HISTORY OF LAND USE IN CHATT HILLS
Rico Historic Crossroads: Reactivating a historic community
From: Reactivating the Historic Crossroads Community (Laurie Searle, June 1, 2023)
From: Reactivating the Historic Crossroads Community (Laurie Searle, June 1, 2023)
Before the city of Chattahoochee Hills incorporated in 2007, much of this area was known as Rico. Once of five thriving crossroad communities that developed in the mid 1850s, Rico was the last to survive with a few commercial businesses, churches, and an old school, now repurposed as city hall.
During the city’s first Comprehensive Plan process in 2011, residents were asked if there was an interest in reactivating the Rico Historic Crossroads Community. The answer was yes – contingent on the support from Rico residents. Rico Historic Crossroads was added to the Comprehensive Plan with a vision of adding smaller, historically consistent, commercial or civic development; and a future work plan for scheduling community meetings and developing a Master Plan.
During the 2016 Comprehensive Plan Update, planning meetings were scheduled with Rico residents. They were in agreement to reactivate the historic crossroads, and gave input for the type of smaller, historically consistent, commercial and civic development they preferred, as well as the suggested boundary.
In 2019, the city acquired 45 acres of land behind city hall, which expanded the potential boundary for the Rico Historic Crossroads.
In 2021, the city participated in a mTAP (mini–Technical Assistance Panel) project awarded through the Urban Land Institute. The project team delivered a
Rico Historic District Crossroads report on May 19, 2021, that included a Concept plan for the 45-acre city-owned property, with three defined core areas for community, agriculture, and commercial.
In 2021, students from the Georgia Tech Graduate Urban Design Studio worked with the city and residents to create a Rico Crossroads Master Plan. The Plan focused on the 45 acres behind city hall, and created a Town Center Plan with a 100 year build out.
When the Covid Pandemic hit in 2021, work on the Rico Historic Crossroads was put on hold. In the fall of 2022, a few Rico business owners requested the project pick up again, as they were ready to present plans for commercial development.
During the city’s first Comprehensive Plan process in 2011, residents were asked if there was an interest in reactivating the Rico Historic Crossroads Community. The answer was yes – contingent on the support from Rico residents. Rico Historic Crossroads was added to the Comprehensive Plan with a vision of adding smaller, historically consistent, commercial or civic development; and a future work plan for scheduling community meetings and developing a Master Plan.
During the 2016 Comprehensive Plan Update, planning meetings were scheduled with Rico residents. They were in agreement to reactivate the historic crossroads, and gave input for the type of smaller, historically consistent, commercial and civic development they preferred, as well as the suggested boundary.
In 2019, the city acquired 45 acres of land behind city hall, which expanded the potential boundary for the Rico Historic Crossroads.
In 2021, the city participated in a mTAP (mini–Technical Assistance Panel) project awarded through the Urban Land Institute. The project team delivered a
Rico Historic District Crossroads report on May 19, 2021, that included a Concept plan for the 45-acre city-owned property, with three defined core areas for community, agriculture, and commercial.
In 2021, students from the Georgia Tech Graduate Urban Design Studio worked with the city and residents to create a Rico Crossroads Master Plan. The Plan focused on the 45 acres behind city hall, and created a Town Center Plan with a 100 year build out.
When the Covid Pandemic hit in 2021, work on the Rico Historic Crossroads was put on hold. In the fall of 2022, a few Rico business owners requested the project pick up again, as they were ready to present plans for commercial development.
Rico Historic Crossroads Community Plan Continues - 2022/2023
FARMER D JOINS THE PROJECT TEAM
In the winter of 2022, Mayor Tom Reed asked Farmer D to continue the project. Farmer D is a dynamic team of farm community planners, designers and activators growing thriving communities for developers, landowners, nonprofits and governments. The founder and project lead, Daron ‘Farmer D’ Joffee, is a nationally recognized Biodynamic farmer, educator, and consultant, who was hired in 2002 to be the founding farmer and establish the Serenbe Farms. Team member Greg Ramsey was also a part of this project. Greg is a village and conservation community designer and planner that has been collaborating with Farmer D for twenty years.
The Farmer D team had several meetings with the city’s project team, consisting of Mayor Reed, Councilmember Laurie Searle (Dist. 3), Community Development Director Mike Morton, and City Planner Caity Chandler. In the early winter of 2023, a draft plan was created as a starting point, and the Farmer D team began the process of contacting local business owners and key landowners within in the project area to get their initial input.
After several revisions to the plan, a workshop was scheduled on May 4 with the Rico business owns and key landowners to get their additional input before presenting the plan to the city council.
The Rico Historic Crossroads presentation was given to the city council on June 1, 2023. The Zoom Recording is available on the City's Website, with the
Rico Historic Crossroads presentation starting at minute 30.
FARMER D JOINS THE PROJECT TEAM
In the winter of 2022, Mayor Tom Reed asked Farmer D to continue the project. Farmer D is a dynamic team of farm community planners, designers and activators growing thriving communities for developers, landowners, nonprofits and governments. The founder and project lead, Daron ‘Farmer D’ Joffee, is a nationally recognized Biodynamic farmer, educator, and consultant, who was hired in 2002 to be the founding farmer and establish the Serenbe Farms. Team member Greg Ramsey was also a part of this project. Greg is a village and conservation community designer and planner that has been collaborating with Farmer D for twenty years.
The Farmer D team had several meetings with the city’s project team, consisting of Mayor Reed, Councilmember Laurie Searle (Dist. 3), Community Development Director Mike Morton, and City Planner Caity Chandler. In the early winter of 2023, a draft plan was created as a starting point, and the Farmer D team began the process of contacting local business owners and key landowners within in the project area to get their initial input.
After several revisions to the plan, a workshop was scheduled on May 4 with the Rico business owns and key landowners to get their additional input before presenting the plan to the city council.
The Rico Historic Crossroads presentation was given to the city council on June 1, 2023. The Zoom Recording is available on the City's Website, with the
Rico Historic Crossroads presentation starting at minute 30.
RICO CROSSROADS COMMUNITY WORKSHOP SUMMARY
From the Farmer D project team
The Rico Crossroads Opportunities Map is designed to represent a long-term potential development build-out opportunity framed within the historic Rico crossroads to the North and City Hall to the South.
The Phase I Community Plan is designed to address short term potential work projects including: development startups, initiation of several trails and a street crossing, reinforcement of existing and proposed community anchors and spaces, next step on the public works area and initiation of the city park community framework.
The Rico Crossroads Opportunities Map as a long-term potential build-out can over time fulfill community and general market needs.
Some of these building opportunities may never be built and others may take a long time – the key is to hold places for these community-oriented buildings into the future as infrastructure is developed.
GENERAL THEME - REGAINING SOME OF RICO’S ORIGINAL HISTORIC CHARACTER & BALANCING COMMUNITY BASED AND DESTINATION BASED DEVELOPMENT
One of the primary issues that surfaced from the workshop is how Rico over time has lost significant character in regard to the businesses that used to cater to the needs of Rico and surrounding residents. A key question that surfaced from this discussion is how small entrepreneurs can be attracted into Rico to meet some of the needs of residents in the surrounding district and in Rico itself. In order to achieve at least part of this goal Rico will need to create opportunities to meet the needs of small entrepreneurs, farmers and artisans that need affordable opportunities for work spaces and housing.
One opportunity is to incentivize some of these affordable work places and housing opportunities using the city property as a key catalyst and identifying other private property owners, developers and nonprofits interested in doing the same. The other key issue that arose was how to simultaneously create exceptional destination-oriented restaurants and other curated experiences - this combined approach has the potential to ensure a balance in sustainable long term mixed income community-based development that the civic seat of Chat Hills can offer combined with unique “destination” oriented development.
Approaches include:
NEXT STEPS
The Farmer D project team gave a presentation to the city council on June 1, with an overview presentation and the Concept Opportunity Map. The project team will next work with the city to develop draft zoning for the council’s review.
From the Farmer D project team
The Rico Crossroads Opportunities Map is designed to represent a long-term potential development build-out opportunity framed within the historic Rico crossroads to the North and City Hall to the South.
The Phase I Community Plan is designed to address short term potential work projects including: development startups, initiation of several trails and a street crossing, reinforcement of existing and proposed community anchors and spaces, next step on the public works area and initiation of the city park community framework.
The Rico Crossroads Opportunities Map as a long-term potential build-out can over time fulfill community and general market needs.
Some of these building opportunities may never be built and others may take a long time – the key is to hold places for these community-oriented buildings into the future as infrastructure is developed.
GENERAL THEME - REGAINING SOME OF RICO’S ORIGINAL HISTORIC CHARACTER & BALANCING COMMUNITY BASED AND DESTINATION BASED DEVELOPMENT
One of the primary issues that surfaced from the workshop is how Rico over time has lost significant character in regard to the businesses that used to cater to the needs of Rico and surrounding residents. A key question that surfaced from this discussion is how small entrepreneurs can be attracted into Rico to meet some of the needs of residents in the surrounding district and in Rico itself. In order to achieve at least part of this goal Rico will need to create opportunities to meet the needs of small entrepreneurs, farmers and artisans that need affordable opportunities for work spaces and housing.
One opportunity is to incentivize some of these affordable work places and housing opportunities using the city property as a key catalyst and identifying other private property owners, developers and nonprofits interested in doing the same. The other key issue that arose was how to simultaneously create exceptional destination-oriented restaurants and other curated experiences - this combined approach has the potential to ensure a balance in sustainable long term mixed income community-based development that the civic seat of Chat Hills can offer combined with unique “destination” oriented development.
Approaches include:
- Partnerships to build those opportunities on city land
- Nonprofits and developers looking to help provide affordable work spaces and housing including
NEXT STEPS
The Farmer D project team gave a presentation to the city council on June 1, with an overview presentation and the Concept Opportunity Map. The project team will next work with the city to develop draft zoning for the council’s review.
For more information see [Resources]