Trick Or Treat! [Oct 31]

MANA-ical fun awaits...

This is but a sampling of what's out there. Be afraid, be veeery afraid.

See the flyer for details.

Laurel Ridge Elementary Fall Festival [Nov. 5]

Laurel Ridge Elementary's Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 5.
11am - 3pm
1215 Balsam Drive, Decatur GA 300033

This link has information as well as a registration form for vendors.

Firework alert (Diwali) [Oct 28]

A neighbor has alerted us that there will be fireworks at Patel Plaza on Friday night. These are part of the celebration of Diwali ("festival of lights").

Those with sound-sensitive pets may want to take note.

Transportation SPLOST meeting [Nov 14]

November 14, 2011  6:45 pm
North Decatur Presbyterian Church

This meeting will inform the community about the Transportation SPLOST (special purpose local option sales tax) to be voted on in July 2012.

Click to enlarge, or download the flyer (pdf format)

If you have questions,  please contact Rebecca Watts-Hull at rebecca@mocleanair.org

As usual, please refrain from parking across the street (Natural Buzz, Relish Salon) so as to not interfere with their client parking.

Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative

These are exciting times for our neighborhoods... In addition to recent Suburban Plaza news, we are also hearing about The Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative proposals to improve public transportation.

For more info on this initiative, see Facebook as well as the MARTA.

If you'd like to talk to representatives, you may attend their final meeting today:

Tuesday, October 25 · 5:30pm - 8:30pm

Silverbell Pavilion at Emory University Conference Center
1615 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30329

Suburban Plaza Development: Info Meeting [Nov. 2]

click to enlarge

One of the items discussed at our community meeting this week was the redevelopment of Suburban Plaza.

Because so many people stand to be affected, an information meeting has been set for November 2. This meeting is open to all. We expect representatives from Suburban Plaza, Walmart, and local government. We ask that folks refrain from parking in the lot across the street from the N. Decatur Presbyterian Church (i.e., Relish Salon, Natural Buzz, etc.) as this interferes with their business. Thank you in advance for being neighborly :)

MANA representatives (as well as other stakeholders in the area) have met with Suburban Plaza representatives. Here are the highlights of what we know so far:

- that the developer is very interested in working with the community: they want this project to be a success for everyone involved. They have requested and accepted feedback about the appearance of the site, also, about the community being extremely concerned about "look" of the site fitting into our neighborhood. They are aware that we are interested in a walkable intersection and in making the area around the Plaza safe for pedestrian, cyclists and drivers. They have shared this concept for the site:

Suburban concept: click to enlarge

- Selig (Suburban Plaza's owner) has ordered a traffic study (on its own dime). The intersection is problematic (as we all know!) and the county has expressed interest in improving it. But note that this intersection involves county and state roads, which complicates the process somewhat. MANA volunteers concerned about cut-through traffic and congestion were already conducting an online survey and if you are a MANA resident, we encourage you to fill that out as we ponder the future of the Medlock/Scott/N. Decatur Road intersection and traffic in our neighborhood.

- As you can see, the footprint would change. The Walmart would occupy the space (and much of the parking area) currently occupied by the thrift store and the discount mattress store. The Walmart would feature 500 underground parking spots; Walmart would pay for this. The store would boast 147,000 sq. ft. of space; approximately 40,000 sq. ft. would be dedicated to groceries. Because groceries are a big part of the plan, other groceries would be excluded from the Plaza in the foreseeable future. 

-  In addition to adding Walmart, Selig would also reface all other buildings in the plaza, for an updated and unified look.

- Selig has spent the last 6 years trying to develop Suburban Plaza. Other plans have not borne fruit. Trade Joe's was NOT interested in this site. Walmart has been the only vendor with the desire and funds necessary for this redevelopment.

- There is concern about some of the businesses already at Suburban Plaza and nearby. Will they be able to stay? How will Walmart's presence affect them? We do not have full information on this. Some stores have leases in place. Others are doing very poorly financially and are not paying rent but rather, a percentage of their profits. MANA representatives have voiced these community impact concerns and Walmart has responded positively. For example, the store would not feature a garden center (this was a concern for Ace Hardware fans) but will offer some hardware (not a big concern--we know that the shopping experience, advice and help offered by Ace Hardware staff is beyond comparison and will continue to bring costumers in). The Walmart would not feature an auto center. The developer is also interested in attracting "junior anchors" i.e., smaller stores. There is no information as to who these stores might be; MANA has argued for restaurant space and outdoor seating if possible, and also for smaller rental space to attract local businesses. Your feedback is welcome!

- {Edit to original post} Suburban Plaza is already zoned C2 which allows for big box stores. Selig will be requesting a variance for parking.  They plan to file this request in late November and could be approved before the end of the year.  The earliest this project would start would be spring of 2012.  Selig estimates that the contrstruction will take 18-24 months to complete.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact medlockassoc@gmail.com

MANA Community Meeting (Oct. 24) summary

We had a fantastic meeting last night, with a packed agenda.

The South Fork Conservancy presented its plan for a 31-mile trail connecting our area creeks.

We heard about DeKalb County's CERT program that trains citizens to safely respond to emergencies and disasters.

We also heard about the Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) and its project to replace aging pipelines in our neighborhood. This project replaces their transmission lines (the ones that move gas from one area to another), not our distribution lines (the ones that bring gas to our homes). Those living near affected areas have been contacted. As we get closer to the start of the actual project, AGL representatives have offered to visit us again to share information and answer questions. If the previous gas replacement projects (a few years back) left your curbside in an unsatisfactory state, contact medlockassoc@gmail.com and share your name and address and we'll relay that information to AGL.

We had an update from the Neighborhood Watch. To join the neighborhood watch e-list, email manawatch@gmail.com.

The MANA treasurer reported on finances and membership. 104 individuals paid membership dues since last June (that is both new members and renewals)!

We had a reminder that Halloween is coming next week!

We had a brief discussion about Medlock School building. Nothing new to report--ICS and DCSS are ironing out the final details.

We elected new officers. Kathryn and Pat have stepped down and Sharon and Lynn have stepped in. A hearty thank you to Kathryn, Pat, and all the board members who give so much of their time and energy to keep our neighborhood wonderful.

We had a zoning report by Teresa, focusing on the redevelopment of Suburban Plaza.

Sharon reminded us that there are pros/cons to voting yes on the education SPLOST this coming November 8. And that MANA residents will vote at the North Decatur Presbyterian Church (but check your voter registration cards!). This is different from the transportation SPLOST coming up in the summer of 2012.