Two pedestrian crossing signals installed by the Georgia Department of Transportation now stand inches from the Swift & Co. Lofts at 244 Peters St. SW, and Castleberry Hill residents have spent several months trying to get them moved.
The placement of one is the problem. It sits perpendicular to a ground-floor residential window, with the signal face pointed toward the intersection of Peters and Fair streets. When the light is active, the white walk symbol or the orange countdown and hand shine directly into the living space — and the resident inside is at eye level with anyone waiting to cross. The second signal faces out toward Peters Street. Both went in as part of larger improvement projects.
Rebecca Bily, who chairs the transportation and code enforcement committee of the Castleberry Hill Neighborhood Association, said she and her neighbors were \"appalled\" at how close the signals sit to the building. She also argues the mast arms installed with the improvements do not comply with standards tied to the National Register of Historic Places, which has listed Castleberry Hill since 1985. \"It's just piece by piece taking away the historic charm of this neighborhood, and that's the whole thing we've been trying to protect,\" she said.
There is a specific legal wrinkle at this address. Easements Atlanta, a nonprofit holding conservation easements on dozens of historic properties around the city, has a federal easement on the Swift & Co. building that prevents altering its facade. Executive director Sarah Borcherding said she contacted GDOT about it after learning of the signals. \"We have just been advocating for the building and were hoping they could provide some additional consideration for these particular circumstances,\" she said.
The process question is whether anyone asked first. The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 requires federally funded projects with the potential to affect historic properties to undergo a Section 106 review, consulting affected parties and taking their feedback. Borcherding said Easements Atlanta was never notified of GDOT's plans. After months of correspondence, a meeting last Thursday produced an agreement from GDOT to extend the public input period another 30 days.
GDOT spokesperson Natalie Dale said the agency complied with Section 106 and that a follow-up meeting was planned for Aug. 26, adding that GDOT is \"committed to evaluating whether any options for relocating some of the signal equipment could be done.\" What remains unresolved is whether the signals stay put, shift closer to the street, or move to a different utility pole entirely.
Original reporting: Axios Atlanta (2026-08-20)