Call to Order – 7:30pm.
Approval of the March meeting minutes. GPNA President Robert Selby welcomed neighbors to our first in-person meeting since the pandemic, hosted at the Grant Park Rec Center. A Zoom option was also available for remote attendees. All were encouraged to let the steering committee know of future venues or additions for in-person meetings that could enhance the experience. Steering Committee Members in attendance introduced themselves.
Lt. CJ Maldanado, the Evening Watch Commander for Zone 6 (12:30pm-11:30pm shift) was on the Zoom and gave an update on crime over the last month. Car break-ins continue. Most recently affecting cars that were not locked and that has valuables inside. There was a response to a burglar alarm call and the suspect was apprehended. A homicide occurred on Eloise at Trestletree North. The incident seems to be among visitors and not residents of the complex. More discussion about this happened later in the meeting.
GPNA Treasurer, Travis Peterman, presented an update and shared the Monthly Income Statement & Balance Sheet. A printed copy was passed around to in-person attendees.
Public Official and Committee Updates
Item One – Public Safety: Update by Loyal Charles, GPNA Public Safety Chair. Change of ownership application. New ramen restaurant at 475 Bill Kennedy Way. Approved. There has been no resolution to how car break ins are recorded. If multiple cars impacted in a parking garage, for example, some record each car as an incident and some show 1 incident for all. Still being resolved.
Item Two – Land Use & Zoning (LUZ). GPNA President, Robert Selby, shared information on the 1030-1040 Grant Street development. Plans are for 300 rental units and a 300 unit parking garage. The project would require rezoning. There were many questions about the project asked by community members and all were encouraged to attend the April 24 LUZ meeting via Zoom.
Item Three – Transportation: Update by James Austin, GPNA Transportation Chair. Boulevard Complete Streets: Procurement team awaiting final documents, seems on track for 9/25 start. A representative from Councilman Winston’s office was on hand and provided more information stating the project could begin as early as this summer. Once underway, it will take 12 to 18 months to complete construction. An attendee asked about concerns raised by the Fire Station on Boulevard regarding the narrowing of the street. The representative from Councilman Winston’s office believed that had all been resolved last November.
Announcement: Atlanta Streets Alive is back. The event is set for Sunday, May 18, going from Grant Park to West End via Georgia Avenue. The event is 2:00pm-6:00pm, Street Closure Time is 12:00pm-7:00pm.
Public Safety was brought up again since the representative from Council Member Winston’s office had arrived. He relayed more information about the shooting at Trestletree North at Eloise. An APD security analysis of the complex/area is underway. Requesting that the complex camera system be integrated with the city camera system.
Community Items
Resident Steve Carr gave environmental and community updates. He has initiated an open records request into community water analysis. Information on a study done January 2024 is all he has been able to procure.
GPNA Homes and History chairman John Sitton reminded everyone that if you needed help with a building permit or historic approval to contact him through GPNA. A question was asked regarding if tax credits were still in place for renovations for historical buildings and the answer was yes.
New Business Update: Open Records Request. GPNA approved money in the March meeting for an open records request for information on the Grant Park Gateway building that has been vacant for ~5 years. The information procured was shared at the meeting. View the documents we received. It is mostly redacted material. Discussion followed regarding next steps, it was hinted that Savi had backed out but that was not an official statement.
New Business Presentation: Grant Park Conservancy. We were joined by Grant Park Conservancy Communications and Engagement Coordinator, Ceci Villanueva, who can be reached at CVillanueva@gpconservancy.org for an update on GPC. The presentation can be found here: April 2025 Update Presentation Highlights were information on the new playground, bricks for purchase to help fund the playground renovation, the Summer Shade festival has a call for artists and vendors. The festival is August 23 and 24.
New Business Discussion: GPNA, What Do We Symbolize? GPNA President, Robert Selby, asked everyone to think about how GPNA can better serve the community. As a 501c3 organization, GPNA has been instrumental in helping the community create the Grant Park Conservancy and Charter School. What can we do next? Please reach out to the steering committee with ideas or input.
Adjournment – 8:30pm.
