Thursday, June 28, 2018

Toll Brothers Proposing New "Student" Housing in Place of Nine Homes Near Emory

Horsham, Pennsylvania-based Toll Brothers Apartment Living, a subsidiary of the parent company that bills itself as “the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes,” is planning a second Atlanta area apartment community not far from its first.  The new development, slated for the corner of Clifton and Briarcliff Roads, would replace nine single family homes with a new multi-family, "student housing" apartment development.  

The development was referred to as "student housing," but is not being developed in partnership with nearby Emory University, nor will it be limited to student tenants.  The new, as yet unnamed, development, would replace primarily mid-century homes located at 946, 948, 949, 952, 953, 956, 957, 960, and 961 Milledge Place, a small cul-de-sac just off Briarcliff Road.

The first of multiple planned community meetings was held Wednesday evening.  Developers revealed at the meeting that they intend to construct a five story mid-rise apartment building that would include 374 new 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units. Plans presented indicate that the building would have two entrances, one off Briarcliff Road, and the other off Biltmore Drive.  The subject homes currently on the property presently have only one vehicular access point, this off of Briarcliff Road across from the newly rebuilt QuikTrip. 

Those in attendance report that they were provided very little information about issues such as watershed, environmental impact and most importantly to some, added traffic on Briarcliff Road, Clifton Road, and cut-through traffic on Biltmore Drive.   Many fear that the development , which could easily add between 800 and 1000 new vehicles to the area, will significantly negatively impact the already congested traffic on Lavista Road, Houston Mill Road, Briarcliff Road, Clifton Road and Shepherds Lane. 

The plan to purchase the nine homes is contingent upon the developer receiving all necessary zoning approvals which they have yet to do, so the "deal" is far from "done."  A follow-up community meeting is slated for early August, for which notices are expected to be up soon. 


Some homes are in better shape than others. 


If the development does come to fruition, it would be the second large scale student housing oriented development in the area in recent years.  Atlanta-based Gables Residential operates a 750 unit mid-rise apartment community at Emory Point across from the CDC on Clifton Road.  The development opened in phases starting in 2012. 

According to DeKalb County property records, the residential portion of the assemblage is 2.8 acres in total area. 

             Address   Year Built  Acreage   2018 County valuation

946 Milledge Place - 1961 - .3 acres -  $312,800
948 Milledge Place - 1960 - .3 acres - $321,800
949 Milledge Place - 1958 - .5 acres -  $300,700
952 Milledge Place - 1958 - .5 acres - $308,100
953 Milledge Place - 1961 - .3 acres -  $321,700
956 Milledge Place - 1956 - .2 acres -  $307,400
957 Milledge Place - 1956 - .2 acres -  $299,000
960 Milledge Place - 1980 - .2 acres - $302,100
961 Milledge Place - 1956 - .3 acres -  $297,600

In late March, Toll Bothers Apartment Living broke ground on Oleander, a Brookhaven apartment  community on Executive Park West.  Planted on Emory University’s 60-acre Executive Park campus, the new residential development will be nestled next to Emory's new Sports Medicine and Atlanta Hawks training facility complex, and could be available for rent as soon as next summer, according to a March press release. 

Oleander is Toll Brothers’s second attempt at building in Atlanta, after plans for other apartments at the ill-fated Peachtree-Dunwoody Pavilion redevelopment stalled, according to Reporter Newspapers.

Do you think the Toll Brothers proposal should be approved?  Would a development of half the size be better or are any apartments on this site a bad idea for the community?  Do you currently own a home or rent an apartment?

Please share your thoughts below  

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've seen this dumpy looking culdesac for a long time, and always figured it seemed out of place now. To me, it's a good plan, particularly since it'll have an entrance on Biltmore. It may help the businesses at Emory Point a bit (maybe it's 1/2 mile or so away). Residents can definitely pedal into campus, assuming they can make it up and down Clifton.

Anonymous said...

Seems to be spot zoning at it's worst. And traffic in he area is horrible. But all of Metro Atlanta will be an extension of Midtown in another 10 years. Nothing under 5 stories.

ronnie1024 said...

Dekalb county has totally ignored maintaining Biltmore drive the entire 35 years I have lived on it. The topography is very unique and it borders south peachtree creek. Its curvy and dangerous and the county does not keep grass cut. Now city of Atlanta owns the otherside so we really dont know who is suppose to maintain it. Likewise there is no traffic light at the intersection of biltmore and busy clifton. You can not make that left safely and they do not plan on putting a light there. Traffic backs up sometimes all the way on biltmore almost to the intersecton of stephens and biltmore. Each of these units will house up to 3 people so that going from 9 houses to housing over 900 people crazy at this busy intersection.

Anonymous said...

Unless and until DeKalb Co improves the infrastructure in this location it is the worst planned development I have seen for this area in decades. Massive damage to a fragile water shed, and an even more congested traffic pattern for an intersection that backs up a half mile or more EVERY DAY is bad zoning and bad planning. Not a good way to make friends with your neighbors. More under the table dealing it looks like to me.

Unknown said...

Terrible idea

Anonymous said...

How do you get 800 to 1000 new vehicles? The plan presented at the meeting showed 396 parking spaces. Most of the homes have two-car carports, and the cul-de-sac itself has parking spaces, so conservatively 25 spaces for the existing street, which makes 371 additional vehicles.

Anonymous said...

Isn't some type of Marta station proposed across the street? If so, it would make sense to have more housing. That's what is happening all over Atlanta. Decatur, Lindbergh, Brookhaven. If we want traffic reduced, then live where the mass transit is. It makes sense.

Anonymous said...

what a colossally bad idea! the neighbors should march to the zoning board meetings with pitchforks and torches if this project gets approved. at most, the current homes s/b replaced with the usual oversized luxury homes. stop the madness!

Anonymous said...

I though a Toll was the cookys. They have at the mall and loggs in Pubix. Now they make a house too? I know a Toll House the name but some things sounds bezarr.)? Toll cookys House Street! Ha

TheJohnP said...

They should put a Trader Joe's there instead.
(Someone was eventually going to suggest it...)

Anonymous said...

We live on Burton Drive, the road that parallels Briarcliff near this site. My concerns are
1) Traffic and traffic accidents. Traffic on Biltmore and Clifton is dense and non-stop during rush hours and to a lesser extent all day. Burton Drive used to be used by local traffic but increasingly it is used as a cut-through and cars go very fast and the street itself is torn up and getting worse. It is dangerous. There is a new in-constructions townhouse complex on Briarcliff and Stevens, just up the road from the proposed Toll Brothers' student housing. The new townhouses will contribute to the already over-use of Briarcliff and the side streets.
2) Water: How will all these new units affect the creek that is just below the proposed site? Has a water study been done?
3) Trees: As cities get hotter, trees are essential to keeping cities habitable. How many trees will be cut down for this development? Has TollBrothers filed paperwork on the impact of this project on the environment?

This Emory/CDC area is already overly congested. I look forward to the next meeting to raise our concerns and to hear Toll Brothers' responses.

Anonymous said...

After many people voiced their concerns about the developer not inviting people of closer proximity to the property the developer has differed to the fall calendar. Dates are in early October and developer will have to have another community meeting.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous on Burton: I'm contemplating buying a house on Burton. It looks like a great established and relatively affordable neighborhood. Can I ask how you like it, what any issues are, other than the traffic? Thanks.

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