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District 8 News & Updates

Government works. Not smoothly. Not efficiently, although we’re working on that. And, for sure, not to everyone’s satisfaction. But it works.

Cynics would have you believe otherwise. But while I admire healthy skepticism, I have little patience for cynicism. If I did, I could not serve as District 8’s representative on Atlanta City Council. To be cynical is to be disillusioned. I am a realist with enough optimism to believe any problem can be solved.

This edition of our monthly newsletter asks the question: How do we make and measure progress? The answer is the sum of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of small steps. Taken together, they move us forward.

Good people make government work, and we tip our hat to one of the best, Richard Cox, as he leaves his post as the city’s chief operating officer to return to his private-sector job. Among his many accomplishments, Richard got us through the tough slog of how best to spend Renew Atlanta/TSPLOST infrastructure funds. Later on in this newsletter, we'll provide you with a list of the $36 million worth of projects approved for District 8.

Good government also is not always harmonious, as we have seen in two ongoing issues --- a proposal by Holy Spirit Preparatory School to expand its campus and the re-bidding of the contract to run Atlanta’s five tennis centers, including Bitsy Grant and Chastain. Regardless of conflict and opposing points of view, good citizens resolve their differences and move on allied in the best interest of their community.

I hope you’ll take the time to read this newsletter in full, react, and share your thoughts with me, Katie, and Jim. All of our contact information can be found at the bottom of this newsletter. Although summer is almost upon us, we will not rest in our wok to build a better District 8, a better Atlanta.

Table of Contents

How We Measure Progress

The Powers Ferry bridge is taking shape.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve received emails and read reports that give me hope and boost my spirits. It’s easy to lose sight of the drips and drops of progress that, taken together, become a smooth and steady-flowing stream of advancement.

Consider this from the Atlanta Police Foundation regarding efforts to beef up police ranks: ‘Bottom line is we are making progress.....we had a net gain of 23 officers year-to-date  (53 hired and 30 left) versus a net loss of 25 last year over the same period (31 hired and 56 left).’

That’s a swing of 48 officers, one of the earliest indications I’ve seen that recent pay raises for police are having a positive effect.

There was also this email on May 9: ‘This afternoon around 4:30 Lt. Jason Smith, working in the Peachtree Heights West Neighborhood Patrol, responded with Zone Two officers to the Springlake neighborhood, intercepting a stolen vehicle and suspects after receiving the stolen vehicle notification from the LPR (license plate reader) camera in the area.’  

This incident provides a solid example that security cameras and license plate readers do work.

After a rough start to the year in Zone Two, crime remains down roughy 11%, year-to-date, led by a 19% decline in thefts from autos. May it remain so!

With crime moving in the right direction, we turn our attention to the state of our infrastructure (which is also making positive movement!). The Renew Atlanta Office of Communications sent this media advisory: ‘(We are) scheduled to begin constructing sidewalk improvements adjacent to Atlanta Memorial Park ... across from Bobby Jones Golf Course. Improvements along the perimeter (of the park) will include installation of more than one mile of sidewalk and curbing.’

It’s taken some time, but we’re seeing the fruits of those taxpayer-approved bonds and temporary sales tax hikes.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been such a pest, but I also received an email and photos of work on the Powers Ferry bridge in Chastain Park.

‘The contractor set five beams today, will set five more beams on Wednesday, and will set the last five beams on Friday,’ the email said. ‘This will complete beam placement.

The next step will be to pour the concrete deck and side barriers and allow some time for the concrete to cure. I just want to remind everyone that this will soon look like a bridge, but it will not be safe to use, especially by pedestrians.’

Losing the use of this bridge for several months has been a huge inconvenience, but the end is in sight. We’ll soon have a new bridge to replace its 70-year-old predecessor.

Additionally, we have worked to have speed bumps, stop signs, and other traffic-calming measures installed in several District 8 neighborhoods.  

A friend shared this email that Lovett administrators recently sent to parents: ‘It’s time to register for the bus pilot program! We hope that you will strongly consider this convenient, cost-effective and traffic-relieving transportation option for your family.’

My eyes focused on the words ‘traffic-relieving transportation option.’ Kudos to Lovett administrators and parents for exploring one way to ease the number of vehicles on District 8 streets each morning and afternoon during the school year.

I’m reaching out to other District 8 private schools this summer to explore what else we can do to reduce the impact of school traffic in our neighborhoods.

Finally, I spotted a story in the Buckhead Reporter that recounted how Nolan Leake and Sadler Poe, attorneys and District 8 community leaders, took a look at Fulton County’s judicial system on behalf of the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods. It’s this type of community work that makes our neighborhoods better.

Richard Cox: A True Public Servant
Richard Cox with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of presenting a proclamation declaring June 3, 2019, Richard Cox Day in the City of Atlanta. It was one of the more fun things I've done as a council member and certainly one of the most deserved honors I've presented.

Richard Cox, who has been the Chief Operating Officer for the City of Atlanta for the last 15 months, will leave the City in July to return to his corporate career at Cox Automotive. And we owe him, and Cox Automotive who loaned Richard to the City, a huge thank you for a job well done!

The Chief Operating Officer oversees all of the City's operations - from the airport, to police and fire, parks, planning and public works, watershed, IT, human resources, and procurement. That's over 9,000 employees who deliver critical services to our city each and every day.

When Richard started the job in March 2018, Mayor Bottoms had just taken office and her cabinet was in transition. We needed an experienced manager to step in, steady the ship, and effectively run the operations of the city. And that person was Richard Cox, who brought 25+ years of executive experience with Cox Automotive, AutoTrader, Orbitz, and Worldspan to the city.

Within weeks of his arrival, the city was hit with a massive cyber attack that crippled its computer network. Richard was there front and center, across many long nights, providing strong leadership to get the city through this ordeal and back on its feet. Next, Richard tackled the city's budget, to align resources with finances and instill more financial discipline among departments. This is one of the big factors that allowed us to provide the largest pay increase in city history to our police and to fill five times as many pot holes as we did the prior year. And let's not forget Atlanta's hosting the Superbowl, which was truly super, under Richard's watchful eye.

We will miss Richard a great deal. but I am confident we will not miss a beat as our new Chief Operating Officer, Joshua Williams, takes over July 1st. Joshua has been Deputy Chief Operating Officer under Richard for a year and has earned high praise for his candor and honesty through the city-wide Renew/TSPLOST re-baselining meetings this spring. Prior to joining the city, Joshua was the Chief Operations Officer for Dekalb County Schools and held various facilities planning, management, and construction positions.

Many people have asked what I'm most surprised by at the City. My answer is unfailing: I'm surprised by how many passionate, capable people work for the City. Richard and Joshua two great examples of the kind of people our city is fortunate enough to employ.

The Final Renew Atlanta/T-SPLOST List
Repairing porches at Chastain Arts Center is just one of the  $36 million worth of projects taking place in District 8.

This is the final list of District 8 building, road, sidewalk, traffic signal, and bridge projects that comprise the nearly $36 million from voter-approved Renew Atlanta and T-SPLOST capital improvement packages:   

Chastain Pool: Filtration and disinfection systems, starting blocks, and electrical upgrades --- Complete.

Fire Station 26: Ventilation, ADA plan, and roof --- Complete. Windows and kitchen, ADA and facility upgrades --- Pending.

Fire Station 27: Ventilation --- Complete. ADA and facility upgrades and HAZMAT abatement --- Pending.

Chastain Arts Center: Porch repairs, parking lot paving and striping, and ADA upgrades --- Pending.

The rebuild of the Powers Ferry Road bridge in Chastain Park is District 8's most-expensive project at $3.6 million. Although it has taken longer than expected, the bridge’s beams are in place and concrete is being poured. We look forward to the bridge reopening soon.

More than 12 miles of roadways have been resurfaced or are scheduled to be repaved, accounting for about one-quarter of the $36 million in Renew/T-SPLOST funds. These roads include:

  • West Wieuca (soon to be renamed Chastain Park Avenue) between Powers Ferry Road and Lake Forrest Drive
  • Powers Ferry
  • West Paces Ferry Road, west of I-75 to the city limits
  • Northside Parkway (Northside Drive to West Paces Ferry Road & West Paces Ferry Road to city limit)
  • Bohler Road
  • Collier Road
  • East Andrews
  • Peachtree Battle
  • Springlake Court
  • Margaret Mitchell Drive

Also on the list is the Howell Mill Complete Streets project, which crosses Districts 8 and 9 and will greatly improve traffic flow and walkability along this developing stretch. The District 8 portion of Howell Mill will receive much needed improvements including lane re-striping, bicycle lanes, new wide sidewalks, and signal upgrades.

Sidewalks valued at $2 million have gone in as part of the PATH around Bobby Jones golf course, and work is beginning on $1.7 million in walkways at nearby Memorial Park.

An additional $1.2 million will go toward widening the PATH at Chastain Park on West Wieuca. Sidewalks have already gone in on Dudley Lane, West Paces Ferry and Moores Mill.

Intersection upgrades are coming to Moores Mill, West Wesley, and Mt. Paran-Northside Parkway. And, in even more good news, traffic signal improvements are either underway or planned for half a dozen of our thorniest thoroughfares.

Other intersection and traffic signal upgrades have occurred or will occur at:

  • Mt. Paran/West Conway/Randall Mill
  • Habersham and West Wesley
  • Howell Mill and Peachtree Battle
  • Howell Mill and Collier
  • Moores Mill and Northside Pwky
  • Howell Mill and Moores Mill

Safety beacons have been added or are planned at W.T. Jackson and E. Rivers Elementary Schools, Sutton Middle School, and Atlanta Classical Academy.

Finally, these streets are to be repaved using the portion of the gas tax we get through the state annually:  Brook Hollow Road; Twin Springs Road to Millbrook Drive; Argonne Drive to Andrews Drive; Stelle Drive to Loring Drive; North Garden Lane; Garen Lane to Loring Drive; Steele Drive; Deering Road to dead end, and Habersham Way.  

As you can tell from this exhaustive list, there is a lot of investment going on to keep the buildings and thoroughfares in District 8 up to snuff. And it’s never enough. There were insufficient dollars for other worthwhile projects, necessitating difficult choices.

This is city maintenance at its most granular. Each of us, in some way, is touched by these projects on an almost daily basis. I am especially grateful for citizens who pay attention and care deeply about how their city dollars are spent.

Why the Holy Spirit Prep Expansion Matters
Although it’s primarily a city of Sandy Springs zoning matter, plans to consolidate Holy Spirit Preparatory School’s lower and upper schools, add structures, and build a parking deck have implications for next-door Atlanta residents of District 8.

As one who cares about protecting the livability of our neighborhoods, this is a matter of deep concern to me.

One of my chief concerns is the traffic this would generate in the area of Mt. Paran Road and Northside Drive. There’s also the matter of rainwater runoff that will impact our streams and sewers.

Let me provide some background. According to the school’s website, there are 560 total students enrolled in the upper school on Northside Dr. and the lower school on Long Island Drive. Under the expansion plan, they would all be on the Northside campus. Up to 620 students would be on campus as the school expands.

Thirteen heavily wooded acres owned by Holy Spirit Catholic Church would be developed. This undeveloped plot is in Sandy Springs, while the property where the church and school building currently exist are in the city of Atlanta.

According to an April 2019 site plan, Holy Spirit is proposing a 40,000-square-foot, three-story classroom building; a two-story, 230-space parking deck; and a two-story, 50,000-square foot recreation center, among other structures.    

This has fueled a heated disagreement between Holy Spirit (the church and the school) and many nearby neighbors who contend Holy Spirit made a pledge in 2003 never to grow enrollment or add facilities at its current campus or on contiguous property. Holy Spirit disputes the validity of such an agreement, as well as its enforceability.

So, why do I have an interest is all of this? Traffic and water runoff from a more heavily developed site will affect District 8. A retention pond would be required to handle the water, and it would likely be located on land within the city of Atlanta and would thereby require review and approval by the city.

Although Holy Spirit says a consolidation of its two campuses would eliminate some back-and-forth traffic from families with students in each of its schools, there would be more morning and mid-afternoon traffic at the Northside Drive site.

Holy Spirit says it will add entrances and exits with the ability to queue 175 cars, which would eliminate current back-ups as vehicles enter the campus. It also says its parking lot will remove cars parked on neighborhood streets.

Traffic congestion is a major issue for District 8 residents, and our many private and public schools are a big contributor, especially between August and May.

I take great pride in the fact that so many fine schools are located in District 8. Recently, one of them --- Pace Academy --- forged a deal with its neighbors as it sought to build a replacement for its lower school on its campus. I was pleased to play a role in that agreement. However, unlike the proposed changes at Holy Spirit, there was no major impact on traffic.

I respect and appreciate the fine work Holy Spirit Prep does, and I’ll always honor the role of religious institutions. But as the Council member for District 8, it is my job to have concerns about the impact of this plan upon our residential neighborhoods. I’ll be watching very closely to see how it unfolds.    

A ‘Let’ on Tennis Center Bidding
The city’s Procurement Office recently announced it is re-starting the bidding process to select an operator for the city’s five tennis centers, including two in District 8 --- Bitsy Grant and Chastain. In tennis parlance, it would be called a ‘let,’ a second attempt at a serve.

As I stated in last month’s newsletter, I felt compelled to stay out of an active bidding process, especially given an ongoing federal investigation into the city’s procurement procedures.

I heard from many residents who were upset that a new tennis center operator might be selected, and I urged that we respect and protect a process that allowed for later appeals.

However, now that the procurement has been put on hold, I am leading the charge to ensure the voices of the tennis community are heard by the city and reflected in future procurement requirements. To this end, I will host Parks and Recreation Commissioner, John Dargle, at public meetings at the Bitsy Grant and Chastain tennis centers in June, so that he may hear first hand what the tennis community wants. We will publicize dates when they are set.

In the meantime, Universal Tennis Management, which has run the five centers for the past nine years as Universal Tennis Academies, will continue to operate them.

Stay tuned. The ball, as they say, is in the opposite court.

Cleaning Up Sewage Overflows in Memorial Park
Although we are working as fast as we can to stop them, sewage spills have twice befouled Memorial Park in recent months. When that happens, park users want to know the city’s clean-up plans and how soon they can safely resume using the park, especially its playground.

The Department of Watershed Management has a 10-step cleanup process that begins with caution tape and warning signs to restrict access. DO NOT, under any circumstances, remove the tape or signs!

Then, the dirty work begins. Debris is removed and bagged. Rakes are used to collect smaller debris. Lime is added to any area that is potentially contaminated. It is raked into the ground and several days are required for it to disinfect. Once officials have tested, inspected, and deemed the area safe, the signs and tape can come down and public use can resume.  

In our March newsletter, we described the many wonderful changes that have occurred at Memorial Park: a new playground, walking trails, and more than a mile of sidewalks are in the works.

We also discussed the recurring sewage overflows and what the city is doing about them.

More than $38 million of work has begun to remedy the century-old 96-inch Peachtree Creek Trunk sewer line that has overflowed and contaminated the park. Other improvements include removing aerial sewers that cross over the creek and are prone to spilling, and upgrading the sewer basin system.

Additionally, manholes within the park are being raised to prevent creek flooding from getting in the sanitary sewer system and causing it to overflow.

Because the park is within a floodplain we cannot eliminate flooding, but we can rid ourselves of these ugly sewage spills.

Tree Protection Ordinance Rewrite Meetings
The Department of Planning has been working on a rewrite of the Tree Protection Ordinance. They're now ready to share a draft version to share with the public. 

Please mark your calendars to attend one of the upcoming sessions to learn what changes are being proposed and provide your feedback:  
Your input does make a difference, as this ordinance will eventually make its way to Council for review, amendments, and consideration. 

The Community Development/Human Services Committee will also be holding a work session on the draft rewrite of the ordinance on June 19 at 11 am here at City Hall. I will be participating in this work session. The public is welcome to attend.

District 8 Contacts

 

J.P. Matzigkeit    

jpmatzigkeit@atlantaga.gov

404.330.6051

 

Katie Howard

jpmatzigkeit@atlantaga.gov

404.330.6051

 

Jim Elgar

jqelgar@atlantaga.gov

404.546.4911
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