Peach Tree Times

City of Johns Creek issued the following announcement on October 29.

The Johns Creek City Council unanimously approved the Johns Creek Town Center Vision and Plan at its October 25 meeting.

The plan is an official policy document establishing appropriate land use, linear park design, street and multi-modal networks, and streetscape standards to create a sense of place that is vibrant, and walkable with a mix of housing, retail, and office options in Johns Creek.

Identified as the key next step in the City’s 2018 Comprehensive Plan, the Town Center Vision and Plan is the culmination of citizen feedback, surveys, and public workshops (using a hybrid approach of virtual and in-person meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic) over a 12-month process.

“This plan came together with a tremendous amount of community input, feedback, involvement, and engagement,” said Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker. “This plan provides Johns Creek with a specific development program to help create a vibrant, walkable environment with a mix of housing, retail and office uses, and now serves as a strategic implementation guide for development and investment.”

The Town Center Vision and Plan includes five overarching themes: arts, culture, wellness, sustainability, and innovation, which were transformed into design principles focusing on the Town Center’s identity and path forward.

Specific plan elements include:

• Creating a street framework promoting a grid network with various street typologies;
• Multi-modal transportation connections via trails and bike paths through various pedestrian typologies;
• Incorporation of open space throughout the development (ponds and existing park); and
• Grouping areas of the Town Center into distinct neighborhoods (placemaking) to acknowledge exiting characteristics of the area 

The plan combines themes and design principles and elements to create a cohesive Town Center with a distinct identity and sense of place. The plan bridges the desires of residents and Technology Park businesses and property owners together with market data, providing for a Johns Creek-specific development program to implement in the Town Center.

Next steps include:

1. Creating a Town Center Zoning District: codifying the vision into a formal Town Center zoning district, directly correlating zoning requirements with the development and streetscape typologies (early 2022).      
2. Adopting the Town Center Vision and Plan as an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan (early 2022).
3. Selection of action items for initial implementation (to be determined by City Council). 

View the draft Town Center Vision and Plan and supporting documentation here. The finalized document will be available in the coming weeks.

Original source can be found here.