An email to leaders of communities in east Roswell has sounded the alarm over proposals in the city’s Comprehensive Plan 2030.

“After months of meetings that have been very lightly attended by residents from the east side of Roswell, the draft plan for Roswell neighborhoods now includes the following three significant points,” the email from the East Roswell Forum said. “Do they match your vision for Roswell?”

Among the points raised in the forum email is a proposed high density node at the southeast corner of Holcomb Bridge Road and Ga. 400, also known as the Charlie Brown property. It would include buildings up to 14 stories tall. An accompanying Village Center concept plan shows 16 buildings in the mid-rise and low mid-rise categories as well as around several groups of mixed-use buildings and housing units up to four stories.

The email said the concept plan features a rapid transit station for buses, a conference center, a hotel, civic center and retail space.

A map in the proposed plan separates the residential areas in the city into estate residential, all in the northwest area of the city; residential suburban, which would be all housing from the west edge of Roswell to Ga. 400; and residential mixed. Photographic examples of that category show more density in developed housing units.

That last category would encompass all residential housing east of Ga. 400, including Horseshoe Bend, Ellard, Martin’s Landing, Willow Springs, Nesbit Lakes and Sentinel on the River.

The third element cited in the email is the Holcomb Bridge Corridor from Martin’s Landing east to the river, which would be designated on the proposed Future Land Use Map as Corridor Commercial.

“Land adjacent to Martin’s Landing that is environmentally sensitive and includes an overtaxed perennial stream leading into Martin’s Lake would move from a low density residential category to inclusion into a Commercial Corridor,” the email said. “Linear commercial development has previously been discouraged along this corridor. Although mixed use is not excluded here, this designation of the corridor is a drastic change.”

The city is required by the state to create a Comprehensive Plan to determine how each area of the city will be developed in the future. Roswell’s new plan will cover the next two decades.

The email instructs residents who disagree with these elements of the plan to contact the mayor, council members and city staff.

Councilwoman Betty Price said “it’s really very, very premature” to be too concerned. “This is just the beginning of the dialogue.”

She said she didn’t think the plan as drafted would be approved “in toto. I don’t even think it will be approved in partiality.” Dave Schmit, chair of the citizen Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee, said nothing is final. “There will be more dialogue with members of the community to gather more input and work through the plans.”

Councilwoman Becky Wynn, the only council member living east of Ga. 400, said she could understand east Roswell’s anxieties about the Charlie Brown property. “Five years ago they were very, very concerned about high density on that land, and my understanding is they thought that was all put to bed. And now they see something calling for more intensive use.”

In response to residents’ concerns, Community Development Director Alice Wakefield said another community input meeting will be scheduled the week of April 18.