Downtown Auburn Zoning

How do you know how a place will feel once it’s built? 

In the balancing act that is creative placemaking, designing a feel, a style, has to be closely followed with zoning that allows it to happen in the intended way.

Zoning is about telegraphing to residents, potential builders, investors, and businesses – what we’re looking for, the standards we expect. It documents the rules that are absolute and those that are flexible to creative interpretation. 

The impacts of zoning are generally easy to spot. For many suburban cities, such as those around the metro Atlanta region, zoning over the last 40+ years has been about separating uses of property. Houses, often on cul-de-sac streets, over here, shopping over there, townhomes in between. Apartments largely on their own campuses, placed along commercial corridors. Most activities outside the home require the use of a vehicle.

Downtowns have struggled under this model. For decades, businesses migrated to malls and strip centers with acres of parking. Historic properties were often left vacant, or underutilized. To remedy this, some cities have adjusted the zoning for their downtowns. They encourage mixing uses in the same area to offer walkability, and a lower maintenance lifestyle. The public has responded, bringing new residents who help feed into local businesses, translating into new vitality downtown.

Years of planning has created a vision for the southern (new construction) side of Auburn's downtown, and how it can tie in with the northern, historic side. The master planning effort and LCI Study, both led by TSW developed the core master plan concepts and developed the potential for transportation funding options.  Lew Oliver has also worked closely with the city to refine the plan and guide the architectural character of the residential elements. He has done this successfully in numerous other places, including The Village at Hendrix, Vickery, Woodstock's Downtown, and Serenbe. 

This new zoning is labeled the City Center District (CCD), and located on property with frontage on 5^th Avenue (Atlanta Highway), and/or 6^th Avenue. The CCD sets the stage to  bringing new residential development and community facilities that compliment and support each other.  This new category calls for a conceptual master development plan, approved by the City Council. Per the zoning, the plan should include:

1. At least two types of housing
2. At least one civic building, and publicly owned or accessible park, garden, open space or other recreational facility
3. Conservation of spaces recognizing and honoring the historical agrarian use of the land
4. An efficient network of streets and trails
5. Mix of uses that decrease reliance on automobile usage and encourage alternative transportation

Traditional suburban residential zoning generally requires evenly spaced homes with curbs and prescriptively measured sidewalks, facing a paved street.  To achieve a rural feel, and create the variety and walkability we’re looking for, the new CCD zoning will allow homes to face a common green, with alleys behind for garages, trash pickup and traffic. Streets will have more of a country road feel, without curbs. Building placement will be less about uniform spacing, and more about the contours of the land. 

Development Controls are called for in the CCD, limited allowed uses, to closely guard the vision. The approved list includes:

1. Residences
2. Gardens, parks, trails, barns, gazebos and similar recreation facilities
3. Civic/public buildings and amenities for public use
4. Neighborhood oriented commercial or office
5. Temporary events that promote the agrarian nature of the master plan

As in any rezoning, the Planning Commission, then Mayor and City Council held public hearings to consider this change and hear how it has worked in other places. Ultimately, it passed on January 7, 2021.