Alpharetta’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan: Why It Matters (North Fulton Voices, Episode 14)
On this edition of North Fulton Voices, hosts Jack Murphy and Nancy Diamond sit down with Benjamin “Ben” Kern of MKSK Studios and Michael Woodman, Planning and Development Services Manager for the City of Alpharetta, to unpack Alpharetta’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan. This conversation explains what a comprehensive plan is and why it is relevant for everyday life in Alpharetta. You will hear how the plan sets the city’s long-range vision for land use, redevelopment, transportation, parks and greenways, housing, and economic development. The guests clearly distinguish between the plan and the zoning code: the plan establishes policy direction and a future land use map, while zoning serves as the legal tool to implement this vision when projects arrive.
Alpharetta is moving from a growth pattern defined by open land to one focused on redevelopment and reinvestment. The discussion covers how older commercial areas can be reimagined, why mixed-use nodes near jobs and services reduce congestion, and how the city evaluates proposals against the plan month in and month out. You will also learn how progress is tracked through a short-term work program and a formal Report of Accomplishments that keeps Alpharetta eligible for key regional and state funding.
Most importantly, the episode shows how residents and businesses can influence outcomes. Public input includes a steering committee, online surveys, and in-person sessions, with community meetings on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at 12:00–1:00 p.m. and 5:00–6:30 p.m. at Alpharetta City Hall. Listen to understand the choices ahead and how to weigh in with feedback that leads to better projects, stronger neighborhoods, and a city that reflects the community’s shared priorities.
Learn more on the 2045 Alpharetta Comprehensive Plan updates website, and add your voice by completing the community survey on future city development priorities.
North Fulton Voices is presented by the North Fulton Improvement Network. The show series is proudly sponsored by John Ray Co. and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC.
Key Takeaways from This Episode
- Plan vs. zoning, decoded: The comprehensive plan sets vision, goals, policies, and the future land use map. Zoning is the legal code that implements that vision when projects are proposed.
- Future land use map matters: Staff and elected officials use the map every month to evaluate whether a proposal aligns with the city’s long-range direction before any rezoning is considered.
- From greenfields to redevelopment: With little vacant land left, Alpharetta’s growth will come from reinvestment, infill, and reimagining aging commercial and office areas into mixed-use, walkable places.
- Transportation is more than roads: The plan ties land use to mobility, aiming for safer local streets, strategic congestion relief, and better walking, biking, and trail connections between jobs, housing, and parks.
- Housing mix and affordability tools: The update looks at diversifying housing types near services and employment to support workforce needs and reduce long commutes that strain the network.
- Short-term work program and accountability: Progress is tracked through a Report of Accomplishments, which keeps Alpharetta eligible for key regional and state funding.
- Public input shapes outcomes: Residents and businesses can influence priorities through surveys, a steering committee, and in-person sessions at City Hall. Thoughtful feedback can shift where, what, and how redevelopment happens.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Introduction to North Fulton Voices
01:01 Comprehensive Plans: Importance and Current Updates
01:29 Regional Housing Data and Trends
02:54 Meet the Experts: Benjamin Kerr and Michael Woodman
04:23 Understanding Comprehensive Plans
10:44 Community Involvement and Vision for Alpharetta’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan
17:01 Challenges and Opportunities in Alpharetta
27:38 Future Plans and Community Engagement
34:57 Conclusion and Contact Information
Michael Woodman, Planning and Development Services Manager, City of Alpharetta
The Community Development Department for the City of Alpharetta guides the city’s growth and development to enhance the quality of life while respecting its historic and natural features. The department plays a key role in planning and implementing projects related to land use, economic development, housing, and community facilities, including Alpharetta’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan. It supports diverse housing options, pedestrian-friendly environments, mixed-use developments, and public infrastructure improvements. The department also engages with the community and private sector to ensure development aligns with community goals, including projects like downtown revitalization, greenways, and city-owned property consolidation for municipal offices. Overall, it focuses on sustainable growth, creating vibrant neighborhoods, and improving public access to city services.
Benjamin Kern, Planner, MKSK Studios
MKSK Studios is a planning, urban design, and landscape architecture firm that partners extensively with municipalities to create vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive communities. They provide strategic master planning and design services that guide long-term improvements for municipal campuses, public parks, streetscapes, and civic spaces, with a strong focus on pedestrian connectivity, sustainable stormwater management, and adaptive reuse of existing city infrastructure. MKSK’s work for municipalities aims to enhance public engagement, strengthen community identity, and improve the quality of life through thoughtful, context-sensitive design that integrates social, environmental, and cultural values. Their projects often include comprehensive engagement efforts to ensure plans align with community needs while fostering equity and resilience in growing urban environments.
North Fulton Improvement Network
The North Fulton Improvement Network (NFIN) is a think tank made up of community leaders from various sectors, focused on missing middle housing and the livability challenges confronting North Fulton. Its members come from the six cities constituting the northern half of Fulton County, Georgia—Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell, and Sandy Springs—and are working to address the widespread yet little-known financial vulnerability across the region. With stakeholders from sectors including business, nonprofit, faith, government, and citizens, NFIN centers their work on five areas of impact, seeks to educate the public about these issues, builds a network of individuals and organizations with innovative private and public solutions, and connects resources to those in need.
The leadership team of NFIN is Jack Murphy, Nancy Diamond, and Kathy Swahn.
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Jack Murphy
Jack Murphy is a volunteer with The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and is Chair of the North Fulton Improvement Network. He is also in his 21st year of working for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
He has served on both the National and Georgia Boards of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, responsible for Diversity, Advocacy, & Systemic Change. Jack is currently the national SVDP chair of Systemic Change and Advocacy.
Jack received a BA in psychology from Belmont Abbey College and a M.Ed. from UNC-Greensboro. Jack and his wife, Nancy, a retired elementary school principal, have two grown daughters and two grandchildren. They live in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Nancy Diamond
Nancy Diamond is a Project Manager with Schmit & Associates, a real estate development firm, creating town center revitalization in communities all around the metro area.
Nancy served 8 years as a Roswell City Council Member, including a term as Mayor Pro Tem, with liaison positions with Community Development, Transportation, Recreation & Parks, and Public Safety.
In addition to her work with the North Fulton Improvement Network, Nancy has been active in area non-profit organizations, including board leadership positions in the STAR House Foundation, WellStar North Fulton Hospital, and the Roswell Rotary Club.
A native of Atlanta and a 42-year North Fulton resident, Nancy worked at Turner Broadcasting in the early years of CNN, then became a freelancer in sports television graphics. While raising her two daughters, she worked from home, first developing a corporate gift service and later as a mortgage loan originator.
Nancy and her husband, Glenn, now relish the role of grandparents to 8-year-old Owen.
Sponsor for North Fulton Voices: John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC
The North Fulton Voices show series is proudly sponsored by John Ray Co. and the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX®.
John Ray is a podcast show host and producer and owns North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, the North Fulton (Georgia) affiliate of Business RadioX®.
John also operates his own business advisory practice, Ray Business Advisors. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the author of the #1 nationally best-selling book, The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.
John is the host of North Fulton Business Radio and The Price and Value Journey. North Fulton Business Radio, the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton region of Georgia, features a wide range of business and community leaders. The Price and Value Journey is devoted to solo and small-firm professional services providers and covers issues such as pricing, value, and business development.
