The board voted 4-1 to approve ordinance Z-26-52, which changes the zoning of two parcels at 687 and 707 Angier Ave. NE from Mixed Residential Commercial Conditional/Beltline Overlay and Light Industrial/Beltline Overlay to Mixed Residential Commercial/Beltline Overlay, according to a staff report.

The development, proposed by a team that includes Satish Lathi, would replace a 22-unit affordable apartment building called Hillside Villas and a duplex with a 140,000-square-foot condominium building containing 52 units. The tower would rise 225 feet and is projected to be completed in 2031.

Neighborhood Planning Unit M, one of 25 citizen advisory groups created by the city, voted 41-8 in October to recommend denial of the rezoning. Residents cited environmental, safety and neighborhood-character concerns, and many objected to the building's height in an area where surrounding structures are generally six to nine stories tall.

Cody Pierce, who lives about five feet from the site, told the board the project is "really not what's needed" in Old Fourth Ward. "You could have the same amount of density in a much shorter building," Pierce said. "According to the CDP, yes, this is on the map, but it doesn't have to be the most intense [option]."

Pierce also raised concerns about the loss of 24 affordable units when the existing buildings are demolished. Lathi noted that the city did not include an inclusionary requirement for the condos, which are expected to sell for millions of dollars, according to a city housing impact statement. He said those conditions could change if some units are rented rather than sold.

The housing impact statement concluded that "there is no perceived negative effect on the existing use or usability of adjacent or nearby properties."

Melinda Fox, an Old Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association member and environmental scientist, disputed that assessment. She asked the board to conduct an independent "solstice-to-solstice" shadow study to evaluate how the tower would affect native plants, mature trees, landscaping and the playground at Old Fourth Ward Park, which sits at the edge of the site.

"It's a major family destination along one of Atlanta's busiest Beltline corridors, serving families, children and visitors throughout the year," Fox said during the hearing. "An 18-story residential building, directly overhead, completely vertical, creates a very real fishbowl effect with hundreds of windows and balconies overlooking children at play."

City officials and the developers have argued that the project aligns with Atlanta's 2025 Community Development Plan, even as they acknowledged residents' discomfort with the building's height.

The zoning committee is scheduled to review the plans at the full City Council meeting on Nov. 16 at Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave. SW. The meeting will also be streamed on the city's ATL26 YouTube channel.