by Jim Martin
james.martin@me.gatech.edu
This is a description of the proposed greenway that has been discussed at recent BPNA meetings. Ideally, this project as conceived would result in a green pathway from one end of Berkeley Park to another. This is part of the goals for 2006 as developed by the BPNA board, which can be reviewed at http://www.berkeleypark.org/newsletters/2006/2_06/2006%20Goals.htm.
I have drawn the trail in 13 numbered segments and indicated two signalized
pedestrian crossings on Howell Mill Rd. You can view the picture below and descriptions
of the different segments below that. The northernmost of these (A) is associated
with the trail. The southern signal (B) is not associated with the trail. This
is the signal that would be in front of the firehouse (Station 23) and would
connect the residential core of Berkeley Park on the east side of Howell Mill
to the new development on the west side of the street. Additionally this light
would serve to stop traffic for emergency vehicles entering and leaving the
firehouse. Right now this is a very dangerous operation because of the way that
the firehouse is situated and the excessive speed that people drive on Howell
Mill Rd.
The trail segments shown in the figure are as follows:
1. This segment is in Underwood Hills. It follows the stream buffer and power-line easement along Moccasin Hollow south from the park. A bridge over the creek would have to be included in this segment.
2. This segment is also in Underwood Hills. It connects through the buffer between John Kunihiro’s house and the Tune-Up Clinic. Since there is a zoning transition there, I think that a green buffer is required and there is a pretty wide swath of unbuildable land belonging to the Tune-Up Clinic.
3. This segment follows the sidewalk on Ridgeway St to a proposed signalized crosswalk on Howell Mill. The road is 4 lanes wide here and cars drive pretty fast, so the signal light is a must. As the trail crosses Howell Mill it moves from Underwood Hills into Berkeley Park.
4. This segment runs along the buffer between the Taco Bell and the Arbys. It is overgrown and poorly maintained right now, but some sort of pedestrian easement would be required because it is private land with commercial zoning on both sides that would permit zero-lot-line construction.
5. This segment wanders through the Kroger parking lot by an as-yet-to-be-determined path (I have drawn it along the perimeter). This parking lot is way too big for its current use, so it should not be an operational problem if it loses a few spaces for the trail.
6. This segment follows the Kroger Driveway onto Bellemeade Ave. The driveway is to be turned over to the city quite soon and at that point the roadway can be narrowed, the sidewalk widened, and the remaining ROW landscaped.
7. This segment follows the sidewalk on Bellemeade Ave and turns onto the sidewalk on Buchanan St.
8. This segment runs along the front of the Howell Mill Ridge Apartments. Their parking is very poorly configured and it should be possible to trade a pedestrian easement on private land for a parking easement on the public ROW here. That would increase the available parking and allow for about a 10-ft wide sidewalk.
9. This segment follows an abandoned alley easement at the end of Buchanan St. The apartment complex owns half of this and I own the other half. The topography is a bit tricky, but there is a huge stormwater management problem here. If the city would fix that (by running a storm drain under the trail), I feel confident that the owners of the apartment complex would be willing to cooperate with this segment.
10. This segment runs through the side yard of a private home. The property is currently owned by the apartment complex owners who might be willing to cooperate if they believed that their storm water problem would be repaired and that the trail would be a valuable amenity for their tenants.
11. This segment follows a section of Antone St. There are currently no sidewalks there, but the street doesn’t get much traffic. I am not sure how wide the public right of way is here.
12. This segment follows Forrest Way. This is a short street that does not provide a needed vehicular connection and could be converted entirely for pedestrian use. The lot on the corner (shown in green on the map) is a site that we (Berkeley Park) have proposed for a 7500 sq ft pocket park.
13. This segment crosses the CSX rail line (Beltline) and enters the back portion of the Public Works site on Northside Drive, which will presumably be the northern end of the Waterworks Park. The best spot for this is probably along a stream that runs between an industrial building and a residential lot. There would need to be a bridge or tunnel so that the trail could cross the under the tracks here. Currently none exists.
There are many possible variations for these segments. The one that I have drawn minimizes the amount of the trail that runs along sidewalks. This route is not set in stone.