Applications Now Open for Oak Cottage Court Homes
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Construction on the Oak Cottage Court began in August, 2022. The project, at 230 Commerce Dr., was renamed with a nod to the historic name of this section of North Commerce Drive, originally called North Columbia Drive (Oak) per the historic Sanborn Fire Insurance map. This is the first cottage court project in Decatur and the first collaborative housing project that will be held by the Decatur Land Trust, a non-profit chartered with preserving a permanently affordable community in the City of Decatur.
Cottage courts are a form of housing that has been allowed in Decatur since an ordinance passed in 2014. The concept calls for several smaller homes sharing a common green space. The City of Decatur launched the Oak Cottage Court as a demonstration project to spur more affordable, neighborhood-friendly housing in the city. In doing so, the city hopes to demonstrate an unmet demand for cottage homes sized roughly 700 to 1,200 square feet, and to identify and address any regulatory barriers that might be preventing the development of similar projects by others.
This project is also an example of how partnerships create affordable housing, with Development Authority of the City of Decatur working in collaboration with non-profit developer Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership and general contractor Fortas Homes to bring this project to fruition.
At completion, the project will have six new single-family cottages around a shared green space, with parking and new landscaping. The homes will be offered for sale to employees of the City of Decatur, City Schools of Decatur, and the Decatur Housing Authority. At the sale of the homes, the land will transfer to ownership under the Decatur Land Trust.
City Arborists are involved in the project to ensure that more than 25% of the existing canopy will be conserved and new trees will be planted to improve the canopy.
The sidewalk will be closed to pedestrians along the north side of Commerce Drive between East College Avenue and Sycamore Place for the duration of the project.
Applications are currently open for purchase of these new homes.
Questions? Contact angela.threadgill@decaturga.com