This slide shows the land-use plan suggested in the update to the city’s downtown master plan.

Avondale Estates has called a special meeting of city commissioners to hold a work session on revisions to its downtown master plan.

The meeting will be held 5:30 pm on March 13 at City Hall, located at 21 North Avondale Plaza Avondale Estates, GA 30002.

City commissioners held a work session on the plan Feb. 20 and it drew a small, vocal crowd of residents concerned about the plan’s implications for the city’s future.

Specifically, they said the plan is overly-vague and could lead to new development out of character with the city’s older development.

At the time, Mayor Ed Rieker said at that meeting there would be additional work sessions before city commissioners voted to approve the plan.

Downtown Master Plan 2014 is an update and revision of previous planning efforts. The city published the first draft in February. There was a slideshow presentation during the Feb. 20 meeting, which you can download by clicking this link: Downtown Master Plan Final 2-20-14

According to the timeline, the plan update is all-but-finished and only needs the city commission’s approval to become official.

Among the plan’s highlights:

– The plan identified $28 million in potential transportation improvements.

– The draft plan divides the city into six distinct districts within the study area: Tudor Village, Mill District, Northern Gateway, Rail Arts District, Northside Avondale and the Western Gateway.

– It says Avondale Estates needs to cater to pedestrians. The city is located along a PATH trail and near a MARTA station, but it has weak connections to both.

– It says the city needs more public parks. The study says, “There are plenty of parks and public spaces in the residential neighborhoods, but none in downtown Avondale Estates. Outdoor spaces to gather might include public plazas, large parks, an amphitheater, or even wide sidewalks.”

– It says Tudor architecture may not define the city’s future. The plan suggests the architectural style might not be a good fit for the city going forward and recommends using styles that complement the historic look of the city’s downtown.

Also worth noting: During the March 15 Rail Arts District Studio Cruise, there will be an official unveiling of redevelopment plans for the Tudor Square.