Council Member Bakhtiari’s office (Patrick Husbands): Participatory budget meeting taking place this weekend. Legislation being put before the council regarding police body cams. Legislation being put before the council to allow for the payment of small marijuana fines without showing up for court. Electrical traffic box – Contact the state reps or senators (easiest to go through office of constituent services – 404-656-1776).
Commissioner Johnson’s office (Florence Coram): Thursday events of some type taking place. When will the Entrenchment Creek trail be opened back up? (wasn’t sure of answer and said she would follow up).
NPU-W Meeting: The mayor’s office is engaging with the local community on questions related to the Public Safety Training Center. Mayor is planning to join the next NPU-W meeting to
address questions directly. If you have questions, send them to Skyler@victorialansford.com. The meeting takes place May 24 at 7:00pm; all NPU-W meetings can be found here.
Public Safety: Eastside house – working towards the removal of the house. Several car break-ins, but no pattern. The first public safety meeting took place and a few new members joined. If you’re interested in helping create and implement public safety solutions, please email publicsafety@eaca.net to get involved.
EAPN: Fling 2023 taking place Sunday 05/21, 3:00pm – 5:00pm at the Farmers Market Field day games, etc.
LUZ: Community-initiated rezoning effort within the Bouldercrest Triangle from C-1 (Community Business) to NC (Neighborhood Commercial) to support growth of commerce and thoughtful development. NC-16 Zoning (formerly NC-17) – Flat Shoals Triangle (“Quality of Life” zoning for pedestrian-friendly commercial nodes). This allows neighborhoods to set limitations on the amount of certain business types and the distance between them. (see overview document from 2022) The application was submitted in June 2022, which usually takes 60-90 days. We did not receive it back until April of 2023. New proposed legislation wording is now going through the review process. During EACA LUZ Committee review last week, there were some concern areas which are still being worked through including: i. Cap of 6 bars/nightclubs in the new NC area. This is determined by the percentage of alcohol sales to food sales. ii. Ground floor percentage designated for retail is currently 25%; some felt it should be higher. iii. Distance requirement for live amplified music. iv. Minimal parking requirements for business owners. These concerns will continue to be discussed as the item makes its way through the process including presentation at the next NPU-W meeting. Votes Taken During Meeting: Amendment to CDP 23-004 for the Land Use change of the properties as outlined in the map presented at the EACA General Body meeting on May 9 to support the Bouldercrest Triangle NCD. i. Yes – 23 (12 in person, 11 online). ii. No – 1 (0 in person, 1 online). iii. Abstain – 3 total. iv. VOTE PASSES. Neighborhood Commercial Bouldercrest Triangle District: Do you support the new NC-16 legislation as drafted and presented at the meeting? i. Yes – 10 (3 in person, 7 online). ii. No – 8 (3 in person, 5 online). iii. Abstain – 8 (7 in person, 1 online). iv. VOTE PASSES.
Parks: Friends of Brownwood Park update – Community Garden Volunteer Day: This Saturday, May 13th. Help us continue our work on the Community Garden. 9:30am-12:00pm. Currently onboarding a designer to help design the north side of Brownwood Park including playground areas, pavilion update, and activity areas/courts. Friends group is meeting on Wednesday, May 10 at 6:00pm at Brownwood Park to discuss initial ideas. Reach out to parks@eaca.net if you have questions. East Atlanta Kids Club recently applied for a grant to refurbish the dilapidated basketball court and invited EACA Arts/Culture to collaborate on a “mural” for the court.
Transportation: East Atlanta has the opportunity to weigh in on how some Transportation funding will be spent in our neighborhood. Councilmember Bakhtiari’s “District-wide Roadway and Infrastructure Visioning Effort (DRIVE)” is an opportunity for District 5’s neighborhood organizations and NPUs to engage with City Departments and discuss strategies for addressing transportation challenges in our District while initiating the participatory process on how remaining discretionary funds should be allocated. EACA Transportation Committee has put together 3 proposed ideas for submission and consideration. Upon review, Councilmember Bakhtiari’s office will decide which ones move forward to discussion and potential implementation.
Arts: Upcoming Chess Club event that is open for sponsorship by local businesses