MARTA partners with Uber

Cliff Shuttle route at the Medlock stop, via Transloc app.

Per WSBTV, MARTA is shaking things up to improve service by:

• partnering with Uber and 
• adding free Wi-Fi to ~50 buses

The partnership consists of offering links to Uber directly from MARTA's website (as well as a link to a $20 off coupon for first-time Uber users, promo code = marta). Uber is often characterized as a dreaded competitor by established transportation providers. However, Uber's popularity continues to grow, and it's sMARTA to acknowledge that Uber may be a stepping stone to increased ridership.

To review our Medlock neighborhood's many public transportation connections, see this post.

DeKalb County Sanitation Schedule 2015-2016

As promised, DeKalb Co. Sanitation Department's new roll carts are being dropped off around the neighborhood. This (literal) roll-out is part of the County's move to one-week collection for garbage, recyclables and yard waste.

Attached to each cart is a bag with the following documents:

1) Frequently asked questions 
(content similar to what is available on here)

2) 2015-2016 Residential Holiday Collection Schedule (pdf file)

page 1 (click to enlarge)

page 2 (click to enlarge)

3) DeKalb County's Approach to Recycling and Solid Waste Management brochure*

page 1 (click to enlarge)

page 2 (click to enlarge)

4) DeKalb County's Residential Collection Procedures brochure

page 2 (click to enlarge)

page 1 (click to enlarge)

* Note that the brochure says "DO NOT place loose trash in the cart." This relates to the issue of small items (even if bagged) sticking to the cart and failing to be emptied out except manually. A major source of annoyance for homeowners everywhere is that of passer-bys placing dog poop bags in trashcans that are curbside pre or post-collection. Please be considerate and discard your pet poop appropriately in a public garbage can or pet waste station, or bring it home to bag with the rest of your trash.

Phase II of "Decatur Crossing": negotiation summary

via Theresa Same, MANA Zoning Chair 

On June 23, 2015, the DeKalb Co. Board of Commissioners (BOC) approved Phase II of Fuqua Development’s “Decatur Crossing” to redevelop the single family residential homes adjacent to the former Scott Blvd Baptist Church (primarily Barton Way and Blackmon Drive between N. Decatur Road and Scott Boulevard) into a mixed-use development. The plan was presented to the Community last March and is outlined here.

Following the community meeting, the Cross Neighborhoods Committee compiled and considered all feedback received from the community and provided that feedback to Fuqua Development. This feedback was used as the basis of our negotiations which took place over many weeks. The BOC voted in favor of the rezoning request with 27 conditions negotiated by the Cross-Neighborhoods Committee* plus two more which the Commissioners added at the BOC meeting. All these conditions will become part of the permanent zoning for the property.

The Cross-Neighborhoods Committee also negotiated a separate, legally binding zoning agreement which includes $40,000 in funding for off site improvements, including a partial closure of Blackmon Drive at the new signal (on Scott Boulevard at Blackmon Drive) and a pedestrian island at the crosswalk across Scott Boulevard at the new traffic signal. The additional funds will go towards sidewalk projects on N. Decatur Road (in front of Church’s Chicken to form a complete sidewalk on that block of N. Decatur) and Scott Boulevard (between Willow Lane and Medlock Road). The legally binding agreement was signed by MANA with the support of the entire Cross-Neighborhoods Committee. The 27 negotiated conditions and agreement can be reviewed here.

The Zoning Board of Appeals will hear the required variance requests on July 8, 2015. If approved, the project will be clear to move forward into what promises to be a long permitting and construction process.

Tenants 

The site plan includes a “natural grocery store,” restaurants (one with a patio on the park), including one drive-through restaurant which is conditioned as a “deli-café,” banks, retail, office, and 450 apartments. A portion of the apartments will be reserved as workforce housing** as negotiated in our contract. The development also includes tree-lined sidewalks around the entire perimeter and throughout the development as well as an almost one-acre park. None of the retailers have been announced yet. Jeff Fuqua has said that it will be a mix of local and national retailers. Please note that this site plan was modified before the final hearing and differs slightly from the final site plan included in the private agreement with MANA.

Site plan for Phase II for Fuqua's "Decatur Crossing" development. The triangular, unannotated section encompasses Phase I of this development; details about Phase I (approved in April 2014) can be found here.

As part of the development, Fuqua plans to place a new traffic signal at Blackmon Drive (on Scott Blvd. between Medlock Rd. and Tuxworth Cr.). A “new" Blackmon Drive will be built to align with Blackmon Drive in the Medlock neighborhood. This "new Blackmon" will be the main road through the Fuqua development, and ends at the new light at N. Decatur Road that is located at the main entrance of Suburban Plaza and Walmart.

Composite map, neither perfectly to scale nor showing perfect street alignment! This rendition (using multiple maps provided by Selig Enterprises and Fuqua Development) offers a bird's eye view of what the area will offer once construction is completed. Click to enlarge. See below for a more accurate rendition of how the "new Blackmon Drive" aligns with Suburban Plaza's main entrance on North Decatur Rd.

Traffic concerns and pedestrians and cyclist access

While the new Blackmon crossing includes signalized crosswalk and safe way for Medlock residents to cross Scott Boulevard, I believe it would also greatly increase the cut-through traffic into the neighborhood. We already experience a great deal of cut-through traffic, much of which enters and exits on Blackmon Drive. The new traffic signal would exacerbate this issue by inviting additional cut-through traffic onto neighborhood street that do not currently safely handle the existing traffic volumes. After meeting with neighbors on Blackmon Drive and discussing all of our options with the County, we decided that a partial closure of Blackmon Drive was the best solution for the neighbors on Blackmon as well as the larger neighborhood. Once the traffic signal is installed and the partial closure is in place, the only traffic movement allowed from Blackmon to Scott Boulevard is a right out only. This will eliminate right turns into the neighborhood from west-bound traffic during the morning rush hour as well as greatly reduce afternoon traffic using Blackmon to exit the neighborhood. Please see the illustration below to better understand how the intersection will work.

New traffic patterns at the Blackmon and Scott Blvd intersection. Click to enlarge.

This decision was a hard one for us as there was no ideal solution and we are aware that the partial closure will cause inconvenience for many neighbors who currently exit the neighborhood by taking a left turn onto Scott from Blackmon Drive. However, left unrestricted, this intersection would have invited significantly more traffic into our neighborhood and negatively impacted the quality of life for those living on cut-through streets, such as Blackmon Drive, Sunnybrook and Desmond. We realize that this change may push cut-through traffic to other streets in the neighborhood. Since Dekalb County does not require impact studies about traffic in a larger context, we are only able to plug holes. If cut-through becomes a problem on other streets in the neighborhood, MANA will address it with the same commitment.

Barton Way is now closed
(as seen from North Decatur Rd.)

Demolition for Phase I has begun and is expected to be completed in August. Construction on the new apartment building is expected to begin in September and last 18 to 20 months. Depending on permitting, the commercial portion of Phase II will likely open about the same time as Phase I. The second apartment building will take a bit longer to build. 

Demolition (not caused by the beautiful kittens
available for adoption at Pet Supermarket),
as seen from Medlock Rd. 

_____________

* Cross Neighborhoods Committee – includes the following neighborhood representatives: Jim Smith, Clairmont Heights Civic Association; Deanne Thomas, Decatur Heights Neighborhood Association; Theresa Same, Medlock Area Neighborhood Association, Inc.; David Duncan, Medlock Place Neighborhood Association; Todd Link, Springdale Heights Resident; Mary Shellman, Good Growth Dekalb, Inc.
Fuqua is represented by Jeff Fuqua (Principal, Fuqua Development), Heather Correa (Partner, Fuqua Development) and Dennis Webb (Attorney, Smith, Gambrell and Russell).

 ** Workforce housing (as defined by the Urban Land Institute) was used for this agreement and means that professionals such as teachers, nurses, and fire fighters could afford to rent these apartments.

Once-a-week trash/recyclables/yardwaste service starts this week

The hangtag delivered to your door states the day of the week
(Monday through Thursday) when your garbage, recycling
AND yard trimmings will be collected by DeKalb Co.
Sanitation under the Rolling Forward To One program.

Last May, DeKalb County Sanitation announced that

"Effective July 6, 2015, all garbage, recyclable materials and yard trimmings will be collected on the same day. In addition, the Sanitation Division will be providing green garbage roll carts to every single-family household in unincorporated DeKalb..." with the primary goal of "consolidating collection schedules to improve service delivery and efficiencies, while remaining fiscally responsible in the face of rising operating costs."  

Last month, hang tags were delivered door to door to inform customers of their assigned pick-up day. Roll cart delivery also started; it is expected all deliveries will be completed in 6-8 weeks. The 65-gallon roll carts (pictured to the left) are green, labeled with the County logo, and are emptied with mechanical assistance from the garbage truck ("tipper"). This design is expected to "ensure neighborhoods are cleaner and neater with the reduction of loose trash" and will also help reduce injuries to our sanitation workers.  "Each cart has a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) wafer, which identifies the household to which the cart was assigned." Roll carts are being offered free of charge.

Per the Rolling Forward To One website, "The delivery of garbage roll carts will continue throughout the month of July.  Currently, roll cart delivery to Monday once-a-week customers is underway.  We will provide an update once roll carts deliveries for Monday once-a-week customers have been completed.  Please check back soon for updates." The website also includes a FAQ file; here are some highlights:

• "...once the one-day-a-week collection service program is fully implemented by the end of August, all residents must use their county-provided roll carts for garbage disposal. Residents are also able to use durable, secure plastic bags for garbage disposal. Additionally, the Sanitation Division will not service residents using Herbie Curbie, Waste Management, Republic Services, Home Depot and other third party garbage containers. We have specifically evaluated the use of our roll carts with specialized collection vehicles, and these carts are authorized by the County and municipalities in which our customers live. Therefore, once the program is fully implemented by the end of August 2015, garbage will not be collected in any other container or cart."
• Metal and plastic garbage receptacles no longer needed can be left for pickup and recycling if clearly marked "RECYCLE."
• There is an option to later upgrade to a 95-gallon roll cart, or secure an additional 65 gallon container, for a fee.  
• "Customers with excess garbage that will not fit in the county-provided garbage roll cart can place their garbage in durable, secure plastic bags and placed curbside for collection."
• "All garbage must be placed in bags and securely tied prior to being placed inside the cart. This will keep the cart cleaner, minimizes odors and insects, and prevents loose material from falling into the street."
• Elderly and disabled customers who provide medical documentation confirming they are physically unable to bring their roll cart to the curb will receive assistance ("back door" service) at no extra charge.
•  The Rolling Forward to One program will not lead to a reduction in sanitation employees but may lead to duty reassignments because the Sanitation Division is also responsible for other tasks such as "mowing the sides of county and state roadways, coordinates cleanups of illegal dumping sites, maintains natural areas, and participates in some stream restoration projects. Any reduction in the number of collectors or drivers will be redirected to other efforts that promote beautification throughout the County."  
•  "The Sanitation Division will repair any damaged lids, wheels or handles. If the cart is not repairable, it will be replaced. However, it is the responsibility of the customer to keep the inside of the cart clean and free of loose garbage." 
• "All customers will receive a standard 65-gallon garbage roll cart. Customers wishing to trade in their green 65-gallon garbage roll cart for a 35- or 45-gallon garbage roll cart can do so at no fee during Phase II. However, customers wishing to trade in their 65-gallon garbage roll cart for a 95-gallon garbage roll cart will incur a onetime $15 upgrade fee. Additionally, any residents wishing to receive a second green garbage roll cart can do so during Phase II for a one-time $15 fee, must subscribe to the County’s recycling program, and will also incur an increase in sanitation assessment fees from $265/year to $350/year." 
• Once the garbage roll cart program is up and running, the County will introduce a 65-gallon blue roll cart for recyclables. Until then, we should continue to use our 15-gallon blue bins and bags and place recyclables curbside on our assigned delivery date.

Delivery schedules start this week as follows:
 
Monday once-a-week customers will begin on Monday, July 6, 2015
Tuesday once-a-week customers will begin on Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Wednesday once-a-week customers will begin on Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Thursday once-a-week customers will begin on Thursday, July 9, 2015

Sanitation Service Change website: http://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/sanitation_SCSC/index.html

4th July fireworks: celebrate, mindfully

As we celebrate the birth of our nation, let us also be mindful that fireworks can be less than joyful to some:

• Several outlets are trying to raise awareness that the sights and/or sounds of fireworks can be distressing to veterans with PTSD, see Time and CNN.

• Pets can be startled and bolt or may be stressed and even terrified by the loud sounds that accompany fireworks. These articles address the issue: safety tips, why are dogs scared of fireworks, The DeKalb Humane Society has shared additional safety tips, click here. Or, as the ever-awesome The Oatmeal explains:

• Exhausted parents who have finally managed to get baby down for the night may experience sudden rage mixed feelings about late evening fireworks.

Happy Fourth of July!

$17.76 pet adoptions: let freedom ring (or woof, or meow)

Click to enlarge

LIFELINE ANIMAL PROJECT WANTS YOU TO HELP SHELTER PETS CELEBRATE THEIR INDEPENDENCE FOR ONLY $17.76! 

 ATLANTA, GA -- (July 1, 2015) – Celebrate the Fourth, save money and save a life! LifeLine Animal Project, the nonprofit which recently pledged to have its county shelters reach no-kill levels by the end of 2016, invites you to give shelter pets their independence by offering special adoption rates. For the entire month of July all dogs over 25 lbs. and all cats may be adopted for only for only $17.76 at LifeLine’s shelters, which include DeKalb County Animal Services (DCAS), Fulton County Animal Services (FCAS) and the LifeLine’s own nonprofit private shelters!

 Adopters will receive a dog or cat who has been spayed or neutered, has had all vaccines and is microchipped – a $250 value – for no cost. Adoption counselors will be on hand to ensure the animals are being placed in good homes. To see pictures of available animals at DCAS, FCAS or LifeLine’s nonprofit shelters, please visit www.dekalbanimalservices.com, www.fultonanimalservices.com or www.lifelineanimal.org.

 About LifeLine Animal Project Founded in 2002, LifeLine Animal Project is Atlanta’s leading nonprofit organization providing lifesaving solutions to end the killing of healthy and treatable animals in county shelters, promote animal welfare and prevent pet overpopulation. As the managing organization for DeKalb County Animal Services and Fulton County Animal Services, LifeLine has dramatically increased adoption rates and decreased euthanasia rates by more than half at both county facilities. The organization also operates two low-cost spay/neuter clinics, which have performed 85,000 surgeries to date, its own no-kill cat shelter and a rehabilitative, no-kill shelter for dogs and cats. Other outreach efforts include its Catlanta trap-neuter-return program, the first and largest in metro Atlanta, for stray and feral cats. For more information, please visit www.lifelineanimal.org.