Dead End Chamblee Road Getting 37 New Townhomes

New townhomes coming to Chamblee. 

Atlanta-based Beazer Homes plans to build 37 new townhomes in place of six single family homes it recently demolished off Clairmont Road in Chamblee.

The community, which will reportedly be called Glenmaye, will be located off Clairmont Road on McJenkin Drive.  Homes at 3175 Clairmont Road, and 1808, 1816, 1826, 1834, & 1840 McJenkin Drive were all purchased and subsequently demolished to make way for the new development.  Together, the community covers about 3.4 acres.  The now demolished homes sat on rather deep lots making them especially appealing to developers.  

According to online records, the purchase price for the combined properties was about $2.3 million.  This figure includes:

1808 McJenkin $395K / $177 per sq ft 
1816 McJenkin $335K / $213 per sq ft 
1826 McJenkin $450K / $225 per sq ft 
1834 McJenkin $425K / $293 per sq ft 
1840 McJenkin $320K / $192 per sq ft 
3175 Clairmont $340K / $257 per sq ft 

Demolition seen through fencing on Clairmont Road 

The Embry Group has been working on the project since at least last summer when it was successful in getting the City of Chamblee to rezone the properties from Neighborhood Residential - 1 (NR-1) to Village Residential (VR).  The Embry Group, working on behalf of Beazer Homes, has been involved in real estate, land development and construction in Atlanta for over sixty years. 

It is my understanding that the following guidelines (among others) are to be followed by Beazer as they were prerequisites by the Chamblee City Council to get the development approved. 

*Each townhouse unit shall be sold in fee simple and be served by a separate utility meter. 

*Minimum heated floor area shall be 1,800 sq. ft. per dwelling unit and each unit shall provide a two-car garage. 

*All units facing Clairmont Road and McJenkin Drive shall be rear-entry. 

*The developer shall provide the streetscape design for the property’s McJenkin Drive frontage that is required in the UDO for a local street zoned VR. 

*A mandatory homeowner association shall be organized with covenants recorded in Superior Court that require all homeowners to bear the cost of maintaining all common areas including streets, hardscape, landscaping and amenities.

Many mature trees like the one above will likely be lost to the new development.  This is of course nothing new, but still sad, even disheartening, to see so many grand trees lost all over Atlanta. (Have you seen what Briarcliff Road just past Mo's Pizza looks like now!?) 

As my first photo shows, the property is very close to a MARTA bus stop, but I doubt those who can afford the new townhomes will want to rely on the bus for transportation.  (Personally, I'm a supporter and rider of MARTA, but the bus system could definitely use improvement.) 

McJenkin Drive, located just north of Century Center, serves as the entrance to the Hillcrest neighborhood. With dense traffic on busy Clairmont Road and no indication that a traffic light will be added, the potential addition of at least 37 vehicles is surely not welcome news for area residents and commuters.  

The development sits adjacent to an existing and quite extensive Georgia Power easement.  

Georgia Power easement adjacent to new Glenmaye  project 

What are your thoughts on this redevelopment? Would you want to live in Glenmaye?  Do think a traffic light should be installed at the intersection of McJenkin Drive and Clairmont Road?  

Please share your thoughts below.