the Canal District.

“But Savannah, like so many places, is also a tale of two cities,” Kevin Klinkenberg, a city planner and former executive director of the Savannah Development and Renewal Authority, said in a press release. “The Landmark district thrives, but within a short walk you find desperation and despair. In aggregate, this is still a poor city, with much work to do to build up its economy and its people.”

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Along with Alpharetta, Savannah officials also toured City Springs in Sandy Springs as part of its visit to the Atlanta area Jan. 24-28 for Georgia Municipal Association training sessions. According to the city's website, Savannah has launched a revitalization effort that seeks to transform the district anchored by a $160 million arena and "visions of a vibrant new center of activity surrounding it," a press release from Alpharetta states.

The Savannah delegation met with Alpharetta City Council members and city staff members and representatives from North American Properties and Morris and Fellows to learn how public and private partnerships have helped revamp areas of Alpharetta. North American Properties is the team behind the Avalon project, an 86-acre mixed use development along Old Milton Parkway near Ga. 400. Alpharetta joined forces with Morris and Fellows for its City Center redevelopment initiative.

While much of the discussions centered on how partnerships, permitting processes, and how Alpharetta's development codes have encouraged quality development, Savannah officials also asked about parking, noise management and creating standards that would preserve the character of the Canal District while providing flexibility so any new development would feel natural.

“We kept reading articles and hearing leaders from other cities talk about the amazing things happening in Alpharetta and how your city is working in partnership with private developers and investors to make it happen,” said Savannah Council Member Bill Durrence. “We wanted to see it for ourselves and learn from your experiences.”

Alpharetta Community Development Director Kathi Cook, who said Savannah is a good example of what comes from quality planning, added the city is mentioned at urban planning and design conferences "as the way to design quality cities."

"Their leadership coming here to gain insight from us, to learn the Alpharetta way, is affirmation of the quality work we are doing and the vision of the Mayor and Council," Cook said. "It kind of feels like the student has grown into the teacher."

You can learn more about Savannah's Canal District plans by clicking here.

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