AGL project continues

Panoramic view from Wood Trail Lane. Click to enlarge

View of sound baffles.

Marci Davis, Communications Consultant with Atlanta Gas Light, encourages neighbors to call the project hotline at 404-584-3130 if they have questions or concerns.

Scott Blvd. Church: Community Council defers vote until new site plan is submitted

Atlanta INtown reports on Tuesday's Community Council meeting, which included a presentation of proposed plans for Scott Blvd Baptist Church property. Read about it at http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/2013/08/vote-deferred-on-scott-boulevard-church-property-development/

MANA Zoning Chair Theresa Same attended the meeting and adds that "As things stand, the development is slated for the west side for Barton alone, meaning, the church property only."

Rain on!

Not quite flood stage, but the Peachtree Creek gauge is certainly getting a workout this week.

Fox 5 should have a really good close up of the neighborhood
and the South Fork of Peachtree Creek... 

At Moody Bridge on Wood Trail Lane, a scene from The African Queen.

Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve -- bring you really tall boots, boardwalk was under water.

Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve -- or  bring a canoe!

Medlock Park-- flooded but not so much as to tempt the ducks.

Updates from North DeKalb Mall

via  Mary Joyce Burge... 

New Stores: 

Kizzie’s Downhome Kitchen – Opening late August
Georgia Power – Opening September
Dollar Tree – Opening Fall 2013
Creative Art Connections - AMC Wing
Computer Authority Stores – AMC Wing 

New Prospects: 

Coffee Shop
Comic Cartoon Academy
New Arcade 

Updates: 

Golden Corral is exceeding expectations and driving huge crowds to the mall for both lunch and dinner!  It has been a welcome addition by generating more restaurant interest at the mall. 

The African American History Museum has been a rewarding summer addition to the center and the community at large.  Mr. James Horton, Curator, reports over 4,000 visitors to the museum to date.  Housing over 8,000 artifacts, the museum will be open through August 31st in the Macy’s wing of the mall. 

The North DeKalb Mall-Community Garden started in the summer of 2012.  A Bhutanese refugee family living less than a mile from the mall became the first garden farmers.  The Keep DeKalb Beautiful program participated in providing compost and mulch to the garden.  The Atlanta Community Food Bank helped provide many of the seeds used, and Global Grower’s Network has also been involved in the planning and coordination of this effort. 

The garden expanded in 2013 by plowing up the remaining idle field into a total of 30 plots.  Most of the space continues to be refugee planted but community plots have now been made available to local gardeners.  Look for the garden produce stand coming soon!
Many groups have volunteered by helping install rain barrels, spread wood chips, and install compost bins.  Local Girl Scout troop #4044 honored the garden with canvas paintings located at the Ross entrance of the mall. The center’s neighbor, Stivers Subaru, was our first sponsor by generously donating a tool shed for the garden of the mall.  There is something for everyone wanting to volunteer in the community garden 

Reaching our Community 

North DeKalb Mall endeavors to reaches all demographics with programs such as Mall Walking and monthly Bingo for seniors (1st Thursday of each month); children’s activities which include fun and educational games;  support to area schools with an arts program, and inviting choral and band groups to perform during the holidays. 

The mall has been making a committed effort to reach back out to the community and serve as an important shopping and entertainment destination by adding tenants that have unique products or services and providing exciting worthwhile events and programs that the community can participate in.  The mall is currently undergoing some changes with our tenant mix as we talk to significant prospects.

For up to the minute mall news, “Like Us” on FaceBook or check out our website at www.northdekalbmall.com.  North DeKalb Mall is conveniently located at the intersection of North Druid Hills Road and Lawrenceville Hwy.  

For leasing information contact Taylor Dozier at 404-320-7960 or tdozier@northdekalbmall.com.  To schedule an event or to receive event information contact Mary Joyce Burdge at 404-235-6444 or mjburdge@northdekalbmall.com
North DeKalb Mall is owned and managed by Hendon Properties LLC

UPDATE (via Deanne): The Dollar Tree will be 9969 sq ft (about the same size as the big one at Belvedere Plaza). When construction is completed, there will be an entrance for Dollar Tree at the end of the building across from the Post Office.

Druid Hills Civic Association's Cityhood and Annexation Town Hall Meeting [Aug 20]

This meeting is organized by the Druid Hills Civic Association and attendees can expect that the concerns of Druid Hills residents will be the focus of the discussion. That said, note that speakers include representatives of the City of Briarcliff and the Druid Hills Charter Cluster--two initiatives that include our neighborhood:

from the Druid Hills Civic Association website:

The agenda has been set for a Town Hall Meeting on Cityhood & Annexation to be held on August 20, 7-9pm. Speakers will include Allen Venet, chair, City of Briarcliff Initiative; Duriya Farooqui and Hans Utz of the Office of the Mayor, City of Atlanta; Lee May, acting CEO, DeKalb County; and Matthew Lewis of the Druid Hills Charter Cluster. 

Presenters will be available to answer questions from the audience, said Mike St. Louis, chair, Committee to Explore Druid Hills Cityhood Options.  The meeting will be held in the sanctuary of Glenn Memorial Church. Please attend and bring your neighbors!  This issue is critical for our community! 

UPDATE (8/26/2013): Notes from the above meeting are available at http://druidhills.org/2013/08/22/town-hall-meeting-draws-a-big-crowd/#more-2506
Per the comment section, a link to the Powerpoint presentation shared at the meeting may be posted soon.

Emory University also posted notes on the meeting, including a heading that reads "Emory remains neutral."

Zoning Code Review Schedule (updated deadlines)

Davis Fox at Commissioner Gannon's office shared this information (Aug. 13 Planning and Economic Development meeting) outlining coming milestones for  DeKalb County's new zoning code. For some insight as to the changes that are being proposed, see our other posts on the zoning code update.

New Zoning Code Review Schedule (August 13, 2013)
· August 21st Board of Commissioners agenda item for the proposed zoning code will be deferred to November 

· August 29th - Complete legal review by Law Department and outside counsel Jarrard and Davis 

· September 10th – Planning Department presents revisions to Planning and Economic Development Committee of the Board of Commissioners 2PM Maloof Bldg 5th Floor 

· September 15th -  Pond and Company completes revisions and posts revised code on County website 

· September 16th – Public meeting specifically on cell towers (time and place TBD) 

· September 24th - Planning Department presents revisions to Planning and Economic Development Committee of the Board of Commissioners 2PM Maloof Bldg 5th Floor 

·  October 7th – Public meeting to discuss zoning code. Time and place TBD, but probably an evening meeting at Maloof auditorium. Same format as previous meeting with discussion tables. 

·  October 10th – Pond completes final revisions 

·  November 7th – Planning Commission Public Hearing (night meeting) 

·  November 19th – Board of Commissioners Public Hearing (night meeting) 

·  January 1, 2014 – Effective date for new zoning code 

·  August – December – Staff training on revised code, procedures and fees 

Davis Fox
Policy and Projects Manager for
DeKalb County Commissioner Kathie Gannon for District 6

Colder than Alaska!

Weather.com's Cool Weather Lingers in the Southeast item includes this interesting factoid:

On Friday, Atlanta recorded its fifth coolest August high temperature on record with a high of just 67 degrees. Atlanta was also three degrees cooler than Fairbanks, Alaska on Friday!

Reporter Nick Wiltgen explains the unusually cool weather is caused by the jet stream pulling cold air from Canada:

This pattern, officially called "cold-air damming" but informally called the "wedge," is often associated with freezing rain and ice storms in the winter. It rarely occurs in early-mid August. 

Our weekend forecast: cloudy, rainy, highs in the 60's / low 70's, frisky for puppies and choked-up for lawnmowers.