By Tad Leithead
Executive director, Lilburn CID
LILBURN, Ga.- | The City of Lilburn officially has adopted the updated Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) Plan, which includes recommendations for area improvements to transform Lilburn into a walkable, vibrant area with increased mobility options and improved access to jobs and services. The city intends to incorporate the LCI into its 2019 Comprehensive Plan, which is currently being updated with assistance from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) and a steering committee.
Leithead
It was exciting to see the process unfold and watch the community interact and engage with the proposed recommendations. In addition to creating retail, arts and culture hubs around the BAPS Mandir, Plaza Las Americas and Old Town Lilburn, the creation and expansion of walking trails and the addition of new greenspaces, like pocket parks, were particularly well-received.
The LCI Plan results were compiled over a nine-month process and incorporated community input, economic analysis and projected population growth analysis. The adopted study is the result of the combined efforts of the Lilburn CID, the City of Lilburn, Lilburn Downtown Development Authority, Gwinnett County, Atlanta Regional Commission, Sizemore Group, Kimley-Horn, PAG Group and Sycamore Consulting as well as public participation at multiple in-person events and an online survey that captured 1,874 interactions.
The plan outlines six key nodes within the area on which to focus development efforts. These include:
- Uptown Lilburn near U.S. Highway 29 and Indian Trail Road;
- 24-acre Midtown Shopping district with retail and housing near U.S. Highway 29 and Beaver Ruin Road;
- 12-acre Hotel district at U.S. Highway 29 near Rockbridge Road near the BAPS Mandir;
- 8-acre Technology Park with retail and housing at U.S. Highway 29 near Lester Road; and
- 114-acre Arts and Culture District with housing and breweries near Lilburn Industrial Way and Killian Hill Road.
The LCI plan includes greenspaces throughout the area with the intent that every resident in Lilburn is no more than a 10-minute walk away from trail access, a pocket park or an existing park. Other transit improvements would mitigate traffic in these areas.
The continued collaboration between the public and the LCI study team members, including the City of Lilburn and the Downtown Development Authority, is what makes a better Lilburn possible.
The first step in the LCI implementation process is the creation of the Improvements and Traffic Management Study on U.S. Highway 29 study, after which the LCI’s proposed road and transit improvements would be eligible for funding and commencement. Read the full Plan results here.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Follow Us