Opening Comments - Myron Polster, President
• New Neighbors Introduced
Fire Station Design-Bronwyn Morgan
• As part of the committee who selected the public art for new EA Fire Station, Morgan presented renderings of the winning piece, which is a two-story stained glass type panel that will be featured in the front façade of new Fire Station. The artist is Deanna Sirlin, a Iocal artist (though the search was national). Check the EACA Newsletter for rendering.
East Atlanta Strut - Mary Yetter
• 10th Annual East Atlanta Strut is this Saturday Sept 15. Yetter announced events, and called for volunteers.
Land Use and Zoning - Andy Schneggenburger
• 900 Paoli Avenue: Request is to subdivide a “true” double-wide lot (one lot has house, one is vacant) into two lots that would be same size as rest of lots on street. NPU approved at their last meeting. EACA membership approved 25-0-1.
• 2040 Braeburn Circle: Special Land Use Permit requested. Dekalb County Planning Commission voted to approve this request 4-3; next it will go to full commission for passage. Email landuseeaca.net to get in touch with Andy if you’d like to join up with the neighbors, many of whom are opposed to or concerned about this issue.
• NC (“Neighborhood Commercial”) Zoning at Flat Shoals and Bouldercrest: Andy is putting together a presentation for neighbors and businesses in that area that explains how NC zoning could benefit the community. Notification of the meeting will be posted soon—check eaca.net or email landuseeaca.net to find out more.
• Shadowridge Development: This concerns the large parcel of land behind houses on Ormewood between Flat Shoals and Shadowridge. Developers, who hope to create a new street through the property and to build 20 or more new houses, are planning to resubmit a rezoning request with a site plan. They will come to NPU Land Use and Zoning Committee on Oct 2nd (7:00 GA Hill Community Center in Grant Park room 209); they will also present at the October EACA meeting. If interested in this issue make sure to attend one of these meetings. The developers have discussed calling a meeting with all neighbors who live within 500 feet of the development prior to their resubmittal. Email landuseeaca.net and Andy will keep you posted.
• Update on Beltline Study Group for SE Atlanta: Currently looking at area where beltline is proposed to cross Boulevard where a large city park has been planned. The group is discussing how locals would like to see this develop. Go to www.beltlinecommunity.org for more information on these meetings.
Fire Department Report
• Firefighters asked for suggestions on better serving community.
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Police Report – Major Propes
• There has been an uptick in burglaries, particularly from homes being renovated that are vacant as well as burglaries from sheds and crawl spaces. These are tough to pinpoint exact times on. Recently a perpetrator was arrested that she thinks is connected to multiple shed break-ins. Propes reminded attendees not to leave anything visible in their autos and to lock them at all times, even when running into a business only briefly—this could prevent many of the “theft from autos” we are experiencing in the neighborhood. Zone 6 police are currently looking for two women suspected in several apartment burglaries on Flat Shoals. A female was arrested in the Edgewood Wachovia bank robbery, and she has confessed to four other bank robberies. Propes assured attendees that even with this recent uptick (which seems to be following a national trend of increased crime), in the last 10 years they have reduced the crime rate in zone 6 by 64%.
Crime Report – Jen Murray
• Showed crime statistics, which reinforced Major Propes report of increased burglaries, auto larceny and larceny other. Email publicsafetyeaca.net to contact Jen with questions, and see EACA Newsletter for access to crime statistics.
Membership Issues – Myron Polster
• August Minutes – approved by unanimous voice vote.
• Sept 30th is the deadline to sign-up for the new quarter of the East Atlanta Security Patrol--for more see Security Patrol link at eaca.net.
Book Sale - Henry Bryant
• Friends of the Library Booksale will be held during the East Atlanta Strut on the lawn of the Remax building on Flat Shoals; Thousands of books will be on sale to benefit our East Atlanta Public Library, and the proceeds provide funds for programming (mostly children’s programming).
Burgess-Peterson Playground - Jennifer Mullins and Coach Betty Jackson
• The target of $15,000 has been reached, making us eligible for the $5,000 in matching funds from Kaboom, won earlier this year. Mullins and Jackson thanked the many neighborhood businesses that participated in fundraising and all the many community residents who have donated and helped in this exciting effort. At least 75 volunteers will be needed on “build day,” set for Saturday, Nov 3rd (hours TBA). Site preparation will be completed before November 3rd, and on build day all construction will be supervised by playground construction specialists. Surfacing of the site will be completed after the 3rd by Atlanta Public Schools. Side projects on build day will include building benches, installing garden spaces, etc. All are encouraged to join this effort to finally make the playground a reality.
Hands on Atlanta Day – Joanie Stovall
• Hands on Atlanta Day in East Atlanta will be on October 6, and organizers are hoping for at least 30 volunteers from the neighborhood to join the Hands On Atlanta volunteers from 9am -12 noon. Projects in the village and in Brownwood Park will include gardening, winterizing beds, establishing permanent hopscotch boards around the Rec Center, etc.
• Joanie needs help researching grant opportunities and potential programming for the Rec Center. Contact Joanie at parkseaca.net to get involved.
• We have the potential to qualify for $20,000-$100,000 in funding in the form of a Woodruff grant; Joanie is hoping to submit portions of the Brownwood Park Master Plan for consideration but needs help creating specific budget numbers for these smaller portions of the overall Master Plan. Email her at parkseaca.net if you can help.
NPU-W - Ed Gilgor
• The recent spate of ticketing (over 50 tickets issued) for cars parked more than a foot from curb or parked the wrong way around Grant Park made many residents angry, so a resolution passed suggesting to enforcement officials that there are other far more important public works they could be doing (re-establishing crosswalks, addressing signage, etc).
• A liquor license was approved for the soon-to-open new EAV establishment, the Midway.
• Next meeting of NPU-W will be held September 26 at Martha Brown United Methodist Church.
Closing Comments – Myron Polster
• Neighborhood Watch meeting for Unincorporated Dekalb—date TBA; location will likely be the East Atlanta Library.
