Decatur Residents for a Downtown ParkDecatur City Commission

April 18, 2016

Downtown Decatur Neighbors Boundaries

28% of Decatur Homes will be Downtown in 2016

2282

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1996 2001 2006 2011 2016

Downtown Homes

2135 of Decatur’s 8400 Families WillLive in Just Thirteen Buildings & Allen Wilson

• 335 Ponce 70

• Alexan 167

• Allen Wilson 111

• Arlo 210

• Artisan 127

• The Clairemont 68

• Clairmont Oaks 297

• Ice House Lofts 101

• Oliver House 80

• Park Trace Apts. 170

• Philips Tower 225

• Place on Ponce 234

• Renaissance 170

• Town Square 105

Multi-Family Communities Generate Significant Tax Revenue & Demand Few Services

• $1.2 million annual subsidy to schools because most downtown residents don’t have children in public schools (September 2015 Decatur Focus)

• “the downtown neighborhood…provides much of the market support for Decatur’s restaurant and retail businesses” (September 2015 Decatur Focus)

• No internal roads or public utilities requiring maintenance (every 100 detached homes require more than ½-mile of residential roads, sidewalks, water & sewer lines)

• No municipal waste pickup, recycling consolidated at a single location

• Internal security systems and restricted access limit demands on public safety; No streets for police to patrol (grateful that they do patrol our parking decks)

• Internal sprinkler and alarm systems hooked up to Fire Department

• Stormwater detained on site

Multi-Family Housing ResidentsHave Unique Needs

• A transportation system that prioritizes non-vehicular forms of travel

• Restaurants (well provided for in Decatur) and retail within walking distance

• Public spaces that build community and provide a place for children, seniors, pets and adults to play (in lieu of yards)

• Accessible natural spaces that enhance residents’ health, improve quality of life and meet our inherent need for nature

One of those Needs is a New Downtown Park,and This Is the Best Location

NEW PARK

COMMERCE

PONCE

Decatur Says the Parks Are Important

• CITY VISION

“The City of Decatur will assure a high quality of life for its residents, businesses and visitors both today and in the future”

• 2010 STRATEGIC PLAN

“Again and again, citizens said they wanted more green spaces” (page 25)

• Environmental Sustainability Board

Wrote letter to Commission expressing need to acquire land for a Downtown Park.

So Does the American Planning Association

And so Does the Bottom Line

1. Parks increase property values.

2. Municipal revenue grows.

3. Affluent retirees are attracted and retained.

4. Parks attract talented professionals to live, work and play.

5. Homebuyers want to live near parks.

A New Downtown Park Would:

1. Create the only public greenspace in Downtown

2. Improve the quality of life for all Decatur residents

3. Further define Decatur and strengthen its brand

4. Help Decatur compete against other metro jurisdictions to attract millennials

5. Help Decatur compete for economic development and decrease office vacancy rates.

6. Be a net revenue generator for the City

7. Create another walkable destination in downtown

As Noted Before, Decatur Public Parkland Is More than 50% Below National Average

U.S. AVG

Atlanta

Decatur

Decatur w/cemetery

0

2

4

6

8

10

12 PARK ACRES PER 1,000 RESIDENTS

SOURCE DATA: The Center for City Park Excellence (Trust for Public Land); City of Decatur web site.

U.S. AVG1 is data for cities with medium-high density. U.S. AVG2 is data for cities with medium-low density (Atlanta is classified as medium-low)

By Two National Standards

U.S. AVG

Atlanta

Decatur

Decatur w/cemetery

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

% OF LAND AS PUBLIC PARKS

SOURCE DATA: The Center for City Park Excellence (Trust for Public Land); City of Decatur web site.

U.S. AVG is data for cities with medium-high density.

And Downtown Decatur Has Less ParklandPer Resident than the Rest of the City

Decatur

Decatur w/cemetery

Downtown Decatur

0

1

2

3

4

5

6 PARK ACRES PER 1,000 RESIDENTS

SOURCE DATA: OneMap Decatur GIS, estimate of Downtown as 240 acres (per DDN boundaries).

Decatur Did Acquire Five Parcels of

Greenspace Last Year.

But None Are within a ½-Mile Walk of

Downtown

A New 6-Acre Park – Also Not in Downtown –Would be Funded by Tax Allocation District

And Decatur Has Committed to Creating a Park and Greenspace Plan in 2017

Decatur Has a Greenway Plan

Decatur Has an Athletics Facilities Plan

Unfortunately, It Does Not Have a Plan to Save Existing Downtown Greenspace or Create New Parks Downtown

A New Downtown Park Would Be Good,Why is This Is the Best Location?

NEW PARK

COMMERCE

PONCE

ONE OF EVERY NINE DECATUR HOMES IS WITHINA ¼- MILE WALK OF THE PROPOSED PARK

NEW PARK

Area Within¼-Mile Walk of

New Park

IT WOULD BE ONE OF EVERY EIGHT IF DECATUR BUILT TWO MID-BLOCK CROSSWALKS REQUESTED BY DDN

NEW PARK1200’

Area Within¼-Mile Walk of

New Park

Splashpadwith arbor

like Piedmont

Legacy Fountain

Tree-lined promenade

Tree-lined promenade

LAWN

Cla

irem

on

tC

hu

rchWhat Could the New Park Look Like?

Turning This

Into Something Like This

With a Water Feature Modeled After Piedmont Park’s Legacy Fountain

We Will Address the Arguments that We Have Heard Against a New Downtown Park

• Downtown Residents Can Walk to Decatur Cemetery

• The City Cannot Afford a New Park

• Too Much Downtown Real Estate is not Paying Taxes

Area Within¼-Mile Walk of the Cemetery

FEW DOWNTOWN HOMES ARE WITHIN¼- MILE WALK OF THE CEMETERY

Cemetery

And The Walk is Far from Pleasant

The Walk to the Cemetery is Far from Pleasant

The Walk to the Cemetery is Far from Pleasant

3- Acre Athletic

Field is fenced

off from regular

public access

Pool is fenced off,

closed 9 months

3.6 Acre Ebster Park

Rec Center

1.55 acres

Fire Dept.0.67

Acres

Scott Park listed as 3.6 acres, 60% is dedicated to buildings

Adair Park is not in Downtown,Per City’s Own Definitions

Adair Park is not in Downtown Decatur

As For Park Funding, There are Many Options

1. Tax Increment Financing (like TAD created for East Decatur Station)

2. Park Impact Fee (City announced at January DDN meeting that it is exploring)

3. Leveraging concessions from developers

4. Sell current assets

5. Repurpose existing public land (streets & parking lots)

6. Open space and stormwater banking

7. Transfer of Development Rights

8. Private funding

9. Collaborate with governmental partners (CSD, DHA)

10. General obligation bond/property taxes

Peer-Reviewed, Academic Research

1. Parks increase property values.

2. Municipal revenue grows.

3. Affluent retirees are attracted and retained.

4. Parks attract talented professionals to live, work and play.

5. Homebuyers want to live near parks.

The City Already Owns Land that Pays No Taxes – LikeThe Conference Center (1.3 Acres)

…which also Pays No Rent until 2024

…and Is Allocated More than $150,000 Annually in the City’s Budget

The Argument that Taking Downtown Land off the Tax Rolls Would Hurt City Financing…

Peer-Reviewed, Academic Research

1. Parks increase property values.

2. Municipal revenue grows.

3. Affluent retirees are attracted and retained.

4. Parks attract talented professionals to live, work and play.

5. Homebuyers want to live near parks.

The Only Question is How Strongly Do Residents Want

a Downtown Park?

Decatur Residents for a Downtown ParkMarch 29, 2016