Suburban Plaza/Walmart: updated site design

The following is an updated version of the Suburban Plaza Redevelopment article that Theresa Same, MANA Zoning Chair, contributed to the current issue of our Medlock Matters neighborhood newsletter. 

---

Before I dive into my update, I want to again state that after engaging legal counsel and speaking with our County Representatives the MANA Board and I decided that it is in the best interest of our neighborhood to work with Selig Enterprises and Walmart on the redevelopment of Suburban Plaza. I believe that my job as your Zoning Chair is to give you as many facts as I can about this development so that you can form your own opinion. I respect that those opinions vary greatly throughout the neighborhood and that many of you feel very passionately about how this redevelopment will affect our neighborhood – all of which I attempt to honor in my discussions with Selig and Walmart. At the same time, the board and I are realistic in trying to negotiate the best development we can for our neighborhood with one of the most powerful retailers in the country; this is especially difficult within the confines of our county and state laws/ordinances that generally favor business and cars over residents and alternative transportation.  

As I drive or walk through the neighborhood, I can’t help but notice the growing number of “Stop Walmart” signs.  People stop and ask me everyday what is going on with the Suburban Plaza redevelopment. The truth is there has not been a lot to report since our negotiations with Selig/Walmart and the Zoning Board of Appeal’s decision in December to approve Selig’s request for a parking exception on the property [this link calls up all updates we've had since then, posted on this website]. This slow-down in activity is about change because things are starting to take shape for the redevelopment.

Design: Selig has engaged two separate architecture firms to focus on improvements to the site and buildings. One firm is working to provide suggestions for improving the pedestrian connectivity within and surrounding their property; the other architecture firm is focusing on branding and building imagery for facade renovations. As per our contract Selig has agreed to schedule meetings with MANA and selected representatives from the immediate surrounding neighborhoods so that we can provide feedback on design concepts.  I expect these meetings to begin soon.

Permitting & Schedule: Both Selig and Walmart anticipate applications for initial permits for site work will be submitted in the upcoming weeks. The renovation of the existing shopping center, including the demolition required for the construction of Walmart, is anticipated to begin in the first half of 2013, barring unanticipated delays.

Leasing: Selig is currently talking/negotiating with several national retailers and local businesses who are interested in being a part of the redevelopment of Suburban Plaza.  I will update you as the contracts are signed.

Walmart: Selig has told me that preliminary contracts with Walmart have been signed. Walmart is currently in their due diligence phase of the process.  During this time, Walmart will pursue the steps necessary for submitting their applications for building and other permits. This includes completion of their due diligence, civil design, and interior and exterior building drawings and plans.  Their main focus will be determining if the store can be built as they intended for the budget they have allotted.

Site Plan: The most current site plan for Suburban Plaza redevelopment appears below.  This is a work-in-progress, so it is subject to change.  We have placed the most recent site plan next to the last published site plan so that the changes can be easily seen.

October 2011 and June 2012 site concepts for Suburban Plaza. Click to enlarge.

Below, we have enhanced the black and white concept drawing (dated May 2012) that we shared in the newsletter to highlight key differences.

MANA notations to Selig Enterprises document appear in orange. These highlights refer to changes relative to the concepts we received in 2011. Click to enlarge.

The main items to note are:

( 1 )  The addition of a garden center to the new Wamart building (see my comments on this below).
( 2 )  Details are provided on the underground parking below Walmart.
( 3 )  Underground parking will be added below tenant C. The entrance and exit to this parking will be behind the building.
( 4 )  Parking lot pedestrian crosswalks have been added. Additional walkways have been added beyond the highlighted areas. There has also been an effort to adjust the parking lot alignment to improve safety.
( 5 )  The location of the main entrance from North Decatur Road had to be adjusted due to the current placement of electrical line.  The layout of the greenspace had to be adjusted in order to accommodate this change. There is still a net gain in greenspace as compared to the current site.

Walmart Garden Center: As many people may have heard, Walmart has decided to include a garden center.  This is contrary to statements made by Glen Wilkins, Walmart Representative, at our community meeting in November. We are disappointed about this, but want you to know that this does not violate their contract with MANA. In December, just a few days before the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, Walmart corporate executives struck the “no garden center” condition from our proposed contract. Their explanation was that they wanted to sell garden supplies, patio furniture, grills, etc., and that language disallowing a garden center in the contract would limit their right to sell these kinds of items. MANA tried to come up with modified wording for the contract, but Walmart would not agree to any limitations. It should be noted that Glen Wilkins and I differ on our recollection of this conversation. I am still trying to figure out if this is a matter of semantics or if Walmart now plans to have a full garden center. The C1 zoning for the site allows them to have a garden center. Also note that the entire garden center is contained within the permissible building area set during negotiations.

Glen Wilkins recently met with the owners of Intown Hardware, Dave Jones and Tony Powers.  In my conversations with Dave, he stated that they are “concerned about Walmart, but not worried.”  Like MANA, they concluded early in this process that they would not be able to stop Walmart; therefore, they will work to differentiate themselves from Walmart in terms of product offerings and service. Dave and Tony have been moved by the outpouring of concern and support the neighborhood has shown, and they say the best way we can support them is to continue shopping at their store.

Side-by-side view of Selig concepts. Click to enlarge

MANArtistic rendition of what the side-by-side concepts look like if overlaid. Click to enlarge.

Please continue to check this website for the most recent information on the Suburban Plaza redevelopment.

Fernbank Science Center update

Per AJC, Fernbank Science Center has been removed from the cut list:

On Tuesday, board members took the Fernbank closure off the table. In an unofficial poll, they also scrapped the idea of saving $330,000 by eliminating middle school sports and saving $5 million by outsourcing custodians. They added cuts to health and dental insurance subsidies for employees for a savings of nearly $7 million, agreed to eliminate 200 teachers' aides for another $7 million and supported cutting the school system's pre-kindergarten program expenditures of $2.7 million.

The discussion continues, fast and furious, at the Getting Schooled blog.

The Virginia Highlands Patch live-blogged the May 31 Board of Education meeting's public comment section.

Stream restoration workshop (South River Watershed Alliance)

In our area, we usually hear about projects involving our local creeks and their connection to the Chattahoochee River watershed. But DeKalb County is also home to the South River, and the AJC reports that the South River Watershed Alliance is hosting a workshop on stream restoration that will be open to the public:

South River Watershed Alliance presents a free community workshop--River of Opportunity: Community-led Restoration of South River and the Pursuit of Environmental Justice. The purpose of the workshop is to generate dialogue about current and historical disregard of urban waterways, streams, creeks and rivers in general and South River specifically, the lack of river restoration efforts in communities of color, and offer strategies on how to engage affected communities.  

Confirmed panelists include Sharon Moran, PhD, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Environmental and Natural Resources Policy Doctoral Program, Clark University; David Deganian, staff attorney with Greenlaw, an environmental and public interest law firm; and Johnny Waits, noted historian and curator of Flat Rock Archives. The workshop is free to the public.  Light refreshments will be served. ... See http://southriverwatershedalliance.eventbrite.com/ for sign-up information.

DeKalb County Schools: budget woes, Fernbank Science Center at risk

---

UPDATE: Sign petition @ http://www.change.org/petitions/dekalb-county-board-of-education-save-fernbank-science-center

---

Last Wednesday, the AJC reported that DeKalb County School System's Superintendent presented a dire picture of the system's budget to the DCSS Board of Education. One big concern is that Superintendent Atkison

"...wants to raise the tax rate by 2 mills while also increasing the student-teacher ratio by three per classroom. She and her staff revealed Wednesday that the DeKalb school district must close a $73 million gap between projected revenues and planned expenses. The gap is a result of a drop in property values in the county, plus a rise in health care and other costs, among other things." 

Following up on Friday, the AJC focused on how proposed budget cuts currently include shutting down Fernbank Science Center (FSC):

"The decades-old institution, owned and operated by the DeKalb County public school district, has offered a hands-on education to students and other visitors from across metro Atlanta and elsewhere. However, it might close, under a recommendation Thursday by the school board’s budget committee. Fernbank Science Center, which includes a planetarium, is near the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, which is operated by a separate nonprofit. 

At an annual cost of $4.7 million, the building and its 56 full-time employees now are looking like a luxury to school officials. They are struggling with a $73 million deficit, and may have to cut teachers and school days to balance the budget."

N.B. Fernbank Science Center (FSC) is operated by DCSS, and is independent from the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. See Fernbank Museum's history page for how the two are connected. Fernbank Forest had been managed by the FSC but as of June 2012 will revert to the Museum's control as their 48-year arrangement expires.

These reports have triggered spirited discussion in various blogs such as Decatur Metro and the AJC's Getting Schooled.

If you want to share your thoughts or concerns with the DCSS Superintendent or the DeKalb Board of Education, DeKalb School Watch Two (a blog that focuses primarily on DCSS issues) has one-click email links on the right margin.

Also note that the DCSS Board is scheduled for a budget meeting on Wednesday, May 30 (this link includes DCSS's meeting schedule and some meeting minutes; BOE member Nancy Jester has some of her own meeting notes available through her own blog.). DCSS meetings are broadcast on PDS-TV24.

Your DeKalb Farmers Market -- Creative Loafing

Creative Loafing has a wonderful report by Thomas Wheatley on Your DeKalb Farmers Market. The article summarizes the market's history, the owner's goals and vision, and its proposed expansion.

It even has a little bit of local MANA history:

How it got started in the area behind Melton's:

"...He leased a 2-acre plot of land where a skating rink had burned down at the intersection of North Decatur Road and Scott Boulevard. He poured nearly every penny into building two adjoining greenhouses totaling 7,500 square feet and slapped a plastic roof on top.... 

Neighbors at first were keen on the idea of a nearby produce stand but soon grew weary of constant traffic and dust. An ultimatum by the county government to pave an expansion or watch his business get shut down was blocked by Manuel Maloof, the legendary DeKalb County CEO, who said his wife — who purchased peaches from the market for $2 a box — would kill him if he closed the store...

And how when an ice storm collapsed the structure in 1979, shoppers made donations that earned them credit for future transactions:

"It was the winter of 1979 that nearly ended the business. A storm came through one night, and rain filled the market's gutters and covered the roof. During the cold night, a heavy sheet of ice formed. A phone call from an employee jolted Blazer from bed. The market had collapsed. 

The insurance company said his policy didn't cover ice storms. Blazer asked customers for support and a loan. Write a check today, and two months later, when the store reopened, you could use the canceled check as a credit. Shoppers handed over cash. ... Within eight weeks the market was rebuilt and back in business." continue reading @ Creative Loafing

p.s.
Sounds like we've been complaining about traffic for 30+ years!

Emory "Tired of Traffic" T-SPLOST website

FYI, Emory University has launched a website (called "Tired of Traffic") with information about the July 31 vote on transportation initiatives.

Screen shot captured from  http://www.gca.emory.edu/transportation/index.html

Should you visit, note project map link on the left margin, and related resources on the right margin.

Memorial Day Weekend = Medlock Pool Opens

Memorial Day honors those who died while serving in the U.S. military. It does not look like there are any memorials/special events at the Decatur Cemetery or Oakland Cemetery, but Oakland is holding tours as usual on Saturday and Sunday.

For those who equate this holiday with the start of the summer break, here's some potential outings for the coming 3-day weekend:

Stone Mountain Park: who can resist the "Lasershow Spectacular in Mountainvision with a special, extended fireworks finale"? All three nights throughtout Memorial Day weekend?

Atlanta Jazz Festival: ongoing, but see their Memorial Day Weekend line-up at Piedmont Park

Georgia Renaissance Festival:

Decatur Art Festival -- Artists Market 

POOL TIME

And... it's pool time (pdf file): per this document, the Medlock pool is open

Tuesdays – Saturdays noon-6:00 pm [yes, closed on Mondays]
Sundays 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Hours apply through Sept. 3, 2012
Daily Admission is $3/visit for county residents (or $45 for seasonal pass) [thanks to alert reader Blair for correcting the amounts!]