Time: 7:30 p.m. – 9:15 p.m.
Location: Oakland Visitor Center (2nd Floor) & Zoom
CALL TO ORDER: President Robert Selby called the meeting to order at 7:34 PM. He thanked the Historic Oakland Foundation for hosting the meeting and welcomed both in-person and online attendees.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes from the July 2026 General Meeting were presented. Motion: To approve the July minutes as posted online. Moved, seconded, and approved without objection.
PUBLIC SAFETY & OFFICIAL UPDATES
APD Zone 6 & Fire Station 10 Update (Lt. Brown)
Statistics: Crime in Zone 6 is down 9% over the last 30 days; specifically, Grant Park is down 33%.
School Safety: School cameras are active. Residents were reminded to watch speed limits in school zones
Break-ins: Suspect has been identified in burglaries near Woodson St. Investigations remain ongoing.
Community Concerns: Residents raised concerns regarding dangerous traffic congestion and lane merging at the intersection of Park Ave/Boulevard and Woodward Ave/Memorial Dr, particularly during evening hours. Lt. Brown discussed potential officer presence to direct traffic.
President’s Report (Robert Selby) – president@gpna.org:
Strategic Priorities: Focus remains on Community Influence, and Sustainability.
Branding: Emphasized the “Sunburst” logo as the symbol of the neighborhood’s identity.
Vice President’s Report (Adelee Le Grand) – vicepresident@gpna.org:
Business Support Series: Highlighted Six Feet Under Pub & Fish House. Leah (VP of Operations) shared that the business has been in Grant Park for 24 years. A $15 voucher was provided to in-person attendees for use following the meeting.
Adelee called for volunteer help at Summershade (2-hour shifts)
TREASURER’S UPDATE (Lynn Lamousin) – treasurer@gpna.org:
July Financials: Total Equity (as of July 31, 2026): $76,766.48.
Breakdown:
Grant Street Community Garden fund (2,781.87)
Boulevard Community Garden fund ($5873.40)
Parkside Bike Bus Project (12,127.97)
CD (50,000.00)
Available unallocated liquid funds – ($5983.24)
Discussion on CD Investment:
A resident (Laura) questioned the Steering Committee’s authority to move $50,000 into a Certificate of Deposit (CD) without a general body vote, citing concerns over transparency and fund accessibility. Treasurer Lamousin explained the funds remain a Bank of America account and will earn approximately $900 in interest by December.
Outcome: The Steering Committee will document the feedback review meeting minutes and return with a formal recommendation regarding future investment procedures.
COMMITTEE UPDATES
Fundraising (Kristine Gabuyo) – fundraising@gpna.org
Mosquito Dunk Bucket Project: The pilot program sold out in under a week. 76 households participated, netting $1,755.29 for GPNA. Thanks to Atlanta Preservation Center for hosting us while kitting the buckets.
Land Use & Zoning (LUZ) (Sky Hassan) – luz@gpna.org
1040 Grant St: Ongoing discussions regarding the developer’s proposal to turn the Beacon “driveway” into a public-standard street. The matter is currently deferred.
262 Ormond St: Variance request to reduce side yard setback from 7ft to 3ft for a Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). Please come to the LUZ committee meeting to review & provide feedback.
Trestletree Village Redevelopment:
Lengthy discussion occurred regarding Wingate’s revised plan. Robert Selby presented two motions to update the neighborhood’s mandate for the upcoming NPU-W meeting.
Motion 1: Solidarity with Tenants. formally endorse the Trestletree United Tenants Association’s demand for a legally binding Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) and full integration of Section 8 units. Status: Approved without objection.
Motion 2: Reject the “Revised” Plan. Formal rejection of the August 12 plan, affirming that 20 additional units do not resolve the core issue of consolidating 188 legacy households into a single building.
Resident Debate: Concerns were raised by some residents regarding the validity of previous votes and the representativeness of the Tenants Association. Velissa Sims (Tenants Association President) defended the group’s standing and their signatures against the current plan. Status: Motion carried with 29 Yes (Reject), 3 No, 2 Abstain.
Resident: Called for a space for residents to talk about what they need, and to remain respectful of the process of coming to the table and work through a CBA with the developer.
Public Safety (Loyal Charles) – safety@gpna.org
Break-ins: Neighborhood cameras successfully identified a suspect in recent SW quadrant break-ins.
Abandoned Property: House at Hill and Woodward burned again. Demolition is pending a city work order.
Coyotes: Residents reported increased sightings; info on co-existing with urban wildlife will be shared.
Transportation (James Austin/David Dye) – transportation@gpna.org
South Boulevard Complete Streets: Resurfacing begins Aug. 19th. Completion of phase 1 paving is Sept.
Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard Phase II – Currently in design phase.
Meetings: GPNA Transportation meetings will now be held separately from NPU-W on the 4th Tuesdays
Beltline Feedback: Residents requested more trash receptacles, transit/light rail prioritization, and removal of invasive “Trees of Heaven.”
AD-HOC COMMITTEES & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Bylaws (Chase Elliot): bylaw@gpna.org
Looking for volunteers to assist with revision of voting and membership rules.
Education (Star Brackin): education@gpna.org
Promoted the “Race 2 Read” initiative with a goal of 10 million collective reading minutes.
Legacy Neighbors (David Dempsey): Legacy@gpna.org
Announced the renovation of the Grant Park Recreation Center (“Yellow Brick Building”) and highlighted the fall catalog for local programming.
Grant Park Conservancy (Ceci Villanueva): The Summer Shade Festival is this weekend (Aug 22-23).
Historic Oakland Foundation (Lacie Strong): 50th Anniversary “Golden Jubilee Picnic” on Sept. 24.
Filming Liaison: GPNA formally acknowledged Laura Keen as the neighborhood’s official Filming Liaison.
2027 Steering Committee: Recruitment is beginning for all officer and chair roles for the next year.
Storm water relief project: Resident Steve Carr provided information and handouts about the project.
ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.
