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     Well into the last century, Sandy Springs was a sleepy crossroads community providing a place for rest and refreshment first to Creek Indians and then to settlers who traveled by farm wagons. Then came the 60's, and as its neighbor to the south, Atlanta, began to mushroom and attract new migrants, the farmhouses and woods of this rustic stead gave way almost overnight to fast food restaurants and strip shopping centers.
    And the once-tiny community of Sandy Springs, named for the fresh water that bubbled through its white sands, soon came to be known for something altogether different - congestion on Roswell Road.
    Thus, it is thus hardly surprising that Sandy Springs residents now believe their city is ready for a long overdue image makeover.
    Enter the Sandy Spring Revitalization Incorporated (SSRI), a private non-profit planning and development organization, which has taken on an ambitious project to spruce up the region - from neighborhood preservation, to economic development, to traffic management and better transportation network.
    With Project Manager John Cheek at the helm, SSRI has grown from a group founded in 1994 by community boosters, to one that recently won $5.5 million in grants and top honors for "Outstanding Plan Implementation" at the American Planning Association conference for its work.
    "Our goal is to remain competitive and attract new businesses to the area," Cheek said. "And to do that, we have to have a plan that gives Sandy Springs an identifiable character and a sense of place."
    For now, that plan focuses on the Roswell Road Business District and its surrounding area. From minor improvements such as repair of cracked sidewalks and removal of overhead utility wires, to major changes such as a pedestrian-friendly main street zone with atriums, plaza and courtyards, the SSRI plans for the area eventually envision a shuttle that would circle Sandy Springs, and gateways to signal visitors they have entered the heart of the city. There is even talk of establishing a civic square around the historic Williams-Payne House on Sandy Springs Circle.
    "Shoppers prefer attractive areas, and aesthetic changes like these improve the appeal of the business district. This in turn attracts more business and leads to further economic development," Cheek said.
    However, the revitalization isn't just about targeting business, even though this city of 75,000 does boast some of the world's largest corporations, including the UPS headquarters.
    A major component of the SSRI plan is alleviating Roswell's infamous traffic gridlock. To accomplish this, the program calls for more and better-located MARTA bus stops, better routes and bike paths. A neighborhood transit center, which will provide heated/air-conditioned waiting space and other amenities to MARTA patrons is also in the plans.
    "Sandy Springs is hard to get around without a car; that's just the way the city evolved. So any change that brings other transit options to us is great," said Sherri Davis, a decade-long resident of the area. "Can you imagine actually walking or riding your bicycle without having to worry about the carbon monoxide or the car horns blaring or the road rage?"
    Indeed, it seems everyone in the city these days are excited about the changes the SSRI plan will bring.
    "Speaking from both a homeowner's and a business owner's perspective, I think it's terrific," said Brickery Grill & Bar owner Bruce Alterman, who has lived in Sandy Springs for 28 years. "I have seen the plan go from an 'if' to becoming an organization gaining momentum and funding. It's not just hope anymore, but becoming a reality."
    The road from hope to reality for the Sandy Springs Revitalization Inc., however, has been a long one.
    For more than three years, SSRI worked to get Sandy Springs approved as an overlay district, an increasingly popular method for local citizens to gain some control of their business areas. While the Fulton County Commission deliberated, SSRI began to retrofit Sandy Springs one block at a time. Known as the Roswell Road Demonstration Project, the process transformed blocks by moving utility poles, adding park benches and installing ornamental street lights.
    The efforts paid off. Amidst great public interest, business in the area began to voluntarily install streestscape as part of their refurbishings, private contributions to the SSRI plan shot up with heightened confidence, and the County Commission finally approved the overlay ordinance.
    While a complete transformation of Sandy Springs as per the plan is projected to take five years, the momentum that has been generated has Project Manager Cheek delighted.
    "We still have a lot of planning to do to come up with a real vision of what else can be done and then find the money to implement that," Cheek said. "But we have achieved the civic consciousness, and getting that was half the challenge."