Atlanta City Council's Zoning Review Board voted 4-1 Thursday to advance a package of zoning reforms targeting the Westside, which would rezone several major corridors for mid-rise mixed-use development. The changes would affect parcels along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard, and Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, allowing buildings up to eight stories where current zoning caps height at three.
The reforms are part of Mayor Andre Dickens' "Westside Rising" initiative, which aims to channel new development to historically underinvested neighborhoods while maintaining affordability protections. All projects over 20 units in the rezoned areas would be required to include at least 20 percent affordable units under the city's inclusionary zoning ordinance.
Not everyone supports the changes. District 3 Councilmember Byron Amos, who voted against the measure in committee, said he worries the reforms move too quickly and could overwhelm infrastructure in neighborhoods already dealing with stormwater and traffic issues. The full council is expected to vote on the package at its April 6 meeting.