The AJC has updates on some of the tenants that will set up shop in North Decatur Square (former site of the Nalley dealership at the corner of North Decatur Rd. and Church St.). The redevelopment is anchored by a 365 by Whole Foods, set to open in Fall 2018 and also includes ~288 apartments (to open in spring 2019).

Opening in Fall 2018 are:  Hollywood Feed (a "natural and holistic" pet food and supplies store that also offers grooming and self-serve dog wash stations),  Avalon Nail Spa, Sage Dental, "gusto! Wood Fire Grill" [it's unclear if this is a gusto! and separate restaurant called Wood Fire Grill or a new concept by that name] , and Takorea (a Mexican/Korean fusion restaurant).

To see previous posts on this redevelopment project, click here.

Blackmon Drive to become right-out only at Scott Blvd.

March 20, ~4pm: road closed for sign installation.  

Work has begun to make Blackmon Dr. a right-out only turn at Scott Blvd. This means that

• there will be no access to Blackmon Dr. and the Medlock neighborhood from Scott Blvd. except for emergency vehicles, and
• there will be a new crossing light to facilitate pedestrian access between the neighborhood and the new developments at Decatur Crossings.

We are not sure when work will be completed. The installation of the crossing light started today (March 20) and likely will take several days. It would be best to avoid the intersection and be extra-aware of traffic in the general vicinity over the next few days, as there is bound to be some confusion.
UPDATE: Fuqua Development has informed us that the project should take ~10 days to complete, and paving should be completed by Friday. There will be a 20-day "flashing burn-in" period (to alert drivers to the changes) but the intersection will be operational during that period.

As discussed in this July 2015 post that summarized negotiations with Fuqua Development, this change in traffic pattern was negotiated "to 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."

Blackmon Drive is a narrow and curving road that has been handling unsafe levels of traffic for quite some time. Reducing traffic and adding a crossing light should create a safer access point for pedestrians and cyclists in the area (relative to braving the 6-way intersection at Medlock Rd./Scott Blvd./N. Decatur Rd., that is).

We are not exactly sure what the finished product will look like, but it should function as outlined in the image below.

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

Below, the new crosswalk seen in the context of new, nearby commercial and residential (re)developments.

Congrats, Laurel Ridge!

Laurels, indeed!

Laurel Ridge Elementary School has been recognized for student achievement gains by the Governor's Office of Student Achievement.  The school ranked in the 97th percentile for College and Career Ready Performance Index (based on scores over the last 3 years).

See the AJC for a list of other DeKalb County schools in the achievement list.

International Community School love

The first sign read "Stay strong, neighbors, you are all welcome here."  Then many others joined in. Read about it here:

Decaturish: Medlock Park shows support for international students

WGCL - CBS 46 (with video): Neighborhood has message for school enrolling refugee students

11 Alive (with video): Heartwarming, welcoming signs posted around DeKalb international school

AJC: A kind display for international students in wake of Trump’s executive order

Huffington Post: Neighbors Cover Lawn Of School For Refugees With Warm Welcomes

Refinery29: This Community Did The Sweetest Thing To Comfort Immigrant ...

CNN: 'You are welcome here' - School for refugees plastered with signs

MLK work day at the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve [Jan 16]

In honor of MLK Day, the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve will hold a volunteer day from noon until 3pm on Monday, January 16.

Come out and help us with trail maintenance, stream cleanup, and invasive plant removal, among other tasks.

The Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve is located at 2580 Pine Bluff Drive Decatur, GA 30033. For directions, see their website.

Glazed

Although the 2"+ snow forecast did not materialize, we did have overnight precipitation and temperatures in the 20's, resulting in a mini ice storm.

Twigs are glazed in ice, sidewalks and pavement look clear but there's a lot of patches of ice. Careful when/if you step out today!

DeKalb County Prepared for Winter Weather & School Closings

via Commissioner Jeff Rader... 

Roads and drainage, public safety and others on standby for significant winter weather DeKalb officials are preparing for the arrival of potentially significant winter weather and are urging residents to stay home and off the roads in icy or snowy conditions.

"We can't stress enough the importance of staying off the roads," said DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. "Our crews can better prepare and clear the roads when there are fewer cars and congestion."

County officials will monitor changes in the weather as the region prepares for a winter storm and will coordinate with DeKalb schools, universities and county facilities if early dismissal is required. 

The county's Roads and Drainage division has 16 sand spreaders, more than 1,000 tons of salt and 1,800 tons of sand to make the sand-salt mixture used to clear ice from roads. Staff is also prepared to stay onsite overnight as needed.

DeKalb Police personnel are on standby to be placed on 12-hour shifts. Fleet Management will equip police vehicles with chains should they be needed to navigate snow covered roads.

In addition, the county's 911 call center is fully staffed with additional operators scheduled for the weather event expected to occur on Friday and Saturday.

Officials state that DEMA will activate its Emergency Operations Center to help coordinate operations within the county and with external partners if necessary. The center serves as central command to support critical infrastructure, communicate supplemental needs to Georgia Emergency Management Agency and update media on road conditions.

Weather update from City Schools of Decatur & DeKalb County

Due to forecasts of inclement weather, City Schools of Decatur will begin dismissal one hour early on Friday January 6, 2017. College Heights ECLC, and the Frasier center, will close at 3:00pm Friday January 6, 2017. ALL after school programs are canceled for Friday, January 6, 2017 including, Animal Crackers, Whiz Kids and Project R.E.A.L. Extracurricular and athletic activities are canceled for Friday, January 6, Saturday, January 7, and Sunday, January 8. District administration will continue to work with state and local officials to monitor the weather and provide updates if forecasts change.

DeKalb County Schools will have a two hour early release and has cancelled all after school activities for Friday and the weekend due to the anticipated weather for Friday and Saturday.

Our offices will be closing at 1:00 pm today. We will send out any new information via email, Facebook and Twitter as we receive it.

Make sure to check on elderly neighbors that might need assistance and bring your pets inside! Stay off the roads and be safe. 

Thank you.

- Jeff Rader