Peachtree Creek Greenway Doraville Extension - Phase 2a Construction

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Doraville Peachtree Creek Greenway
Study
Adopted
April 20, 2022
Prepared for:
Prepared by:

Acknowledgment
The Doraville PCG Study - Working Group
City of Doraville
Chris Eldridge City Manager
Crystal Dawson Department of Parks & Recreation - Director
Dan Holcomb Neighborhood Association Representative
Lance Morsell Department of Economic Development - Specialist
Austin Shelton Planning & Community Development - Senior Planner
Naomi Siodmok Planning & Community Development - Director
Peachtree Creek Greenway Inc.
Betsy Eggers Founder/Board Member
Chris Hester Executive Director
Vicki Hood Board Chair
PATH Foundation
Greta deMayo, PLA Executive Director
Claire Kern, PLA Trail Planner
Jonathan McCaig Project Manager
KAIZEN Collaborative
Nico Shen, PLA Point of Contact / Project Manager
Tony Madore Trail Planning Support Staff

Overview
Introduction Overview of the Trail Study Process
The City of Doraville is eager to promote opportunities for a transportation The trail study process begins with data collection and the organization of a
and recreation greenway. This planning study will also jump-start the city's working group to guide the PATH planning team. The PATH team reviewed
opportunity for regional connectivity by connecting the city center and planning documents, performed extensive field research, and vetted their
MARTA station to the planned Peachtree Creek Greenway. The future findings with the working group and key constituents. The Doraville PCG
trail system will cater to and enhance not only its immediate community, Study incorporated input from the working group and general public at key
while also providing much needed opportunities for regional connectivity points in the five-month study process. Utilizing one public meeting with
to the Atlanta BeltLine, PATH 400, and future Gwinnett County trail both in-person and virtual attendees, community members and stakeholders
developments. had the opportunity to review and provide feedback on the proposed trail
alignment.
The City of Doraville has partnered with the PATH Foundation to strategize
multi-use trail development within Doraville Council District 1. The non- After two meetings with the working group, two meetings with Georgia
profit organization, Peachtree Creek Greenway, Inc. (PCG Inc.), provided Department of Transportation, and one public meeting, the PATH team
their array of skills and valuable knowledge of the corridor and community. presented the draft study document to the working group. Feedback and
This trail system will be a token of partnership and collaboration between comments were collected and discussed during an additional meeting
PATH, PCG Inc., and the City of Doraville. resulting in final revisions to the Doraville PCG Study.
The draft document was presented to City Council during a work session and
was adopted on April 20, 2022.
Conducted in tandem with DeKalb County's North Fork Peachtree Creek
Greenway Comprehensive Study, the Doraville PCG Study will serve as the
blueprint for multi-use trail connectivity within the City of Doraville with
an implementation goal to build the approximately 4 miles of new trails in
the next 10 years. The complete greenway will connect users to the Doraville
MARTA station while providing residents recreational opportunities and
alternative transportation options.
PATH team members and meeting attendees discussing the preliminary
findings during the open house discussion after the public meeting
presentation.
Doraville, GA 1

Working Group
Doraville PCG Trail Study Goal
PATH established a working group to guide the Doraville PCG. The working
To enhance mobility for all users and
group included individuals from the following organizations:
connect the Doraville community to
* Department of Planning and Community Development transit, local destinations and the greater
Atlanta region with a transportation
* Office of the City Manager
and recreation greenway.
* Department of Parks and Recreation
* Peachtree Creek Greenway Inc.
Data Collection and Field Work
* Northwoods Area Neighborhood Association (NANA)
The PATH team used the goal of the study to initiate what data needed to
(a list of individual working group members is included on the Acknowledgment
be gathered. Using DeKalb County and the City's GIS data, assessment of
Page)
current and future planning and development efforts, as well as feedback
Three meetings were held between PATH and the working group via zoom from the working group, PATH's analysis of existing and proposed trail
during the five-month collaborative process. The working group established connections within the study area focused on the following criteria:
the overall goals for the study, provided feedback towards preliminary
* Feasible for construction
findings, aided in public outreach, and reviewed planning decisions. A draft
* Appeal to all users
study report was circulated to collect feedback from the working group in
the beginning of December 2021 prior to incorporating final revisions to the * Safety of cyclists and pedestrians
document.
* Connections to desirable destinations
Study Goal * Connections to existing and future trails
After the working group was established, the members spent the first Over a five-month period, the PATH team met the criteria above after
meeting establishing a goal for the project. The Doraville PCG Study goal conducting field work and analyzing data to fully identify trail opportunities
is to enhance mobility for all users and connect the Doraville community and challenges. Field work also allowed for additional trail opportunities
to transit, local destinations, and the greater Atlanta region with a to be found, like spur trails and alternate routes. By the end of the field
transportation and recreation greenway. This trail study will further develop work and data collection, the PATH team has examined if the proposed trail
greenways and buffered side paths to ensure quality connections between routes were feasible, appealing, safe, and served the goal of the study.
desired destinations.
2 Doraville Peachtree Creek Greenway Trail Study

Major Stakeholder Meetings
After identifying proposed trail alignment and presenting the preliminary
findings to the work group, the team met with Georgia Department of
Transportation Bridge Office and District Office to further vet the proposed
trail options with interaction of GDOT right-of-way. Dialogue between the
team and GDOT staff engineers provide essential feedback on the high-level
planning of the trail to overcome major barriers like Interstate 85 and State
Route 13 (Buford Highway). GDOT received the proposal positively for the
trail opportunities presented.
Public Engagement
The PATH team, along with PCG Inc. and City of Doraville hosted a public
meeting on November 9th, 2021 at the Chestnut Drive Church of Christ. The
meeting, hosted in both virtual and in-person format, provided participants
with information about the study goals, the opportunities the proposed trail
will bring, and an overview of the proposed trail alignments.
Involvement of the public was a key goal of the public meeting. The second
half of the meeting focused on gathering feedback from the community
and discussing the details of the plan. A live question and answer session
concluded the meeting, followed by an open house discussion with display
boards of the proposed plan. Comment cards distributed to the attendees
before the meeting were collected, compiled into a summary, and presented
to the working group. The meeting was recorded and live streamed via Zoom
and was posted on the city's website to gain additional feedback and to allow The map displayed above shows markups provided by the meeting attendees
a chance for those that could not attend in person to provide their input. showing where they live and any suggestions they had within the study area.
Spur connections to Drury Court and Cherokee Road were well recieved.
This input and feedback from the community helped shape the study to
provide quality connections to desired destinations.
Doraville, GA 3

Doraville PCG Study
The Doraville PCG Study identified 3.6 miles of bicycle and pedestrian Proposed Trail Segment Map
connectivity opportunities. The study achieves the goal of discovering
multi-use trail options between the city center and the planned Peachtree
Creek Greenway across I-85 while also providing a loop trail. The future trail
will connect residents to the city center, MARTA station, commercial hubs,
schools and greenspaces while providing opportunities to safely cross I-85
and Buford Highway.
4a
4b
The proposed trails are divided into four (4) segments, which then are further
3c
broken down to phases for ease of implementation. The names and lettering
represented for each segment are working names only and do not imply a
2c
suggested order of implementation. The Doraville PCG phases within this 3b
study are as follows:
2b
Segments Page #
3a
2a
Segment 1 | Marjan Drive to Stewart Creek .....................................................6
Segment 2 | Western Loop - Aztec Road to Chestnut Drive ........................10
1a
Segment 3 | Eastern Loop - Aztec Road to Chestnut Apartments ...............14
Segment 4 | Chestnut Drive to New Peachtree Road.....................................18
The following pages present each trail phase in more detail with a
preliminary cost estimate.
Legend
Segment 1 Trail Alternative Floodplain
Segment 2 Future Trail Park & Open Space
Segment 3 School City Limit
Segment 4
4 Doraville Peachtree Creek Greenway Trail Study

Doraville PCG Study
Prepared by: PATH Foundation
DRAFT: Dec, 2021
Legend
Proposed Trail
Trail Alternative
Future Trail
Proposed Bridge
Floodplain
Park & Open Space
School
City Boundary
Doraville, GA 5

Segment #1 | Marjan Drive to Stewart Creek
Description Trail Segment by Jurisdiction
The map displayed below shows Segment 1 broken down by jurisdiction.
The Doraville PCG Study begins along Marjan Drive in unincorporated
DeKalb County. Completing this segment will connect the Doraville
communities to the Peachtree Creek Greenway and many more regional
amenities. A mid-block at-grade crossing is proposed at Marjan Drive. The
trail then follows along the western side of the tributary to the lower parking
lot of Stone Summit Rock Climbing Gym on the east side of I-85. Aligned
between the parking lot and the tributary, the trail will begin increase
elevation to cross over Presidential Pkwy and I-85.
Once across to the west side of I-85, the trail will return to grade utilizing
green space between existing building and parking area. The trail will then
traverse through the wooded slope abutting the utility corridor northeast
before reaching the Hidden Colony Apartments. A trail bridge is proposed
to bring the users to the east side of the tributary. Once across, segment 1
will continue north as a greenway until it ties into phase 3a.
(see segment map on page 4)
Due to the complexity of constructing the I-85 bridge and approaching
structures, segment 1 is seen as one complete phase (phase 1a) to be
implemented. The City of Doraville and DeKalb County will have the
opportunity to work collaboratively during the design and construction
process of this segment. Each municipality will be financially responsible for Legend
the portion(s) of trail within their individual jurisdictions. Doraville Dekalb County
Segment 1 provides Doraville residents much needed access to regional
connectivity via the Peachtree Creek Greenway. Large key property owners Phase 1a - Marjan Drive to Stewart Creek
Planning & Engineering $ 328,000.00
and stakeholders on the east side of I-85 have already expressed their interest
Construction Cost ( Summer 2021) $3,434,000.00
and/or support of this segment. Securing support from businesses and
Total Cost to Implement $3,762,000.00
property owners within the city of Doraville limit will be vital to the success
of this trail connection.
6 Doraville Peachtree Creek Greenway Trail Study