STATUS UPDATE ON BRIDGER PROPERTIES APARTMENT PROPOSAL

3/30/2023

Courtesy City of Marietta

Concerned about the apartment building Bridger Properties has proposed for the lot behind the William Root House? The design will be going to the Marietta Historic Board of Review for evaluation. The Marietta Historic Board of Review was created by Marietta municipal ordinance (7-8-8) to help the Downtown Marietta Development Authority consider applications for changes to buildings and construction of new buildings within the historic district. The purpose of the historic district and the Board of Review, by issuing certificates of approval, is to ensure "that the worthy historical and architectural buildings, sites, monuments, streetscapes, structures, squares and residential neighborhoods are protected and granted proper investigation before any renovation, restoration, preservation, rehabilitation or demolition takes place." The city’s Historic District Ordinance (ARTICLE 7-8-8) will be used when considering Bridger’s application. Below are a few excerpts:

Contemporary Buildings. The construction of a new building or structure or the moving, reconstruction, demolition, alteration, painting, maintenance or repair materially affecting the exterior of any existing contemporary buildings, structure or appurtenance thereto, including repainting the same color, shall be generally of such design, form, mass, configuration, building material, texture, color and location on a site as will be compatible with other buildings and structures in the historic district, and particularly with buildings designated as historic and with squares and places to which it is visually related.

Visual Compatibility Factors. Within the designated historic district, new construction and existing buildings, structure, and appurtenances attached thereto which are moved, reconstructed, materially altered, repaired or painted, including repainting the same color, shall be visually compatible with buildings, squares, and places to which they are visually related.

Proportion of Building From Facade. The relationship of the width of the building to the height of the front elevation shall be visually compatible with buildings, squares, and places to which it is visually related.

Rhythm of Spacing of Buildings on Streets. The relationship of buildings to open space between it and the adjoining buildings shall be visually compatible to the buildings, squares, and places to which it is visually related.

Scale of a Building. The size of a building, the building mass of a building in relation to open spaces, the windows, door openings, porches and balconies shall be visually compatible with the buildings, squares and places to which it is visually related.

Directional Expression of Front Elevation. A building shall be visually compatible with the buildings, squares and places to which it is visually related in the directional character, whether this be vertical character, horizontal character or nondirectional character.

Based on the city’s Historic District Ordinance, it is clear the current proposed structure has some fundamental issues. These will need to be addressed during the review process. We hope that Bridger Properties will respond to the Historic Board of Review and community feedback and design something that meaningfully contributes to the city and is sympathetic to existing surrounding structures.

Important Dates:

Bridger Properties has scheduled a community meeting April 4, 2023 at 5:30pm at the Marietta History Center. The meeting will include a presentation and Q&A session. Space is limited. Attendees should RVSP in advance.

The Marietta Historic Board of Review usually meets on the Monday the week prior to the City Council meeting. This application is currently scheduled to be reviewed during the May 1, 2023 meeting. Meetings are typically held in City Council Chambers but may occasionally be held in the 4th floor conference room at City Hall, beginning at 5:30pm. Please call 770-794-5669 for more information. Click here to learn more about the Historic Board of Review.

11 Comments

Barbara Benfield

3/30/2023 02:00:43 pm

You need to reschedule this meeting so the citizens who live near or in the city are able to attend. This won’t be a COMMUNITY meeting because it is Easter week (all schools are out for Spring Break and most of the community will be out of town. Probably, why you scheduled it then. These plans are an ugly eyesore and will be so detrimental to the square. I feel the city government is selling out
There is nothing about this plan that goes with the theme of Historic preservation.

Louanne Crosby link

4/1/2023 05:13:09 am

Marietta should not build apartments so close to the historic district nor should this meeting take place when do many families are out of town due to school holiday. Allow for concerned citizens to have input and reschedule it.

Andre Goodman

3/30/2023 02:53:13 pm

I'm excited to see valuable investment into the city of Marietta. This new development could serve as an anchor for further investments into the area. I hope the city leadership can rally to support this like they do when someone wants to build a new car wash or a gas station across the street from a gas station

Emmett Cooke

3/31/2023 06:02:41 am

City leadership should not consider thus proposal for a minute. The only value this proposal provides are to the developers themselves and the city, whose tax coffers will continue to grow.

The negative impact on traffic, on the Loop and through the Square, will be considerably exacerbated.

The high rise architecture is nor consistent with the historic nature of the downtown, or even the townhouses built in and around the square.

If Bridget wants to build, find some property close to US41, where it makes sense and traffic on the loop will not be made worse!

Mike Rich

3/31/2023 09:39:39 pm

We do not need any more traffic. The square is a night mare as it is. Let close the square to any traffic make a place people can walk around, shop, and eat.
Propose away to route traffic by building new by passes not new apartments

Linda

4/1/2023 09:03:45 am

Where was this “historic board” when they redesigned the Theater by the Square?

Joel Webber

4/2/2023 06:36:22 pm

I have to say I'm disappointed to see Cobb Landmarks advocating so strongly and obviously against the development of our city. I've lived here for 50 years, and the square was completely dead for most of that time. It's only recently begun to revitalize, and is still stuffed with un- and under-utilized eyesores (e.g., the Goldstein Gulch, the Kish space, the AT&T death star, and many others).

Having watched other metro Atlanta neighborhoods do an excellent job of navigating their revitalization thoughtfully -- I would point to Roswell, Decatur, Woodstock, Inman Park, and many others -- it saddens me to see people coming out of the woodwork to oppose exactly the sorts of development that have been part and parcel of other neighborhoods' growth.

A development like this should bring several hundred new residents who will -- wait for it -- *walk* to the square, patronize our local businesses, contribute to the local tax base, and keep the area vibrant. And will in all likelihood be a net benefit to the school system, as many residents will be childless while contributing to property taxes.

I have known quite a few friends who wanted to move near the square, but either couldn't afford it or couldn't find anything they liked near the square. If we don't do something to diversify our housing options, the square could easily revert to its previously dead state.

There are already so many things that need fixing in the square -- empty lots, dumpy fast-food places, ugly parking lots, and under-utilized spaces -- we should focus on those problems, rather than spending our energy opposing a reasonable mid-rise housing development that I fully expect will contribute to the city's vitality, not detract from it.

4/3/2023 02:48:34 am

Joel,
Not sure of your affiliation, but it seems you have a strong bias, and you describe this development as a utopia for the city.

I have also seen many development of many towns you mention, and they are all very different from Marietta needs, and are not without their traffic issues.

And ‘affordable’ housing is a relative term, used in the proposal stage, whose goals are usually abandoned by the time ground breaks.

chad

4/13/2023 07:18:04 am

The thing is you can do both---develop for density AND respect the unique historic character. This proposal is totally out of scale and backs right up to the Root House property. The goal for development should not be bad scale and design and destruction of the historic district. Marietta should not aspire to look like everywhere else and a thousand other places in the metro. What is left of the distinct historic character of downtown needs to be valued.

Jennifer Hayes Whitehead link

4/3/2023 11:12:22 am

I would be happy for them to propose this idea 4 or more blocks AWAY from the Marietta square. NOT that close to downtown. Our city have been just fine with small, suitable upgrades.
I was on a discussion group for new development some 15 yrs ago where affordable housing was proposed where the new condos are across from the City Club. Developers only have $$ in there eyes. Not the city's well being.

Jennifer link

4/3/2023 11:24:28 am

Not to mention this is proposed on a lot that is directly adjacent to the RR tracks. How long do you think it will hold residential value? I here the daily 3am and 5am whistle at my house 1.5 miles away.

STATUS UPDATE ON BRIDGER PROPERTIES APARTMENT PROPOSAL

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