The historic preservations group asked the county to order Walton to preserve seven of the 25 acres the developer plans to buy for townhome and single-family residence development on Fort Street in the Oakdale neighborhood. Walton agreed to set aside two acres. The county approved the arrangement. The county's planning commission had previously recommended the land be rezoned for townhomes and single-family residences.
Walton is also offering the historical group an opportunity to buy five additional acres near the fort sites which is attracting high-density developments. Craig Cheney, a land specialist in the Atlanta office of Grubb & Ellis Co., tells GlobeSt.com the average land cost within a mile of the fort sites is about $320,000 per acre or $7.35 per sf for townhome development.
Neighborhood residents oppose the project because Walton plans to build 101 homes on a tight development pad. The developer's plan calls for 4.1 homes per acre. The average density in the area is two homes per acre, area brokers tell GlobeSt.com.
The two-acre site that will be preserved once housed two triangular fortifications called Shoupades after Confederate Army Brig. Gen. Francis Shoup who designed the forts. A total of 36 Shoupades were built along the Chattahoochee River line to prevent Union Army Gen. William T. Sherman from crossing the river during the Atlanta campaign in July 1864, according to local historians. The Shoupades were constructed only in Cobb County.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.