February 14, 2005 MLPA Board of Directors Monthly Meeting  (draft)

Back to minutes and announcements archive

MLPA is looking for a paid part-time database manager. Must be proficient in Excel. Please contact Lee.Nunn@comcast.net

MSP is looking for paid part-time membership recruiter. Please contact Norman McKay at namatl@comcast.net

Board and committee members present: President Norman McKay, Treasurer Christine Hung, Secretary Sarah Nunn, Parliamentarian Mae Reich, At Large (North) James Strack, Education Chair Barbara Feinberg, Zoning Co-Chair: Tad Christian, Parks Co-Chair Charlotte Gillis, Traffic Chair Bill Ellis, At Large (South) Shira Kash, Zoning Co-Chair, Tad Christian.

Call to order and welcome.

2005 Membership update: 716 replies to date along with $75,551 in dues (includes 459 MSP members and $62,460 for the patrol.) Membership signup forms at www.mlpa.org (“Join Now”.)

Approval of Minutes: A motion to approve the minutes passed unanimously.

Recognition of elected officials in attendance
Anne Fauver reported on Town Hall Meeting. Results of survey: Taxes are too high and MARTA needs to be more widely available. Speeding and potholes are still a problem. Updates: Sewers-city is in process of lining pipes to improve flow, Water-there is money in city budget to address brown water problem, VA Highland fire station-renovation funds available for AC and heating, Parks-city adding second crew with equipment and Mark Taylor Park with have additional land by end of the month.

Security/Public Safety
Norman McKay reported on crime statistics for APD Zone 2 Beat 210 and nearby.

Parks Co-Chair Charlotte Gillis
78 trees planted on 2/12/05. Thanks to Karen Schaeffer for organizing; to Trees Atlanta for trees and staff & volunteers to lead planting teams; neighbors who also attended and planted. Motion to approve $184.86 for pizza for volunteers passed unanimously.

Wildwood Urban Forest Steering Committee meeting on March 7, 7:30-9:00pm at Morningside Presbyterian Church in Fellowship Hall. Discussion of Alternatives for Master Plan. GA Power not yet willing to give up parcel at 2020 Lenox Road. Not yet sure how they will use it. GA Power will continue to coordinate with MLPA, NPU, City, and WUF. Purchase of additional land (Option 1) for Mark Taylor Park to close at end of month. Great support for land purchase from neighborhood, area businesses, Anne Fauver, county and Conservation Fund.

Education Chair Barbara Feinberg
CINS: Information About Your Schools- Want to find out more about the reform models adopted at MLPA public schools? The topic for the February meeting of the Council of Intown Neighborhoods & Schools (CINS) is "A Report Card on Reform Models at CINS Schools." Members of the Atlanta Public Schools' Department of Curriculum & Instruction will tell us how well the various reforms adopted at each of the CINS schools are working. February 16, noon, John Hope Elementary, 112 Boulevard, (404) 330- 4959. The meeting is free and open to the community. Lunch will be available for $5.

Zoning Task Force - Mike Holiman and Liz Coyle are forming a Grady cluster zoning task force to look at some of the issues affecting our schools, including the impact of the Crim High School rezoning on Grady, overcrowding at Morningside and “under crowding” at Inman. City of Atlanta planners are predicting an increase of 31,000 residents in North East Atlanta by 2020! Additionally, within ten years, the City Hall East redevelopment will have a major impact on the area. All schools in the Grady cluster will be affected by these trends. The first Zoning Task Force meeting was held Wednesday, February 9.

Grady High School - Request for Funding from MLPA - Jane Modica, president of the Grady PTSA, has sent a letter requesting funding support from MLPA. In a phone conversation with her this morning, Jane provided more specific details about the request. The PTSA requests that MLPA support its Teacher Grants program, particularly for grants that enable teachers to provide instructional materials and resources, e.g., Spanish videos, supplemental books for required AP US history outside reading, and interactive high school science computer software. Motion to give Grady $1000 approved unanimously.

Technology Update: Solutions to Grady’s computer monitors problems are in the works. APS is moving forward with providing a substantial number of monitors to the school as quickly as possible.

• Grady arts is expanding and has need of many items. The wish list includes:
• Power tools for wood, metal, and stone working
• Sewing and textile tools and supplies
• Photographic equipment and supplies
• Costumes (as distinguished from regular clothing)
• Hand tools (saws, measuring tapes, work gloves, chisels)
• Sandpaper for all applications
• Good quality fabric
• Pianos
• Acrylic paint, heavy weight paper, art tools and books
• Professional artists, designers, theater techs, dancers, and aficionados to facilitate workshops for students, faculty, and community alike
• Rehearsal pianists for Grady's upcoming spring musical
• Please share your talents and tools with the expanding arts culture at Grady.

Please contact John Brandhorst with any donation jbrandhorst@atlanta.k12.ga.us

Pianos needed - The music department has an urgent need for pianos and keyboards for the practice rooms. They also need an upright piano (old and beat up is OK!) for Music Appreciation classes. Please contact Kevin Hill khhill@atlanta.k12.ga.us.

Grady on the Bricks - The Grady Foundation is selling bricks that will be engraved and placed in the new Arts Plaza. Individual bricks cost $55 each. Groups of 10 or more are $50 each. Each brick can be engraved with three lines of text of up to 18 characters per line. Funds raised will beautify the campus and fund Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) to Grady. AVID is program designed to increase student performance and college eligibility among traditionally underserved student populations.

Southerner Awards - The Columbia Scholastic Press Association has named Grady High School's newspaper, the Southerner, a 2005 Crown Awards finalist. In September, the staff learned it had won the 2004 Gallup Award from the Quill and Scroll International Honor Society. In November, the staff captured its fourth Pacemaker Award from the National Scholastic Press Association. By earning recognition from the three most prestigious national scholastic press organizations, the 2003-2004 Southerner staff has become the most decorated in the school's history. For the most up-to-date, detailed information about Grady, go to Grady’s website, www.gradyhighschool.org. Check out the award-winning Southerner by clicking on Publications and then The Southerner.

Inman Middle School - On Thursday, February 17, Inman’s PTA will be presenting a parent workshop, “Valuing Inman’s Diversity.” The PTA has been conducting monthly parent workshops that have covered topics including adolescent drug and alcohol concerns, adolescent development and helping children’s homework management. The March topic will be adolescent nutrition and sleep patterns.

Morningside Elementary School - Morningside Elementary was named a 2005 Georgia School of Excellence in Student Achievement, one of only 20 in the state.

Special Events
Tour of Homes October 15 and 16, upcoming movies in Sunken Garden Park

Traffic Chair Bill Ellis
Highland Avenue Transit Solutions (HATS) - Update January 2005 - HATS is very excited to bring good news to you regarding our efforts to bring transit solutions closer to our neighborhoods. In Spring of 2004, you completed a survey asking what the transportation needs of the community are. Over 550 participants responded, and their feedback indicates great potential for increased use of public transit if service can be better tailored to their needs. In a previous memo, we outlined these results. The purpose of this memo is to relay what has happened since those results were tabulated.

HATS presented the results to MARTA during the summer. One of the most significant responses on the survey was a need for a bus from the corner of Virginia Avenue and North Highland Avenue connecting to the Midtown MARTA rail station. This was by far the most requested rail destination, requested by 79% of the respondents. It became very clear that MARTA had a great opportunity to meet the desire for east-west travel.

MARTA listened, MARTA responded, and MARTA needs our support. Current plans are to establish an EAST/WEST bus between the Midtown MARTA rail station and Emory Village. The opportunity exists to form an east-west route that would serve the tens of thousands of commuters/students at two major universities (Georgia Tech and Emory) and the thousands of residents in-between. Each university has created its own transit system, which connects into MARTA at some point. The missing link is a MARTA-created connection that would allow an easy east-west flow, and allow access to points in between, with the Virginia Avenue/ N. Highland Avenue intersection as the focal center point.

HATS survey participants overwhelmingly listed the Midtown MARTA station as a highly desirable destination, but there is no current MARTA route that easily takes them there. The terminus for the Tech Trolley is at the Midtown MARTA station. Linking Georgia Tech with Midtown with Virginia-Highland with Emory Village and so forth is a community need currently not served. Right in the middle of this east-west Corridor is Piedmont Park: very visible now as a symbol of a destination with a need for better public transportation. The route recommended would run east from the Midtown Station along 10th Street, through the Virginia-Highland neighborhood along Virginia Avenue, and turn around at Emory Village.

Please note that the original proposal of making the North Highland bus routes more neighborhood friendly is still in progress. MARTA is committed to working with HATS and the community. However, MARTA can make the east-west connection happen fairly quickly, and we have offered our help to make this a reality by the Dogwood Festival in April 2005.

The proposed line will modify the current 45 – Virginia Frederica bus route. We need your support at the public hearing that will be scheduled in the near future. How can you help? You can speak up in favor of this new proposal and help spread the word. We will notify you when the hearing date is set, and we welcome any feedback you may have.

Highland Corridor Group (HATS) / MARTA – March 10 at Inman Middles School at 6pm hearing for changes in 45 bus line. Proposed route change will depart Midtown Station instead of North Avenue Station; go east along 10th Street and Virginia; south on North Highland; east on Ponce de Leon; north on Briarcliff; and east on North Decatur to Emory Village.

Speed Cameras – Legislation to allow speed cameras in school zones during school arrival and dismissal times will be out of committee and on the floor by the end of February.

Morningside Elementary School – parental cooperation with safety and traffic rules still varies, during After-school program and regular school hours. Plea to VHMPA to openly support and follow.

Police Enforcement – Radar unit received annual certification in January. Still not clear whether Morningside, Lindridge-Martin Manor, and Piedmont Heights will remain in Zone 2 or be moved to Zone 6. Meeting Wednesday with Major Propes of Zone 6 on behalf of NPU-F.

Monroe Drive – Request to lower speed limit to 30 is going through the required channels; some crosswalks have been re-striped. Still need improvement at Park Drive and safer crossing at Yorkshire. Will discuss park event traffic management with Major Propes Wednesday.

City Business - At Anne’s Town Hall meeting, asked when the remainder of the 6 requests from January 2004 will be acted on. Commissioner Scott had not yet arrived when question was asked. Remaining items are: parking on only one side of Cumberland adjacent to Sidney Marcus Park; extension of milling on Lenox Road curve; removal of No Parking signs and marking of parking spaces on one side of North Rock Springs.

All-way stop at Hillpine crest still pending implementation.

Speed humps approved for the City portion of University Drive. Residents are currently gathering signatures.

North Rock Springs Speed Tables – Neighbor and URS traffic engineer meeting planned to determine configuration of speed tables.

ARC Treatment of Traffic Calming Application – ARC is funding the Ansley Park plan (the lead plan for the 4 neighborhoods) as a pilot; subsequent funding will be based on Ansley’s results.

NPU priorities for 2005-2020 CDP – Monroe Drive sidewalks, Lenox Road sidewalks, Cheshire bridge/LaVista/Lindbergh intersection. MLPA Traffic Calming Plan was submitted in 2003.

Southface/Sustainable Atlanta – Bill and Tad to join and attend Sustainable Atlanta breakfasts 1st Friday of each month. Sustainability topics centered on Land Use and Transportation.

At Large (North) James Strack
Cheshire Bridge rezoning. Continued discussion of moving power poles.

Treasurer Christine Hung
Motion to approve budget approved unanimously.

Zoning Co-Chair: Tad Christian

Application Number V-04-379 1374 Lanier Blvd Applicant: Ana Placeres Property Owner: Ana Placeres Applicant seeks a variance to reduce the front yard setback from the required 35 feet to 27 feet and the south side yard setback from the required 7 feet to 6.7 feet to allow for a 2nd story addition to a single family residence. Motion to support application per the plans submitted so long as the front footprint exclusive of the porch is maintained and the side continues in the same plane as it is. Motion Passed by Zoning Committee: 4- In Favor, 0- Against, 0 - Abstaining. No tree impact. Approved by MLPA board unanimously.

Application Number V-04-399 1116 Berkshire Road Applicant: Christopher Smurda Property Owner: Christopher Smurda & Patrick Clark Applicant seeks a variance to reduce the east side yard setbacks from 10 ft. required to 1 ft. and the rear yard setback from 20 ft. required to 1 ft. to allow for the construction of a detached garage and porte-cochere to a single family residence. Motion to defer to allow applicant an opportunity to continue to meet with the neighbors. Motion Passed by Zoning Committee: 5- In Favor, 0- Against, 0 - Abstaining. Deferred for one month by MLPA board.

Application Number V-05-05 715 Wildwood Place Applicant: Kirby Frank Property Owner: Kirby Frank Applicant seeks a variance to reduce the front yard setback from 35 feet (required) to 14 feet and the south side yard setback from 7 feet (required) to 1.9 feet to allow for a new detached accessory structure (carport) addition and also to allow for a detached accessory structure (carport) in front of the main structure, where otherwise it is prohibited. Motion to support application upon submission of site plans, 60 amp service, height limit of 12 feet, and one hose bib. Motion Passed by Zoning Committee: 4- In Favor, 1- Against, 0 - Abstaining. No tree impact. Site plans given. Approved by MLPA board unanimously.

Application Number V-05-22 1930 Wildwood Place Applicant: Michael Faust Property Owner: Alexander Hitz Applicant seeks a variance to reduce the front yard setback from 35 feet (required) to 29 feet to allow for a room addition to an existing single family house. Note: Zoning committee did not have a copy of the application from the city. Motion to support application per the plans that are not filed, but submitted to the zoning committee, with the following conditions: The proposed extension in the front yard does not exceed the left side footprint of the house. Letters of support from the adjacent neighbors. Submittal of all the required paperwork from the applicant that was submitted to the city. There are no other variances required with the application. Motion Passed by Zoning Committee: 4- In Favor, 0- Against, 1 - Abstaining. Motion to defer for one month passed 7-1-0.

Thep-Thai restaurant on Lenox Road will change name on alcohol license. Motion to approve passed unanimously.

Norman announced the 2005 MLPA Board Nominating Committee

Meeting adjourned.

Back to minutes and announcements archive