The other day I saw a pic in a local magazine of Brandon Beach with Jim Cowart and this made me think of my husband's childhood home. My husband grew up in a Cowart built home on West Nancy Creek Drive in what is now called Brookhaven. His parents bought it, brand new, in 1965. I-285 was just being built and there was no concept of "ITP". They were in the far northern reaches of Atlanta.
In those days - the late 60's and the early 70's, Perimeter Mall was just being built as well. I remember going to Perimeter Mall in 1973 to get my ears pierced and seeing pastures and barns right across the street from the Mall.
Perimeter Mall wasn't the only place I used to travel to that seemed rural. When my family moved here in 1972 we lived in Gwinnett County. Used to be that Indian Trail was part dirt road. Nothing much on that road but overgrown pasture, trees, and farmhouses.
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Things change, even the established areas. The first house my husband and I bought was in city of Decatur near Agnes Scott College. It was a tiny house and we had to share a driveway with a neighbor on one side of us. A drug dealer lived on the other side. And more than once I saw police foot chases on my street. I was not unhappy to leave that house. Today? I could scarcely afford to buy in that neighborhood. Everything has been remodeled, improved. It's the place to be. Decatur is an incredibly well managed city and it's close to Atlanta.
All this is to say that times change and places change. There is no stopping that. But we have control over how change is managed. That control is called City Hall.
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As for Gwinnett - well, Indian Trail certainly is not a dirt road anymore. I'd be hesitant to say that Gwinnett developed out in a really good way. Much of it is dense and has too many strip shopping centers.
You can be the judge of Perimeter Mall area. Having lived there when the traffic wasn't so bad, it's hard for me to enjoy it like I used to, but I suppose it has developed out nicely enough.
The Cowart homes are still standing - and in desirable areas.
Which brings me to Alpharetta. When I came here in January, 1997, Alpharetta was already a mega corporate headquarters during the day but the place itself was still dotted with horse farms and pastures. Are there any horse farms left in Alpharetta? I can think of two - and one of those is about to go away.
The city developed a Comprehensive Land Use Plan to help manage change; to manage the future. But recent re-zonings have been exceptions to this land use plan. Is this a bad thing? Maybe bad, maybe not bad, but worth your attention. Too many exceptions make a joke of the Plan.
Don't think that Alpharetta can't go the way of Gwinnett or have the traffic issues of Dunwoody. It can. Alpharetta is still growing, still changing. Every citizen of Alpharetta has a voice in that growth and change. If you own property here, and pay taxes here, you are part owner of Alpharetta. Treat it as you would any other asset you own.
