Embedded Files
This is an activist group, located in the Bolton Neighborhood of NPU-D in Atlanta GA.
Mission of the project
Mission of the project
We promote ways to maintain and improve our neighborhood.
We are looking for supporters who are don't want to see our neighborhood lots bought up and assembled into large townhome or apartment complexes.
Rezoning Part Deux
Rezoning Part Deux
The developer who wants to put townhomes on La Dawn Lane at the walking trail (Whetstone Creek Trail) has found a loophole.
I know, we already voted this application down twice; first at the neighborhood level then at the NPU-D level. But, it looks like we are going to have to do it again.
Have you ever played that arcade game where a mole pops it head up out of a hole and you get to pound it down with a big mallet? We'll it looks like that's the game this developer like to play trying to wear out his opposition.
Round 1:
Round 1:
May 6 - July 31, 2025
May 6 - July 31, 2025
Rezoning application to MR-3 (medium density housing) that would allow 8 story building.
39 Townhomes
June 17, 2025 - Bolton neighborhood voted to deny the rezoning application
June 24, 2025 - NPU-D voted to deny the rezoning application
Round 2:
Round 2:
July 31 - Sept 23, 2025
July 31 - Sept 23, 2025
Zoning request changed to PD-H with 38 Townhomes. (one less unit)
Sept 23, 2025 - City of Atlanta - Office of Zoning and Development - Rejected the developers application due to technical deficiencies; due to a miscalculation of the FAR.
(FAR / Floor Area Ratio defines how big of a building you may place on a property, setback, spacing between buildings, etc.)
We are at "Round 3" currently...
We are at "Round 3" currently...
Round 3:
Round 3:
Sept 23 - ???
Sept 23 - ???
Sept 26, 2025 - The developer verbally states he is revising the application due to a topographical problem. That doesn't jive with what the city staff told us.
34 Townhomes - but larger individual units & increased parking. BUT, as of Oct 1 a new site plan has not been submitted.
And neighborhood and NPU-D votes are scheduled for Oct 21 & 28 if he is to make the November ZRB without an additional deferral.
The Atlanta Beltline and its problems are now in our yard...
The Atlanta Beltline and its problems are now in our yard...
Cutting Through Bolton:
Atlanta Beltline to Silver Comet Trail
Cutting Through Bolton:
Atlanta Beltline to Silver Comet Trail
Our little walking path - Whetstone Creek Trail - is now becoming the connection between the Atlanta Beltline and the Silver Comet Trail.
While this is good in many ways, there is also a down side. Many of the neighborhoods on the beltline have experienced the negative effects.
Increased taxes:
Rising home prices = increased property taxes. Which is forcing out fixed & lower income residents to move out of Atlanta, because they can't afford the taxes.Gentrification:
Owners of older lower rent units discover they can make more money if they demolish the older building and build new hi-end units. Which exclude previous residents simply by the higher prices.Higher Density Housing:
Single Family Homes being replaced with Townhomes and Apartment complexes. Packing more people in to smaller spaces.Displacement:
Low income residences are being forced out of generational homes - they can't afford the increased taxes.Affordable Housing:
The project has failed to meet its affordable housing targets, with many built units becoming unaffordable to the average Atlanta resident.
Bolton Neighborhood (vote)
Bolton Neighborhood (vote)
October 21, 2025 - 7:00PM
Location TBA
jmoulton@advantagemlc.com
(770)335-8323
VOTE: by Bolton Residents
NPU-D (vote)
NPU-D (vote)
October 28, 2025 - 7:30PM
Online Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/95354693520
VOTE: by NPU-D Residents
Find your NPU
Meeting Agenda and Info
CDP - Comprehensive
Development Plan
CDP - Comprehensive
Development Plan
Quarterly Meeting
November 24, 2025 - 6:00PM
City Hall - Council Chambers
Open to Public Comments
Schedule A
Schedule A
Agenda Published Oct 23
We wont know the schedule until the ZRB agenda is published 2 weeks before the public hearing.
Zoning Review Board
Zoning Review Board
November 6, 2025 - 6:00PM
City Hall - Council Chambers
Open to Public Comments
Zoning Committee
Zoning Committee
November 10, 2025 - 11:00AM
City Hall - Committee Room
No Public Comments
Full City Council
Full City Council
November 17, 2025 - 1:00PM
City Hall - Council Chambers
No Public Comments
Schedule B
Schedule B
Agenda Published Oct 30
We wont know the schedule until the ZRB agenda is published 2 weeks before the public hearing.
Zoning Review Board
Zoning Review Board
November 13, 2025 - 6:00PM
City Hall - Council Chambers
Open to Public Comments
Zoning Committee
Zoning Committee
November 24, 2025 - 11:00AM
City Hall - Committee Room
No Public Comments
Full City Council
Full City Council
December 1, 2025 - 1:00PM
City Hall - Council Chambers
No Public Comments
NPU-D Elections
NPU-D Elections
Who will be our new neighborhood representative?
November 25, 2025 - 7:30PM
Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
Online Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/95354693520
VOTE: by NPU-D Residents
Find your NPU
Meeting Agenda and Info
The new site plan looks a lot like the old...
The new site plan looks a lot like the old...
Both of the developer's site plans include:
3 story town homes
2,000 sqft each
100 car trips per day added
Egress onto La Dawn Ln
$600,000 price (nearly double that of historic homes)
What's different?
Number of units changed from 39 to 34
Zoning request was MR-3 originally, now PD-H
Why did it change?
MR-3 was rejected by NPU-D vote
Amend application to PD-H for a 2nd chance
Neither proposal meshes with the neighborhood:
Mostly single story homes
SFR (single family residence)
Homes average about 1,200 sq ft
Negative effects of Atlanta's Beltline on Neighborhoods?
Negative effects of Atlanta's Beltline on Neighborhoods?
The primary negative effect of Atlanta's Beltline is green gentrification, which has driven up property values and displaced low-income residents from previously affordable neighborhoods. Other negative effects include a lack of sufficient affordable housing to meet community needs, increased crime and loitering, concerns about the BeltLine's poor design and maintenance, and the loss of political power and sense of belonging for long-term residents.
Green Gentrification and Displacement
Rising Property Values: The BeltLine's development has dramatically increased property values in surrounding areas, pushing out existing residents and businesses.
Displacement: Low-income households are being forced out of their neighborhoods and into suburbs with fewer services and opportunities, a process known as displacement.
Racial Exclusion: The BeltLine has been a major factor in accelerating the migration of white residents into historically Black and lower-income communities, contributing to racial exclusion.
Affordable Housing Shortage
Inadequate Provisions: The BeltLine has failed to provide enough affordable housing to keep pace with demand and the rapid influx of new residents.
High Cost of Affordable Units: Some of the so-called "affordable" housing units are still too expensive for many Atlantans.
Crime and Maintenance Issues
Increased Crime and Loitering: Some neighborhoods have experienced a rise in crime and loitering along the BeltLine, with residents citing a lack of adequate security and oversight.
Maintenance Concerns: Residents have expressed dissatisfaction with the poor design and insufficient ongoing maintenance of the BeltLine, leading to hazards such as illegal dumping and littering.
Civic Displacement
Loss of Political Power: The influx of new residents and powerful developers can diminish the political power of long-term residents, who may feel increasingly voiceless in their own communities.
Loss of Belonging: The rapid changes brought by the BeltLine can lead to a loss of community identity and a diminished sense of belonging for existing residents.
Why we oppose townhomes at this location.
Why we oppose townhomes at this location.
Adding excess traffic on La Dawn Ln, when there's an alternative option to route traffic to Dunseith - thereby providing expedited access to to a major road out of the neighborhood. (Without adding additional traffic on La Dawn Ln.
Squeezing 30-40 townhomes into the center of a neighborhood surrounded by single family homes. Interrupts the character, flow and connectivity of our neighbors.
A townhome community with an HOA is very different from detached single family homes.
Townhomes are being priced at nearly $700,000 which is double the value of neighboring single family homes. This will attract a very different kind of resident to the development and result in gentrification and destruction of the neighborhood and comradery that currently exist.
This will force up property values of neighbors resulting in higher taxes. This will result is pushing fix/lower income neighbors out of our neighborhood, because they wont be able to pay the new taxes.
We already get daily phone calls / letters from speculators/developers who want to buy our properties.
The developer wants to convert Anne Street into a spur to the trail to connect his development to Westside {shopping center}. He claims this adds value to our neighborhood that residents can use. This spur is not needed. We have side walks in close proximity that more directly connect our neighbors to the shopping center. The sidewalk along La Dawn better serves our neighbors than this spur could. The spur trail would actually be a further distance to walk for our neighbors.
The spur would only benefit the residents of this new development get to the shopping center. this would serve is an added amenity to the property that the developer can use to add value to the sale of townhomes and increase prices further.
Anne Street would better add value to our neighbors by serving as the vehicular access point to the this property; diverting new/additional traffic off of La Dawn Ln and provide the property with more faster more direct access to Marietta Blvd.
The developments doesn't add any affordable housing which would be a benefit to the community at large and not just an rich people.
Multi-family projects welcome - where appropriate.
Multi-family projects welcome - where appropriate.
We have welcomed a number of townhome developments to our neighborhood. Our neighborhood has naturally been transitioning as industrial and warehouse properties become available. These have been located on the peripheral edges of our neighborhood. (Verses the proposed rezoning which wants to convert R-4 single family homes into multi-family townhomes.
19 units - Westside Village Townhomes @ 1815-1865 La Dawn Ln
The location was previously commercial warehouse building whose tenants moved to less expensive option. The townhomes are a buffer between the shopping center and residential neighborhood. And, this area is adjacent major roads and other commercial businesses.28 units Whetstone Cove @ 2269 Marietta Rd
On a major artery road and located near hi-rise building & building materials supplier.47 units - Westside Station @ 2003 Marietta Rd
Located on a major road. This complex replaced a trucking company that delivered shipping containers from over seas that had been transported to Atlanta by railroad. When one of the local rail yards shut down the trucking company closed this location.227 units - Altus at the Quarter @ 1130 Ansel Ln
433 units - Liberty Park @ 1260 Liberty Pkwy
= 754 units
Apartments
Apartments
576 units - BRYKS @ 2200 Marietta Blvd
314 units - Broadstone Upper Westside @ 2167 Bolton Dr
345 units - Luna Upper Westside @ 2265 Marietta Blvd
425 units - Vue at the Quarter @ 2048 Bolton Dr
154 units - Vue 2 @ 2078 Bolton Rd
297 units - Avonlea Westside @ 2788 Defoors Ferry Rd
172 units - Westlight Apartments @ 2453 Coronet Way
112 units - SYNC at West Midtown @ 1391 Collier Rd
= 2,395 units
Coming Soon - Zoning Approved
Coming Soon - Zoning Approved
41 units - Guild House Apartments @ 2085 Marietta Blvd (townhomes)
349 units - Guild House Apartments @ 2051 Marietta Blvd (flats)
20 units - MiKart @ 1750 Chattahoochee Ave
640 units - MiKart @ 1593 Chattahoochee Ave
214 units - MiKart @ 1661 Chattahoochee Ave
200 units - (unnamed) @ 1385 Collier Rd (Cagle Foods)
= 1,464 units Coming Soon
==========
= 4,613 units - Total multifamily units added this decade within a 1 mile radius of the proposed site.
Information below needs updated, Because:
The townhome developer has changed zoning from MR-3 to PD-H with thirty-eight (38). 8/21/25
It is changing again thirty-four (34) units. as of 9/26/25 But, we haven't see that proposed site plan in writing yet - therefore things are still in flux.
This reduced units is results of the zoning department rejected 38unit plan filed on 8/21/25 due technical deficiencies. (we were told that the developer miscalculated the FAR* ratios.)
But as of 9/26/25 the new 34 unit (or less) site plan has not been filed with the zoning department. It needs to pass technical review before NPU-D holds another vote on the proposed zoning change.
* In zoning, FAR stands for Floor Area Ratio, a measurement that controls building bulk by establishing the ratio of a building's total floor area to the area of its lot. For example, a 1.0 FAR means a building can have a total square footage equal to the lot size, while a 2.0 FAR allows for a total floor area twice the size of the lot. Municipalities use FAR to regulate building size, density, and the overall form and arrangement of development in an area.
2025-09-29
Oppose the Rezoning
Oppose the Rezoning
Stop Out-of-Character High-Density Rezoning in Our Neighborhood!
We are outraged by the proposal from The Middle Housing Company to demolish two houses, combine four lots (totaling 2.6 acres), and rezone from R-4 (single-family homes) to MR-3 PD-H; a change that would allow the construction of 39 38 34 townhomes at approximately 2,000 square feet each.
This proposal is unacceptable because:
Our Neighborhood’s Character is at Stake: Our community is established as a low-density, single-family residence (SFR) neighborhood. Allowing a higher-density development will transform our neighborhood, placing towering three-story townhomes, out of character with the existing homes.
Traffic & Safety Concerns:
Traffic & Safety Concerns:
The original proposal provides a two-car garage per unit with only eight shared visitor parking spaces for all 39 units.
Increased occupancy will inevitably lead to more cars, including live-in roommates, short-term rentals, and corporate units, all contributing to severe traffic congestion.
Our only effective egress from the area is already strained, with major routes on the east end of La Dawn and problematic connections on the west end.
Additional trips from school buses, delivery vehicles, and 18-wheeler trucks (already cutting through our area) will exacerbate safety risks for pedestrians, children, and emergency services.
Infrastructure & Environmental Impact:
Infrastructure & Environmental Impact:
With only about 15% of the land remaining for stormwater absorption (after 70% is covered by buildings and 15% paved surfaces), our local wetlands and the PATH trail’s boardwalk area are at risk.
Questions remain about the capacity and longevity of any proposed underground culverts or stormwater containment systems—our properties and native habitats may suffer.
The added stress on our roads and intersections calls for a professionally conducted traffic impact study that is long overdue.
Out-of-Character:
Out-of-Character:
Meanwhile, several high-density projects already in development (such as Bryks Atlanta and Vue at the Quarter) have set a precedent for replacing industrial warehouses or undeveloped areas (not single-family homes) with community-respecting developments. Those projects are converting/rezoning commercial and industrial locations on the periphery of our neighborhood and directly connected to a major 4-lane road.
Whereas this proposal is being dropped in the center of our neighborhood, surrounded by single-family homes and to demolish 2 homes.
Our community deserves better.
Our Demands:
Reject the Rezoning: Maintain the current R-4 zoning for single-family homes in our neighborhood.
Comprehensive Traffic & Environmental Review: Insist on a detailed, independent traffic impact study, as well as an assessment of environmental risks—especially regarding stormwater runoff and wetlands.
Community Engagement: Ensure transparent public hearings and actively involve our residents in the decision-making process at every governmental meeting related to this proposal.
The Middle Housing Company’s sole motive is profit—once they sell the units, they walk away, leaving us to bear the long-term consequences of their misaligned development. We must act now to protect our homes, our roads, and our community’s character for the future.
Please sign this petition if you believe our neighborhood deserves responsible development that preserves our quality of life.
Let’s stand together and demand that our elected officials, zoning boards, and planning agencies reject this high-density proposal and preserve our neighborhood’s heritage and future.
Together, our voices are stronger. Sign and share this petition today!
Stop Rezoning
Stop Rezoning
Sign the petition to stop the rezoning of single-family homes to high-density MR-3 zoning.
A developer wants to tear down two single-family homes and replace them with 39 townhomes tightly packed together.
Activist
Activist
We are just residents of the neighborhood.
We want to preserve and improve the hood that we have called home for more than 20 years.
We participate in both the local 'Bolton Neighborhood' and the larger City of Atlanta 'NPU-D' meetings.
Meeting about this Zoning Case
Meeting about this Zoning Case
Past:
Past:
27 May 2025 - Bolton Neighborhood Meeting @ Westside Pizza
The developer presented their 39-townhome project
(LINK at the bottom of their page, click View PDF)
17 Jun 2025 - Bolton Neighborhood Meeting & Vote on Rezoning Case Z-25-038
Neighborhood: Voted to deny rezoning
(But, Jim Moulton tries to change the outcome by accepting door-to-door letters of support (from select areas of the neighborhood) and then add that to the vote count.)
24 Jun 2025 - NPU-D (Virtual Zoom Meeting) Vote on Rezoning Case Z-25-038
NPU-D: Voted to deny rezoning
(For ethical reasons, the NPU-D bylaws require those with direct financial ties to and issue to abstain and not participate in the vote. However the NPU-D body voted to allow the condo owners/HOA members of Clayburne who own two of the 4 parcels of land to vote on the issue. Even with their participation, the body voted to deny the rezoning application.)
A change in tactics:
A change in tactics:
The developer amends application to zoning of PH-H. Resulting in a ZRB deferral to November 2025.
These scheduled meetings did not happen due to the deferral.
July 2025 - Case Z-25-038: ZRB Rezoning Case
01 Sept 2025 - Case CDP-25-017: Amendment of Comprehensive Development Plan: ZRB
Free Signs
Free Signs
Have 2 laminated signs dropped off at your home in Bolton Neighborhood.
The concept is to attach one to each side of your mailbox. We'll even do the install. Or you may display them in a more appropriate location at your discretion.
Send an email with your address, and we'll deliver (usually next day).
Send the email to:
info@LaDawn.org
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