What are your impressions, thoughts, concerns or suggestions regarding the proposed site plan and uses submitted by North American Properties for the Avalon Development at the northwest corner of GA-400 and Old Milton Parkway?

This is okay for a starting point, but there are some big changes that need to be made before I can support it.

I agree with everyone's comments of more green space, unsightly parking, too much commercial glitz. Take some ideas from California architecture and landscaping. Bring in the same look as our downtown. It should not be just another slick looking generic shopping center.

As of Feb. 13 2012.....disappointed at new design. Unfortunately it doesn't address our concerns. I don't see why Avalon ( why this name? How does it relate to Alpharetta?) couldn't continue the design concept of our Downtown area. It seems the most logical approach to a consistent design (throughout Alpharetta city).
. I would like to see a complete redesign using Downtown as a model and the suggestions of all the people that have contributed to this forum. Please consider this request.

Think subtle, classic, green, walkways, shops, outdoor dinning woven throughout. Think European esthetic. The people that are moving into this area and currently live here are used to a more subtle, casual sophisticated atmosphere. Think La Jolla at the cove, Del Mar, Santa Barbara, the winerys. Del Mar, Ca. has a beautiful shopping center in the middle of town. It has all the features people are asking for. You might take a look at that design. Please, go there. Walk through the Del Mar Plaza, have a drink and sit outside. That is the feeling we want when we envision Avalon.

Remember, Silicon Valley companies, biotech, communication companies are moving to this area. Might be a good idea to rethink the design. Take a trip to Calif. experience the atmosphere in those places.

# 1 idea: might be a boutique hotel and meeting facilities, a small plaza with a range of restaurants and a spa. We don't have anything like that in this area.

#2 idea: small plaza , town homes and garden homes, boutique hotel and green space.

#3 idea: plaza, town homes , condos, garden homes, offices and boutique hotel.

green belt surrounding the perimeter, park like setting
Curved pathways to all
Center area : is terraced plaza with shopping and restaurants, underground parking................see Del Mar Plaza, San Diego, Ca. (on-line)
Two, 3 or 5 level, terraced hotels or office buildings...facing Old Milton and Westside...........boutique style hotel...nothing like it in area.
Three, 2 level parking structures, underground parking if more space is needed. All surrounded by tree screens.
Fountains and green areas throughout
All structures except center plaza, at an angle with pathways
European cafe with outside patio and condos above, 1 or 2 stories only.............see Tuscany restaurant, off N Point Pkwy, Alpharetta
Townhouses........see new ones on Academy
Single family garden homes near Academy/Webb.
Brick, black iron work, urns and planters, traditional look to blend in with town.
Frontage road around perimeter.
Energy efficient technology with smaller terraced buildings.
No theaters, no high rise, no acres of parking.

This is okay for a starting point, but there are some big changes that need to be made before I can support it.

THINK GREEN! Alpharetta is known for it's "green space". The first thing that people notice when they visit is how green everything is and how well landscaped the city is in comparison to other cities. I don't see enough green space in the middle of this mass of concrete. I'd love to see more of a Central Park setting in the middle with buildings surrounding the park-like setting. What brings families to an area is nice outdoor space where children can play and families can sit out and relax. When I look at the development in Crabapple I see lots of buildings and nothing that pulls me in to make me want to walk around. I go to a particular shop and then leave--never to really walk around and tour the town.

If I want to eat an ice cream cone in the summer I want to be among the trees on a park bench. You go to DaLonagha or Helen, Georgia and what do you see--people walking around outdoors going in and out of the various shops. I don't want us to be like Crabapple which has lots of buildings and concrete. No real outdoor space for walkers and bicyclists. No place for movies on the green. Let's think green with all we do in Alpharetta. I think there should be a water feature that turns into an outdoor ice rink during the winter months when people tend to stay inside. You must draw people to the area during all the seasons. There should be a place for evening concerts like at National Harbor in Washington, DC. Let's make use of the rooftops with rooftop parks like atop Georgetown University's bookstore. If you first draw people to the outdoor space they will automatically mozie their way indoors to the shops.

This is okay for a starting point, but there are some big changes that need to be made before I can support it.

This is just another outdoor mall with some office and residential similar to that near Perimeter Mall. Very little green space and a horrendous eyesore for nearby neighborhoods. Needs to be redesigned to emphasize green space, put parking underground, several walking green streets and pedestrian/bike pathways and some real creativity.

Also it is only a short walk from the new downtown Alpharetta area and should be made easily accessible by some of the back streets that need redevelopment and tied into a comprehensive plan to make Alpharetta a warm, green inviting area so that people can walk from Wills Park, to downtown to this entire district easily, comfortably and surrounded by a park like setting without being trapped by major roadways.

This is okay for a starting point, but there are some big changes that need to be made before I can support it.

More pervious open greenspace. Place parking underground behind the store fronts. I want to sit outside at a cafe and look out onto grass, trees and native flora. I don't want to look at cars parked on asphalt. Parking lots are clear-cut asphalt heat generating and water-polluting/retaining deserts. Would like to see use of native flora & grasses for storm water runoff, patches of green to include trees. At my corporate offices in Pleasanton, CA – they have one “green” natural space for every 2-3 car parking spaces. The runoff / ditch area is covered with native grasses for natural filtration. Roswell recently did an all natural storm water runoff in a newly-built public parking lot behind Canton Street. Specify MAXIMUM automobile parking spaces instead of minimum. Provide pedestrian walkways to access the building entrances (starting from the sidewalks at the road). Safely walk – or ride a bike – from the road entrance to the front door. Have recycling receptacles in public spaces, in front of retail shops, bus stops, etc. Provide bike lanes and bike trails to access the development.

This is okay for a starting point, but there are some big changes that need to be made before I can support it.

If the project was not on the major road leading into downtown it would be fine. But being what will likely become the first public impression of people coming into the older portion of Alpharetta, it would be nice to see some greater and greener creativity on the part of the planners. I know budget realities have to come to bear, but there are far too many resident- and visitor-friendly designs for this type of development already in place in the metro area. It would be sad for Alpharetta to settle for following a dying style, rather than taking the opportunity to set trends and welcome people to the city in a more desirable fashion.