Tad Leithead, Principal I Executive Director, Leithead Consulting I Lilburn CID
Tad Leithead, executive director of the Lilburn CID and principal of Leithead Consulting, spoke with Focus: about the history of CIDs and the pressing needs of the Atlanta region. “The shift toward local neighborhoods reduces strain on regional transportation infrastructure. Localized living models make commuting optional and support lifestyle convenience,” Leithead said.
What changes over the past year have most impacted CIDs in the state of Georgia?
Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) are infrastructure investment organizations, originally created in the 1980s to address road capacity and traffic challenges as Atlanta rapidly expanded north. We wanted to enhance mobility enough so that people can stay where they are. The first CID launched in 1988 with a 25-year plan to transform the area. It operated alone for 10 years before others began forming in other markets. While their role has broadened, core priorities remain mobility and safety. We also do landscaping, green spaces, parks and recreation, and trail systems.
The biggest challenge in recent years has been the absence of a truly regional transit system. MARTA covers only a few counties, and major areas like Gwinnett and Cobb still lack public transit. Voter resistance, funding limitations, and massive infrastructure costs, like a proposed downtown double-deck highway, are key barriers. Despite slowing growth for the first time, traffic continues to worsen.
A major test of a city is whether travelers need to rent a car. If you fly into Atlanta, you need to rent a car if you want to see most of the city. Atlanta still lacks adequate public transportation. Even when using MARTA, stations in North Fulton are disconnected from key destinations. Expectations that the 1996 Olympics would improve regional transit were unmet. Initial opposition to transit in Gwinnett and Cobb was a cultural bias. While those biases have declined, they have been replaced with an extraordinary cost. Heavy rail is significantly more expensive now than decades ago. To try to build the MARTA system today would be unaffordable. There isn’t enough money in the world to build a transit system to truly serve the Atlanta region. The path forward may lie in smaller, scalable solutions like microtransit and designated lanes.
What major trends are emerging in how the districts around Georgia drive economic revitalization?
Cities like Lilburn, Alpharetta, and Suwanee are driving economic revitalization with compact, mixed-use development. Lilburn’s Old Town concept emphasizes a live-work-play environment, with restaurants, green spaces, and entertainment. Video conferences and remote work have completely changed the job market. We want people to have an affordable residence and easy access to their jobs. We also want them to find the entertainment they want, with art, museums, movies, and plays, without traveling great distances. We want to create a cultural experience. Recent developments in Lilburn include a 260-unit upscale apartment complex with an added 700-space parking deck within walking distance of amenities in Old Town. The goal is to attract young professionals and increase residential density without overburdening schools. We have a plan to add as many as nine new restaurants.
The shift toward local neighborhoods reduces strain on regional transportation infrastructure. Localized living models make commuting optional and support lifestyle convenience.
How do you respond to changing perceptions of density and affordability?
There were elements of the City Council that believed that density is a bad word. Resistance to density is often rooted in fears of traffic and school impacts. The Porchline project reframed density by identifying likely residents, who are young couples without children. When they start building a family, they stay in Lilburn but move out of their apartments to buy houses and become property tax-paying residents. Changing public opinion is part of the process. We emphasized the potential benefits to local businesses.
How are you addressing challenges around the aging population in the Atlanta region?
Lilburn and similar areas are not equipped to support a growing senior population. We don’t have the hospital capacity, transportation capacity, or home care capacity. Many older residents remain in homes that aren’t accessible. They still have to go up and down stairs, or the door thresholds aren’t wide enough to fit wheelchairs. Atlanta has not embraced the challenges of the elderly population. There is a push to develop assisted living facilities within the community, but limitations like sewer capacity pose real constraints. Many properties in Lilburn are on septic systems, and you can’t build assisted living facilities on septic systems. Naturally occurring retirement communities are emerging, where seniors remain in the same house and are surrounded by other people of similar age. The surrounding community falls into dysfunction and no longer functions well for their needs. The goal is to create dignified, independent living opportunities for the elderly and address outdated infrastructure and culture.
What other infrastructure needs affect the region?
Metro Atlanta is the largest city served by the smallest water basin in the country relative to its population. We do not have enough water to serve our growth. We’re also in conflict with Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida regarding who owns the water sources. Water availability, quality, treatment, and distribution are the single largest limiting factors to future growth. Although we’ve had victories in the recent past, if we enter a drought, our water resource management will not be adequate to support the city. This is an urgent issue that must be addressed regionally.
