SPI-16 Zoning Update Passes Introducing a More Vibrant Street-Level Experience
08/01/2024
BY ANNA CLAIRE EDENFIELD
After a year of coordination between the Midtown Neighbors Association and the City’s Office of Zoning and Development, the Atlanta City Council officially passed Midtown’s Special Public Interest (SPI-16) zoning ordinance in June. These changes will enhance Midtown’s public domain, supporting a more vibrant street-level experience, a healthier environment and improved accessibility.
What is SPI-16?
SPI-16 is a city zoning ordinance that shapes future development in a defined geographic area of Midtown, including how buildings and the space around them are used. These updates aim to get people more engaged while they’re in and around the district.
Updates to SPI-16 arose from recommendations from Midtown Alliance’s 2023 Public Life Action Plan, insight gathered from over 50 large projects completed or in-construction since the last zoning updates in 2017, and recent changes in technology.
For over a year, Midtown Alliance worked closely with MNA, Atlanta’s Office of Zoning and Development and the Midtown Development Review Committee to craft updates that would follow the Public Life Action Plan and appeal to Midtown’s evolving community needs.
Catch-Up Quick:
Here’s some specific changes to the ordinance that affect overall space usage, urban design, accessibility and transportation:
- Uses:
- Allowing veterinary uses (if soundproofed).
- Outdoor Activation:
- Requiring new restaurants to provide outdoor dining along most Midtown streets. Also, any outdoor dining now may encroach up to 2’ into the sidewalk clear zone, and up to 3’ along Peachtree St.
- Allowing live musical performances between 10am-8pm.
- Building Design:
- Parking decks shall have intervening ‘active uses’ facing public streets sized at least 20’ deep and at least 36’ in height.
- Above this, any parking deck facades are to be designed so they are architecturally compatible with the main building.
- Pollution:
- EIFS (as an exterior material) is prohibited in constructing buildings.
- Accessibility:
- Push button activators must be at any entries accessible from the public sidewalk.
- Future Transportation:
- Requiring one EV space per 20 parking spaces (5%) equipped with Level 2 or Direct Current Fast Charging connections (which will count toward existing max parking count caps).
Why It Matters:
These updates will improve your street-level experience by fostering a more interactive and engaging environment. Regulatory enhancements to outdoor dining, accessibility, and technological regulations will contribute to Midtown's continued growth and vibrancy.
As Midtown evolves, these updates will make the district more livable and accessible for residents and visitors alike.
They Said It:
“Expect to see a lot more opportunities,” Midtown Alliance Urban Design Senior Project Manager Karl Smith-Davids, who led this zoning update, said. “Both to dine, al fresco style, as well as to see more people and more life on the streets.”
