The Buckhead Community Improvement district is taking another look at improving the tangled intersection of Peachtree, Roswell and Paces Ferry roads in the Buckhead Village area.
That means public input on any potential fixes will be delayed, but CID members say it won’t be long before they have proposals ready for review.
Buckhead CID Executive Director Jim Durrett said the CID board postponed a May 17 public meeting while it waits for information from a consultant. Durrett said the board has worked with consultant Kimley-Horn on the project but recently hired Parsons Brinckerhoff to develop a transportation model for the entire CID area.
One of Parsons Brinckerhoff’s first tasks was to study the troublesome series of roads, with misalignments that create endless headaches for commuters. East Paces Ferry Road doesn’t line up with West Paces Ferry Road when it crosses Peachtree Road, which is simultaneously forking between Peachtree and Roswell roads, creating a half-lane change. Charlie Loudermilk Park is stuck in the middle, barely accessible to pedestrians.
Durrett compared the delay to getting a second opinion in a medial diagnosis.
“It’s sort of getting two physicians to look at an illness and confirm the treatment,” Durrett said.
Brian McHugh, director of transportation and planning for the CID, said the rescheduled public meeting could take place in late June or July.
He said the improvements could cost anywhere from $1 million to $10 million. CID has its own funding and can also apply for state and federal transportation money, Durrett said.
“That’s what’s nice about the ways the CIDs operate,” Durrett said. “We have our own money, but because of our effectiveness we become an attractive investment. We’ll see if we can attract some additional funding.”
The Buckhead CID faces the added pressure of the Buckhead Atlanta development, the successor project to the failed Streets of Buckhead, located next to the intersection and slated to open in late 2013.
Durrett said at a minimum, the CID would like to make some progress fixing the Peacthree Road portion of the intersection before the mixed use shopping center opens its doors.
Denise Starling, executive director with the Buckhead Area Transportation Management Association, which receives CID funds, said the project’s goals will include making the park stuck in the middle of the intersection as pedestrian friendly as possible.
“Charlie Loudermilk Park is an island,” she said. “You can’t get to it.”