Emory University presented plans for a Graduate Student Housing Project in Haygood Triangle, across the street from Druid Hills High School. Information and updates about the project are posted by Emory here and here. This article from What Now Atlanta provides a good overview of the proposed project and shows initial site renderings.
We Are Listening
The DHCA has been actively engaged with the community to gather input as to their thoughts, concerns, support and/or opposition to the proposed project and to use that input to develop a plan for engaging Emory and the City of Atlanta.
We conducted two surveys regarding Emory’s Graduate Student Housing Project, one online and one door-to-door in the adjacent neighborhood.
There were 197 comments from 80 respondents to the online survey; 20% of the comments expressed support for the project and 80% of the comments expressed concern. In the door-to-door survey of 66 homes in close proximity to the project only 2 of 32 responses were in favor of the project. The top concerns expressed by residents in each survey are shown in the adjacent bar charts and more detailed survey results may be found here.
Where Are Things Now?
After careful discussion about how to best advocate for the expressed concerns of Druid Hills residents, the DHCA adopted a detailed position statement which can be found here.
Given Emory’s policy to protect and buffer surrounding neighborhoods with lower densities at the campus edges, we have requested the project be relocated toward the campus interior. However, should Emory move forward in the Haygood Triangle location, we have requested several actions to mitigate the detrimental impacts of the project on the surrounding neighborhood.
Our requests are based on the residential input we received. We are asking for mitigation related to:
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The scale and orientation of the proposed southernmost building immediately across from the adjoining neighborhood
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Traffic and parking congestion
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Pedestrian safety
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Tree canopy and greenspace preservation
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Stormwater management
What Happens Next?
Emory has applied to the City of Atlanta to rezone the Haygood Triangle property and will present it to the NPU-F Zoning Committee on August 23, 2021. The DHCA will state its position at the same meeting.
Once the matter passes through the Zoning Committee, NPU-F will vote on it at its general meeting in September, and then it will proceed to the City of Atlanta Zoning Review Board, currently scheduled for review on October 7, 2021.
What Can You Do?
Druid Hills residents, especially those who live in the immediate area of Haygood Triangle, should contact their friends and contacts within NPU-F to share their concerns about the project.
Jennifer Ide is the Atlanta City Councilwoman for NPU-F. Druid Hills residents may write to Councilwoman Ide regarding the project at jnide@atlantaga.gov
Upping Our Game
The volunteers in the DHCA are working hard to advocate for all residents of Druid Hills and to communicate what is happening with this and all other issues which affect our community.
The DHCA needs your help to improve our efforts and get better at what we do. We want your input and involvement. If you would like to get involved with any of our committees to work on neighborhood issues and help us continue to do better, please reach out to any of the board members.
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Above is the area that is proposed for the Emory Graduate Student Housing Project.
Please note the following correction: The above chart originally included incomplete survey results and has been updated.
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