Druid Hills Charter Cluster meeting [Aug 27]

Ongoing dissatisfaction the DeKalb County Board of Education's management of the schools under its care is a key driver for calls for cityhood and annexation that are currently fragmenting DeKalb County.

Parents, educators and concerned neighbors have been exploring ways to improve DeKalb public schools serving our area. The Druid Hills Charter Cluster was created (visit their site here) with a goal to enhance "school autonomy, parental involvement, and student and teacher progress."  The cluster includes its namesake, Druid Hills High, as well as its feeder schools: Druid Hills Middle School, Briar Vista Elementary, Fernbank Elementary, Laurel Ridge Elementary and McLendon Elementary.

The initial charter was not approved and a revised version has been submitted. The Emory La Vista Parent Council has a sample support letter that challenges the Board of Education's rejection of the initial proposal (click here to read it). This rebuttal notes that "the State Office of Charter Schools and the DeKalb County Schools Director of the Office of Charter Schools found the DHCC petition met the Georgia Charter Schools Act criteria". The cluster would grant

"...governance of seven diverse school communities - five feeder elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school - to a non-profit board sourced from educational professionals including former Georgia Department of Education officials, former principals of DeKalb County Schools, and individuals vested in the cluster and its surrounding businesses and organizations."

The Emory La Vista Parent Council has  organized an information meeting to educate residents about how the proposal works and what is at stake.

Charter Cluster Meeting
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Sagamore Hills Elementary School
1865 Alderbrook Road, Atlanta, GA 30345
Join us at 9:15 am
(refreshments begin at 8:45 am)
http://us3.campaign-archive2.com/?u=c09842563353870ea220d16ae&id=3ac17695c8

If you are unable to attend, please consider voicing your support directly to the DeKalb Board of Education. The above petition website includes a sample letter and quick link with email addresses for all DeKalb Board of Education leaders: michael_l_thurmond@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us, melvin_johnson@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us, jim_mcmahan@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us, john_w_coleman@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us, marshall_orson@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us, michael_erwin@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us, david_campbell@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us, joyce_a_morley@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us, karen_carter@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us, thaddeus_mayfield@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us

Ripples: Druid Hills ponders annexation to Atlanta

from Lynn Ganim, Acting MANA President

As many of you know, the Druid Hills neighborhood has been considering annexation into the City of Atlanta. MANA representatives have been talking with some of the people involved and will continue to follow these issues closely to ensure that our voices are heard and our questions are answered; we will be meeting with representatives of neighborhood associations in interested/involved areas and some representatives of the City of Atlanta this week. We’re urging you to send to any questions you have to medlockassoc@gmail.com by Thursday morning [Aug 21]. We can’t guarantee answers, but we’ll try to present  as many questions as we can.

Many unanswered questions remain in the Druid Hills annexation possibility: taxes, services, schools, governmental representation, and, most important, whether or not we want to, or can, become a part of such a movement. Unfortunately, the political maneuverings within DeKalb County probably will not permit us to sit comfortably in our quiet neighborhood; we will be affected by outside forces if we are not aware of all the possibilities. 

At this point we simply do not know enough to recommend or oppose any annexation proposal; the important point is to learn as much as possible so that we can make educated decisions. MANA is working hard to ensure that our neighborhood has the best information available and is aware of all the options available to us. We do not know whether this line of investigation will lead to anything significant, but we will continue to report to you and ask for your questions.  As we gather enough verifiable information, we’ll let you know and, as necessary, hold meetings to discuss these issues.

We will be surveying the MANA membership—and perhaps others in the neighborhood if logistics permit-- in a few weeks to get your ideas and responses to these issues.  

_________

1) See the complete Druid Hills statement at http://druidhills.org/2014/08/08/dhca-response-to-cityhoodannexation-issues/#more-3556

2) Also see our post last week for additional information http://www.medlockpark.org/2014/08/annexations-and-cityhood-it-is-again.html

Starbucks SLUP at Suburban Plaza

As noted in our June post, Selig Enterprises seeks a special land use permit (SLUP) for a drive-through Starbucks at Suburban Plaza. The plan will be reviewed by the Community Council on August 19, by the Planning Commission on September 9, and by the Board of Commissioners on September 23, 2014.  DeKalb County requires SLUPS for all drive-throughs. The proposed drive-through is within the parking lot and requires no additional curb cuts.

It appears that the drive-through concept allowed Selig to slightly reconfigure the layout of shops at the corner of North Decatur Rd. and Church St. "Shop J" (the proposed Starbucks) now features sidewalk access from North Decatur Rd. and a patio. An area area marked "Future Retail Shops" has been added and appears to add an additional ~4,000 SF next to "Tenant H."

August 2014: Proposed location for a street-facing Starbucks and patio. The Starbucks building is highlighted in green, the drive-through (with dashed rectangles denoting vehicles) appears in light green.

The 2012 and 2014 schematics are quite similar. In addition to the changes mentioned above, there is some additional information about how retail space might be configured (see blue highlights below).

Comparison of 2012 and 2014 redevelopment plans, emphasizing updates. The yellow area on the 2012 map
is part of the Walmart building.

We do not have any new information about future tenants other than those mentioned last April (LA Fitness with daycare facility, HomeGoods, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores). Demolition is proceeding as scheduled this summer.

The unenhanced plan for Suburban Plaza, dated August 2014, appears below.

August 2014: Full plan for Suburban Plaza

It looks worse before it looks better

Big Lots,  Hancock's Fabrics, Uniform Alternative and other businesses
remain open at SuburbanPlaza. 

Suburban Plaza's redevelopment continues. The initial razing to prepare the site where Walmart will be built has been pretty tidy so far. A security fence surrounds the work area and demolition has proceeded up to the location of the old Piccadilly's. This is as far as Walmart-related demolition goes. This week, crews were dismantling parking lot lights and spreading wood mulch to limit the erosion of exposed topsoil.

View from the old Piccadilly's and a whole lotta mulch, facing the Medlock / North Decatur / Scott Blvd intersection.

Sweeping view from the North Decatur Road side.

As to how this fits into the overall plan, here's The Plan. See all other Suburban Plaza posts here.

Blue dots outline structures now demolished; yellow marks Walmart's future footprint.

Lost cat: Billie

This Main Coon (female, spayed, around 10 pounds, so, smallish for a Main Coon) was last seen on Willivee Drive between Desmond and North Decatur on Monday 7/29/14.

She has a distinctive black spot on her nose. See photo.

If you spot her, please contact her owners at 404.325.2692.

Annexations and Cityhood: it is (again) time to get involved [Aug 28]

from Lynn Ganim, Acting MANA President

As most of you know, discussions continue about proposed cities in unincorporated DeKalb County. For those who haven’t been following this saga, here are the basics.  Last year the Medlock area was included in the maps for a proposed City of Briarcliff but was left off the maps for the partially-overlapping proposed City of Lakeside.  For various reasons, beyond mortal and non-politicians’ understanding, the state legislature failed to pass any legislation for new cities and told these two, plus the proposed City of Tucker, to solve their differences among themselves. Lakeside and Briarcliff are in discussions with each other, but, as of now, we have no information about where Medlock would stand if there were a merger between the two proposed cities. And, of course, no one knows what the legislature will do when it convenes in January.  The City of Briarcliff  Initiative has scheduled an informational meeting for Medlock and Clairmont Heights at North Decatur Presbyterian Church, 611 Medlock Road [map] beginning at 7:00pm on August 28. The Lakeside City Alliance has also been invited.

In the meantime, reports are that Emory has stated it does not want to be included in any new city. Druid Hills has had preliminary discussion about being annexed into the City of Atlanta, and those discussions continue. (See http://druidhills.org/2014/08/08/dhca-response-to-cityhoodannexation-issues/#more-3556 for the complete Druid Hills statement.)  MANA (and CHCA) representatives have talked with some of the people involved and will continue to follow these issues closely to ensure that our voices are heard and our questions are answered; we will be meeting with representatives of neighborhood associations in interested/involved areas and some representatives of the City of Atlanta later this month.

Many of us would be happy to see this turmoil go away and leave us in relative peace in unincorporated DeKalb County.  And many people are rightly concerned about the probable negative effect of these moves on the rest of the county.

The problem is that if any of these possible scenarios occurs, Medlock will be left as an island between whatever new entities evolve and the City of Decatur. (Based on recent maps and discussions, Decatur's annexation strategy targets commercial property, while minimizing residential annexations.) Also, the tax base of those left in the county will be affected in ways not yet fully understood. In theory, the DeKalb County Schools are not a part of this discussion, but, of course, no one can be sure at this point, especially in the case of a Druid Hills annexation into Atlanta.

Obviously, many uncertainties and unanswered questions exist, but we’ll continue to participate in discussions and monitor and communicate information on options possible for Medlock. In the meantime, we ask that you send us your questions and concerns so we can raise them at the appropriate forums. Also MANA and CHCA are planning to compile and distribute a survey to find out how you feel and, as necessary, we will hold neighborhood meetings. The discussions occurring now and in the near future can have a significant impact on our neighborhood and each of us individually; we urge you to follow them closely.

Time is of the essence. The DeKalb Operations Task Force's incorporation and annexation subcommittee will meet on August 20, September 17, October 15 and November 12 [see complete meeting schedule here or download the pdf]. The Operations Task Force was created earlier this year in response to citizen dissatisfaction with the County's operations, transparency and responsiveness. All meetings will take place at the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur, GA 30030 [map] at 6 p.m. The Task Force holds a mandate

"to explore and study (1) the financial, business, zoning and quality of life impact on residents and government operations caused by the creation of new cities and annexations; (2) the effectiveness of the current governance structure of DeKalb County and ethics and transparency in County operations; (3) the equitable distribution of Homestead Option Sales Tax (HOST) proceeds and legacy pension costs between the DeKalb County and it’s cities; and (4) other related matters. The Operations Task Force is charged with making recommendations that can be forwarded to the Georgia General Assembly in December 2014."

Please send questions and brief comments to medlockassoc@gmail.com; of course, the Medlock Park Neighbors facebook page is always a good forum for more extended discussions.

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UPDATE:
The Civic Association Network (CAN) posts notes from many County meetings. These are their notes from the July 16, 2014 Operations Task Force Incorporation and Annexation subcommittee meeting.

Decatur Book Festival [Aug. 29-31]

https://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2014/index.php

"The AJC Decatur Book Festival is the largest independent book festival in the country and one of the five largest overall. Since its launch, more than 1,000 world-class authors and hundreds of thousands of festival-goers have crowded the historic downtown Decatur square to enjoy book signings, author readings, panel discussions, an interactive children's area, live music, parades, cooking demonstrations, poetry slams, writing workshops, and more. 

The Decatur Book Festival is a community based non-profit that counts on your donations to operate each year. We are a 501(c)3 and your donation is tax deductible."

Check out their website, in particular the handy "by topic" links on the left margin of the About page. Whether you love to read about the humanities, civil rights, mystery, romance, cooking, business or the environment, this is the book festival for that!

Marc Merlin, who runs the Atlanta Science Tavern Facebook page, has put together a handy, mobile-friendly guide to science events, see https://sites.google.com/site/2014sciencetrack/. The Atlanta Science Tavern has monthly meetings at Manuel's Tavern where guests (usually local scientists) talk about their research in terms that are accessible to those who love science but don't necessarily have scientific training.

For a full list of authors participating this year, click here.