MARTA releases concepts of Clifton Corridor plan

See http://www.itsmarta.com/clifton-corr-maps.aspx for concepts of how light rail might connect Lindbergh station to Avondale station.

In particular, see Section 8: Scott Boulevard to Church Street, which shows a subterranean rail station at Suburban Plaza.

Here is a  close-up of a possible Suburban Plaza layout (note this is zooming in on the North Decatur Rd / Church St. corner).

A bird's eye view of the whole Clifton Corridor plan is available here.

The AJC again reported on this topic yesterday and offers a great summary; here's a taste but go read the whole thing:

...MARTA officials stress this is only a plan to run light rail from the Lindbergh Center station south east to the Avondale rail station. It still has years of environmental and engineering studies -- and possible cost changes -- before construction could start, if funding is located. 

Second, the project would get a $700 million jump-start if voters approve the regional one-percent sales tax for transportation on July 31, which would fund the first phase of the line, from the Lindbergh station to the job center around Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in DeKalb County. That is how much is earmarked for Clifton Corridor light rail -- and it will give the agency more clout to seek federal grants.

No sales tax passage means MARTA would have to come up with hundreds of millions of dollars to be competitive for federal grants. The Federal Transit Administration often requires the local transit authority to pay 50 percent of the larger rail projects, according to the grants listed on the FTA website. 

Depending on your point of view, the project promises to be a boon to the corridor or a boondoggle. . . .  continue reading @ AJC

MANA Community Meeting Notes (March 26)

President, Sharon Johnson, welcomed everyone and encouraged membership

Treasurer, Judy Perras- balance- $3,900

Updates and Announcements:

Dog Park
• Jessica Dugan heading up and needs volunteers

ICS
• Students represent 40 countries and speak 25 languages
• They are looking forward to integrating the ICS community with the Medlock community.
• Uniquely diverse culture, children feel acceptance, belonging and are happy
• Occupancy permit should happen this week.
• April 2- teachers visit Medlock School
• First day of lottery- August 13
• May 5- auction at Carter Center- proceeds to renovate building, tickets 50% tax deductible
• www.icsgeorgia.org.

Laurel Ridge
• Garden project started- students try new foods, cooking demos, incorporate in school lunch program
• Fun Run- April 21- at school, off-road race- participants and volunteers needed
• Pre-K lottery- 4/17
• Need recycled tire tracks to build track for wheel chair racing

Senior Dinner – Kathryn Firago
• April 28, NDMC, 5:30 – 8:30
• Italian theme and menu
• Dave Butler will cook
• Need help with Italian decorations

Neighborhood Watch – Barbara Dalton
• Sign up for alerts
• Facebook – Medlock Park Neighbors- another way to keep up with suspicious activity
• Barb gave updates of crime activity in area; recommends crimemapping.com

Zoning- Theresa Same
• Rahn Mayo- new representative due to redrawing of district lines
Cityhood issue- Brookhaven city hood approved to go to referendum
Financial impact on DeKalb- may increase hotel/motel tax
City of DeKalb idea to help raise revenues

• Good Growth DeKalb- Jean Cohen and Robert Blondo- meeting on 3/27
Gave history of GGD events
Canvassing event coming up

• Vol Repairs- checking codes- using back as storage and junk yard

• Woodshed – has done plantings, but Theresa will send a letter asking for repair or replacement of torn screening

• Suburban Plaza/ Walmart
Gave history of MANA’s involvement with Selig
1. 6 years ago: failed redevelopment plan (mixed development)
2. last summer’s surveying and rumors- Selig not returning calls
3. October contact by Selig with word of Walmart and redevelopment plan
4. community meeting in November and Selig’s request to not oppose parking variance- otherwise they could build a deck-MANA felt it was best choice [see MANA website]
Traffic issues- GGD will meet with PEDS to see what options are, wants independent traffic study.

• Golden Corral at N. DeKalb Mall

• Zaxby’s- next to Pier 1

Next community meeting- Saturday, June 16, daytime meeting

Beverly Monroe, Recording Secretary

Dog found across from Medlock Park

1940 census data to be released on monday [Apr 2]

Genealogy and history buffs rejoice: the 1940 census data is coming to a computer near you, the AJC reports.

The National Archives website offers tutorials and other information as well as a direct link to the 1940 census.

I can't wait to try and connect that data to these aerial views of MANA. Recently, there have been some local history discussions on the Medlock Neighbors page (Facebook login required), and perhaps more will ensue once this resource is available.

DeKalb Co. Board of Commissioners says NO to cell towers

Patch reports that the DeKalb Board of Commissioners (BOC) has unanimously asked CEO Ellis to prevent the Board of Education (BOE) from allowing T-Mobile to place cell phone towers on school grounds. The article includes a pdf of the letter, in which the Commissioners accuse the BOE of placing the county in an "untenable situation."

Medlock Park neighbors fought hard to prevent a tower from being added to the Medlock Elementary school property. Here's to hoping that other neighborhoods can reverse this ill-conceived scheme with help from the BOC and CEO.

In their letter, the Commissioners argue as Medlock neighbors did: that the BOE is bound by zoning law when a decision is self-serving ("proprietary") and unrelated to its educational ("governmental") mission. In other words, loopholes that violate the spirit of the County's zoning law are violations of the zoning law, whether you are a private individual or a government agency.

Patch states that

 The school board and the school system, so far, have been unreceptive to protestations since their approval vote. Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson continues to look ahead, Woods said.
"The decision was made well before her administration," she said. "Her point of view is that we need to focus on decisions yet to be made."

By this logic, the Superintendent would never correct or reverse previous administrative policy that has been found to be damaging to our students and community. Surely she did not mean that! Happily, there's an easy way for her to clarify: end these shenanigans.

Clifton Corridor / MARTA documents

MARTA has updated its Clifton Corridor website with lots of fun documents and maps. The Existing and Future Trends Report is particularly chock-full of information about what is and what could be.

Note that MANA falls within the "Clifton Corridor" as show in this screen capture from the above report:

Clifton Corridor boundary (dashed black line) per the Alternatives Analysis report

Community Gardening Workshop [Mar 31]

from Commissioner Gannon's website:

Click to enlarge