EACA Meeting Minutes – October 11, 2016

EACA Meeting Minutes
October 11, 2016
The meeting was called to order at 7:04pm by President Lewis Cartee.
Public Safety – Lt. Floyd of APD’s Zone 6 Precinct, that services East Atlanta Village, updated attendees on crime issues in Beat 612. There has been an 8% decrease in crime in the area compared to the same 30 day period in 2015. There was an incident on Gresham Road that involved a victim walking away from The Village who was robbed at gunpoint between 12:30am and 12:40am on September 15, 2016, in an area of the street where the street light was out. Please do not walk home after dark, especially alone. Don’t be distracted by electronics and be aware of your surroundings at all times. There were burglary incidents on Bouldercrest and at the new apartment complex on Metropolitan. Vehicle break-ins continue to be an issue, especially in the immediate area of the business districts. To address traffic issues that were brought up in previous EACA meetings, APD is fortifying traffic enforcement in the area, especially along the Moreland Avenue corridor with the assistance of Georgia State Patrol.
New Business joining the We Suki Suki Food Court – “Sushi Burri,” offering Sushi burritos and Pokebowls, is opening this week. Their hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 11:30am to 9:30pm. Menus and promo cards for $3 off any order were provided. If you bring in 10 people to eat, they will name a burrito after you!
Craig Galanos with the organization, “Give a Kid the World” asked that community members consider donating their old desktop computers to help this community based project which seeks to provide local children with technology and internet access that might not have the resources to do so on their own. The organization can assist with wiping data from used hard drives. For more information, please see their website: www.Giveakidtheworld.com.
Henry Owens, an East Atlanta resident, attended The Strut in September and became aware that two individuals were selling stickers with a Skull and Crossbones and EAV on them. The Skull on the stickers resembles an icon used for a particular hate group. Mr. Owens and Rebecca Kern, who organized the artist’s market at The Strut, asked the gentlemen to stop selling the stickers when they were identified at The Strut. Please be aware that this symbol or emblem does not represent our neighborhood and if you see one, please destroy it or let someone in EACA know so that they can have it removed.
A Tax Concepts will be hosting an “End of the Tax Year” event on Friday, October 21, 2016 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Please join them for wine and signature cocktails at their office at 498 Flat Shoals Road, next to Flo and Em Florist.
“Under the Harvest Moon Gala” on October 15, 2016, at the Zuber-Jarrell House at 810 Flat Shoals Road will benefit Neighbor in Need and EACA. Tickets were made available at the meeting but can also be purchased online and the East Atlanta Farmer’s Market on Thursday. Follow the links at www.eaca.net. The organizing committee would like to thank all the local businesses for sponsorships and support. Financial contributions to date of almost $11,000 plus additional in-kind contributions are sure to make this a memorable event for all and raise much-needed funds to assist senior residents with emergency repairs. Food, beverages, live music and tours of the home will be offered. The Jarrell children will be participating in tours.
“Save the Old Atlanta Prison Farm” will host a benefit fundraiser on October 22, 2016 from 9:00pm to 2:00am at 529 in East Atlanta Village. Money raised will be used to pay for a rendering of the potential greenspace that the 300 acre tract could provide to the community. Musical and comedic performances will be the highlight of the benefit and the cost to attend is $10. For more information, please see their Facebook page or website, www.savetheoldatlantaprisonfarm.com. A meeting attendee asked questions about whether or not the Farm could be sold in whole or in part without public knowledge. Natalyn Archibong assured attendees that it is currently a city asset and nothing can be done without Atlanta City Council involvement.
“EAV-o-ween” will be on October 29, the last Saturday of the month, in East Atlanta Village. The annual event will kick off with a costume contest beginning at 5:00pm at the Farmer’s Market space, followed by trick-or-treating through the business district and ending back in the Farmer’s Market space with a movie screening. Donations of used costumes will be accepted at the East Atlanta Farmer’s Markets each Thursday until Halloween. You can also drop off costumes at Joe’s, Screen Fixing and Burgess Peterson during normal business hours. Candy donations would be appreciated as well. These costumes will be used for area children of need so that they can participate in EAV-o-ween festivities.
Judge Shondeana Crews Morris, State Court Judge of Dekalb County introduced herself. She and her family have purchased a home on Fayetteville Road and are excited to become involved in EACA.
Membership Committee – Vic Thomas, Membership Chairman reminded attendees that memberships can be renewed and signs ordered at each EACA meeting.
BATL – Henry Bryant announced that walking tours of the local battle sites are given each month. On October 22, a “Front Lines” tour will begin at 11:00am in front of Joe’s Coffee at the corner of Glenwood Road and Flat Shoals Avenue. Advance tickets can be purchased for $15 at the website: www.battleevent.org. The walking tour will last approximately 1 ½ hour as historians and enthusiasts guide tour-goers through East Atlanta, highlighting notable battle sites and area history. Upcoming tours include the “Battle Began Here Tour” in November and another tour between Christmas and New Year TBD. Organizers of B*ATL are working on funding for restoration of the two East Atlanta monuments and greenspace to create trail to connect the two monuments. The Atlanta City Parks Department has been working on identifying funding to purchase greenspace for the trail project.
Nominating Committee – EACA Officer Candidates for 2017 need to be identified. Henry Bryant is assembling the Nominations Committee in the next few weeks. If you would like to participate in the Nominations Committee or be considered for an office for 2017, please get in touch with Henry at hbryant@mindspring.com. For more information about the Committee and Officers Nominations, please use the website, www.eaca.net.
Land Use and Zoning – two variance applications were submitted to the Land Use and Zoning Committee. V-16-249 concerning a front yard set-back reduction for the property located at 1263 MacPherson Avenue. It was noted that the original footprint of the improvement was already beyond the City’s mandated set-back and would not be changed. Approval of this application was supported by the NPU. V-16-267 concerning a side yard set-back reduction for the property located at 634 Brownwood Avenue. As with the MacPherson Avenue application, the original footprint of the improvement was already beyond the City’s mandated set-back and would not be changed. Approval of this application was supported by the NPU. Questions and concerns were solicited. There being none, both applications were approved without opposition.
Trash can placement continues to be an issue in the area. Trash cans must be placed at the curb no earlier than 7:00am on the morning of anticipated pick up and removed no later than 7:00pm after pick up. Please do not place your trash can in the street. Sanitation workers are supposed to replace your trash receptacle back up on the curb, not in the street or in front of driveways. If you have issues with missed collections or improper receptacle replacement, please email the Deputy Commissioner in charge of trash collection at lrking@atlantaga.gov. If you would like for Ed Gilgor to follow up on your issue, please copy him at edward.gilgor@gmail.com. You can also file a “missed pick up” report on the sanitation website.
City Ordinances regarding outdoor festivals – While there are several ordinances governing street closures, safety, sanitation and noise, there are no ordinances concerning frequency. Area leadership and organizers do try to limit the negative effects of festivals on businesses and residents. If you have questions or concerns regarding past or future festival applications in the East Atlanta Area, please email Ed Gilgor at edward.gilgor@gmail.com.
Bicycle Traffic Incident – There was a hit and run accident in Little Five Points during the weekend of October 8, where a bicyclist ran the traffic light and caused injury to two pedestrians. NPU-W is urging law enforcement to pursue bicycle traffic law offenders.
Please Vote in the November 8 election – Joe Peery, Transportation Chairman discussed the TSPLOST and MARTA Referendums that will be on the ballot in November. TSPLOST will fund infrastructure repairs and replacements, sidewalks, beltline funding and street paving and resurfacing. Specific to EAV, local leaders have added the Glenwood and Moreland Realignment project to the list of proposed projects to be funded. The MARTA Referendum will fund system expansion. For more information on the TSPLOST and MARTA Referendums, as well as a list of proposed projects, please see the website: www.atlantaga.gov/index.aspx?page=1300.
Lewis Cartee provided a summary of Amendment 1 to the Georgia Constitution concerning the creation of an Opportunity School District in Georgia and asked each attendee to give thoughtful consideration to this issue and vote on November 8. Lewis will provide a link to further information about Amendment 1 in the October 17 EACA newsletter.
The September Minutes and Treasurer’s report were approved.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:41pm.