City Council met on Sept. 27 for a work session, followed by a special called meeting.
By Logan C. Ritchie
The city of Tucker is purchasing four parcels of land for $1.2 million to add greenspace and trail access to downtown. City Council unanimously approved the deal after the third consecutive executive session for real estate purposes.
Main Street serves as the city’s prime event space for celebrations like Tucker Day, Taste of Tucker, Tucker Cruise-In, fireworks and more.
Adding the parcels at Second Avenue at Railroad is a step toward completing the Tucker Downtown Master Plan, which was adopted in December 2020. The vision is to create a walkable, active downtown that supports retail and office uses and enhances the connectivity and vibrancy of downtown Tucker, according to the Downtown Master Plan.
A rendering of the Downtown Master Plan from the city of Tucker.
In the Downtown Master Plan, 93 percent of respondents said they want a town green in the downtown area to be used for community events and recreation.
The city has been completing projects within the Downtown Master Plan including conducting an alley and grid restoration study, streetscape enhancements and the purchase of land on Church Street. Recently, Tucker’s planning and zoning boards have heard proposals for defining an entertainment district, Art in the Alleys and signage.
A city representative said the land is being purchased from the Cofers, a family with a deep history in Tucker. The Cofer family started working in Tucker in 1919, when brothers Kelley and Reid Cofer opened a small country store on Main Street selling produce, meat, eggs and more.
The city’s new properties are located at 4236 Railroad Ave., 2301 Second St., 2295 Second St., and 4226 Railroad Ave.
The Tucker-Northlake CID played a big role in the deal, said Mayor Frank Auman.
“These parcels have to do with greenspace downtown, the trail project that has been long developing. Of course, the sellers, the Cofer family, specifically wanted to see that this land got used for those kinds of purposes, so it’s a great community coming together,” said Auman.
n other news:
– City engineer Ken Hildebrandt presented traffic calming ideas to City Council at the Sept. 27 work session. Hildebrandt said the radar speed detection is collecting data on Brockett Road drivers, which will be presented at the Oct. 25 work session. No votes were taken on the matter.
– Northlake Mall’s 60th anniversary is Oct. 6. Renovations are underway to transform 200,000 sq. ft. of the old shopping center as Emory Healthcare is expected to move to the building in January 2022.
– A privately owned stretch of Richardson Street near E. Ponce de Leon Avenue is being donated to the city. The road is in poor condition and needs curbs, gutters, drainage, sidewalks and repaving, said Hildebrandt. No votes were taken on the matter.
– Tucker Parks and Recreation Director Rip Robertson presented two updated contracts, adding performance and payment bond fees. The added fees for two projects – Henderson Park sidewalks and the William Probst memorial – protect the city from contractors defaulting on the project and the payment of subcontractors, said Robertson. By adding the bonds, the contracts were still the lowest bids on each project.
– The next City Council meeting is on Tuesday, Oct. 12.
– Early voting begins Oct. 12 at Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library.
Correction: An earlier version of this article gave an incorrect price for the purchase of land from the Cofer family. This story has been updated with the correct information.
Read the original story on TuckerObserver.com.
