East Atlanta Community Meeting Notes 03-12-2013
- Kevin called meeting to order at 7:07 pm
- Kevin asked newcomers to introduce themselves
- Laura and her husband just moved to Metropolitan Place
- Police report, Zone 6 – Officer Mitchell (beat officer) and Officer Gonzales (field trainee)
- APD trying to increase visibility in several ways:
- On foot patrols
- Efforts to meet business owners
- Jeep Cherokees are a hot item of late, as they start very easily;
- Stolen vehicles are being used in robberies
- Q&A
- One evening last week the APD had stopped a vehicle at Newton and Van Epps?
- Routine traffic stop but driver didn’t cooperate
- Rebecca asked if there were extra patrols during Living Walls
- During big events, customarily send more patrol cars
- Ed asked if beat officers would be notified of a road closing for a big event
- There’s a communication pipeline for all road closings, to include Police, MARTA, Emergency Services, etc.
- Announcements/What’s up in EAV?
- Toastmasters, Miss Walker
- Forming Toastmasters club in EAV
- Information meeting next Thursday (3/21), 6-7 pm, at First Iconium Baptist Church
- East Lake Pharmacy, Thomas Jusu (Owner/Pharmacist)
- Thomas was formerly pharmacist at Moreland CVS
- Hours
- Monday thru Friday, 9 am – 7 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm
- Do these hours work for the neighborhood?
- Ed says 7 pm may be too early
- Accept all major insurance plans; competitive prices without insurance
- Free deliveries within neighborhood
- Also offers notary service
- Q&A
- Jack asked if Thomas can match prices at chain pharmacies or primary medications
- Thomas says he’ll match
- Phoenix Flies, March 9-24
- This year marks 10th anniversary of Atlanta Preservation Society
- Reservations required
- Living Walls
- Kevin recognized outstanding East Atlanta Block Party led by Kate Crosby
- 41 vendors at the craft show; record number
- Rebecca asked how many people attended; guessing 3000-4000
- Kevin thought it was great that the local businesses benefited without beer/food trucks
- Living Walls had a great pop-up shop on Gresham, is now considering moving its headquarters to EAV
- East Atlanta Business Association (EABA), Matt Armstrong
- Folks who work locally or own a business are invited to attend the monthly EABA meeting, 1st Monday of the month at 5:30 pm at Branan Towers
- Clean-up in the Village sponsored by EACA, EABA, East Atlanta Foundation
- Adopt-a-Street is getting started, great way to love our neighborhood
- Mike Land, owner of Village Garage, is putting together a standalone car show on May 11th, based on the success of last year’s car show at the Strut
- Adidas Art Stroll, March 30th
- Planning to host tent in former BMW parking lot for 4 days, with reveal of final art
- Matt encouraged folks to support local businesses
- Tire round-up scheduled for April 27th; major event for Councilmember Archibong
- Jack asked if Thomas can match prices at chain pharmacies or primary medications
- Brownwood Park
- 1st Brownwood Frolic this Sunday (3/17), 3 – 5 pm
- Previously, EACA has asked for help cleaning the park; now want to focus on enjoying the par
- Activities for kids and adults, including live music and lawn games
- Mushroom class on April 15th
- Growing oyster mushrooms in reusable material, class taught by Fifth Kingdom
- Partnering with Friends of East Atlanta Library
- $25 registration fee includes class and materials
- Clean-up day on April 27th, focused on erosion control
- 1st Brownwood Frolic this Sunday (3/17), 3 – 5 pm
- Park Pride conference coming up on March 24th
- Park Pride has given several grants for the Community Garden, eastside trail
- Conference includes parks tour
- EACA is asking for help to prep the park and community garden for the tour on March 23rd at 10 am
- Toastmasters, Miss Walker
- Neighbor in Need Poker Tournamet
- 4th poker tournament coming up on March 30th
- $50 buy-in; proceeds support efforts of Neighbor in Need
- Project Giving ACTS (About Choices in Transplantation and Sharing
- Kelly Earl & Dana Robinson, Emor
- Emory has received grant from NIH to educate African American adults about organ donation
- Target audience is African Americans, 18 and up, in 30316 ZIP Code
- Looking for participants to participate in 2-hour educational session; focus is education, not registration
- Kelly Earl & Dana Robinson, Emor
- East Atlanta Streetscape Phase II, Ed Gilgor
- Project started out of East Atlanta Village Study (late 90s, early 2000s)
- Phase I already complete
- Phase II has been delayed for several years; City recently picked the project back up
- Made revisions to the original plan, and moved forward without consulting the neighborhood
- EACA/NPU-W is organizing feedback for the City, led by Andy Schneggenburger, EACA Land Use and Zoning chair
- Plans include traffic circle at McPherson, revised welcome sign, interpretive sign; does not include Flat Shoals down to Metropolitan
- Ed has asked them to do Flat Shoals and Glenwood in entirety, not piecemeal
- Anticipate the City continuing with most recent plans; at a minimum, Ed has asked the City to commit to completing the improvements in the future, with bond dates, etc.
- The project is to begin March 18th
- Q&A
- Residents are always required to publicly post notices about residential projects, curious that the City hasn’t posted anything about a very significant undertaking (e.g., detour plan and other signage)
- How can we express our concerns?
- Ed recommended contacting Commissioner Mendoza
- The “Welcome to East Atlanta” sign will not be preserved
- What will be the alternate traffic plan?
- Unclear at this point
- Closing
- February minutes approval; Ed moved to approve, seconded, approve
- Steve noted that the February minutes failed to include his commendation of Rebecca’s January minutes
- New busines
- Steve asked if we have any graphic artists to design a sign for encouraging Branan Towers residents to attend the monthly EACA meeting
- Kevin “heard” a motion to adjourn
- February minutes approval; Ed moved to approve, seconded, approve
