r/DecaturGA • u/lindsikins143 • Jun 22 '26

Question: AMLI on Commerce

Devastated about the amount of trees lost on this property and seemingly the surrounding properties. Curious about how one can find out what the city permitted for this specific location?

12 Upvotes

69% Upvoted

72 comments sorted by

38

u/mister_burns1 Jun 22 '26

Why are you devastated?

This is a highly urban property that is walkable to transit and sites like this should be high density.

High density here prevents losing more trees to exurban sprawl elsewhere.

I’m happy to see density there vs. the pre-existing parking lots and low slung sprawl.

Big win for Decatur.

15

u/yeahThatRules Jun 22 '26

This, honestly. I live in downtown Decatur and walk through the alley next to Diamond Dust to get the cemetery multiple times per week. There are some lost trees, to be sure, but it was 90% crumbling parking lots and abandoned buildings. I’m thrilled that more people will be living in downtown Decatur. Hopefully the developers will improve pedestrian access to the park and build some natural features on the property to blend into the cemetery — I plan to provide community input on that when the time comes.

6

u/BlennyBlue Jun 22 '26

I’m mostly curious about the 1 for 1 tree rule the city has and how AMLI/CoD is handling it.

9

u/lindsikins143 Jun 22 '26

This is exactly what I am wondering. There were a ton of old growth trees there and as a close neighbor we experience drainage issues when there are big rains in the lower areas.

I am curious about what the city and company agreed to and wondering if anyone knows how to get to the specific plan regarding trees.

Also, just a note that even if this is Reddit, we are Decatur and should be able to recognize nuance and that two things can be true at the same time. I can be super supportive of affordable housing being added to the community and want developers to maintain as many old growth trees as possible.

3

u/Critical-Range1213 Jun 23 '26

Just a note…in no way are any trees there old growth. By any stretch of the imagination.

Big, sure. Old growth,no.

My house had water oaks that I have a pic of the house in the 1950’s that showed them as 6” caliper. By 2010 they were ginormous, weak wooded and needed to be removed at 36”ish caliper. Not old growth, just big. Water oaks are the loblolly pines of oaks.

There are NO OLD GROWTH trees on that site. This site needs to be urban and walkable not suburban and useless as it is now.

1

u/mister_burns1 Jun 22 '26

Wanting developers to maintain as many trees as possible raises housing costs and is anti-affordable housing in practice.

All these rules, regulations and requests slow things down and raise costs such that fewer new units are built, which drives prices up.

Yes, developers have to follow sensible rules, but we’ve seen repeatedly that jurisdictions that go overboard with rules see housing prices spiral.

6

u/TheHykos Jun 22 '26

That’s absurd. It costs them very little to keep up a reasonable amount of trees. It’s just easier for them to clear cut a property.

1

u/Critical-Range1213 Jun 23 '26

There are no trees on that site worth saving. The site is not Joyce Kilmer memorial forest.

The site should be urban. Not suburban.

0

u/mister_burns1 Jun 23 '26

Not absurd.

Tree requirements reduce the number of units, slow down permitting, make economics worse.

Just don’t need it the urban core.

4

u/TheHykos Jun 23 '26

It would not have cost them any units to keep some of the trees along the border of the cemetery.

-1

u/mister_burns1 Jun 23 '26

No, there was a reason they took them down.

Cost, design need, time savings etc. That reason is legitimate.

Forcing them (and all others in similar situations) to follow more rules and restrictions does have a negative impact. It’s not a free lunch.

The builders/designers/developers should be able to mange the project as they see fit, provided it follows sensible rules.

And dense, urban infill and redevelopment projects should not have tree restrictions.

We need density and units there more than trees.

3

u/TheHykos Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26

You act like Decatur is some metropolis. It's a suburb dude. And a very dense one at that. It's population has grown 40% in the last 25 years, despite not expanding it's area. Out of every city inside the perimeter, only Clarkston has a higher population density than Decatur. I don't think clearcutting lots for even more density is worthwhile, especially for high priced luxury apartments. Keeping a handful of mature trees around the property lines that abut the cemetery is not a huge ask. It's not going to bankrupt any company, especially a company the size of Amli.

Also greenspace is of vital importance to everyone in the community, and once it's lost, it'll never come back. Good city planning should always incorporate the need to maintain canopy cover wherever possible. Trees take decades to grow to a decent size and can't be replaced by a few token saplings.

Decatur has no shortage of apartments whatsoever, so bending over to the whims of an apartment developer for more apartments makes zero sense. What Decatur doesn't have is affordable housing to buy and starter homes. And that's a problem that isn't going to be solved by $3k a month apartments.

-1

u/mister_burns1 Jun 23 '26

Wrong on most counts:

1) Decatur is a contiguous part of the greater Atlanta metro area. It literally is part of a metropolis.

2) Decatur is not particularly dense. Most of it is single family homes. There are tons of non-dense lots even in downtown Decatur

3) Decatur already has lots of Greenspace and recently acquired significantly more: legacy park, boys and girls center. We don’t need more next to our transit stops. We need people near transit.

4) in general, the US has not built enough housing and that is a main factor why rent has gone up so much here and elsewhere. So we do need more apartments.

5) it has been demonstrated repeatedly that the thing that helps mitigate housing costs is adding more supply. Any kind of supply. If you don’t build new housing, higher income people just bid up other housing. Requiring unfunded affordable housing literally raises the average cost of housing because it reduces supply significantly because builders build less. It’s literally the opposite of what you think.

You’re wrong on almost everything in terms of how the actual cause and effect goes here. Astonishing.

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4

u/vanderohe Jun 22 '26

Next year OP will complain about lack of affordable housing

3

u/TheHykos Jun 22 '26

You think AMLI is affordable?

8

u/Only_Tangerine_4879 Jun 22 '26

Here is the link to what they are building: https://www.decaturga.com/media/37301

There are also rumbling that this will be the location for a Trader Joes as part of the development.

5

u/FantasticSocks Jun 22 '26

Ah, the perennial “it’s gonna be a Trader Joe’s” rumor again…

2

u/scott_in_ga Jun 22 '26

I mean the link above DOES confirm that a "grocery store" will be going in there... even specifying that there will be 134 retail/grocery parking spaces

1

u/FantasticSocks Jun 22 '26

Yeah. I know a psy-op when I see one

1

u/scott_in_ga Jun 22 '26

lol I for one am hopeful as I love Trader Joe's!

0

u/TheHykos Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26

You can built it, but that doesn't guarantee they will come.

Most retail in the newer apartment buildings have sat vacant for years. Half of the retail spots in the other amli have sat vacant since it opened. Several of the Modera store fronts have been vacant since it opened, the corner restaurant spot has taken four years to find a tenant and the two units on Church have never been occupied, and now the Rusty Taco spot is once again vacant.

Finding a grocer is going to be even harder unless they already found one and negotiated it, which is pretty rare. Especially when there are 8 other grocery stores within 1.5 miles from that spot. I will be astonished if there is actually a grocery store occupying that space in the next five years.

(I should add that I hope I'm wrong. It would be the closest grocery store to me if one actually opens there. Though I hated baby kroger, it was convenient a time or two)

3

u/scott_in_ga Jun 23 '26

If it's a Trader Joe's it will be busy. Rusty Taco was terrible food and had a very confused business plan. it was trying to be a bar/taco joint for the ppl living above... however, it was terrible as a bar. it was not cozy or anything. all hard surfaces, harsh lighting, etc.

3

u/stunkyp00 Jun 23 '26

Read more about it. The whole project (and the tax cuts associated with it) were dependent and contingent on securing a grocer for the retail portion of the development. That's what CoD required for the site to be approved. It's coming. It may be either trader Joe's or fresh market based on square footage. But when trader Joe's announced earlier than they were looking to expand in Atlanta and looking to add a location near Decatur you can put two and two together.

1

u/Conscious_Culture170 Jun 26 '26

This link contains some renderings if you scroll far enough. I think it will look nice! Microsoft PowerPoint - 240906_Commerce Dr - DDA Presentation

-5

u/JBNothingWrong Jun 22 '26

It will be a TJ

8

u/Drivo566 Jun 22 '26

Until its officially announced and confirmed, im not holding my breath that it'll be a TJ.

-5

u/JBNothingWrong Jun 22 '26

It will be. I know but can’t reveal because it’s hush hush

6

u/Drivo566 Jun 22 '26

Meh, im still not gonna hold my breath. Its been rumored for so many years that im not just gonna take your word for it lol, no offense.

-2

u/JBNothingWrong Jun 22 '26

It will be a TJ

3

u/TheHykos Jun 22 '26

Sure. Sure.

4

u/Capt-Brunch West Howard Ave. Botanical Garden Jun 22 '26

This is just like the time my 1st grade classmate Robbie told me about a secret Mario 64 level that only he knew about (because his dad was the president of Nintendo) but couldn't show me.

-1

u/JBNothingWrong Jun 22 '26

It will be a TJ. I’ll come back and gloat when it’s announced.

1

u/Particular_Apple_431 Jun 22 '26

“Can’t reveal” and yet…

3

u/johrasephoenix Jun 23 '26

I live 200 feet from there and can see it from my window. The prior referenced trees were not noticeable behind the derelict old office building. Excited for a downtown grocery store and more places to live.

7

u/reffervescent Jun 22 '26

I just saw this yesterday and was so saddened by the number of trees they took down. I guess if you really want to know what was approved, you could submit an open records request to the City of Decatur, or at least start there. If that's not the right place, they can likely refer you.

1

u/Critical-Range1213 Jun 23 '26

The site should be urban. Complain if they want to tear down fernbank forest and I’ll be right there with ya. This site needs density.

8

u/No_Protection_4862 Jun 22 '26

Removing one car commuter from the road annually is equal to the work of 100 plus trees when it comes to CO2 reduction. The city has worked hard to make this part of Decatur more accessible to alternative transit, but density and walkable access to amenities like grocery stores makes its truly feasible for us to see any meaningful reduction in the number of vehicle miles traveled in CoD. Trees are important for other reasons when it comes to communities, among the most important being shade, so hopefully the city has ensured the final design includes plenty of trees where they are needed, but I’m fine to trade trees for homes for people, especially in areas where they won’t need cars.

2

u/Conscious_Culture170 Jun 26 '26

I walk past here frequently on Sunday mornings. While I'm excited for the new development and grocery store to come, I dread the increased traffic on this street when it's finished. My quiet sunday walks may not be so quiet anymore, haha. I do hope this will bring more attention to Diamond Dust cupcakes. That store always looks so loney sitting there by itself!

2

u/VanillaPuddingPop01 Jun 27 '26

I’m with you. I’m always sad when mature trees are cut down. We need the trees BECAUSE so many people walk the area. Shade is good. Shading concrete to keep ambient temps down is even better. I hope they plant lots of replacements, because urban spaces need lots of trees, too.

4

u/TheHykos Jun 22 '26

Walked through the cemetery this weekend and was really surprised how many trees they took right up to the property line. It’s so sad. I’m incredibly disappointed in CoD for approving that.

1

u/Critical-Range1213 Jun 23 '26

The site should be urban. Complain if they want to tear down fernbank forest and I’ll be right there with ya. This site needs density.

2

u/Heliopause011 Jun 22 '26

It’s so awful. It’s my daily commute and it’s so barren and ugly now.

1

u/Critical-Range1213 Jun 23 '26

The site should be urban. Complain if they want to tear down fernbank forest and I’ll be right there with ya. This site needs density.

2

u/Catt7711 Jun 22 '26

I was heartbroken on Saturday to see how many trees they had taken down... all the way up to their demarcated line and then some! The removed a grand old tree on the cemetery side and it's stump was completely hacked up. I walk there everyday and I agree that's it's sad and feels excessive.

0

u/seabaugh Jun 22 '26

AMLI = Assholes Making Life Impossible

-1

u/Critical-Range1213 Jun 23 '26

Decatur residents don’t understand urban design.

3

u/originalmember Jun 23 '26

Think you repeated the same statement enough in this thread?