Call to Order–7:30pm.
President’s Introduction
- 2024 GPNA Steering Committee Nominees – Closing at the end of the 10/17 meeting. Includes all positions – President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Fundraising Chair, Land Use & Zoning Chair, Transportation Chair, Public Safety Chair, Homes & History Chair, Technology Chair, Philanthropic Chair, Economic Development Chair
- NPU Leadership Elections – NPU-W has representatives elected from each area within the district, including East Atlanta, SAND and Grant Park. 24 people will be selected (8 from each area). Grant Park Neighborhood Representatives – All 8 seats from Grant Park are open. Interested neighbors can apply online.
Voting Items
- Amicus Brief on behalf of the Atlanta Preservation Center. The Amicus Brief is to show solidarity with historic neighborhoods in the city. A motion was put forth for Grant Park Neighborhood Association to sign onto the Amicus Brief on behalf of the Atlanta Preservation Center as presented to the body. The motion was adopted as presented by GPNA without objection.
- 42 Bar & Grill Liquor License – Neighbors have met 5 times since the last neighborhood meeting to discuss. An amended application can be found in the Google Drive at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VhjXK1hcoP3y9H2-LPSVzaQGighwqi_h/view?pli=1. Good Neighbor Agreement – There are 10 conditions the applicant and her attorney have agreed to. The terms include: No street valet; Daily cleanup of trash on the streets (to include Grant St Se across from business near field patrons park); Dumpster pad to be cleaned regularly and a gate installed to conceal the pad; No bottomless drinks; Security cameras, recommend they be linked with the city program; Outdoor entertainment/amplified sound in back area- close area at a certain time attorney recommended 10:00pm. Build a barrier for sound (fence on the east and west side has no trees or bushes installed). Speakers (if any) install at ground level. Hours of indoor operation 12:00pm to 12:00am Monday-Sunday. Building inspectionA-tinted windows (SPI 22)B- fence in front (SPI22). Back Area: new owner assumes responsibility even though open court case against previous owner. Communication: A-names and contact information for managers. B-What are the days and hours that these managers will be at the location?
- GPNA brought forth a motion to approve the application with the 10 Good Neighbor Agreement terms and sent it to NPU for final approval. GPNA is sending this forward as a non-binding agreement. The NPU-W will sign off on it with the addendum of the 10 terms to be forwarded to the license & review board as the formal recommendation. A Call to Question was issued to vote and stop debate. Everyone voted yes. A vote was held on the recommendation. GPNA will send a vote of denial. Yes: 14 votes, No: 16 votes.
Public Official Update: Harmoni Brangman attended on behalf of Commissioner Natalie Hall’s office. The next Board of Commissioner meeting will take place 10/18. More details can be found at www.fultoncountyga4.com. She can be reached at Harmoni.brangman@fultoncountyga.gov or 404-612-8226.
Special Orders
Item One – Public Safety:
- APD Zone 6 & Fire Station 10 Update – Lt. Nawin Capell joined on behalf of Zone 6. The major crime in the area is still auto thefts, but a lot fewer than earlier this year/summer.
- Reminder that the non-emergency number is 404-658-6666.
- Summary of Quarterly Meeting with Major Webster. Successful summer plan to reduce violent crime, targeted specific problem areas. Auto theft decreasing; KIA & Hyundai theft down. Staffing down due to promotions, retirement & officers leaving for other jurisdictions. Academy classes graduated 14 new officers. Additional lighting & cameras are scheduled for the park and the neighborhood.
- 911 & Safety Reminders: Do not hang up; when you redial, you are placed at the back of the queue. Calls can now be sent via text; register phone with SMART 911. Still experiencing routing calls from Atlanta in Dekalb; please let APD know if you have this problem. Register or renew home alarms with the CryWolf program. Register home camera with Connect Atlanta.
- Upcoming Events: BBQ “Pig in the Park” – 11/11.
Item Two – Land Use & Zoning: BeltLine Overlay Vote Updates. Prohibit Minimum Parking Requirements for Any Zoning – Back to a vote at NPU with changes in November. This will also be discussed 10/26 at the GPNA LUZ meeting. Neighbors wanting to get involved can contact Sky Hassan at luz@gpna.org.
Item Three – Transportation:
- Council Member Winston announced South Boulevard Complete Streets Public Info Open House on 11/16 at the Georgia Hill Neighborhood Center at 6:00pm. The South Boulevard Complete Street Project timeline is as follows: Final Concept Design (Aug. 8-Nov. 12); Public Information Open House (Thursday, Nov 16); City of Atlanta Review of Design (Nov. 13-27); Preliminary Design (Nov. 28, 2023-April 25, 2024); Final Design (April 26-Aug. 23, 2024); Prepare Bid Docs for Department of Procurement (Aug. 24-Sept. 18, 2024); Procurement Prepares Advertisement for the Project (Sept. 19-Oct. 8, 2024); Bid Advertisement (Oct. 9-Nov. 7, 2024); Legislation (Nov. 8, 2024-Jan. 16, 2025); Issue Purchase Order (January 2025); Notice to Proceed for Construction (Early 2025).
- Woodward Avenue between Kelly Street.and Boulevard: Concrete ADA Ramp upgrades soon. Notices for resurfacing have gone out, resurfacing starting within 30-45 days. Signs will go up a minimum of 72 hours in advance of resurfacing. Door hangers will also be used and flyers will be distributed to the business/apartments and on cars. Questions can go to ATLDOT@atlantaga.gov HYPERLINK “mailto:ATLDOT@ga.gov” HYPERLINK “mailto:ATLDOT@ga.gov” HYPERLINK “mailto:ATLDOT@ga.gov”.
- Memorial Drive. (GDOT PI 0019558): Road diet and bike lanes from Grant Street to Pearl Street. One mid-block pedestrian crossing, one Right-In-Right-Out, and one Restricted Crossing U-Turn. Propel is asking for sign-on to a letter of support for protected bike lanes, and for them to be extended west to meet new downtown bike lanes.
- NPU-W Community Impact Grant – Trying to do a $5,000 project for basic wayfinding focused on pedestrians. Waiting to hear back from the city on the types of signs they’ll allow. There will be a survey coming in the next month.
Item Four – Homes & History: 432 Cherokee Avenue – motion to support the request that UDC adopt the conditions (including two friendly amendments, incorporated below) as a part of the Type IV demolition application. This case will be heard on 10/25. No objections were heard, and the motion was adopted. Preserve (with scaffolding and bracing prior to demolition) and protect the entire front porch, porch foundation, stairs and the first level front walls to the corners of the house (including foundation walls and connections with the porch roof). Do any necessary sistering and new connections or selective porch rebuild after the main house is reframed. Preserve, prime and save the first level window openings and their respective exterior millwork that can be photo-documented and measured with photographed scales. Replicate these window size openings around the body of the new house using standard 1-over-1 wood double hung sash windows in all new openings or windows that are similar to drawings on file for the previous renovation of the home. Restore a primary front entry in the existing opening to meet the construction and Victorian type that is in the drawings for the previous renovation of the home. If the new structure is multi-family, use alternate openings off the porch for multiple access points but have only one perceived main door where the previous front door was OR construct an interior vestibule inside with multiple unit entries inside the structure with a shared front porch. The replacement structure shall have horizontal clapboard siding to match the same profile and reveal of what remains (measured and photo documented) on the first level exterior walls with wood siding OR a thick Hardiboard “Artisan” series lap siding or equivalent cement board. The replacement structure shall not have a ridge height taller than the structure that was there previously and no taller than two stories on the exterior walls facing the streets (with the best effort made to match the second-floor deck at approximately the same, documented elevation). The overall form should attempt a Queen Anne House as described in House Types of Georgia found at the State Historic Preservation Office website. The roof shall be hipped and no less pitch than what is documented in the previous drawings on file. Eaves shall make use of wide, closed eaves (min 24 in projection, gutter ok but added to the width) and full perimeter running shingled returns across the bottom of any gable ends that may be part of a new design) with some form of bracket detail. If a third level is desired in the “attic level” windows may be placed in exterior facing gable ends facing streets and dormers may only be inset in rooflines facing the neighbors to the south and East. No skylights shall be inset in rooflines. No balconies, decks, or porches shall be designed in the structure, within the roof line, on the rooftop or over the first level porch facing Cherokee or Glenwood streets as part of the new construction. All trees should be retained on site or if found damaged, removed and replaced with similar shade trees in the yards facing the street. No parking pads or extra driveways or walks shall be added to the property with the main walkway connecting the structure to the Cherokee Street sidewalk. Any neighbors interested in getting involved in the Homes & History Committee can reach out to John Sitton at historic@gpna.org. Meetings are also listed on the GPNA website.
Item Five – Economic Development: Grant Park 5K – Postponed to Spring 2024. GPNA made good progress but ultimately decided to slow down a bit and spend more time preparing the neighborhood for this, get runners out, and support local businesses. Most likely end of Q1/early Q2 2024. Interested neighbors can reach out to Nate Cook at economic@gpna.org.
Item Six – Legacy Neighbors: 2023 Health Fair Sponsored by Medici Urgent Care & Wellness Center. November 17 11:00am-3:00pm at Grant Park Recreation Center.
Approval of the September Minutes, New Business, Adjournment – 8:30pm.
GPNA Officers and Steering Committee – Online Directory: Visit gpna.org/calendar for committee meetings and Zoom links.
