Piedmont Pathway Plan

In August 2024, The City of Norcross Mayor and Council approved the Parks, Greenspaces, Trails & Green Infrastructure (PGT&GI) Master Plan. In coordination and in support of the 2023 City of Norcross Comprehensive Plan Update,  PGT & GI Master Plan established a community-based vision to enhance the quality of life in the City of Norcross over the next five years.

One of the top priority projects recommended by the Plan was the Norcross Piedmont Pathway, a 2.1-mile linear greenspace that would extend from Jimmy Carter Boulevard to Mitchell Road where it would connect to the Norcross Greenway.

Study Overview

Over the next 12 months, the City of Norcross will be embarking on the Piedmont Pathway Feasibility and Scoping Study, a community-based planning and concept design process to explore the project’s feasibility and establish a phased implementation strategy. Specifically, the project will:

• Explore the implementability of a safe, connected, multi-modal, and financially feasibly shared-use path.
• Identify a preliminary alignment for shared-use path that facilitates the phased implementation of linear park elements and state-of-the art, green infrastructure strategies along the corridor.
• Deliver a scoping study that allows the City to pursue funding to implement a permittable and constructable shared-use path.

Project Process & Schedule

The project scope includes five tasks:

1. Existing Conditions & Technical Analysis –A thorough review and assessment of previous plans and existing conditions in the study area.
2. Public involvement - Conduct an outreach process that promotes the involvement of all stakeholders in the study area. Techniques include:
   
   o Meetings with Mayor and City Council
   o Meetings with the City of Norcross Parks, Greenspace, and Trail Commission
   o Three Public Involvement Meetings
   o Two rounds of 3 Stakeholder Meetings
3. Alternatives Analysis + Concept Plan Development - Prepare a Concept Layout, typical sections and a draft GDOT Limited Scope Concept Report for the trail project and park facility based on the existing conditions, technical analysis, and public involvement.
4. Implementation and Management Plan - Prepare a step-by-step implementation plan that identifies the logical phases of implementation, potential implementation partners, responsibilities, cost estimates, timeline and potential sources of funding for each phase.
5. Prepare Project Deliverables – Prepare Concept Summary Document and Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Limited Concept Report.

Below is a chart illustrating the Project Schedule.