PHNA Meeting, Wednesday, May 20, 7 p.m, via ZOOM

Hello Neighbors, we'll have our May 2020 PHNA general meeting via Zoom.

Why: Due to CDC guidelines and other gathering restrictions, PHNA will be conducting its May 2020 general meeting virtually.

How: We will use Zoom to conduct our meeting. Laura Coates, Secretary of the PHNA, will moderate. The moderator will review the rules at the beginning of the meeting and manage participation. The meeting will follow the PHNA agenda as usual. The meeting may be recorded.

To Join: Use the link below to register for the PHNA May 2020 general meeting. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMuf-qhrDIoH9ckkztsjqVUdM1SWRdmaMoV If you are new to Zoom, you will need to download and open a free web app to join the meeting. Please go to the Zoom website and set up your free account in advance of the start time of the meeting. Zoom provides clear steps here if you find you need help.

Just like when you sign in to an in-person PHNA meeting, we need you to sign in for this one by "registering." Once you register, Zoom will send you an automated email with the meeting link.

Chat: Chat is available for you to share questions and comments during the meeting on agenda items. Chat will be managed by the moderator. The moderator will close chat if communication becomes inappropriate. 

Note: The Zoom poll function for any items up for vote - Each person registered for the Zoom meeting will get one vote. Households who want to cast separate votes will need to log in through an additional device.

While we all look forward to an eventual return to normalcy and seeing each other in person, we wanted to give you an update on May PHNA and NPU-N meetings and the status of the proposed Poncey-Highland Historic District (PHHD), including a revised timeline that incorporates changes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

KEY UPCOMING DATES

Note: City of Atlanta dates are tentative and based on City of Atlanta operations. Please go to the Department of City Planning’s official website  for the most current information on its operational responses to COVID-19.

  • Week of May 11 (only potential – based on city operations): Notification of an amendment to the City’s Comprehensive Development Plan Land Use Map as a part of the proposed historic district rezoning. Affected property owners will receive notification by mail. See more information below.

  • May 20: PHNA general meeting, 7 p.m. Since the CDC still recommends avoiding large gatherings and crowds, like other neighborhoods, we’re planning to hold a virtual PHNA general meeting. Watch your inbox or check the PHNA website for details.

  • May 28: NPU-N board meeting, 7 p.m. NPU-N will hold its May meeting via Zoom. Check the NPU-N website for details.

  • June date TBA (only potential – based on city operations): Zoning Review Board (ZRB) hearing on the proposed PHHD, 6 p.m. See more information below.

 

WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE MARCH

  • On March 18, Poncey-Highland residents voted 74.64% in favor of Z-20-15 Poncey-Highland Historic District at the PHNA general meeting, which was held via Zoom and in the parking lot at Java Vino in response to CDC social distancing guideline at the time and due to precautions taken as Atlanta began to shut down at the start of Covid-19 pandemic. Most of the 358 votes were cast by absentee ballot.

  • On March 26, NPU-N, our neighborhood planning unit, held its March board meeting remotely via Zoom (with over 40 people in attendance!) and voted to support the proposed historic district.

  • Adjacent NPU’s (those within 300 feet are E, F, and M) receive and can comment on zoning applications. While adjacent NPU’s are not required to vote on matters for review and comment, they can if they want to. NPU-E (Midtown) voted in support; NPU-F (Virginia Highland, Druid Hills) voted in support; and NPU-M (O4W) submitted comments in support of the proposed PHHD.

  • On May 4, our District 2 City Council member, Amir Farokhi, sponsored legislation to extend our interim controls so that the rezoning process can be completed when City of Atlanta boards and commissions, which have not been meeting due to the Covid-19 pandemic, begin meeting again. Thanks, CM Farokhi! The interim controls have been extended through July 22 or when the process is complete, whichever comes first.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON KEY UPCOMING DATES

Dates below are only potential / tentative and subject to change based on City of Atlanta operations. Please go to the Department of City Planning’s official website for the most current information on its operational responses to COVID-19.

 

CDP-20-020: Comprehensive Development Plan Land Use Map Amendments

Administrative land use map amendments need to be made so that the City can implement the PHHD. Amendments to the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) Land Use Map will support the subareas, land uses, densities, and building types included in the proposed Poncey-Highland Historic District zoning so that the land use map and zoning align into a comprehensive development pattern for the neighborhood.

  • Week of May 11th (only potential – based on city operations): Some existing neighborhood land use categories already match the PHHD pattern and others don’t. Property owners in areas that will be amended will receive a public notice letter containing information about the land use map amendments and announcing opportunities for public comment at NPU-N and the City of Atlanta Community Development/Human Services Committee’s public hearing (CD/HS). This land use map amendment will make its way through the regular process from PHNA to NPU-N to the CD/HS Committee parallel to the historic district rezoning process. Only properties in the areas that will be amended will receive notice and no action is needed by the property owner. City of Atlanta notice of public hearing and map illustrating areas that will be amended along with a list of properties is posted on the PHNA website here.

  • Opportunities for public comment:

    • May 20, PHNA general meeting, 7 p.m., via remote conference

    • May 28 NPU-N board meeting, 7 p.m., via remote conference

    • June 22 CD/HS Committee public hearing, 6 p.m., City Hall (more detail to be provided in June)

 

Zoning Review Board (ZRB) Public Hearing

Next up, Z-20-15 Poncey-Highland Historic District makes its way to the Zoning Review Board (ZRB), then on to the City Council, following the regular rezoning process, which is described in more detail here.

  • June (only potential – based on City operations): At least 15 days before the Zoning Review Board public hearing, City workers will post around 150 light green zoning signs throughout the neighborhood alerting folks to the proposed Poncey-Highland Historic District zoning change and announcing the upcoming Zoning Review Board (ZRB) hearing date. All property owners will also receive a postcard in the mail giving notice of the Zoning Review Board public hearing at least 15 days before it happens.

Opportunity for public comment:

  • June (only potential – based on City operations): Zoning Review Board public hearing on the proposed Poncey-Highland Historic District, 6 p.m., City Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave. SW. This public hearing is part of the regular rezoning process, which you can read more about here. Note: The Zoning Review Board and other City of Atlanta boards and commissions must be held in person rather than virtually. While the Atlanta City Council and its committees have been meeting as part of the City’s Covid-19 response, the ZRB has not. Information will be sent by email and posted on the PHNA website and other social media as soon as we have it.

PHNA
March 26th - NPU-N Proposed Historic District Vote

After our March 18 General Meeting, which finalized our neighborhood vote on the historic district for Poncey-Highland, the next step on the planning timeline was to present the neighborhood application to our neighborhood planning unit, NPU-N. Like four other Atlanta NPUs, ours held its March meeting remotely on the 26th.

The meeting included a brief presentation on the proposed Z-20-15 Poncey-Highland Historic District by Doug Young, Office of Design, along with additional commentary from Caleb Racicot of TSW.

NPU-N voted to support the application: 7 in support, 2 abstentions, and 0 opposed. 

A recording of the meeting is available to watch online. The portion on Z-20-15 begins at 26:32.

PHNA
NPU-N Meeting, Thursday, March 26, 7 p.m. via ZOOM

NPU-N will hold its March meeting as scheduled but in a remote format. The only item on the agenda is Z-20-15 Poncey-Highland Historic District.

To attend the meeting you will need to download the Zoom app to your computer, tablet, or phone, but do not need to log in or register to participate. Simply click the link below.

NPU-N chair, Christopher Leerssen, encourages any resident or attendee to email questions or comments regarding the proposed Poncey-Highland Historic District (Z-20-15) to NPUNchair@gmail.com prior to the meeting.

Doug Young, Assistant Director, Historic Preservation and Executive Director, AUDC will present the application. The meeting will follow the usual format according to the bylaws of NPU-N: 

There shall be 5 minutes, or other time allotment as adopted by the Executive Committee at the beginning of each NPU-N Meeting, for each of the following:

a) for the applicant to present the application. Unused time may be reserved for rebuttal.

b) for public input/questions regarding application.

c) for the Executive Board to ask questions of the applicant.

d) for comments and discussion, if any, from the NPU-N Executive Board.

Topic: NPU-N
Time: Mar 26, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time

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PHNA
March 12 Planning Meeting Presentation Materials & Video

Please click the link below to download the March 5 presentation and the most recent copy (V2.2) of the draft regulations. Please be aware these regulations are still undergoing a review process and are subject to change. We also continue to welcome community feedback.

Please view the video of the March 5 presentation below.

PHNA
February 20 Planning Meeting Presentation & FEBRUARY SURVEY

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Our newest survey is here! We are getting to the end of this planning process and based on all of the feedback and data we have collected thus far, our team has developed the most comprehensive survey yet. Remember, YOUR input will be used to shape the proposed new regulations. This survey is broken down by subarea and we encourage everyone to complete every subarea. Thank you for participating in this important process!

We are asking folks to please COMPLETE THE SURVEY BY MONDAY MARCH 2.

Please find below the Feb 20 planning meeting presentation materials, which consist of a slideshow of different classes of properties showing compatible and incompatible features. Please also find below a video of the Feb 20 planning meeting presentation by Doug Young.

PHNA
February 11 Meeting Materials and First Draft of Regulations

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We had a great planning meeting last night and we appreciate all of you for continuing to engage in this important process. We know many folks were not able to make the meeting so we wanted to get the materials out to everyone as quickly as possible. We are diligently working on the next online survey, and we will plan to send that out this weekend, so keep an eye out for it! Please find below the links for the presentation and video from the Feb 11 meeting.

Please note: In the materials below you will find a first draft of the zoning regulations for the proposed Historic District. In the interest of transparency we felt it was important to provide everyone with this draft for purposes of elevating the level of discussion and helping folks understand how these regulations will begin to take shape. At the same time, we want to stress that this document is still in relatively early stages of a draft. It is subject to change based on future discussion and results of the next survey. It is by no means a final form and in this current form is not endorsed by PHNA, TSW, or the city of Atlanta. If you have specific questions or concerns regarding the draft, or specific regulations that have been proposed thus far, please send them to board@ponceyhighland.org. We will compile these questions and present them to Doug and Caleb in an organized fashion. Thank you. Without further ado:

Historic District Timeline and Next Steps

February 20 - 7 PM at the Church at Poncey & Highland - Community Meeting #9
March 5 - Community Meeting #10
*Additional subarea meetings will be scheduled as needed or requested*

March 18 - PHNA General Membership Meeting and Vote on Historic District
March 26 - NPU-N Meeting and Vote
April 2 or 9 - Zoning Review Board public hearing and Vote 
April 29 - Atlanta City Council meeting and Vote
May 4 - Action by Mayor (to sign or veto)

PHNA