Posted by Our Green Atlanta on November 29, 2009
View of Arabia Mountain near Lithonia in DeKalb County. You can bring the whole family and bike or walk along the PATH, which leads through woods, over streams, across fields, and, of course, alongside Arabia Mountain, where you can explore its granite geology. (photo courtesy of DeKalb Parks, Bond, and Greenspace Program)
In metro Atlanta, many of us are aware of our severe lack of parks (trees, too), and next Thursday, December 10th, the DeKalb County Parks, Bond, and Greenspace office will host a forum to give the public the latest from the county greenspace program.
The county has used bond money to buy and improve land for parks and recreation, acquiring more than 3,000 acres since 2001, according to the office of county CEO Burrell Ellis.
- What: Officials will discuss DeKalb County’s greenspace program
- When: 6:30 p.m. on December 10, 2009
- Where: The Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Dr. in Decatur
For more information, call the county Parks Bond and Greenspace Office at 404-371-2082 and visit their website here!
Posted in Community Meetings, Parks | Tagged: Arabia Mountain, Decatur GA parks, DeKalb greenspace, DeKalb parks, DeKalb planning and development, local atlanta parks | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on March 26, 2009
DeKalb County is inviting Atlanta and Decatur residents to share their opinions on the implementation of the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan, the Comprehensive Transportation Plan, and the Livable Center’s Initiatives. The goal of the DeKalb County Planning & Development Department is to educate the public through a series of meetings, workshops, speaking engagements, and hearings and the next one is coming up in April (details below).
The new Comprehensive Plan is a policy document that guides future development of the county. Rezoning is a way to implement the Comprehensive Plan by putting regulations into place that will make it easier to bring recommendations into reality. The updated ordinance will also provide design controls and unique land development options for achieving the vision adopted by the county.
- When: April 16th, 2009 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
- Where: DeKalb Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur, GA 30030 (map it!)
- Hosted by: DeKalb County Planning and Development Department
- What: The second round of community workshops with a presentation for DeKalb citizens, including an overview of zoning and the status of the project. Preliminary recommendations will also be provided. Residents will be encouraged to give their feedback during the meetings (there will be one more community workshop after this one).
Below is an excerpt from an email sent out to our Laurel Ridge yahoo group:
Generating public awareness and creating partnerships with residents, elected officials, local agencies, businesses, educational organizations and civic associations are critical to the success of the DeKalb County Zoning Update Project.
In early December 2008, approximately 120 people attended the first series of community input workshops designed to gather input from the public on the current zoning code for DeKalb County. The first of three workshops targeting land developers and property owners was held in mid-January 2009.
The workshop gathered input from more than 60 individuals regarding the residential and commercial aspects of the code, as well as issues with actual zoning and rezoning processes.
To learn more information the public is encouraged to view the project website at www.co.dekalb.ga.us/planning/zoningCode.html. Comments may also be submitted online, and citizens may join the project mailing list to receive mailings. For more information, please contact Arthur F. Duncan at afduncan@co.dekalb.ga.us.
Posted in Community Meetings, Environment, Transportation | Tagged: Atlanta transportation initiatives, community input, Community Meetings, Comprehensive Transportation Plan, DeKalb County developments, DeKalb planning and development, DeKalb rezoning | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Our Green Atlanta on March 8, 2009
The BeltLine Quarterly Briefing drew a crowded full house for the February 2009 meeting
On Friday, March 6th, AMTRAK laid down its sword in the battle over the Northeast Corridor (or “Decatur Belt”) of the Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. Yay! The BeltLine is no stranger to controversy or roadblocks, but to face a federal organization on the scale of AMTRAK (while the Georgia DOT did a 180 degree turn against the BeltLine) was a bit unnerving. So this is great news and the BeltLine is moving forward as planned!
Of course, at the Quarterly Briefing the week prior to the decision, you could hardly guess that the BeltLine was up against such a potentially damaging decision. As the Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. closes in on its first five-year planning phase, plans are as ambitious as ever. President and CEO Terri Montague outlined the BeltLine’s current priorities:
- To receive stimulus money. The BeltLine is a very versatile project of “regional and national significance,” with transit, housing, parks, etc. – all worthy of federal funds and reauthorization.
- Community benefits framework. This includes working with the TAD Advisory Board on first-source hiring when creating jobs around the BeltLine.
- Refinancing. The time is coming up to refinance the $64 million in bonds sold last October and to sell the next $60 million installment.
- BeltLine Master Planning. As the end approaches for the first five-year planning phase, it’s time to plan the next five years (including continued transit planning).
- Community Land Trusts. The goal is to set up an orgaization to head up community land trust development for both the BeltLine and the city of Atlanta.
- More parks & trails. Get ready for more ground-breaking on parks and trails this year! Some of the parks underway right now:
- Historic Fourth Ward
- Boulevard Crossing
- DL Stanton
- Four Corners
- Murphy’s Crossing
- Enota
- Westside Reservoir (which will rival Piedmont Park in size with ~200 acres)
Of course, Terri did address the issue of AMTRAK and its threat to the BeltLine, but that’s a mute point now. 
Rob Brawner and I have been working together for almost a year now on having volunteers help get the word out about the BeltLine by having the booth set up at local festivals. If you are interested in helping staff the booth, please email me! jenny.p@mac.com (Here we are in front of the wall of the booth)
Rob Brawner from the BeltLine Partnership presented the segment on the Capital Campaign (you can donate online on the BeltLine’s website) as well as upcoming events and the Equitable Development Plan (to ensure geographic balance, incentives for growth, advanced transit options, and affordable housing along all neighborhoods on the BeltLine). For more on the Partnership’s plans for 2009, please click here for a blog I posted previously!
We’re always looking for volunteers to help us spread the word about the BeltLine by manning the BeltLine booth at local festivals! We have an ambitious schedule this year and will need a lot of help. If you’re interested, please email me for more information (jenny.p@mac.com) or sign up on the BeltLine’s volunteer page here!
Mark your calendar for these upcoming events!
April 18th: BeltLine Clean-Up Day (click here to register!)
April 26th, 1-4 p.m.: BeltLine Bike Ride (click here to sign up!)
April 25th-26th: the BeltLine booth with be at the Inman Park Festival (click here for more information about volunteering for a shift at the BeltLine booth!)
Stay tuned for more details!
Posted in Atlanta BeltLine, Community Meetings, Developments, Transportation | Tagged: volunteer atlanta, local atlanta parks, Atlanta BeltLine, BeltLine planning meetings, BeltLine Amtrak GDOT, BeltLine Decatur Amtrak, public transit, BeltLine quarterly briefings, BeltLine Bike Ride, BeltLine volunteering, federal funding Atlanta, Historic Fourth Ward Park, Community Land Trust | Leave a Comment »
