Meeting (recording). Call To Order / Start Meeting Recording 7:00pm. June 13, 2023, Meeting minutes approved without dissent. June 2023 Treasurer report approved without dissent.
Elected Officials’ Reports
Council Member Bakhtiari’s Office, Patrick Husbands: Budget just passed with increase in code enforcement and pay raise. Money added for resurfacing roads. Abortion travel assistance funds from last year are up for renewal. No new info on the June 29 drive-by shooting on Metropolitan. They are still working on the homeless encampment on Maynard Terrace. Q: When a tree falls across a street and the tree is moved to the sidewalk, who is responsible for moving it? A: Even if the tree started on private property, if it was cut up and removed from the street by the city, they should haul away the remains. He’ll look into the instance referenced (on Blake Ave). Q: A seating area added during Covid, in front of the now-closed Sabbath, are becoming an eyesore and using up parking. Can the city get rid of this? A: He’ll see if he can get it cleared away.
Commissioner Johnson’s Office, Florence Coram: There will be a school supply giveaway event on August 5. See chat for more info.
Committee Reports
Public Safety Update – Zone 6 Representative and Myron Polster Zone 6 Update Lt. Nicholas Mercado – July 6, shell casings were submitted, and they are waiting on results.
EACA Public Safety: Update Myron Polster: 1261 McPherson has become a spot where there is a lot of illegal activity. If you see something, call 911 immediately. There have also been reports of problems at 585 Flat Shoals. He is looking into what recourse there is to make a dent in what appears to be a source of crime around the neighborhood. Q: A Kids Club 12-year-old was abducted July 2 and then returned home after two days. He and his parents say he was drugged and taken to a property in the neighborhood where there were other unhappy kids. Any update? A: Myron and the Lt. have not heard those details but will look into it. Q: Bank of America parking lot seems to be hosting food vendors on the weekends. Police, when called, say they can’t do anything because this is happening on private property. Could this be turned into a trespassing issue? A: He will get with another Lt to attack the issue via checking for the required permits.Liquor License Application -CRU Lounge; 380 Flat Shoals Ave. SE, DeWayne Martin representing Jonathon Tolliver who wants to open Cru and obtain an alcohol license for a spot with no live entertainment. Because there is no live entertainment, the business is exempt from requirements that it be a certain distance from a library or school. This is the former Happy Donuts. They hope to open in late-summer or early fall. Cru franchises are independently owned, and so different Cru spots will have different kinds of operations. Some others in town do have live entertainment. Discussion ensued. Please see the meeting recording for details. One yes in the room, 7 no, 6 abstain. Zoom 5 yes, 13 no, 4, abstain. So, the total is 6 yes, 20 no, 10 abstain.
Parks & Greenspace Update Alex Levy: City is working through the MOU on Ormewood Forest. There is an initiative to turn the site of the former Sky Haven school into a county park. Here is the info: Sky Haven Community meeting Tuesday July 25* at 6:30pm via Zoom Make sure you’re on the Sky Haven Contacts List Take the Sky Haven Community Survey. Please take the survey. We need to approach DeKalb Schools with a unified voice and a plan that demonstrates the community’s commitment and willingness to help steward the land. After we meet in July, we hope to meet with DeKalb Schools. A date has not yet been set for this meeting.
Friends of Brownwood Park update (Chase) After receiving multiple rounds of feedback from the community, Patrick Hand, our park landscape designer has submitted recommended plans for the playground update. The City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Rec is now evaluating those plans and working to finalize them. Following the completion of the playground plans in the coming weeks, the Friends of Brownwood Park will reconvene to discuss the pavilion update options and solidify those plans. Both projects targeted for completion by end of 2023.
Ryan Downey, Kids Club and Brownwood Rec Center manager: They have a newly resurfaced basketball court but there already have been issues because of erosion around the court. Parks reps have seen the issue and Ryan is working with them to address the problem. There will be an official groundbreaking ceremony for the park improvements on July 22. This is ceremonial and will celebrate donations to the park. Improvements to the playground will begin later. Coco Gauff and Storm Reid, who are connected New Balance, are behind the donated funding.
Arts & Culture – Matt Letters, local mural artist, and lead for All City Murals, East Atlanta Farmers Market Park – Mural Park Proposal. The Arts & Culture committee has developed a proposal to revamp the Farmer’s Market space and incorporate mural walls to give space to accomplished and up-and-coming artists. Matt Letters will present the concept, discuss engagements to date, and seek input from the community. Please see the draft proposal or the meeting recording for more details. For updated, follow _ArtsEAV on Instagram and a web presence is coming. This will be voted on at the August meeting, Please send any feedback to president@eaca.net.
Land Use and Zoning – Karla Lightfoot Causey, landuse@eaca.net. Starbucks SAP update: She is communicating with the city to find out. She’s also looking into complaints about the East Side social club near Bouldercrest and Flat Shoals, asking the city if the business has the proper permits for what it’s doing. Z-22-088: 1640 Flat Shoals Road Request for application was deferred last month at request of developer who was unable to attend EACA LUZ Work session. The disputed south boundary encroachment issue has been resolved with neighbors. What remains is feedback on greenspace, walking trail and number of properties facing Grace St. The density increase in question will either yield 0%, 25%, or 50%. Next Steps: EACA LUZ Work session Monday, July 24, 7:00pm. Z-23-035 and CDP-23-004: Bouldercrest Triangle Neighborhood Commercial-16 (NC-16) EACA’s LUZ Committee, in collaboration with the community, is currently drafting updated legislation that would shape the future of development in the Bouldercrest Triangle. Example requirements included in the legislation include maximum building height, required incorporation of retail space, music/noise restrictions, max number of allowed bars/nightclubs, and a list of uses that would not be allowed in the area (e.g., gas stations, discount retail stores). (cont. below) The initiative is set to return to NPU-W ad hoc Committee this Wednesday, July 12th 5pm to revise language specific to initial parking framework and other limited sections. Final recommendations can then be made on the community-side. The updates will need to be agreed to, or as a minimum not be contested, by the parcel owners, as well. To review the current draft legislation: Links to official city documents and the legislation working draft are available via the NPU-W Atlanta portal. All comments and questions must be submitted by 4pm July 12th for inclusion. Next Steps: NPU-W General Body vote on recommendation on NC-16 is Wednesday July 26th 7pm followed by Atlanta Zoning Review Board in August.
EACA Outreach Committee – Ishita Chordia: The EACA Outreach team is hosting a Q&A with Sherri McCoy, founder of Blessing Bags of Warmth, on Sunday, July 23 at 3:00pm at the Brownwood Rec Center. We will be discussing the current state of homelessness in EAV and concrete actions we can take as a community to support the unhoused population. If you have questions you’d like answered, please send them to Ishita Chordia at outreach@eaca.net by July 21 at 5:00pm. About this effort: EACA is launching a strategic effort focused on the unhoused community within East Atlanta. Initiatives will focus on obtaining social services support, organizing food, and clothing distribution, supporting our unhoused neighbors in their transition to temporary and permanent housing, and equipping all residents with the knowledge and resources needed to support this community. If you’re interested in getting involved, please email president@eaca.net or outreach@eaca.net. Brad Schweers of Intown Cares outreach, which helps move people into permanent housing. He is working with Ishita and others on the committee, along with Bakhtiari’s office, to get a dedicated outreach worker. It takes a long time to find permanent housing for people, so they also are working on an interim housing initiative with teeny-tiny homes. One-hundred units are coming to Atlanta, and some may be placed in East Atlanta. Q: Where would the social worker be based? What are the funding sources? A: Main office is at a church across from Majestic Diner, but most workers spend the majority of their time in the field. Eastside Church has offered space for times when an indoor space is needed. There are a variety of funding sources, including some from the city. For the East Atlanta worker, they are hoping to fund it through grants, EACA or Bakhtiari’s office.
Announcements / Community Updates
Public Safety Training Center; Petition for referendum – Alex Woodruff, neighbor on East Side Avenue. Petition for referendum now available to sign, including at tonight’s meeting. Statement from audience. NPU-W has voted in support of the petition. Signing the petition doesn’t show you are for or against the training facility, just that you think the public should be allowed to vote on it.
EACA Call for Volunteers -We’re excited for what we will accomplish in 2023. But we won’t get there without engaged members of the community to help make it happen. Please reach out to president@eaca.net or any member of the EACA Executive Committee to find out how and where you can support. List of Open Positions – Ongoing Recruitment for Committee Involvement: Arts and Culture, Communication, Community Outreach, East Atlanta Parent Network, Education, Fundraising and Grants, Land Use and Zoning, Membership, Neighbor in Need, Parks and Greenspace, Public Safety, Transportation.
Closing Remarks and Adjournment at 8:46pm.
