Tax Appeals and Land Use Workshop Meeting

via Commissioner Rader...

Tax Appeal 2016 Information & Land Use Workshop Meeting

Recently, DeKalb County sent out 2016 Tax Assessment Notices.  If you do not agree with the valuation of your property, you have an opportunity to appeal your assessment. The DeKalb County website has a link that provides instructions for the entire appeal process.

Click here for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What form do I need to use?             
No specific form required but DeKalb County provides a form on its website that you candownload here.
Along with the form, you should include any supporting documents that help support your position.

2. Can I appeal online?
Yes, you can appeal online. First, view your property tax information here:
Fill in your property information, and then click on "I want to appeal."
You can also call the county at 404-371-0841.

3. When is the appeal due?
The date the appeal is due is on your notice, and it is likely July 18th.  You must submit your appeal on time. If you choose to mail your letter of appeal, it must be postmarked by the appeal deadline to ensure acceptance as a timely appeal. Late appeals will not be processed, and DeKalb County does not accept appeals by email or fax.

Keep a copy of your appeal and any supporting documents that you submit and any correspondence with the county.  You will need these documents for your hearing.

4. Which form of appeal should I use?
As shown on the appeal webpage,  you have three venues:  the Board of Equalization (BoE), a hearing officer, or an arbitration panel. The appeal to the BoE is free, while some cost is involved in the other two options.

5. What documents can I use in my appeal?
There are two primary bases for filing an appeal—fair market value and uniformity.

Fair market value is based on the 2015 calendar year as reflected on January 1, 2016, so you need to find information documenting comparable homes that were sold during that time. You can look online at websites such as zillow.com  or appraisal.com and look for sales in 2015.  (In addition, you may want to include recent sales in 2016 if they are lower than the assessed value of your home. This information can help to show market conditions, because prices likely were not higher in 2015.)

Uniformity is based on the assessed value per square foot for similar homes. To make this determination, divide the 100% assessment value by the total square footage (this information should be on your form and you can also find it by looking up your home on the county’s website—see above for the link).

6. What happens after I file my appeal to the BoE?
The tax assessor’s office will review your appeal and will contact you to let you know if they have decided to grant a reduction in value. They may send you a letter or call you. If they call you and make an offer to reduce the value and you accept, they will confirm this in writing.

If the tax assessor does not grant a reduction, you have the right to go before the BoE.

Generally, a reduction lasts for three years whether granted by the tax assessor or the BoE.

7. If I have a live hearing, how should I prepare for it? 
You have the right to review the tax assessor’s comparable properties and other documents before the hearing. You can either go to the assessor’s office before the hearing or submit written request for this information. You should do this as it will help you prepare your presentation.

At the hearing, you can request for the tax assessor’s representative to present first so you can respond to the points that are raised.

Be organized. Bring five copies of all of your appeal documents with you—three for the BOE members, one for the tax assessor’s representative, and one for yourself.  You should plan ahead of time how you want to present your case, and have the documents to support your position.

8. What about the tax freeze?
The tax freeze covers county government taxes, but not school and city taxes.  County taxes generally account for about 1/3 of your total property tax bill, which means that an increase in property value results in a higher tax bill, even if your County tax remains the same.

Land Use Workshop Public Meeting

For additional information, see http://www.commissionerrader.com/event-details/events/dekalb-comprehensive-plan-update-meeting-land-use-workshop.html
July 14th
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Maloof Center
1300 Commerce Drive
Decatur, GA 30030

Notes from Friends of Medlock Park meeting [6/13/16]

notes forwarded by Casey Bordeaux, MANA Greenspace Coordinator

Participants:  Chris Foster, Casey Boudreau, Lisa Crowder, Ted Ward, Dave Butler, Jen Raby,  Joanne Bryan, Barbara Orsich, Katie Curtis

1.     Scott lots

a.     Waiting on update from county on status of bids for demolition for vacant white house – Casey will continue to follow up

b.     993 Scott – not part of FEMA buyout, Commissioner Rader’s office contacted Casey last week that County may be able to buy it to add to existing greenspace. 

                                               i.     Should not be limited by FEMA restrictions on other lots

                                             ii.     Casey will continue to follow up

                                            iii.     Ideas include

1.     Leave driveway to increase parking

2.     Picnic tables

c.     Tree planting

                                               i.     Need to follow up with Fuqua re plans and process, including timeline  – Ted to discuss with Theresa Same

                                             ii.     Dave B to follow up with new County arborist to confirm list of trees

                                            iii.      Start thinking of where to place, on vacant lots as well as in Park

2.     Playground

a.     Group met with Revonda, who is supportive of renovations

b.     Need confirmation of agreement by DHYS as official FOMP contact – Chris will follow up with Revonda

c.     Park Pride can help with fundraising

                                               i.     FOMP playground project will have own page on Park Pride website

                                             ii.     Revonda has list of vendors

                                            iii.     Ideas for fund raising events

1.     Lantern parade

2.     Event at playground

3.     Something at MANA pool party

                                            iv.     DHYS also has FOMP link on its Donate Now page

d.     Need to get going on 1 small, immediate project to

                                               i.     Demonstrate commitment to County & DHYS

                                             ii.     Encourage neighbors to donate and/or participate on future projects

e.     Ideas for small, immediate projects

                                               i.     New trash cans

                                             ii.     Covered benches

3.     DHYS

a.     Met with Comm. Rader

                                               i.     Got ok cover for batting cages, will self fund

                                             ii.     There is money from bond referendum which can use to re-pave inner roads (approx. from where drainage culvert to storage shed).  Have already met with maintenance group and hope work will be done in next couple of months

                                            iii.     Raised $15k from capital campaign which was used to fund survey last year and permitting for new work.

                                            iv.     ADA project will wait

b.     Other ideas from group

                                               i.     Can put sidewalks in, either real ones or just painted lines on side of road

                                             ii.     Can put permanent or moveable objects on wide entrance to playground, to discourage driving

4.     Bulletin board

a.     Chris removed ads – need to put something on it to inform that not meant for advertising

b.     Casey will create banner “Medlock Park News” – update:  done!

5.     Fall projects

a.     River cleanup – Oct?

b.     Park cleanup – usually scheduled in Sep

6.     Other

a.     Can get other planting in park, like azaleas or other shrubs along inner road to further separate playground area 

Zoning change request for 1889 Lawrenceville Highway [July 6]

via Google Map

We have been asked to share this announcement and site plan for a rezoning application for 1889 Lawrenceville Highway, at the corner of Orion and Lawrenceville Hwy. The meeting is scheduled for July 6; see below for meeting details.


This notice is for the Pre-Submittal Community Meeting, which developers are required to hold before they submit any plans to DeKalb County.

Click to enlarge.

Zoning change request for 3352 North Druid Hills Road [June 30]

via Google Map

We have been asked to share this announcement for a rezoning application for 3352 North Druid Hills Road (where Grand Slam Golf and Baseball is currently located). The meeting is scheduled for June 30. See below for meeting details.

This notice is for the Pre-Submittal Community Meeting, which developers are required to hold before they submit any plans to DeKalb County.

Phase III of "Decatur Crossing": negotiation summary

via Theresa Same, MANA Zoning Chair

Fuqua Phase III -- approved plan. Click this and other images to enlarge them.

On May 19, 2016, the Board of Commissioners (BOC) approved Fuqua Development’s “Decatur Crossing” Phase III to redevelop the 9.2-acre, abandoned Ford dealership (which primarily fronts Scott Boulevard with a small frontage on Church Street) into a mixed-use development.  The plan was presented to the Community in January and is outlined here. Following the community meeting, the DeKalb Cross Neighborhoods Council (DCNC)* compiled and considered all feedback received from the community and provided that feedback to Fuqua Development. This feedback was the basis of our negotiations which took place over several months. The BOC voted in favor of the rezoning request with 34 conditions negotiated by the DCNC. These conditions will become part of the permanent zoning for the property.

In addition to the conditions, the DCNC also negotiated a separate, legally binding zoning agreement which includes $60,000 in funding for off site improvements. Combined with earlier contributions from Phases I and II, this amount will be enough to complete pedestrian improvements at the 6-way intersection, sidewalks on Scott Boulevard (between Willow Lane and Medlock Road) and a short multi-use sidewalk on N. Decatur Road (between Fuqua Phase II and Church Street – in front of Church’s Chicken).  It also includes safety improvements along Scott Boulevard at the Tuxworth Springs Condominiums entrance/exit. The legally binding agreement was signed by MANA with the support of the entire DCNC. 

Fuqua III includes senior apartments, a grocery store, a "chicken-themed" restaurant, multi-family apartments, and a storage facility.

The site plan includes a “specialty grocery store,” a senior housing development (minimum of 90 units), a “chicken themed” restaurant with a drive-thru, a multi-family apartment building (maximum of 262 units) and a storage facility. Fifteen percent of the apartments will be reserved as workforce housing** as negotiated in our contract. The development also includes tree-lined 10-foot-wide multi-use sidewalks around the entire perimeter to match the earlier phases, 6-foot sidewalks on the interior of the development as well as a minimum of 16,300 square feet of park space. We also negotiated a bike lane on the small emergency access road that runs between Scott Boulevard and Church Street. 

Elevations for grocery store (seen from Scott Blvd.)

Elevations for "chicken-themed restaurant with drive-through"

Elevations for apartment complex. 

Storage facility.

Storage facility

Senior living complex by Columbia Residential. For an earlier color version of this rendering *that does not include newly negotiated improvements such as balconies*, click here. 

The DCNC is particularly excited about the senior housing component which will be built and managed by Columbia Residential.  The DCNC hosted a community meeting with Columbia Residential in April to provide information and answer questions from the community. The Medline Study identified senior housing as a priority for our area. The DCNC has been asking Fuqua Development to include this component since Phase I. Now that the rezoning is complete, Columbia Residential will go through the arduous process of applying for funding.  They believe their application will rate very high and are confident that they will be awarded the low income tax credits needed to complete this project.  Because we believe in this project, the DCNC negotiated conditions allowing Columbia two full application cycles to secure funding. We were able to work with Columbia to add more amenities for their residents, such as balconies and stoops to the building. This is a testament to how a collaborative process, bringing together multiple parties, improves the redevelopment process (see these messages from the developer and from Davis Fox at Commissioner Gannon's office).

None of the retailers have been announced yet. 

--------------------

* Dekalb Cross-Neighborhood Council for this project includes the following neighborhood representatives: Garrett Assay, Ridgeland Park; Jean Logan (Tuxworth Springs Condominiums); Elizabeth Roberts (Valley Brook Civic Association); Theresa Same (Medlock Area Neighborhood Association, Inc.); Mary Shellman (Good Growth Dekalb, Inc.); Jim Smith (Clairmont Heights Civic Association). Fuqua is represented by Jeff Fuqua (Principal, Fuqua Development), Heather Correa (Partner, Fuqua Development), Bill Aiken (Project Manager, Fuqua Development) and Dennis Webb (Attorney, Smith, Gambrell and Russell).

** Workforce housing as defined by the Urban Land Institute was used for this agreement.  The intention is people working in such professions as teachers, nurse, fire fighters could afford to rent these apartments.

MANA Community Meeting Notes -- June 6, 2016

Some brief notes from this MANA community meeting, attended by ~80 neighbors...

We have a request for someone(s) to organize the neighborhood pool party. Email medlockassoc at gmail if you can assist.

Commissioner Kathie Gannon and Senator Elena Parent stopped by. Senator Parent offered a summary of the last legislative session and reminded us of the run-off election coming soon.

Treasurer's report:
Judy Perras has become our membership chair after several years of serving as treasurer. Adrianne Leonard was voted in as new treasurer. Welcome aboard!

Greenspace: 
Casey Bordeaux, our Greenspace coordinator, announced a Friends of Medlock Park meeting for next Monday (Mon 6/13 at 7 pm in the DHYS clubhouse) to discuss plans for the park, fall plantings on Scott Dr. flood plain lots. There is now a bulletin board by the Medlock playground, it's available for posting neighborhood information.

Seniors:
Victoria Kingsley from the Central DeKalb Senior Center on Mason Mill Park stopped by to share the June schedule, special June events, and remind seniors about activities such as the catered lunch on Thursdays.

June schedule. Click to enlarge.

Schools:
1) Tanya Myers, our schools liaison and MANA Secretary, shared that Laurel Ridge Elementary ranked 5th in DeKalb County (the other top-5 schools are in Dunwoody, and Fernbank Elementary). Laurel Ridge was also one of ten schools to score a 5 in DeKalb's climate survey (reflecting school culture)
Tanya also reminded parents of incoming kindergarteners to contact the school to learn about summer deadlines that impact fall enrollment.

Arbor Montessori plans. Click to enlarge

2) Jan Deason shared plans for an Arbor Montessori school expected to open in Fall 2016 at 1434 Scott Blvd. The school's main campus is in Oakgrove / La Vista Road.  The Scott Blvd campus will relocate from its current location at the Emory Presbyterian Church, and will serve children 18 months - 6th grade.

3) The 21st Century STEM Academy, a K-8 science, technology, engineering and math school, plans to open on Clairmont Road (across from the Emory Clairmont Campus entrance).  They did not present at the meeting but hopefully will when their facility is closer to completion.

Zoning: 
Theresa Same, Zoning chair, ran through a list of nearby developments and updates and  recognized  DeKalb Cross-Neighborhood Council members Jean Logan (Tuxworth Springs) and  Mary Shellman (Good Growth DeKalb). The group also thanked Larry Diehl who represents us in District 2's Community Council.

• Sunnybrook and Medlock Rd.: this house is being renovated, the request to rezone has been withdrawn and owner is remodeling the home to sell. A concern (from the Commissioners) about changing the zoning of this lot was that the precedent it would set for the rest of the neighborhood.
• Residence Inn / Marriot hotel proposed for Blackmon Drive at Scott Blvd: following the June 2 meeting where neighbors showed a strong, unified stand against the project, the developer has communicated that they will not proceed with a rezoning application at this time.
• Medline LCI: Continuing to work with the County and Commissioners  to address the issue that the Medline LCI plan (which has not yet been adopted by the County) does not appropriately address the edges where the plan meets residential neighborhoods. The recent Marriott hotel proposal is a perfect example of this.
• Old Chevron station at the Scott/North Decatur corner: will open in August as matters retailer and another store (not announced yet)
• MANA has brought together a group of neighbors with expertise in zoning to do a mini-study of how our community may grow. Do we control or invite growth, do we try to stay the same? Change a little? Increase density? We need a blueprint sorts to guide future changes instead of having to fight these fights over and over. The group has met once, hope to reconvene soon.
• Fuqua Phase III: plan approved last May 19 (details coming soon), with 34 conditions that will be permanently attached to the site plan (remain in place even if properties are sold).
• Naley dealership: being developed by SJ Collins to include a "Whole Foods 365", restaurants and retail and 300 luxury apartments. Community meeting on June 13--please attend! Neighborhood input gives the community leverage in negotiations with developers.

What the DeKalb Cross-Neighborhoods Council Actually Does

from Medlock Matters, v. 38

How the Sausage Gets Made – What the DeKalb Cross-Neighborhoods Council Actually Does

by Mary Shellman

Who we are: The DeKalb Cross-Neighborhoods Council (DCNC) is a coalition of community leaders representing residents in negotiations with developers concerning commercial and residential development in and around our neighborhoods. The DCNC alliance aims to ensure that the outcome of local economic development will bring measurable, permanent improvements to the lives of affected residents.

MANA’s Zoning Chair, Theresa Same, maintains a robust leadership role on the DCNC, working to identify project specific impacted communities; sharing her zoning expertise; and bringing a tactful yet calm approach to negotiations.

Coming from varied backgrounds, the other DCNC members each bring unique skills and a willingness to work hard for their communities. In addition to MANA, the current DCNC team working on the Fuqua 3 project represents Clairmont Heights Civic Association (Jim Smith & Michael Dowling), Greater Valley Brook Civic Association (Elizabeth Roberts), Tuxworth Springs Condo Association (Jean Logan), Good Growth DeKalb (Mary Shellman), and the neighborhoods of Ridgeland Park (Garrett Assay) and Springdale Heights (Todd Link).

What we want: DCNC promotes the inclusion of desired amenities such as quality restaurants, employment centers, and service and retail establishments which satisfy the needs of the community; the use of quality construction materials and desirable architectural styles which are compatible with the existing neighborhoods; and a percentage of affordable workforce housing and senior housing.

We also insist on developments that adhere to smart growth principles by defining traffic patterns and impact on existing neighborhoods and implementing traffic mitigation strategies. We push for enhanced pedestrian and bicycle pathways throughout and surrounding the developments.

In a perfect world, all new development would be parkland. Unfortunately, the most difficult piece to negotiate has been our goal to limit environmental impact by striving to retain, replace and enhance greenspace within development.

What influences negotiations: We are restricted by the dictates of the county zoning code. The amount of leverage we are able to exert during negotiations is directly proportional to the property’s current zoning designation and the type and number of zoning changes and special permits requested by the developer.

We are fortunate to have County Commissioners Jeff Rader and Kathie Gannon who have encouraged us and often complement our conditions with their own. Their planning expertise and support has been essential to our efforts.

The contract: Addressing a range of community issues, properly structured contracts can ensure that a developer’s promises regarding community benefits are legally enforceable. Developers “pitching” a project often make promises that are never written into any project approval documents, and even when they are, they may not be monitored and enforced by the relevant government agencies.

The conditions list and contract between DCNC and the developer create an additional enforcement mechanism and expands the class of parties who can enforce these promises.

Community Involvement: We work to maintain a strong community voice in the development of our neighborhoods. Each participant on DCNC represents many residents of DeKalb and our strength during negotiations comes from those numbers. To that end, your participation and input are crucial. Listen up, attend meetings, check the MANA website and send us your feedback. At any time during the process you can email the committee at crossneighborhoodscommittee@gmail.com to send your input and we strongly encourage you to do so.