See more photos of the meeting at North Briarcliff Civic Assn.'s website.

Thanks to Beth Nathan of NBCA for recording the public comments of those who attended:

• The process needs more Sunshine (openness).
• Civic Association officers are beholden to the county for their standing.
• Civic Associations should be established where none exist.
• A lot of traffic backs up around CDC and Emory impacting this area; the size of the impact map being used is not realistic.
• The school of the arts may be moving to facilitate its sale.
• We do need to pay attention to protecting DeKalb’s power to raise money – put new development into Northlake, North DeKalb Mall, etc.
• Publicly post the current zoning map for the area under discussion along with laws about tree-cutting.
• We need more dialogue and a working meeting. We should be talking about the zoning we want and stopping the sale of school property. Is anyone other than a developer willing to present the benefits of this development?
• This is not a done deal; we need to fight for the schools. The rest of North Druid Hills Road is going to be significantly impacted. I wouldn’t use bike paths because of air pollution and safety issues.
• Where is the Adams Stadium replacement going to be? That replacement should be built before any teardown.
• All public facilities in the Kittredge area that might be torn down should be replaced before teardown.
• Our community is already wonderful including our uncrowded shopping areas and residences. We don’t need more “stuff”.
• Mrs. Johns gift to the people of DeKalb – she’d be aghast at these plans. What happens when 10-lanes revert to 4-lanes at the beginning of the residential area? Jody Lane is already a cut-through and has needed speed bumps for a long time. Then we got sidewalks on the wrong side of the street (no one asked residents) with lightpoles and mailboxes within the sidewalk and patchy grassy areas. The media reported a resounding approval of the plans at a Garvin meeting; I didn’t see that at all.
• Briarcliff – it’s already got a lot of problems.
• We need a regional traffic plan. Would a public/private development mix work better? What positives are there to this development? Will it provide jobs?
• Civic associations bring us together. We need to be one large voice. Nobody’s talking about how to handle construction traffic.
• There was a study that found Briarcliff at North Druid Hills as one of the most dangerous intersections in the county. Does that study offer any further insight on traffic in this area?
• LaVista Road is a high pedestrian area that needs sidewalks and traffic calming.
• Why not an Emory exit off I-85 to avoid traffic having to wind through the neighborhoods? Keep the publicly-owned low-income housing area public; make it a public park.
• Commission District 2 has the least amount of park space / greenspace in DeKalb.
• Don’t give up an inch of Kittredge Park. Make it a park equivalent to Brook Run.
  GoDeKalb.com will host a forum (discussion group) on the Sembler issue.
• This development sounds good but will probably cause people to leave disrupted neighborhoods, move to Gwinnett and commute back to their jobs in DeKalb. A new stadium will be next door to someone; whose neighborhood will that disrupt?
• Preserve more green space; don’t just fluff what we have.
• We’re not the suburbs anymore; we’ll soon see 4-laning of several roads and more neighborhood cut-throughs. Elected officials do listen. Contact mainly Commissioners Gannon and Rader. Vernon Jones doesn’t care about this part of the county.
• History: Briarcliff High School was once proposed for sale to a private entity; that was stopped by the neighborhood. This development can be stopped. Board of Education has no business selling property for unneeded shopping area.
• Is this proposal what we want? What is enabled by the sale of public property? Ms Joyner (Bebe Joyner, Board of Education), Jeff Rader, Kathie Gannon – what are your positions on this?
  Response from Bebe Joyner (BJ): There is nothing currently in front of the Board of Education. The board authorized the superintendent to see what can be worked out. I won’t vote for it unless there is a replacement for the stadium and the international center.
  Does it make sense to sell if those two conditions are met? BJ: Can’t tell yet.
  Why not keep this property? BJ: The buildings are falling apart.
• Is growing the community always good? There is nothing wrong with this area; it is not in need of re-development.
• North DeKalb mall won’t attract redevelopers the same way as here; there wouldn’t be enough profit. Don’t assume there is a done deal here. We need to individually commit 2 to 3 hours/week to working against this project.
• The Garvin process so far is all damage control, assuming that this project goes through. If the school and sidewalk problems could be fixed without this redevelopment, would you want the redevelopment? No. The pressure for this redevelopment is not coming from the people.
• We have what they want – money. But their business plan is built on quicksand.
  Ripple effect will come into play – if this goes in, stores and homes will be abandoned throughout the area.
• What is the long-term county plan for this area? Write letters talking about keeping existing zoning, schools, traffic, greenspace.
• Don’t flood with e-mail; that will feel like spam. Instead write, phone, meet face-to-face with officials.
• Don’t forget the Board of Education. Go to their next meeting. Ask for a response to Open Document requests. Students are sophomores only once. Millage rates in DeKalb are high for what you’ve got; I’m a school administrator in another county.
• Change is not all bad. But the public shouldn’t have to subsidize giant corporations.
• Let them buy land and build new schools for us.
• This also impacts Tucker. The school system should not be involved in land use planning; they are geographically challenged as evidenced calling a new middle school in the Tucker area as Stone Mountain middle school.
• This project keeps being compared to Sembler’s Edgewood project and its traffic increase. The traffic increase here would be 3 times that.
• Just say No to 3700 residences (up from 1000) and two 20-story towers.
• Contact officials. Get organized to speak as a community.
• I’ve got $1000 to put toward opposing these plans.
   

• Disallow 20 story buildings...if high rise units are allowed in Sembler's development then ultimately the four corners will also develop similar high rise
• Maintain residential nature of existing area and existing green space
• Oppose the development
• No power station!!!
• No street access to older neighborhoods from new areas
• Must have new schools to handle more kids if developed
• Improve Kittredge Park with recreation area for all -- kids and adults -- to meet the needs of all people living here
• Traffic is already horrendous
• As community grows, we should not be destroying green space and recreational facilities
• Capture new taxes from development to decrease residential property taxes

The following concerns and questions were aired that neighbors felt have not been adequately addressed by the developer, the Briarcliff/N. Druid Hills study area consultant--Alex Garvin, DeKalb County school board, or the county commissioners who make the decisions on land use for our area, or the media:

• #1: TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC
• How does Emory fit in with the development?
• Who will protect the bird sanctuary?
• Need for police precinct and fire station
• Police, fire, and EMS will not be able to respond to emergencies because of poor traffic infrastructure
• Too urban, does not fit into existing community
• Too dense
• Buildings too high
• Will negatively affect other existing shopping areas and retail stores -- taxes gained by development will be lost elsewhere -- will this be a wash for the public?
• Will set a precedent for development throughout our neighborhood and central DeKalb
• Impact of 4,000 households with no new schools added
• Will destroy the quality of life for current residents
• Assessments on existing homes will rise increasing property taxes (assessments for school taxes are not frozen)
• Environmental concerns

Those attending the meeting reside on the following streets: Christmas Lane, Sheffield Glen Way, Holly Lane, Wildcliff Parkway, DeClair Drive, Nantahalla Court, Briarvista Way, Mayfair Drive, Nalley Circle, Rogeretta Drive, Jody Lane, Knob Hill Drive, Kittredge Court, Empire Road, Bramble Road, Stephens Drive, Bridgeport Drive, Carolyn Drive.

MHHA to distribute notices of upcoming meetings and contact information for public officials. Several attendees at the meeting volunteered to assist with distribution.

Most of the 103 acres is under contract to Sembler Company, and Sembler is negotiating to purchase the remaining property from the DeKalb School Board. Lynn Cherry-Grant, our district school board member, stated that the DeKalb School Board is scheduled to meet with the Sembler Company the week of July 2 to discuss the sale of the North Druid Hills school property to Sembler. The sale would require relocating Adams Stadium to a site that has not yet been identified.

The project would require review by the Atlanta Regional Commission because of its size. in addition, since the current land use and zoning does not entitle the development of this property on the scale proposed by Sembler, DeKalb County commissioners would need to approve a change in land use and zoning for the project to be built as shown.

At the June 27 meeting, other plans were described that would add even more density and car trips to the area.

A second major redevelopment is proposed by HRPT Executive Park Trust for the 70 acres currently occupied by 22 office buildings in Executive Park. HRPT would like to build a mixed use center with 600,000 square feet of office space, 700,000 square feet of retail space and 500 multifamily units.

Gables Residential is already constructing a 5-story, 329-unit multi-family building off Sheridan Road in Executive Park that will open in February 2008.

North Druid Development expects to break ground in August for a 2-story, 38,000 square foot retail building at the corner of Briarcliff and North Druid Hills Roads where the Lutheran Church now stands. The trees in front of the church will be removed.

The Patni Group recently purchased the 20-story tower near I-85 that was once used as a Bellsouth training facility. Their plans are to remodel the existing building as a hotel.
 

As a result of a lengthy but successful Open Records lawsuit by citizen Mickey Feltus, DeKalb County is now required to provide citizens access to PDK Airport flight records. The records released show that more than 200 aircraft that exceed the agreed upon 66,000 lb. weight limit fly out of PDK Airport each day.

Two organizations that address the issues of oversized jet traffic and noise and environmental pollution at PDK Airport are PDK Watch and Open DeKalb. A second lawsuit is planned by Open DeKalb to require enforcement of the 66,000 lb. weight limit on aircraft at PDK Airport.

On May 9, the MHHA membership approved the following resolution in support of PDK Watch: The Merry Hills Homeowners Association (MHHA) endorses the mission of PDK Watch and acknowledges PDK Watch as its advocate. The stated mission of PDK Watch is to:

• monitor operations and management of the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK Airport) to ensure that such activities not only are lawful but also are compatible with the property rights and the safety and environmental interests of the citizens of the surrounding neighborhoods.
• disseminate information and seek to influence governmental policy and legislation germane to this purpose.

Contributions to PDK Watch are needed to support the PDK Watch website and activities and can be made at www.pdkwatch.org or by check to PDK Watch, P.O. Box 49325, Atlanta, GA 30359.

Contributions to Open DeKalb to help fund the next lawsuit can be made at www.opendekalbinc.org or to Open DeKalb Inc., P.O. Box 19089, Atlanta, GA 31119.

More information about these organizations and their activities can be found at the websites mentioned above.
 

• Kittredge Magnet School will move to the vacated Nancy Creek Elementary School building in August 2008.
• DeKalb School of the Arts will return to the Avondale High School facility in August 2009
• The International Center will occupy the vacated Kittredge School building

The International Center is an intake center for registration, testing, and placement of international students new to DeKalb County who were born outside of the United States or who speak English as their second language.

Dr. Lewis rescinded his previous recommendation to consolidate the county’s three Montessori programs at BriarVista Elementary School near Briarcliff Road. Parents provided evidence that the dollar savings from the consolidation of the Montessori programs would be negligible.

On March 20, voters approved the Special Local Options Sales Tax (SPLOST III). SPLOST III funds a 5-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that includes $10 million for the relocation of DeKalb School of the Arts and $29,836,296 for the relocation of Open Campus, Jim Cherry Center and DECA to Mountain Industrial Center.

No details were provided about who will occupy the vacated School of the Arts space on North Druid Hills Road or when the Open Campus and Jim Cherry Center will relocate to the Mountain Industrial Center. The Board of Education did not discuss selling any school property on North Druid Hills Road.
 

2007 Flag Program

The flags are coming! Flags will be waving at driveways throughout our neighborhood in recognition of Flag Day , June 14 and Independence Day, July 4. The MHHA flag program this year is again sponsored by Marc Goldin of RE/MAX of Buckhead at Brookhaven and coordinated by MHHA member Larry Gilger with the assistance of a team of neighbors who will deliver the flags.
 

• Odd-numbered addresses may water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and
  Sundays – 12 midnight to 10 a.m.
• Even-numbered addresses may water on Mondays, Wednesdays and
  Saturdays – 12 midnight to 10 a.m.
• No watering on Friday

For more info, visit www.gaepd.org

The intersection changes are considered by county engineers to be a short-term solution to traffic congestion at the intersections. Neighborhood advocates have argued that widening intersections will result in allowing more cars through the intersection in the short run which will necessitate widening the roadways in the long run.

The public has two weeks to comment on the changes.

Click here for the Information and comment forms that were distributed at the May 9 meeting.

At a public meeting on April 20, information was distributed about the N. Druid Hills Rd.-Briarcliff Rd. intersection project. The project is expected  to add a westbound through-lane and a center two-way left-turn lane from Briarcliff Road to Target. A new southbound through-lane will be added to Briarcliff Road. More details about the intersection project are shown on the concept plan drawing and the project fact sheet.

• 1385 Christmas Lane – to reduce the front yard setback average from 54 feet to 35 feet for an addition. The application was withdrawn by applicant before the Board ruled on it.
• 1379 Holly Lane – to reduce the front yard setback from 35 feet to 26 feet and the side setback from 8.5 feet to 2.5 feet to build an enclosed carport on east side of house. The application was denied by the Board. The applicant can appeal the Board’s ruling to Superior Court or can reapply in two years.

The fee for general residential trash collection increased $40 to $265, from $225, on January 1, to cover increased operating costs including gasoline without reducing service. The collection schedule for trash and yard debris remains the same in 2006. The fee is included in residents' annual property taxes.
 

Shall special tax district general obligation bonds to finance certain transportation projects, including, but not limited to, resurfacing streets, improving intersections, building sidewalks and bike trails, and constructing new roads, located within unincorporated DeKalb County, in the amount of $79,000,000 be issued by DeKalb County payable from the levy of a direct annual ad valorem tax within the unincorporated portion of DeKalb County?

Shall special tax district general obligation bonds to finance certain parks and greenspace projects, including, but not limited to, acquiring land for additional parks and natural areas, preserving greenspace, protecting clean water, improving existing parks, dams, arts and cultural centers and athletic complexes, located within unincorporated DeKalb County, in the amount of $96,460,000 be issued by DeKalb County payable from the levy of a direct annual ad valorem tax within the unincorporated portion of DeKalb County?

Shall special tax district general obligation bonds to finance certain library projects, including, but not limited to, building, expanding, replacing and improving libraries, located within unincorporated DeKalb County, in the amount of $54,540,000 be issued by DeKalb County payable from the levy of a direct annual ad valorem tax within the unincorporated portion of DeKalb County?
 

Shall special tax district general obligation bonds to finance certain transportation projects, including, but not limited to, resurfacing streets, improving intersections, building sidewalks and bike trails, and constructing new roads, located within unincorporated DeKalb County, in the amount of $79,000,000 be issued by DeKalb County payable from the levy of a direct annual ad valorem tax within the unincorporated portion of DeKalb County?

Shall special tax district general obligation bonds to finance certain parks and greenspace projects, including, but not limited to, acquiring land for additional parks and natural areas, preserving greenspace, protecting clean water, improving existing parks, dams, arts and cultural centers and athletic complexes, located within unincorporated DeKalb County, in the amount of $96,460,000 be issued by DeKalb County payable from the levy of a direct annual ad valorem tax within the unincorporated portion of DeKalb County?

Shall special tax district general obligation bonds to finance certain library projects, including, but not limited to, building, expanding, replacing and improving libraries, located within unincorporated DeKalb County, in the amount of $54,540,000 be issued by DeKalb County payable from the levy of a direct annual ad valorem tax within the unincorporated portion of DeKalb County?
 

• two through lanes in each direction, with the addition of a second left turn lane southbound on Clairmont to North Druid Hills
• lengthening the right turn lane on westbound North Druid Hills Road and adding a right deceleration lane after turning north onto Clairmont at the Clairmont Baptist Church
• adding a sidewalk next to the deceleration lane
• adding a sidewalk on North Druid Hills Road at the BP gas station
• modifying crosswalks at the triangle area in the intersection
• Installing a new traffic signal at the intersection

Project cost is estimated at $450,000 with funding to be provided by the 2005 HOST capital improvements allocation, according to Mr. Gurbal.
 

Town hall meeting at Congregation Beth Jacob brings together residents with county and state legislators on January 16
On January 16,  many MHHA residents attended the town hall meeting with Mike Jacobs, District 80 Representative to the Georgia State Legislature, and Commissioner Kathie Gannon, DeKalb County District 6 Commissioner.

Rep. Jacobs mentioned his appointment to the Transportation Committee. Rep Jacobs said initiatives under consideration by the DeKalb delegation during the current legislative session include an freeze on residential property assessments in DeKalb County to provide transparency in the millage rate. Another initiative could lead to restructuring the DeKalb County government to realign roles and responsibilities of the CEO and Board of Commissioners.

When asked about a possible streetcar down LaVista Road, Commissioner Gannon indicated that the Clifton Corridor Transportation Management Assn. (CCTMA) is reconsidering its options and that one option may be to locate new buildings at a satellite location to prevent further traffic congestion. Many of those present stated their desire for additional sidewalks in the community for pedestrian safety. MHHA resident Liat Lasker reminded meeting attendees of an allocation for sidewalks in the MHHA neighborhood that was listed on the 2004 HOST capital project priorities list but was not funded by the DeKalb Board of Commissioners. Also mentioned was that the allocation for sidewalks here does not appear in this year's (2005) HOST priorities list.

Linda Billingsley, MHHA Parks Committee Chair, presented a map of the recently expanded Kittredge Park and provided information about the additional property and future plans for the park. Liz Beyer, past president of the North Druid Hills Association, explained that the property acquired for Kittredge Park has deed restrictions that preclude building development by any purchaser. See the Parks page of our website for more information.
 

Expansion of Kittredge Park to include 30 acres
DeKalb County has acquired additional parcels of land that will eventually expand Kittredge Park to more than 30 acres. The park will include property previously owned by the Audubon Society and the Gatchell Home that are adjacent to Holly Lane. The Gatchell Home is retaining ownership of the 3.33 acre parcel on which its building is located. The residence of Mrs. Johns, who deeded her property to the Audubon Society, and a second building previously used as a day care center, are slated for demolition. The County acquired the property using Greenspace bond funds and a grant from the Arthur Blank Foundation.
View a map showing the park location and expansion.
 

• widening LaVista Road
• widening Briarcliff Road
• streetcar on Briarcliff and LaVista to connect the Clifton Corridor to the Lindbergh Marta station
• streetcar on LaVista to link Northlake Mall to Clifton Corridor
• rail transit on North Druid Hills Road to North DeKalb Mall from future potential
• Buford Highway streetcar line
• bike lanes on LaVista between Briarcliff and Clairmont
• streetscaping of North Druid Hills Road from LaVista to Clairmont, with more pedestrian-focused activity
• park and ride facility at Toco Hills Shopping Center
• multi-modal park-ride facility at Sage Hill Shopping Center to interface with future rail transit
• park and ride facility at LaVista Road and Briarcliff Road
• redevelopment of Toco Hill Shopping Center to include pedestrian oriented mixed use, including residential, retail and multi-modal concepts. CCTMA will seek to coordinate this with property owners at Toco Hill and DeKalb County for implementation. A similar redevelopment of property for mixed use is already in the approval process at the intersection of LaVista and Cheshire Bridge.
• Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), that could include monitoring cameras of the transportation network in and around the Clifton Corridor
• policy of no new parking within core area of the Clifton corridor
• additional thru lane in each direction at Briarcliff and LaVista
• signal timing, additional green time for westbound lane on LaVista at Houston Mill
• extending the length of right-turn lane on Houston Mill Road at LaVista

Elections 2004: General Election on November 2
We have compiled a list of local, state, and national candidates on the ballot in our voting district on November 7.

Jeff Brickman, candidate for DeKalb District Attorney in the 2004 elections, is the son of Shirley and Perry Brickman, residents of Merry Hills. He is currently serving as the DeKalb DA, having been appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue to fill the remainder of the term of the preceding DA who resigned. Jeff grew up in Merry Hills and attended Kittredge Elementary School and old Briarcliff High School.

Mike Jacobs, candidate for State House District 80 Representative, is a newcomer to the Merry Hills subdivision who has lived here with his wife Evan since the Fall of 2003. MIke is a University of Georgia Law School graduate who practices bankruptcy law in Atlanta.
More voter and candidate info...
 

For example, outdoor watering for 758 Sample Street is allowed any time on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Outdoor water uses that must follow the above schedule include watering plants and lawns, and washing vehicles,  buildings, driveways and gutters. For more information, see DeKalb County's Water and Sewer website.
 

1. Use of the property for offices, financial institutions, retail, or restaurant.
2. Access from LaVista Road to be approved by Ga DOT and Public Works.
3. Any other access points from existing drives to be approved by Public Works.
4. Current code landscaping requirements to be in effect as well as the tree ordinance.

The application was deferred from 11/24/03, 12/23/03, 1/27/04, 2/10/04, 3/9/04, 4/27/04, and 5/25/04 for public hearing. Read complete story...
 

Neighbors in the news: April

Aminadav Recca, son of Carol and Claude Recca,is the 2004 STAR student for Yeshiva High School.
Sherman Sable, who was a long-time resident on Christmas Lane, has moved to Assisted Living.
Milton Kuniansky, owner of rental property in Merry Hills, starred in an article in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution’s March 22nd Garden Section. He was pictured in his extensive hellebores garden at his home.