MANA is disseminating the following petition on behalf of its many neighbors' concerns over DCSS's cell tower proposal:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/778/923/897/
Signatures will be sent to the powers that be.
- - - - -
We, the undersigned, appeal to the DeKalb County School System's Board of Education and to interim superintendent Ramona Tyson that you abandon the proposal to lease school ground space to T-Mobile for the installation of cell phone towers. In specific, we oppose the tower proposed for Medlock Elementary School in Decatur, GA. Our reasons are many:
FISCAL AND FINANCIAL CONCERNS:
- Medlock Park neighbors are dealing with a property value triple whammy:
* The closing of Medlock Elementary and loss of one of our neighborhood's selling points ("walk to school").
* A large, empty building in the middle of our neighborhood. We have no information of how the property will be maintained.
* The prospect of an inescapable 150-foot tall eyesore.
The specter of increased millage rates simply compounds the above.
- While DCSS stands to gain financially via a long-term cell tower lease, Medlock Park neighbors get nothing we want or need.
- Cell tower decisions should wait until DCSS's long-term plan is revealed in full. T-Mobile's financial targets and deadlines are neither Medlock Park's nor DCSS's problem.
- Neighborhood leaders have attempted to work with DCSS to find desirable tenants to lease the school building and generate income for DCSS. Although our efforts to help have been stonewalled, our offer stands.
- Leasing school property to cell tower companies does not address the source of DCSS's fiscal problems. We reject this "Band-Aid" approach as the distraction it is.
HEALTH CONCERNS AND PEACE OF MIND:
- Some neighbors worry about health impacts. So might potential leaseholders (in particular if their business tends to young children).
- We worry this is but the tip of the iceberg. If one tower makes money, why not two? What other businesses or structures are being considered? As long as the land remains part of the DCSS (i.e., government-owned), it remains exempt from zoning restrictions that protect neighbors.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS:
- We have yet to see any environmental impact assessments. We are in particular concerned about the known dangers that communication towers pose to migratory birds. Does the site's elevation present additional dangers to birds beyond those calculated for a "typical" 150-foot tower? Medlock Elementary is located near water sources that attract birds, and is surrounded by multiple wildlife corridors and parks that provide habitat for many native bird species.
We hold and will continue to hold our DCSS and DeKalb County elected officials accountable, in particular as additional taxes are proposed for the November ballot (i.e., SPLOT).
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Cell Tower Proposal To Be Discussed by DCSS on???
6-9 UPDATE: There may be changes to the agenda discussed below. MANA is seeking clarification about when the cell tower proposal will be discussed by the DCSS Board. It currently appears discussion will take place in July. Will share additional information as it becomes available.
According to the preliminary June 13 meeting agenda distributed at the June 6 DCSS Board meeting, the cell tower proposal will be discussed later this month:
Please continue to contact DCSS Board Members and the Interim Superintendent to convey your feelings about the cell tower proposal. See this post for their contact information
And if you can attend the meeting on June 13, please do.
According to the preliminary June 13 meeting agenda distributed at the June 6 DCSS Board meeting, the cell tower proposal will be discussed later this month:
Action Item G.1.The meeting will take place at
T-Mobile Wireless Tower Placements
Presented by: Mr. Steven Donahue, Executive Director, Plant Services
Administrative and Instructional ComplexDCSS posts their meeting agenda online, on the day of the meeting. You can find recent meeting agendas here, see right margin, under "Board Meetings."
J. David Williamson Board Room
1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
June 13, 2011 6:00 PM
Please continue to contact DCSS Board Members and the Interim Superintendent to convey your feelings about the cell tower proposal. See this post for their contact information
And if you can attend the meeting on June 13, please do.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Other neighborhood updates
Tim @ Clairmont Heights has a couple great updates (with pictures!) on
Ira B. Melton Park
PATH / South Peachtree Creek bridge
We are very fortunate to live in neighborhoods with so many trails, paths, and opportunities to enjoy nature. And we are doubly fortunate to have wonderful people who make it their mission to make these spaces accessible to others.
Ira B. Melton Park
PATH / South Peachtree Creek bridge
We are very fortunate to live in neighborhoods with so many trails, paths, and opportunities to enjoy nature. And we are doubly fortunate to have wonderful people who make it their mission to make these spaces accessible to others.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Medlock Pool: Open May 28 - August 5
Although the Dekalb Co. website says that...
Medlock Pool Hours
May 28 - August 5th
Mon-Sat 12-6pm, Sun 1-6 pm
The DeKalb County swim season begins on the Saturday before Memorial Day (May) and ends at select pools the Saturday before Labor Day (September).Commissioner Jeff Rader shared (via the MANA Facebook page) that the pool is open as follows:
Medlock Pool Hours
May 28 - August 5th
Mon-Sat 12-6pm, Sun 1-6 pm
Friday, May 27, 2011
Cell Tower Update: It's Showtime
Dekalb County School System has posted the full scope of their cell tower plan, see http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/news-and-info/cell-phone-towers
For Medlock Elementary, you will see they list two potential sites. MANA contacted Mr. Steve Donahue at Plant Managemnet (DCSS), who said the original proposal included 2 suggested sites but they are considering one only. Communications between the MANA zoning chair Teresa Same and a T-Mobile representative reveal that the the actual location of the tower has not been decided upon, and may not be limited to the 2 sites listed. Also, that T-Mobile will be pursuing this location regardless of how neighbors may feel about it. But remember: T-Mobile can't do anything without the DCSS Board's buy-in and blessing.
DCSS has posted its board meeting schedule at http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/board-of-education/meetings-and-minutest, but gives no clues as to whether the cell tower issue is on their next meeting agenda. This week, Mr. McChesney (DCSS Board member) responded to MANA inquiries with the following information:
For Medlock Elementary, you will see they list two potential sites. MANA contacted Mr. Steve Donahue at Plant Managemnet (DCSS), who said the original proposal included 2 suggested sites but they are considering one only. Communications between the MANA zoning chair Teresa Same and a T-Mobile representative reveal that the the actual location of the tower has not been decided upon, and may not be limited to the 2 sites listed. Also, that T-Mobile will be pursuing this location regardless of how neighbors may feel about it. But remember: T-Mobile can't do anything without the DCSS Board's buy-in and blessing.
DCSS has posted its board meeting schedule at http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/board-of-education/meetings-and-minutest, but gives no clues as to whether the cell tower issue is on their next meeting agenda. This week, Mr. McChesney (DCSS Board member) responded to MANA inquiries with the following information:
- that the meeting agenda is determined by the chair, vice chair and superintendent
- that he does not yet know what the agenda is
- that people should email the Board of Education "to let their feelings be known."
Sounds like an...
! ! ! ACTION ALERT ! ! !
 |
| Not what William Shakespeare had in mind when he wrote "O for a horse with wings!" |
Call or email the DCSS Board and Interim Superintendent Tyson and let them know how you feel about cell towers in school yards, Medlock Elementary in particular.
Ask that they
Detailed contact information appears below. Here's their emails for cut/paste convenience...
- post the meeting agenda (or at least indicate when cell tower decisions will be discussed), and
- remove Medlock Elementary from their potential site list, or at the very least stop considering Medlock until the county's 10-year plan is revealed in August.
Detailed contact information appears below. Here's their emails for cut/paste convenience...
 |
| CELL TOWER DECIDERS: DCSS Board (left) and Interim Superintendent (right) Wonder if THEY have cell towers in their backyards and at their children's schools? |
Thomas E. Bowen
Chair; District 6
404.392.1621
H. Paul Womack Jr
Vice Chair; District 4
404.680.8790
Sarah Copelin-Wood
Board Member
404.371.1490
Jesse Jay Cunningham Jr.
Board Member; District 5
404.392.3091
Donna G Edler
Board Member
404.394.1238
Nancy T. Jester
Board Member; District 1
404.394.8750
Donald E. McChesney
Board Member; District 2
404.664.2458
Pamela A. Speaks
Board Member; District 8
404.931.7971
Eugene P. Walker
Board Member
404.593.5095
REUNITED: Lost dog now Found: Medlock area
May 31 update: Harley the Italian greyound was found in the neighborhood, and has been reunited with his family :)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Medlock Elementary celebrated in letter to the editor
A Medlock parent's thoughts as the academic year winds down and the school closes...
I thought about what those students had become. Doctors? Engineers? Scientists? Police officers? Politicians? Teachers? Authors? Most of them might have no idea that the very same school–which gave them their early education and provided their first introduction to letters, words, numbers, colors, lines, drawing–has now vanished forever.Read the whole thing at http://northdruidhills.patch.com/articles/sixty-years-of-golden-memories-at-medlock-elementary
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