From Walkable Dreams to a Paved-Over Promise
Read the Cherokee Tribune article about it.
When the Woodstock Mill District was first reviewed by the City’s Planning Commission earlier this year, I was cautiously optimistic. Like many neighbors, I loved the idea of being able to walk or bike to get groceries instead of fighting Main Street traffic just to pick up dinner.
At the time, I submitted a public comment to the Planning Commission. I asked them to consider electric vehicle charging stations, bike racks and trail connections, and family-friendly spaces such as a small play area, shaded benches, or outdoor seating where people could gather. I hoped the project would reflect Woodstock’s identity as a city that values green space and community connection, not just another parking lot lined with logos.
I wasn’t against the project. I was for doing it right, thoughtfully, sustainably, and with the public in mind.
Now, only months later, the renderings tell a different story. What’s being built looks indistinguishable from other Connolly developments across Georgia: a Publix at the center, five freestanding buildings spaced far apart, and more parking spaces than trees in between. Two of those buildings appear split into smaller units, but overall it’s a layout that wastes both land and opportunity.
For all the talk of walkability, the numbers tell the story. The property covers about 12.5 acres with just 116,000 square feet of building space and 620 parking spaces—more than five spaces for every 1,000 square feet of retail. That’s a suburban parking ratio, not a downtown one. It assumes every customer will drive and no one will ever walk.
At the Planning Commission meeting, the discussion seemed to focus more on golf cart parking than on bike lanes, sidewalks, or trail connections. And for a project that claims to promote connectivity, there are no visible bike lanes or trail links on the plan. (The city has leaned heavily toward golf cart routes lately: a choice that benefits a small number of residents who can afford them while doing little to make travel safer or more affordable for everyone else.)
Any urban design review focused on safety and efficient land use would flag this layout as deeply flawed. It devotes vast acreage to parking and driveways while offering almost no meaningful green space or safe pedestrian routes—wasting both land and the chance to create a place where people would actually want to spend time.
There is technically a pedestrian crossing, but it routes people directly through a busy traffic circle with no safe median or refuge. That design is bad for everyone: unsafe for pedestrians and frustrating for drivers.
And all the trees that once softened that corridor are being torn down. The renderings show little true green space, just narrow strips of landscaping. There’s more asphalt than gathering space.
The planned extension of Lyndee Lane might ease some congestion, but the overall design still follows a cookie-cutter template that ignores local context. It’s a missed opportunity to build something that could have reflected Woodstock’s spirit of walkability and natural beauty.
There’s also a real concern that the redevelopment will price out the small local businesses currently based in Towne Lake Plaza. Those businesses have served the community for years, and they deserve to be part of Woodstock’s future, not casualties of its rebranding.
I understand why developers default to this model. It’s predictable. It’s cheaper to build and easier to finance. But what makes sense for a developer’s bottom line doesn’t necessarily make sense for Woodstock’s future.
That’s part of why I decided to run for mayor. Not to stop growth, but to demand better growth that strengthens community, not just traffic counts.
As mayor, I will work with Council and staff to:
Advocate for development impact studies that measure safety and quality of life, not just car throughput.
Encourage tying occupancy permits to completed infrastructure, so projects cannot open before roads, crosswalks, and stormwater systems are ready.
Champion a public-facing development dashboard so residents can track promises and progress in real time.
We can have progress without paving over what makes Woodstock special. We can build a city where walking to the store is actually safe, where kids can play under trees instead of dodging tailpipes, and where public comment means something.
That is the vision I am running on: a Woodstock that grows with intention, not imitation.
