SENOIA, GA
A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT THE INTEGRATION OF A “NEW HOLLYWOOD”
WITH A CLASSICAL SOUTHERN TOWN.
SITUATION OVERLOOK
Located about an hour South of Georgia’s capital, is the humble, historical, quasi-rural, town of
Senoia, GA. Founded around 1828 by European settlers in search of a new start and prosperous
lands. Now, some 200 years later, a similar situation has arisen, where settlers, of a different kind,
have come to the South in search of economical parcels of land to purchase, which will become home
to the infamous lights, cameras and of course, action. The town, which until recently was almost
entirely based on agriculture and that has already welcomed a number of Television hits, shall
harvest ulterior big screen material when, in the near future Hollywood production companies will
move in and build state-of-the-art movie sets. This notion has stirred the town’s long-lasting peace, for
both the good and the bad. A portion of the town’s population is pleased with the arrival of the
Hollywood scene, which is bound to improve the county’s financial wellbeing by increasing property
values, providing jobs and attracting TV enthusiast tourism. Senoia’s planning committee has also
developed a 20 year growth plan in order to anticipate and embrace the benefits that the creation of
the studio will ensue. At the same time a smaller portion of the townsfolk is concerned that the new
arrival might compromise the integrity of Senoia’s established culture.
DESIGN GOALS
1) To achieve a balance point in the town’s “spirit”: an aesthetic meeting point between the two
worlds. In other words, to ensure that the town maintains its classical southern aesthetics
while allowing for the introduction of new buildings, public spaces and tourist attractions.
2) To lay the foundations down for functional traffic, tourism, and financial infrastructure in order
to accommodate the growth of these sectors in the upcoming decades.
DESIGN ATTRIBUTES
The attributes shall go hand in hand with the 20yr plan and will play a key role in achieving the above
mentioned goal. These are:
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Preservation and maintenance of any existing historical building/sites.
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Respect of the current look of the town when applying to new additions (such as movie set
structures, pavilion, roads, fences etc.) by using aesthetics similar in style to those of existing
historical buildings;
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Restoration and beautification of certain open areas in and around the town. This will help
soften the clash in styles of old and new. This will also aide in the preservation, maintenance
and enhancement the historical feel of Senoia while creating visual transition zones from the
old character of the town to the new, more modern aesthetics;
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Creation of “Senoia”: an integrative, interactive park that will include instructional tours of
movie sets, film-oriented attractions, restaurants, gift shops and a museum which covers the
history of the town, how it came to be one of the most desired filming sites in the South-East,
as well as an insight on all the TV shows and movies shot in Senoia and the surrounding
Coweta County. The park will not only be a hub for public interaction, but will give the town
respect and homage that is well-deserved, being brought by cameras into the homes of
millions of Americans almost every day;
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Retrofitting and repurposing of the abandoned railway tract south of the historic center. This
site will be the location of a greenway corridor, complete with trails, rest areas, viewing
points, restrooms, instructional signage;
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Create accommodations and amenities for tourists visiting Senoia and its attractions. This will
be done by evaluating suitable and logical areas in which different facilities will be located.
The new areas will be: Mixed Use (multi-story buildings that will host food, retail, offices and
apartments), Residential areas (RS-8, RS-15, RS-40), Hotels (of various price/quality ranges).
Also, if deemed necessary, new government facilities (police, fire departments,
hospitals/clinics, post offices, schools/instructional facilities, etc.)will be located in logical
points around Senoia;
GOALS
INVENTORY
-Preservation of City’s Aesthetics
-Buildings (historic buildings + features)
-Beautification of Public Open Areas
-Open Areas
-Retrofit Railway
-Railway
-Create Amenities for Tourists
-Zoning & Properties
-Add Mixed Use, Residential and Hotel Areas
-Population Density
-Median Pop. Income, Tourism, Growth
OPEN AREAS
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Senoia State Park (12.2 Acres)
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Marimac Lakes Park (53 Acres)
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Abandoned Railway Line (1 mile)
Corridor Protection Proposal
CITY’S ZONING MAPS
PROPOSED ZONING MAPS
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CONCEPT FOR ROAD ALIGNMENT
SENOIA MASTERPLAN
CONSTRUCTION DETAIL