Supermoon, Part I [July 12]

Great explanation via space.com

The first of this year's three supermoons (so called because they are 30% brighter due to a closer orbit) will occur tonight at moonrise. For our area, moonrise is at 8:57pm tonight. Let's hope the clouds part for a good show.

The next two are due in the coming months. On August 10, moonrise will be at 8:20pm and on September 8,  at 7:35pm.

Read more about supermoons at space.com

Lifeline/DeKalb Shelter July adoption event

If you have been considering adopting a dog or cat, no better time than now!

via Lifeline Animal Project...

For the entire month of July all dogs may be adopted for only $30 and cats for only $17.76!  Adopters will receive a dog or cat that has been spayed or neutered, has had all vaccines and is microchipped – a $200 value.  As an additional bonus during the first two weeks of July, adopters will also receive a free adoption package with veterinarian, grooming and training coupons, while supplies last.

Adoption counselors will be on hand to ensure the animals are being placed in good homes.

According to DCAS Shelter Director Susan Feingold, when you adopt, you’ll not only be gaining a loving family member, but you’ll be receiving many health benefits too. “To celebrate our first anniversary, we’re offering terrific adoption rates,” she says. “And if you adopt a pet, you’ll be giving yourself the gift of better health.  According to The American Heart Association, people who own pets have a reduced risk for heart disease, visit the doctor less and live longer than people who don’t.”

To view animals available for adoption, or for the shelter’s address and phone number, please visit the shelter or visit www.dekalbanimalservices.com/adopt.

About DeKalb County Animal Services
Managed by LifeLine Animal Project, DeKalb County Animal Services provides humane care for animals at the shelter, veterinary care, pet adoptions, pet reclaim services, volunteer opportunities, foster care, and rescue group coordination.  To learn more, please visit www.dekalbanimalservices.com.

Feedback on the Medline LCI draft plan

Plan available here.

After careful review and discussion, MANA, CHCA and Good Growth DeKalb submitted this joint statement to the Medline LCI study group. To review all our posts on the Medline LCI, click here. For the Medline LCI website, click here.

---

July 7, 2014

Jen Price

Medline LCI Master Plan Comments

c/o Sycamore Consulting, Inc.

195 Arizona Avenue, Unit LW-4

Atlanta, GA 30307

Dear Ms. Price,

Many of us went to the presentation of the Medline plan a few weeks ago. It was great to see a long-term plan for our area – good work by all involved. Representatives from the Clairmont Heights Civic Association (CHCA), Medlock Area Neighborhood Association (MANA) and Good Growth DeKalb have reviewed the Medline LCI draft plan individually and met to discuss it. While we are very supportive of the process and the results, we have serious concerns about the proposed zoning overlay proposed on pages 102 and 103 of the report. We also have several questions about the transportation overlay. Theresa Same (Zoning Chair for MANA) has already contacted you about our desire to schedule a meeting to include the Medline LCI team as well as our Commissioners.

Our primary concerns are in the areas of Zoning and Transportation and are outlined below.

>> ZONING

Our residential areas require appropriate, generous setbacks and clearly defined medium density. Under zoning, while the report states that: "An overlay district is recommended for the Medline study area to encourage high density mixed use development in the center of the study area, with medium density residential development on the periphery, as a transitional buffer into the surrounding single family neighborhoods. (p 102)" the actual zoning overlay map on page 103 shows high density in the majority of the study area, often with no medium density between it and R-75 properties. The proposal also fails to include any recommended setbacks from residential property.

Clearly defined medium density is appropriate for the area; high density “up to 14 floor” developments are not healthy for established residential neighborhoods and set a worrisome precedent for homeowners within and beyond the Medline LCI. Since high density is defined as "15-30 units/acre allowing up to 14 floors" per the marked-up map below, this means, for example, that our neighbors on McCurdy could have 14 story buildings in their backyard and they would have no grounds on which to oppose it. This is also true for all the cul-de-sacs coming off the east side of Woodridge, some of Woodridge, Blackmon Drive, some of Medlock Road, Eastway, Sunstede (as the Woodshed and Melton's lots are also zoned for high density). This is also true of the streets in Springdale Heights, Decatur Heights and others.

We believe that all the areas mentioned above as well as the areas highlighted on the map below should have "medium density residential development as a transitional buffer into the surrounding single family neighborhoods." Medium density is not defined in your report, though scale on the map defines it as "medium density, 10 units/acre with maximum of 3 stories." Since medium density is often defined as up to 5 stories, we want the report to clearly define medium density as 3 stories, not 5 stories.

We would also like to see a line that specifically states that no existing single-family zoned parcels should be designated as medium or high density if there are two or more contiguous parcels.

For the affected areas in MANA and CHCA’s boundaries, we feel that the non-single-family study areas on the west side of Scott Blvd and on the north side of N. Decatur Road should be zoned "medium density." This seems like a natural progression of density levels - single family (R-75) inside the neighborhood, step to medium density non-residential on the edge of the neighborhood and high density on the other side of Scott Blvd toward the center of the study area.

Annotated Figure 4w from the Medline LCI created by Jim Smith [CHCA]. Red outlines mark single family residential properties adjoining high density; green areas denote single family residential properties up-zoned to medium density (up to 5 stories high); yellow denotes pockets of high density on small parcels on the west side of Lawrenceville Highway. [caption clarified for web post] 

Medline LCI recommendations, the zoning overlay plan and DeKalb Zoning Ordinance must be consistent with each other. This is an important piece of the puzzle to modify in the draft as the zoning overlay will be the quickest and most concrete change that will be made as a result of the LCI study. We anticipate that developers will maximize whatever zoning they are given, and therefore must take a strong stand today and require the overlay map to match the recommendations of the report. Additionally, as DeKalb is in the final stages of their rewrite of the DeKalb County Zoning Ordinance, we would like to see references to specific sections of the updated code if the plan is for the ordinance to be the basis for zoning details to be implemented under the overlay.

>> TRANSPORTATION

Balance transportation and quality of life: all roads cannot lead to Medlock

The Transportation Overlay is much harder to address since there are so many stakeholders. From what we understand, by comparing page 109 (conceptual Transportation Connectivity Map) and page 103 (short-term implementation map) there are 4 new roads + 2 existing roads from Scott Blvd into the neighborhood within the study area as well as two possible new signalized intersections.

1. Blackmon Road (existing)

2. New road between Blackmon and Tuxworth Springs - with a signal (?) (this connects to a new road across Scott Blvd and eventually to the new light going in at the main entrance at Suburban Plaza)

3. The existing road at Tuxworth Springs is continued to connect to Medlock (this is being called Milscott and would connect all the way to Dekalb Industrial)

4. New road between the old farmhouse on Scott Blvd and the old Royal dealership (comes out roughly on McCurdy) and connects to the existing cut-through street in front of the Wendy’s and across into Patel Plaza

5. Larry Lane (existing) appears to have the other signal as the proposal discusses making Church Street a "T intersection". On page 109 it looks like that intersection lines up with Larry Lane, but that would not make it a T.

6. New road between Vol Repairs and the power lines.

We don't know how realistic it is to make any of the new roads happen or what the timeline is but what concerns us about the plan is that all these roads lead to Medlock Road and then offer nowhere for the traffic to go. This plan simply relieves North Decatur Road traffic by engineering more cut-through traffic for MANA and CHCA and does not address the root of the problem. These transportation recommendations must looked at in the larger context of the Clifton Corridor: a systemic problem that cannot be addressed in a piecemeal fashion. 

Thank you for your hard work and for a great start on a new plan for our area. We look forward to working with you to generate a final document that all participants can be proud of and that will serve our communities through the many transitions that we can expect in the coming years.

Regards,

Board of Clairmont Heights Civic Association [chca.org]

Good Growth DeKalb [goodgrowthdekalb.org]

Board of Medlock Area Neighborhood Association [medlockpark.org]

Update on Greg Germani

On June 9, neighbor Greg Germani was the victim of a hit-and-run while cycling on Flagler Avenue in Morningside. The Atlanta Police has found the vehicle that struck him but has not issued any other updates on the case. To contribute to the CrimeStoppers reward, go here.

Greg's girlfriend, Beth Anne, has a wonderful update as of July 8 via her Facebook page:

All these great prayers and vibrations are working, folks. Today we had an exciting and unexpected day. Greg spoke for the first time. He was able to say "hello" and "I'm fine" in response to questions by the medical staff on three occasions. Happy tears today, definitely. This is a big step, coupled with his gradually improving alertness. It also take a tremendous amount of effort for these short bursts of activity, so for every excitement, there’s a lot of down time. They've advised us that it will come in fits and starts and may not be consistent, but Greg is making progress. Thanks to his physical and speech therapists, Ruchita, Crystal, Holly, and Vicky for all their hard work today!

Hello back at you, Greg! Keep on soaking up the good thoughts and well wishes, of which there are so very many.

Community meeting: Dunkin' Donuts [July 10]

Site location, via http://planningdekalb.net

Dunkin Donuts will hold a community meeting on July 10, 7pm, at the Scott Boulevard Baptist Church to discuss plans for a shop with a drive-through on Scott Blvd near the North Decatur Rd. intersection. The drive-through requires that they secure a special land use permit (SLUP) before the project can proceed.

Blueprints to Redefine DeKalb Leadership Team's statement

via Commissioner Gannon, reporting on the Blueprint to Redefine DeKalb Leadership Team:

First, to the volunteers appointed to serve on the Interim CEO’s Operations Task Force, thank you for your time and service.   As constituted the missing link to the Task Force seems to be the citizens of our communities.  The Blueprint to Redefine DeKalb was launched in January 2014 as a citizens’ reform effort and perhaps our work can complement your efforts. 

DeKalb County reached a ‘tipping point’ in 2013 and in 2014 matters even further deteriorated: nearly everyone now agrees that fundamental reforms are due.  The attached Blueprint to Redefine DeKalb was drafted and electronically distributed in January.  In February a group of citizens from across the County reached consensus on its main issues.  A diverse Blueprints leadership team emerged and began focusing upon the consensus issues: Internal Auditor, Ethics, Procurement Procedures, Elections, Government Structure and HOST. 

Lakeside and Briarcliff, sitting in a tree, K I S S I N G...

The leadership of the proposed City of Briarcliff and City of Lakeside have released a joint statement after having agreed

"... to collaborate with the goal of creating a unified map free of overlapping areas and respecting existing city borders and future annexation plans."  Read the full statement here.

The future annexation plans at least in part refers to City of Decatur and City of Avondale's plans to annex a significant swath of commercial properties along North Decatur Road and the Farmers Market, respectively. The plan (to give existing cities "dibs" on existing commercial tracts) was hatched at the end of the 2014 legislative session.

Red outlines expanded borders. Darker outline within marks current city limits.
via http://www.decaturga.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=4724