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Shop gives clothes to needy MAKING A DIFFERENCE 27
NOV. 27 — DEC. 10, 2015 • VOL. 6 — NO. 23
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A SPECIAL SECTION, PAGES 15-26
Perimeter traffic system renewed BY JOHN RUCH
johnruch@reporternewspapers.net
PHIL MOSIER
Santa intently listens to the holiday wishes of Addi Stephens, 10, left, and her sister Alli, 7, right, during Light Up Dunwoody at the Cheek-Spruill Farmhouse on Nov. 22. The annual event featured games, dancers, reindeer and of course, St. Nick. See additional photos on page 5.
A groundbreaking program that coordinates traffic signals in three Perimeter cities has been renewed for three more years. That will mean even better technology coming soon to tackle traffic jams, officials say. But the Perimeter Traffic Operations Program renewal last week came only after one partner city, Sandy Springs, briefly balked over concerns it is doing more than its fair share and that police are still needed to direct traffic. Those concerns underscore how complex traffic technology can be, and that it still has limits. Officials in the PTOP partnership— Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and the Perimeter Center Improvement Districts—say the state-funded program has slashed travel times since it began in 2012. “It’s been a great program,” said Michael Smith, Dunwoody’s Public Works director. “Although traffic volumes have increased in the three to four years of the program, traffic times have decreased. I think the first round of this program was a lot about getting the infrastructure in place…The next years will be about pushing the technology SEE TRAFFIC, PAGE
Vernon North neighborhood offers Santa a place to crash BY ELLEN ELDRIDGE
elleneldridge@reporternewspapers.net
Lisa Victory jokes she felt like Goldilocks when she was looking for a house. Victory, who grew up in Buckhead and graduated from the University of Georgia, tried homes in west Cobb and inside the Perimeter before settling with her husband in a “forever home” on Vernon North Drive in 2000. She said it offered a perfect fit of community, quality schools and family involvement. Now she and her husband are known throughout the neighborhood for something quite different: their holiday display. Victory says she lives in “the Santa roof house.” “My husband stages the back side of our roof with a scene that looks like Santa slammed into the roof,” Victory said, “complete with runway lights, a crashed Santa, Rudolph looking for said Santa and presents strewn all over the place.” Victory said friends tell her the Santa decoration has become a Dunwoody tradition. And her neighborhood
has added a few other local traditions. If the Victorys are recognized for their Christmas display, their neighbors, the Neels, have embraced Halloween. When Susie Neel and her husband bought their home in 2001, she said they didn’t have as much activity on the street and they rarely saw trick-or-treaters on Halloween. But, the couple loved the holiday’s “frightening fun” and they started hosting a party about a decade ago. “It started small, but, within a year or two, our end of the neighborhood became quite the kid zone,” Neel said. “Each year, more families came and more kids got a little closer to our yard [decorated with] frightening ghouls.” Vernon North, located between a natural buffer and the Dunwoody Village shopping area, is the kind of neighborhood where residents say they regularly get together for community gatherings. “The neighbors are fantastic and we have many young SEE VERNON, PAGE 7
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From left, Lisa Victory, her son, Mason, in costume, and husband Stefan talk with Councilman Terry Nall.
COMMUNITY
Many have ‘no idea’ they’re at risk from dam failures BY JOHN RUCH
johnruch@reporternewspapers.net
Editor’s note: This is one of a series of articles Reporter Newspapers is publishing about dams in our communities. To see related articles, go to ReporterNewspapers. net. Al Longman learned that his home sits next door to a “high-hazard” dam only when the state delivered legal papers claiming he should be on the hook for maintaining it. “I didn’t know it was a dam,” Longman said of the tree-covered earthen embankment that supports Lake Forrest Drive beside his driveway. “I didn’t honestly know there was a lake across the street.” Three years later, the city of Sandy Springs has taken the lead on assessing and upgrading Lake Forrest Dam, and Longman said he has been ruled out as a co-owner. Along the way, he saw a map of the dam-failure flood zone that did not include his house, but showed about 20 homes downstream at risk—“a lot of houses [whose owners] would be totally unaware” of the dam, he said. Finding out whether you live or work in the flood zone of one of Georgia’s 474 “high-hazard” dams is surprisingly difficult, acknowledges Tom Woosley, head of the state Safe Dams Program. There are 11 such dams in the Brookhaven, Buckhead, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs areas. Two of them—Sandy Springs’ Lake Forrest and Tera Lake dams—are in a condition that concerns state inspectors. “High-hazard” is a classification that means if the dam fails, the flood likely would kill people. It does not represent a judgment about the condition of the dam. How do those people at risk learn about the existence of the dams, which are often privately owned and hidden within housing developments? “There’s not a straight answer on that,” Woosley said. “Most people have no idea” they are in a high-hazard dam’s flood zone, he said. Woosley’s agency inspects dams regularly, but its files can be hard to access and difficult to use, and they rarely include a flood map. Federal guidelines call for owners of high-hazard dams to notify people downstream and have an emergency response plan for imminent failures. But Georgia currently requires that only for new dams, not the hundreds of existing ones. The lack of such records is largely due to funding and staffing of the Safe Dams Program, said Woosley. The budget increased last year, but the program still has only 11 inspectors for more than 4,200 statewide dams, including those classified as low-hazard. “If we required them all [to have emergency plans on file], there’s not
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Eleven dams in the Buckhead, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and Brookhaven areas have been classified as “high hazard” in the Safe Dams Program files.
JOHN RUCH
Al Longwood only learned his home on Lake Forrest Drive was situated next to a “high-hazard” dam when state officals told him he was responsible for maintaining it.
enough engineers to get [the necessary work] done and probably not staff time to get it done,” said Woosley. Standard flood insurance requirements are not a reliable guide, either, said Woosley. The volume of water pouring out of a broken dam can exceed the so-called 100-year flood zone
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that triggers federally required flood insurance. “The dam failure flood zone is different from the 100-year flood zone,” Woosley said. “In general, a dam failure would be bigger…People may not live in a 100-year flood zone, but may still be living in a dam break [flood]
zone.” Dan King, who runs the New York State-based website FloodBroker.com specializing in flood insurance, agreed that insurance requirements would not necessarily alert a homeowner about a dam. He said that for insurance purposes, a dam-created flood is not different from any other flood. And if that flood goes beyond the 100-year risk zone, he said, there is no mandate for insurance. “[Housing lenders] probably don’t care about that…If it’s less risky, then they don’t care,” King said. The Safe Dams Program’s own highhazard dam list is a spreadsheet that locates the dams only by map coordinates within counties, not by street, or even city. Inspection reports are available only in paper files that must be viewed by appointment at a downtown Atlanta office building. They typically lack information on the endangered properties that triggered the high-hazard classification. “There’s not a complete picture” in state files about which properties would be flooded, Woosley said, even though Safe Dams has software that could model the disaster. That’s because it only takes one endangered occupied building to trigger the high-hazard classification, and due to staffing, Safe Dams usually stops its analysis there. Finding that first building can be simple. “Some, you stand on the dam and you’re looking over the roof of a house,” Woosley said. But Lake Northridge in Sandy Springs is an example of a dam’s potentially nasty surprise. Woosley said that Safe Dams determined that if the Lake Northridge dam failed, the “flood wave” would cross the Chattahoochee River and hit a house on the other side. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends that dam owners have an Emergency Action Plan for such situations. “Dams that are immediately upstream of residences, recreation areas and campgrounds pose unique challenges,” said a 2013 FEMA publication about such plans. “It may be necessary for the dam owner to assist emergency management authorities in developing public awareness measures. These measures typically explain the proximity of the dam, how people will be informed of an emergency and the actions people should take during an emergency.” Georgia’s Safe Dams Program is working on a rule change to require such plans for all high-hazard dams, Woosley said. But in the meantime, his best advice on figuring out whether you live in a dam flood zone is to look for blue dots on a map. “Certainly, if you’ve got a lake here in Georgia, then there’s a dam holding it in,” he said. DUN
COMMUNITY
Sandy Springs Planning Commission supports Pill Hill housing BY JOHN RUCH
johnruch@reporternewspapers.net
The controversial Pill Hill apartments plan got a thumbs-up from the Sandy Springs Planning Commission Nov. 19— though for 270 units rather than the requested 305. The plan next goes to Sandy Springs City Council for a final vote. The North American Properties project at Johnson Ferry and Old Johnson Ferry roads continued to draw strong local opposition, especially over possible worsening of the medical center’s notorious rushhour traffic. But Commissioner Dave Nickels was among those who said housing produces far less traffic than another medical office building would. “The residential [use] makes a lot of sense to me,” Nickels said. The $55 million project on the Sandy Springs/Brookhaven border includes a small percentage of offices and a restaurant space, as well as a public park on the corner. The land is being sold by Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital. The project requires a rezoning to mixed-use and a permit to allow part of the building to be 70-feet high, rather than 60. Bill Gannon of Sandy Springs’ High Point Civic Association was among those seeking another deferral of the project. He noted that the project has given the community the first real pressure in years to
produce some kind of overarching planning for Pill Hill. “We want to see a master plan for Pill Hill,” said Gannon. “We always knew when one of the hospitals needed something, we’d have leverage.” In the wake of the apartment controversy, the three hospitals—Emory St. Joseph’s, Northside and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite—met with Mayor Rusty Paul and agreed to do such planning. Gannon said there should be time for that planning to vet the apartments, as well as a Perimeter Centers Improvement Districts study of a possible Lake Hearn Drive connector road. But commission chair Lee Duncan said that while Pill Hill needs such a plan, they “can’t hold [the developer] hostage.” North American’s Richard Munger repeated that this project is modeled on a similar project his company built in Nashville to provide housing targeted at doctors and hospital staff. The housing near the hospitals should reduce traffic, he said. North American has added sidewalks to the plan to connect to neighboring parcels and is considering adding a bike lane on Old Balloon Road, he said. On the Brookhaven side, opposition leader Alton Conway asked for a deni-
al, but acknowledged, “We’re fighting a snowball going downhill.” Barring a denial, he requested the removal of the restaurant from the plan and denying the extra height. Neither request was taken up. Munger defend his company’s reputation, saying its critics spread “misinformation.” SPECIAL He complained that Brookhaven An apartments plan slated for Johnson Ferry and Mayor Rebecca Old Johnson Ferry roads has gotten a thumbs-up Chase Williams from the Sandy Springs Planning Commission. falsely claimed to “Avalon speaks for itself,” he said. be surprised by the project when he told “I’m not thrilled about this project, but her about it weeks ahead of time. And, he I think he’s a good developer,” said Comsaid, a critic recently called him up to say, missioner Susan Maziar before the com“if I was a good Christian, I would drop mission’s vote to recommend approval at the application.” 270 units. “I feel bad for [the BrookhavMunger reminded the commission of en neighborhood] Byrnwyck because this North American’s reputation as the develis going to change the character of their oper of Alpharetta’s popular Avalon projarea.” ect.
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COMMUNITY City adopts ADA transition plan to update facilities, crosswalks, ramps
Boyer is serving a federal prison sentence for spending taxpayer dollars on herself. Earlier this year, her husband, John, was convicted in a kickback scheme involving county money.
City officials are drawing up plans to bring Dunwoody’s streets, sidewalks and facilities into compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. “We’re required to do a self-assessment to look at our existing facilities and services and assess how we measure up to the ADA requirements,” Assistant City Manager Jessica Guinn said. “We look for potential barriers to accessibility.” A lack of handicapped parking spaces, doorways that are too narrow for wheelchairs and a lack of interpreter services are some of the ways the city’s facilities and services could fail the requirements of the act, Guinn said. For the most part, the city’s facilities are in compliance, she said, and in places such as the Donaldson-Bannister Farmhouse, which was built before the act, and the Dunwoody Nature Center, current or recent renovations will bring the buildings into compliance. The city looked at its pedestrian facilities, too, and has plans to make improvements where needed. “If we have sidewalks that are broken or incomplete, that’s going to provide a significant barrier for accessibility for individuals who may be disabled,” Guinn said. The Public Works Department looked at all 69 miles of sidewalk and 187 signalized crosswalks in the city and determined six are not fully accessible at this point, Guinn said. Guinn said nine crosswalk locations lack signals and half the city’s pedestrian ramps are not up to the most recent requirement standards, according to the Public Works Department.
Police share names, ticket offenses in daily bulletin The Dunwoody Police Department created a daily bulletin to show residents a commitment to transparency, City Councilman John Heneghan says. “The data provided by Dunwoody in this tool probably gives just a snapshot of what our department is doing at any one time, but it doesn’t include the numerous hours of a possible murder investigation, a child molestation case or a prostitution ring being broken up – all of which happened in the last few days,” Heneghan wrote. On Nov. 18, Dunwoody residents told the police department via social media that they want to see more officers on the roads, Heneghan wrote. “Dunwoody residents told social media that they wanted more visibility on the roads, more enforcement, and this public page could be a gauge as to what the department is doing to be responsive to the communities’ desires,” Heneghan wrote.
Dunwoody police officers equipped to fight overdose
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Lundsten pleads guilty The chief of staff for former DeKalb County Commissioner Elaine Boyer pleaded guilty Nov. 19 in a case involving personal spending with a county charge card, said Erik Burton, spokesman for the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. Bob Lundsten was sentenced to12 months probation after pleading guilty to three counts of obstruction in exchange for prosecutors dropping more serious charges. Page_111915.pdf 11/19/2015and 1:14:13 PM 250 hours BurtonReporter_GTC_ANF_Nov_27_Half said he was sentenced to repay $310.95 in1 restitution perform of community service, to be overseen by his probation officer.
All Dunwoody police officers have a new tool and training to help heroin overdose victims. A Virginia-based pharmaceutical company, kaléo, donated 60 naloxone auto-injectors, called Evzio, to the department—every patrol car has one, said Officer Trey Nelson, a spokesman for the department. These kits temporarily block the effect of an opioid, such as heroin and oxycodone. Sgt. Robert Parsons, of Dunwoody, recently attended a community crisis summit about heroin and opioids at the U.S Attorney’s office in Atlanta, where he learned about the drug.
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COMMUNITY
It’s now the holiday season
PHOTOS BY PHIL MOSIER
The community enjoyed the annual Light Up Dunwoody event, held at the Cheek-Spruill Farmhouse on Nov. 22. The festivities included games, dancers, reindeer and of course, St. Nick. Top left, the Orbit Arts Academy sings in front of the farmhouse. Top right, Anne Pressman and her daughter Ellie, 1, get a “ride” in a reindeer-led sleigh. Above, left and right, Anne Pressman and her husband Scott take turns holding daughter Ellie, 1. Bottom left, spectators watch a performance by the Atlanta Jazz Theatre’s Senior Company. Middle, Eden Lakier, 11, takes in all of the action. DUN
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COMMUNITY
Brookhaven officials welcome proposal to restore Flowerland BY DYANA BAGBY Architect Andrew Amor hopes to bring back Flowerland, a garden so grand it once drew tourists to an area that now is part of the city of Brookhaven. Amor presented his ideas for ways to “restore Flowerland to its glory” during a Brookhaven City Council work session meeting on Nov. 17. Flowerland was part of the estate of Dr. Luther Fischer, whose mansion still stands off Chamblee-Dunwoody Road behind a condo development on Fischer Way. In its time, Flowerland had 487 varieties of flowers and 16,000 different plants, Amor said. “It became a regional attraction at the height of the blooming season,” he said. He proposed the city revive the gardens as a park and tourist attraction. Amor’s plans for Flowerland include restoring the original gardens, constructing a sawmill to serve as a visitors’ center, having a covered bridge near the sawmill, and also creating a pioneers’ homestead and a Native American village. The developments would pay homage to the history of the land, he said. No costs were mentioned for the proposal, The proposal was greeted warmly by some council members. “I’m excited because this brings to-
gether everything from parkland to preserving our history to gardens and providing a chance to learn from Indian settlers and pioneer settlers,” said Mayor Rebecca Chase Williams. “The city is looking at the idea. It is just a concept at this point. Stay tuned.” Councilwoman Linley Jones agreed that preserving the city’s history is important. “We have not done enough in the Atlanta area to preserve our history and we need to start. Flowerland would be a great place to start right here in Brookhaven,” she said. The area is now on private land and part of the D’Youville condos. Any revival and development of the property would likely include a land deal between the Homeowners Association and the city. Amor said he will meet with the HOA soon. Fischer, who made money selling CocaCola, eventually went to medical school, and in 1908 opened the Davis-Fischer Sanatorium in downtown Atlanta with his friend Edward Davis. This hospital later became Crawford Long, which is now Emory University Hospital Midtown. In 1926, Fischer purchased more than 100 acres of land on both sides of Chamblee-Dunwoody Road and built a house overlooking Nancy Creek.
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Top, a rendering of what a revitalized Flowerland could look like, complete with a sawmill, covered bridge and pioneers’ homestead. Above, left and right, Flowerland, part of Dr. Luther Fischer’s estate off Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, used to be a tourist attraction.
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Vernon North offers peace, quiet and its own holiday traditions
The Neel’s home is a magnet for many on Halloween.
families,” resident Wayne Radloff said. “There are normally four planned community events ... that everyone is invited to.” Radloff moved from Japan to Dunwoody in 2006 to complete his 30year career with the Navy. When he took a job as a commanding officer for the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at Georgia Tech, a friend told him Dunwoody would be the best place to buy a home. “What sold us on Vernon North was its location in Dunwoody proper,” Radloff said. “Where we live is quiet and safe, but we can walk to many places, such as churches, the post office and restaurants.” Radloff said his wife doesn’t drive, but she walks to work at Dunwoody United Methodist Church and has
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used mass transportation as necessary. “The office park has always been a nice buffer to have in our backyard,” Radloff said. “It gives us privacy and we don’t hear any traffic from Mount Vernon Road or the office park.” Neighbors now are negotiating with a developer who wants to add more than 70 townhomes to a portion of Dunwoody Village that abuts the community. Resident Tara Targovnik is organizing meetings about the development, which would be located across the buffer, facing Dunwoody Village Parkway. “We are still working with the developers on a plan that makes everyone happy,” Targovnik said after the Nov. 18 meeting. “I think we might meet again with them right before [the Dunwoody Homeowners Association
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The Vernon North neighborhood is located between a natural buffer and the Dunwoody Village shopping area. To see a larger version, go to ReporterNewspapers.net.
meeting] in December.” While the discussions continue, Vernon North residents continue with their holiday traditions. The Victorys plan to crash Santa at least one more time. “Sadly, while we’ve probably done this for at least the past 14 years, my husband has decided that this will be the last year for the display,” Victory said. “I guess nearing 50 does that to you.” But Victory said her husband, Stefan, has tried to retire the display before. The last time, shortly after they put a new roof on the house, the neighbors blasted him with emails and texts. “We got bombarded with so many emails and texts from distraught friends,” Victory said, “that he succumbed to the pressure and put the display up a week late. I don’t think he’ll succumb this time, though.” Santa should crash one last time, she said, starting the day after Thanksgiving.
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Wayne Radloff and son, Andrew, put in a new mailbox in 2008.
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Sandy Springs mayor: Celebrate our first 10 years During the city’s municEMS response system told us where they live. ipalization campaign, I sugthat a Sandy Springs cardiOften, because our choices are less than gested change would come ac arrest patient had a 1 peroptimal, we aren’t thrilled with our decislowly at first, but when cent survival chance due to sions, either. The greatest difference is that we looked back over 10 an inefficient dispatch syswe live here. We face the consequences of years, we would see signiftem. In other words, it was our decisions, too. We genuinely want to icant improvements. I was more cost-efficient to send a make our community better. And, we are wrong. hearse rather than an ambuaccessible. People find us at church or synChange was instantalance to many medical emeragogue, in the grocery store, at Rotary, on neous, particularly in sergencies. Our cardiac arrest the streets, or wherever we happen to be. vice quality. About three survival rate today is 18.6 They aren’t bashful about giving us an earRUSTY days after the city launched, percent, compared with a ful if they are unhappy. I spied a man in a limenational average of 8.3 perNevertheless, we should pause to celPAUL green safety vest with “City cent, and we regularly honor ebrate our first 10 years and contemof Sandy Springs” handfirst responders who demonplate our amazing progress. But it’s only GUEST COLUMN stenciled on the back. He strably save lives. a pause. Once the party ends, we’ll rewas digging out a storm We have cut the comfocus on making our next 10 years even sewer. mute via Roswell Road by 32 hours a year greater. What struck me wasn’t the “City of through traffic management technology If all goes to plan, portions of RoSandy Springs” safety vest, though I defithat optimizes the efficiency of our main swell Road will become more pedestrinitely noticed. More significantly, somethoroughfare and other arterials. an-friendly and populated with nodes one was cleaning out a storm drain! As a I regularly encounter skeptics who featuring neighborhood shops and restau13-year Sandy Springer, I had never seen never believed our experrants. City Springs, with See a special section, a public employee doing something like iment in municipal govits world-class park, reSandy Springs at Ten, in our community. That’s when I knew ernment would succeed; tail district, performing on pages 15-26 Eva Galambos’ promises about the city they almost always acarts center, meeting venof Sandy Springs were real and true. knowledge their mistake. ues and government cenSince then, the accumulated imMore gratifying is those who believed in ter, will become everyone’s neighborhood. provements are evident in public safety, the dream and simply want to chat about In the next decade, several new parks roads/infrastructure, code enforcement, their community pride. will come to fruition. We will build more parks/recreation and all government serYet, Sandy Springs’ greatest tribute sidewalks, enhance our reputation as a vices. We have paved 189 miles of roadis neither the conversion of skeptics nor “City in a Forest,” and definitely funnel ways, built more than 30 miles in sideadoration from the faithful, but the dozmore resources toward traffic mitigation. walks, and have done much more than en communities who are following our Our quest is to make Sandy Springs the shovel work on storm sewers, with alpath toward independence, local control region’s most envied community. most 1,000 stormwater repairs behind and vastly improved public services. ImAs we celebrate, I have one regret. us. Sandy Springs now has 128 full-time itation is truly the greatest form of flatEvery great cause has a visionary leader police officers on the street (compared to tery. with an abject refusal to be discouraged the 8-10 who served us before), and 115 We haven’t been perfect. As I also or quit. That’s the most apt description men and women in our fire department noted in the municipalization campaign, I can give of Eva Galambos. My greatwho protect our property from flames citizens would one day be as angry with est disappointment is that she isn’t with and provide our community with topthe mayor and council as they ever were us today to witness her dream’s continquality EMS services. with Fulton County. After all, local govued success. At the start of cityhood, the Emory ernment’s role is to tackle those tough Rusty Paul is the mayor of Sandy University physicians who evaluated our issues that most directly affect people Springs.
Account Executives Susan Lesesne Jim Speakman Office Manager Deborah Davis deborahdavis@reporternewspapers.net Contributors Dyana Bagby, Robin Conte, Phil Mosier
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On the record Read these articles from our other editions online at ReporterNewspapers.net. “Each year we try to involve more of the community, families and kids. We’ve added crafts this year.” –Brookhaven Mayor Rebecca Chase Williams, discussing the city’s holiday program, Light Up Brookhaven. “I’m a legal ethics lawyer, so I always err on the side of having perfect clarity about the ethics and legality of any move council makes, and I think that is particularly true where there may be the appearance of impropriety. I think we need to avoid the appearance of impropriety in Brookhaven at all costs.” –Brookhaven City Councilwoman
NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net
Linley Jones on the mayor’s request for an ethics review of fellow Councilman Bates Mattison’s new job with the city’s proposed charter school. “I feel like I owe that to my ancestors…to make an effort, even if it’s not successful. What price do we put on this, destroying history?” –Nancy Kite, a descendent of the Barfield family who opposes the renaming of Barfield Road in Sandy Springs, in a letter sent to the city on Nov. 8. Mercedes- Benz USA has asked that a portion of the road be renamed for the company, which plans to locate its headquarters there.
“You’re having to go around your elbow to get to your head. You’re trying to shoehorn it in.” –A Sandy Springs resident who objected to The Galloway School’s plans to build an athletics facility, including a softball field and tennis courts, at the south end of High Point Road. “On a popular vote, we believe that would calculate to as many as 63 percent being in opposition.” –Buckhead Coalition President Sam Massell, on the debate over a state proposal to add bike lanes to a portion of Peachtree Road in Buckhead. The coalition opposes the plan. DUN
COMMENTARY
Squash the day when making a purée Someone, in fact, did say it would be easy. Blogs, books and Food Network throw-downs abound regarding the mindless simplicity of making your own pumpkin purée. Why, a Boy Scout with a pocket knife and old set of bicycle gears could do it. I saw photos of the process—step-bystep instructions where: 1. docile pumpkins lay in wait, 2. are cooked, 3. their cooked skin practically rolls itself off its own pulp, and 4. the pulp blends beautifully. In the time it takes to file your nails, you could produce a batch of smooth and vibrantly colored purée that would be fresh with flavor and bursting with vitamin A. It would be so much tastier than that brownish orange glop that comes out of a can. Yes, according to the blogs, the nutrition-to-ease ratio is roughly five-to-one in favor of going for it. I should have known better because the truth is, I’m not that great in the kitchen. I’m famous in my house for burning water. But I’m a farm-to-table kind of gal, so go for it, I did. I bought two pie pumpkins, one of which happened to be organic. I did a quick calculation of the cost and estimated that for the same amount of money, I could have purchased a case of
Libby’s canned pumpkin— beginning to get impatient, or a completely baked pie. and steaming was supposed ROBIN JEAN Home I went. After only to be faster, so I crawled about an hour, the pump- MARIE CONTE under my kitchen cabikins were sliced and gutted, net, pulled out my stock ROBIN’S NEST their slimy, stringy seeds in pot, and dumped the ena large bowl of watire batch of pumpter, awaiting the kin pieces into the next farm-to-table steamer basket. treatment. I decidI was clocking ed that roasting the into my third hour pumpkins would be of partying with the the simplest cooking pumpkins, and they method, so I lined still weren’t done. I up slices on a cookie didn’t care—I was sheet and shoved it in ready to get this the oven. over with and go Soon, my house shoe shopping. was filled with the The skins that healthy smell of had peeled off so squash. effortlessly in the The slices were photos were clingsupposed to roast for ing to the pulp 45 minutes, but my the way a woman oven was not coopclings to her purse SPECIAL on a New York suberating. It has digital controls, of course, Roasted pumpkin seeds, anyone? way, and I whitand extremely sentled them off, inch sitive ones, which by inch, and threw means that if I so much as stand next to yellowish chunks of pumpkin into the it and sneeze, it turns off. The pumpfood processor. My processer wasn’t kin had been in the oven for 30 minmachine enough for the job, though, utes when I realized that the oven had— and large masses of squash refused at some point—stopped heating. I was to be pulverized. So I pulled out my
blender. I was puréeing my third batch of the stuff around the time my kids started asking what was for dinner. Finally, during hour four, I puréed my last batch, wondering all the while what my neighbors were doing on this beautiful afternoon, just days before Thanksgiving. I surveyed my kitchen: there was a dirty food processer, an orange, goo-coated blender, a cookie sheet covered with sticky pumpkin seeds, a stock pot on the stove and a counter filled with pumpkin parts. I had produced four cups of bright orange…glop. It was filled with pumpkin strings, bits of rind, and chunks of unpuréed pumpkin. Well. You don’t find THAT in a can! It was of questionable consistency. That wouldn’t matter if it were on its way to becoming risotto, but as the featured ingredient of a pumpkin-shaped muffin, it mattered. The muffins came out cute and properly formed, but were missing a certain something, a key element…that robust flavor of pumpkin that comes conveniently out of a can. I called them “spice cakes” and roasted the seeds. And the seeds were good. Robin Conte is a writer and mother of four who lives in Dunwoody. She can be contacted at robinjm@earthlink.net.
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NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | 9
out & about
Time travel for the holidays BY ELLEN ELDRIDGE
elleneldridge@reporternewspapers.net
The Atlanta History Center is expanding its Candlelight Nights events this holiday season to offer visitors a chance to see and hear Christmas celebrations from three distinct periods of the past. “What makes Candlelight Nights distinct, we think, is that it gives Atlanta History Center guests the opportunity to experience Christmas as in days gone
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by,” History Center spokesman Howard Pousner said. On Dec. 11 and Dec. 18, three historic houses on the center’s Buckhead property will show how Southerners celebrated Christmas during the pioneer days, during the Civil War era and during the 1930s, Pousner said. “While history was at the core of last year’s event, a special effort has been made to make the three historic home experiences distinct for our guests,” Pousner said. Connected by candlelit walkways, the three buildings will present decorations, music and actors portraying inhabitants from the different eras: an 1821, frontier-style observance at the Wood Family Cabin; an 1861 Christmas at the Smith Family Farm; and a 1930 soiree at the Swan House. “Meet the Past” museum theater characters are scheduled to share stories of holiday traditions of their specific places and times. For instance, guests at the Smith Family Farm help Civil Warera residents decorate for Christmas, and listen to stories and songs of the enslaved who express their hopes for the end of slavery. At the Swan House, Tray Dahl & The Jugtime Ragband bring a New Orleansstyle jazz sound to holiday classics of the 1920s and 1930s. The voices of the Atlanta Sacred Harp Singers will resound from the pioneer-era Wood Family Cabin around the canopy of Swan Woods, just steps away from Swan House, Pousner said. The History Center’s holiday celebration is not limited just to holidays of the past. “We will have a full-fledged Christ-
LEFT PHOTO, ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER, ABOVE AND RIGHT, BONNIE MORET
Left, Swan House bathed in holiday colors. Above, cookie decorating at the Atlanta History Center’s Smith Family Farm during Candlelight Nights. Facing page, Santa greets visitors at the Atlanta History Center.
mas Market as part of the event for the first time,” Pousner said. “It will be in our Allen Atrium, our dramatic, new front door off West Paces Ferry Road that recently opened inside the Atlanta History Museum.” The market is filled with local crafts and artisanal creations, he added. Children have an opportunity to meet Santa and pose for photographs at the Garden Overlook. Souper Jenny, set to open a new restaurant at the History Center in April, will sell soups, sandwiches, salads and treats in the Grand Overlook Ballroom. Tastes of winter vegetable soup also will be offered at Smith Family Farm and Brunswick stew at the Wood Family Cabin. This special holiday program is $10 for members; $15 for nonmembers; $8 for children. Atlanta History Center is located at 130 West Paces Ferry Road in Atlanta. For more information and to buy tickets, visit: atlantahistorycenter.com. Here are exhibitions and performances planned for the three historic houses. Wood Family Cabin. Be transported to Christmastime 1821 and meet a pi-
oneer family just settling into new lives on the Georgia frontier. Savor a taste of Brunswick stew provided by Souper Jenny while enjoying live music, hands-onactivities for a make n’ take toy and the smell of a holiday meal smoldering over the open hearth. Atlanta Sacred Harp Singers, 7 p.m, 8 p.m., 9 p.m. The Atlanta Sacred Harp Singers perform historic a cappella shape-note hymns from “The Sacred Harp,” a collection first published in Georgia in 1844. Smith Family Farm. Travel to Christmastime in 1861 and encounter characters from the first year of the Civil War as they share their personal stories and revive traditions of the past. Guests will help residents of the farm decorate with traditional crafts-making and hands-on activities like popcorn and garland making, salt-dough ornament activities, candle dipping, blacksmithing and open-hearth cooking. Enjoy a taste of winter vegetable soup provided by Souper Jenny. Christmas Tree Lighting, 6 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m. Listen to caroling greet you as you gather round to light the candles on the Christmas tree. The Yule Log, 6:15 p.m, 7:15 p.m.,
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NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net
out & about Here are other events scheduled as part of the History Center’s Candlelight Nights events, to be held Dec. 11 and Dec. 18 from 5:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. Christmas Market, Dec. 11 and Dec. 18, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Purchase special, one-of-a-kind gifts from local artists and craftsmen. Alliance Theatre Carolers, Dec. 11 and Dec. 18, 6:45 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. The Alliance Theatre Carolers sing Christmas carols during two special evening performances. Visit with Santa Claus, Dec. 11, 5:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m. and Dec. 18, 7 p.m.–9:30 p.m. Grab your camera and get ready to photograph the family while visiting with Old Saint Nick. Octave, an a capella group, performs at the Mable Dorn Reeder Amphitheater, 6:15 p.m., 7:15 p.m., 8:15 p.m. Dec. 11 and Dec. 18. 8:15 p.m., 9:15 p.m. Stories and songs sung around the fire as the enslaved community celebrates Christmas and hopes for the end of slavery. Afterward, visit with interpreters as they discuss resistance and the history of holidays for the enslaved. A Christmas Feast, 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m. Experience a special Christmas dinner as the Smiths sit down to a course of traditional Civil War-era delicacies and share family stories and traditions of the season. “Meet the Past” Museum Theatre Performance: Stephen’s Story, 6:45 p.m., 7:45 p.m., 8:30 p.m. Meet Stephen, an enslaved woodworker who must face a crucial decision regarding his future during the holiday season. This decision will impact the lives of those closest to him, for better or worse. Swan House. Revel in the holiday season of 1930 as you are transported to a Jazz Age Christmas party at the Swan House, where the Inman family and Swan House staff celebrates the season. Guests will encounter Grant Cart-
er as he prepares a 1929 Hudson Super Six sedan for holiday travel in the city; meet Edward Inman as he shares why he donated to the Empty Stocking Fund and how the charity is helping those in need in Atlanta today; and go behindthe-scenes in the kitchen with Lucille Arnold as she prepares holiday meals and shares her plans on celebrating the holidays with her own family once her Swan House shift is done. Create your own 1930s holiday before enjoying dessert and listening to live music and singing in the Morning Room of the Swan House. Tray Dahl & The Jugtime Ragband, 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. Tray Dahl & The Jugtime Ragband is a New Orleans-style jazz band that specializes in 1920s and 1930s classics. Join the group as it performs Christmas songs of yesteryear, inspiring visitors to dance, smile and tap their feet. Piano Christmas sing-along with Ruby Ross Wood, 5:45 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Ruby Ross Wood, the Inman’s interior decorator, leads guests in a singalong of traditional Christmas songs.
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NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | 11
out& about
BROOKHAVEN • BUCKHEAD • DUNWOODY • SANDY SPRINGS
HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS
Polar Express Tuesday, Dec. 1, 5:30-7:30 p.m. – It’s
that time of year again, with the holidays just around the corner and everyone starting to feel the spirit of the season. Families and kids of all ages are invited to watch the holiday classic “The Polar Express,” rated G, at the Brookhaven Library. Cocoa and cookies provided. Free and open to the first 25 participants. 1242 N. Druid Hills Rd., Brookhaven, 30319. Need additional information? Go to dekalblibrary.org.
Wonderland Ballet Thursday, Dec. 3, 6-8 p.m. – J Dance
Company and Collective Dance Project come together for an otherwordly performance following the classic tale of “Alice in Wonderland.” Kids and adults alike will enjoy watching Alice enter Wonderland and meet some odd characters along the way. Tickets are $10 for members, $14 for nonmembers. Continues Sunday,
Dec. 6, from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. MJCCA at Zaban Park, 5342 Tilly Mill Rd., Dunwoody, 30338. For more details, go online to atlantajcc.org.
Light Up Brookhaven Thursday, Dec. 3, 6-8 p.m. – The popular
neighborhood Light Up Brookhaven event takes place at Blackburn Park. The whole family is invited to enjoy musical performances, visits and photo ops with Santa, a hot chocolate sale benefiting Montgomery Elementary, refreshments and a Christmas tree and dreidel. Free and open to the public. 3493 Ashford-Dunwoody Rd., Brookhaven, 30319. Have questions? Go to brookhavenga.gov.
Vodka & Latkes Thursday, Dec. 3, 7-10 p.m. – Celebrate Hanukah with MJCCA at the Rose Bar and Lounge in Buckhead. Each ticket purchase in-
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out & about cludes one drink ticket and all the latkes you can eat. Tickets are $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers when purchased in advance; $30 at the door. Rose Bar and Lounge, 3115 Piedmont Rd. NE, Atlanta, 30305. For further details email Roey Shoshan at roey.shoshan@atlantajcc.org or go online to atlantajcc.org.
Family Day at Spruill Saturday, Dec. 5, 12-2 p.m. – The Spruill Gallery
invites the entire family to come out for an afternoon of holiday shopping and activities. Adults can look for gifts for their loved ones while kids stay busy with activities. Free. 4681 Ashford-Dunwoody Rd., Dunwoody, 30346. To learn more, go to spruillarts. org or call 770-394-4019.
Open Studio Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. –
Brookhaven Potter Tammy Josephson hosts the annual Holiday Open Studio event featuring special guest Marcia Smith, a jewelry designer from Naples, Fla. Skip the mall this year and buy directly from the artists instead! Free and open to the public. 2757 Grove Street, Brookhaven, 30319, driveway entrance. For more information, call 404-849-4281 or go online to tjpots. com.
Hanukkah Bazaar Sunday, Dec. 6, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. – Or Ve-
Shalom Synagogue celebrates its 101st anniversary and hosts its 40th annual Hanukkah Bazaar. Guests can sample authentic Sephardic/ Mediterranean cuisine as well as handmade delicacies and pastries while they shop at booths featuring local art, jewelry, crafts, used books and more. Kids will enjoy an expanded art and game room, and everyone can participate in a 50/50 raffle to win cash prizes. The Synagogue’s famous burekas will be sold individually or by the dozen with flavors such as potato, spinach, eggplant, rice and meat. Free and open to the community. 1681 N. Druid Hills Rd. NE, Brookhaven, 30319. For further information, email lynne.balaban@orveshalom.org or visit www.orveshalom.org.
Handmade Gift Bazaar
Saturday, Dec. 12, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. – With the holidays just around the corner, Spruill Gallery presents a showcase of new gift items by local artisans. Select participating artists will be on hand to meet and greet as well. 4681 Ashford- Dunwoody Rd., Dunwoody, 30346. Questions? Go to spruillarts.org or call 770-394-4019.
Live Nativity Saturday, Dec. 2 and Sunday, Dec. 13, 6-8 p.m. – All are
invited to this well-loved Chastain Park neighborhood tradition. The story of the first Christmas will be depicted on the church lawn with live actors and animals. Christmas carols will be sung in the sanctuary and refreshments will be served. Free and open to all. Sardis United Methodist Church, 3725 Powers Ferry Rd., Buckhead, 30342. Learn more by emailing office@sardischurch.com, calling 404237-6060 or visiting sardischurch.com.
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Red & White Ball Saturday, Dec. 12, 7 p.m.- midnight –
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Menorah Lighting Monday, Dec. 7 through Wednesday, Dec. 9, 5:15-6 p.m. – The MJCCA cele-
brates Hanukah with “Light Up The J,” a threenight event featuring songs, a Menorah lighting and a short performance. Complimentary jelly donuts and hot chocolate available. Free and open to the community. 5342 Tilly Mill Rd., Dunwoody, 30338. To find out more, go online to atlantajcc.org, or contact Rabbi Brian Glusman at 678-812-4161 or by email at brain.glusman@atlantajcc.org.
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out & about CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
portunity to donate toys for Toys for Tots this holiday season. Tickets are $30 each. Lynwood Park Community Center, 3360 Osborne Rd., Brookhaven, 30319. For more information go online to brookhavenga.gov.
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Friday Nov. 27 through Tuesday, Dec. 22 – This Christmas tree sale, a regular occurrence since 1972, specializes in tall trees between 10 to 17 feet. Free delivery and set up inside your home is included with purchase. Proceeds from the tree 41522 benefi t the church’s youth and chilsale dren’s programs. Fraser firs from western North Carolina start at $35-40 for a small tree and can go up to $500 for a 17-foot tree. Holiday wreaths, garland and tree stands also for sale. Lot is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sundays from 12 to 7 p.m. 550 Mt. Paran Road, Sandy Springs, 30327. Have some questions? Go to stjohnatlanta.org or call the lot’s direct line at 404-252-8348.
Follow Window Us AtShadings, Facebook *Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for qualifying purchases made 9/15/15 – 12/7/15 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. Offer excludes Nantucket™ a collectionor Twitter of Silhouette Window Shadings. Rebate will be issued in the form of a prepaid reward card and mailed within 6 weeks of rebate claim receipt. Funds do not expire. Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee*will be assessed against card balance 7 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations may apply. Ask participating dealer for details and rebate 2015of a prepaid Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for purchases made 4/1/14 – 6/13/14 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. Rebate will be issued inform. the ©form Hunter Douglas. All rights All trademarks herein are the property of Hunter Douglas. HOL15MB5 reward cardreserved. and mailed within 6 used weeks of rebate claim receipt. Funds do not expire. Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 7 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations apply. Ask participating dealer for details and rebate form. © 2014 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas. SPG14MB3
Dan Sasser loves coming and going as he pleases. That’s just one of many reasons he chose Canterbury Court to be his home. “I left a tenured position so I could live wherever I wanted. Then I retired at 60 and was working part time when I discovered Canterbury Court. I thought, ‘How wonderful it would be to live there.’” When he decided to move to Canterbury Court, he chose a studio apartment, which he says “is more than big enough for me.” The maintenance-free lifestyle also lets him keep a second home in Florida and take frequent road trips. Dan says people are “missing the boat” by not moving to a retirement community sooner. “Here you have several restaurant options, all kinds of activities and excursions, a theater with daily showings, a heated pool and wellness center, 11 acres of beautiful gardens ... it’s like being on a permanent vacation!”
3750 Peachtree Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30319 canterburycourt.org
Fellowship Hall. Presenting a wide array of handcrafted gifts, jewelry, home decor, accessories and more, the offerings come from Haiti and around the world. Gift cards and fair trade food products and baskets will also be for sale. Proceeds support the efforts of Ten Thousand Villages and La Gonave Haiti Partnership. The church will also offer Lessons and Carols the same morning at 11 a.m. Free parking is available on the top deck of the Peachtree Battle Shopping Center just south of the church. 2461 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, 30305. Need more details? Go to covenantpresbyterian.us or call 404-237-0363.
Brookhaven Christian Church Saturday, Nov. 28 through Sunday, Dec. 6 – For 25 years, church members and vol-
unteers have helped neighbors and friends pick out just the right tree for their holiday displays. There also will be a limited quantity of holiday wreaths available. Cash, personal checks and credit cards accepted. Open
Sunday 12:15-8:30 p.m., Monday through Friday 3-8 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-8 p.m. 4500 Peachtree Rd. NE, Brookhaven, 30319. For more information go to brookhavenchristian.org.
Riverwood International Charter Friday, Nov. 28 through Sunday, Dec. 7 – The Riverwood In-
ternational Charter School’s basketball team will sell fresh Fraser firs from North Carolina. Some trees are pre-ordered, but plenty of trees will be available for walk-up sales. Each fir will be freshly cut at the lot, and the basketball team will offer delivery for a small fee within a 10- mile radius of the school. Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on opening day, Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. The Lady Raider softball program will also be on site with wreaths from Vermont for sale, available in sizes of 16”, 25”, and 30.” The tree lot is located behind the high school between the football and baseball fields. 5900 Raider Dr., Sandy Springs, 30328. For more information, go online to riverwoodathletics.org.
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NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net
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Sandy Springs at Ten
The city of Sandy Springs is in the midst of creating a downtown called “City Springs,” located between Roswell Road and Sandy Springs Circle, and bounded by Johnson Ferry Road to the north and Mount Vernon Highway to the south. AERIAL PHOTO FOR REPORTER NEWSPAPERS
Decades in the making City reinventing itself BY DYANA BAGBY
BY JOHN RUCH
johnruch@reporternewspapers.net
n a recent Friday evening, families and couples were filling up Nancy G’s, the casual dining restaurant tucked into a back corner of the Fountain Oaks Shopping Center off Roswell Road.
O
“W
“I can’t believe it’s been 10 years,” says Nancy Goodrich, owner of the restaurant, as she greets customers at the door. Although she’s speaking of the anniversary of her dining spot, she also knows that Nancy G’s shares its anniversary with the beginning of incorporated Sandy Springs. “I feel like we’re growing up together,” she said.
That $220 million redevelopment fulfills a major promise the city made in its first decade: to create a new downtown. But, as the mayor’s ceremony of symbolic unity suggests, Sandy Springs is also still in the process of inventing itself.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
elcome to everybody’s neighborhood,” said Mayor Rusty Paul at September’s groundbreaking at City Springs, as two dozen residents heeded his call to bring soil from their neighborhoods to mingle at the site.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
www.ReporterNewspapers.net |
NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | 15
DECADES IN THE MAKING
Sandy Springs at Ten
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
Consistency in service and food are what make Nancy G’s successful today, Goodrich says. And she believes those traits are also what makes Sandy Springs a thriving city now. For City Councilman Tibby DeJulio, elected to represent District 5 in the city’s first election a decade ago and who still sits on the council, it is consistency and quality of service from the city’s government that ensures its approximately 102,000 residents are safe and pleased with its leadership. “The city is run on a very professional basis,” he said. “Not only have we evolved and progressed better than we expected, we have done better than we ever hoped to.”
DECADES OF LOBBYING FOR CITY In 1987, DeJulio became embroiled in a zoning battle with Fulton County when county officials planned to tear down houses across the street from his home in order to build apartment buildings. DeJulio said he argued before the Fulton County Commission to stop the plans — and he won. Shortly after,
THEN & NOW
City Springs THEN: The Owens family poses in front of their home around 1898 on what is now the City Springs site. The house stood in the area of the former Target store along Mount Vernon Highway. (Photo: Heritage Sandy Springs) NOW: An illustration released by the city earlier this year of one of the City Springs redevelopment buildings under construction on the site now. City Springs is set to open in late 2017.
2005 Legislature approves creation of the city of Sandy Springs.
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6/21
12/1
he met Eva Galambos, known as the mother of Sandy Springs. “She told me what she was trying to do and asked me to join,” DeJulio remembered. “And then I went to a meeting of the Committee for Sandy Springs.” Galambos and others had formed the committee in 1975 after the city of Atlanta attempted to annex Sandy Springs. Those living in Sandy Springs were unhappy with Fulton County services, such as police protection, and they also felt their tax dollars were being used to bolster the less financially stable south Fulton. Zoning battles between Sandy Springs and the county, which wanted more development, were common. And while state Democrats accused the Sandy Springs cityhood movement of being nothing more than “white flight” and used their power in the General Assembly to block cityhood efforts, DeJulio said Sandy Springs residents were simply tired of being tied to a non-responsive Fulton County government. One county study showed Sandy Springs residents sent $91 million more to Fulton County than they received in services annually. The first meetings of the Committee for Sandy Springs were primarily organizational, DeJulio said. They dealt with matters such as determining what kind of structure the city would have and who would be making decisions. The meetings were held in members’ homes, in boardrooms of local businesses and also in the Sandy Springs United Methodist Church. “It was a time when we knew we had a lot of work to do, a lot of people to lobby. Atlanta was very open about wanting to annex us only for our revenue — the city never talked about what it could do to help Sandy Springs,” DeJulio said. And lobby they did. Volunteers with the committee spent weeks and months, eventually more than 20 years, lobbying legislators under the Gold Dome, asking them to pass legislation to put a referendum on the ballot that would give residents of Sandy Springs a chance to vote to incorporate their city. “Every year we hoped, and every year we tried different angles at the Legislature,” said Carolyn Axt, recently retired executive director of Leadership Sandy Springs. “Eva would come and talk to our class every year and give an update on efforts. And every year we
2006
Voters approve Sandy Springs formally incorporates, the creation of the city of first new city in Georgia in nearly 50 years. Eva Sandy Springs. NinetyGalambos is elected the city’s first mayor. Tibby four percent say yes. DeJulio, Dianne Fries, Karen Meinzen McEnerny and Pictured right: Rusty Paul are elected to the first city council. DaEva Galambos with key to vid Greenspan and Ashley Jenkins later win runoff the new city. elections to take seats on the inaugural council. | NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net
wouldn’t quite get it through.” DeJulio said he and Galambos spent many days and nights speaking publicly about the benefits of incorporating Sandy Springs, including having local governmental control and deciding how the city’s money would be spent. Three studies done by the Vinson Institute of the University of Georgia showed cityhood was right for Sandy Springs, he said. “When we had debates on the pros and cons of cityhood, we were hard pressed to find someone from the other side. We often had to get someone from Atlanta or from Fulton County to represent the opposition,” DeJulio said. In 2005, with Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue in office and a Republican majority in the House and Senate, Sandy Springs finally got its wish — the Legislature authorized a referendum for Sandy Springs. This marked the first time in some 50 years that residents would get to vote to create a new city in Georgia. “Eva came to talk to our class that year and said, ‘Guess what? We’re going to have a city,’” Axt remembered. “And then we had a short time to put everything together and the community quickly came together. The dog had caught the train and we had to make sure we were ready.”
‘A CITY RUN ON A PROFESSIONAL BASIS’ The referendum was set for June 21, 2005. When the votes were counted, 94 percent of Sandy Springs’ voters said they wanted to incorporate. “It was a day of great celebration. We met that night at Heritage Sandy Springs and celebrated and proclaimed victory. But we also knew it was the beginning of a huge amount of work that needed to be done,” said DeJulio. After a night of celebrating and a few hours of sleep, those working to create the city of Sandy Springs woke up the next morning ready to get to work. Task forces were formed immediately to take on issues including police and fire, finances, administration and public works. “Eva and I spent about 17 years working to form the city. And during that time we did a lot of planning,” said DeJulio. “We pretty much knew what had to be done.” Not wanting a bureaucracy, volunteers working to set up Sandy Springs’
2/15
7/1
John McDonough starts work as the city’s first city manager. The police department begins operations.
Sandy Springs at Ten
government decided it would be best to run the city like a corporate board structure — with a mayor as the CEO and the council as the board of directors. “We wanted the city run on a professional basis. We didn’t want to have a lot of people hiring relatives, for example,” DeJulio said. This meant hiring a private company to run much of the city’s departments, other than police and fire — something unheard of at the time for municipal governments. Now Sandy Springs stands as a model city for others desiring private-public partnerships. The city’s first election was held in November 2005. Galambos was easily elected mayor. And when it came to hiring the city manager, she conducted an unconventional interview. “The phone call comes. The headhunter says…‘I’ve got this really interesting opportunity. This opportunity is not traditional. This is something different,” remembered John McDonough, the city’s first and only city manager. McDonough applied and was interviewed by “citizens screening committees” and then he met with Mayor Galambos at Island Ford Park on the Chattahoochee. “She got her hiking boots on. She said, ‘Let’s go for a hike.’ Off we went, had an impromptu hike,” while she interviewed him. “Eva was just the epitome of a leader…She was so impressive, had a clear vision,” he said. At midnight on Dec. 1, 2005, the reins were turned over from Fulton County to the fledgling Sandy Springs. “It was like turning on a light switch,” DeJulio said. “We had to be prepared to run an entire city.” City Council members were sworn in on the eve of Nov. 30 and then again shortly after midnight on Dec. 1 to ensure all was legal, DeJulio said. The first order of business was to hire Colorado-based CH2M Hill to run the daily operations of the city. With a private corporation in place to run the city, the mayor and council took on its first priority in the coming weeks — establishing its own police and fire departments, with both coming online in 2006. In 2011, the city decided to do away with CH2M Hill and instead go with several private companies to operate individual city government departments like public works and administration. This saved the city $7 million in operating costs, DeJulio said.
7/6
12/29
City buys parks from Fulton County. The fire department begins operations.
“In 10 years we have never had a tax increase and we can’t have one without a referendum,” he said. “We run a very lean city.” During its last year under Fulton County control, Sandy Springs saw $600,000 spent on fixing roads; in its first year as a city, Sandy Springs spent $7 million, DeJulio said. In its first decade, Sandy Springs has paved more than 160 miles of roads and also rebuilt 25 miles of roads; the city has paved 20 miles of sidewalks. “None of this was being handled before by Fulton County. Our requests were being ignored,” DeJulio said. Sandy Springs leadership also knew it was crucial to preserve green space and establish a park system. The new city began buying land back from the county and eventually opened up such notable parks as Morgan Falls Overlook Park in 2010 and Abernathy Greenway in 2014. Linda Bain, executive director of the Sandy Springs Conservancy, praises the city’s leadership in ensuring parks remain a key part of the city’s continuing development. “We have really strong bones here,” she said of the city’s officials. What is somewhat lacking, however, is a sure Sandy Springs identity. In 2012, the city council approved a master plan for a $220 million City Center located on Roswell Road north of I-285. The center will include a performing arts center, government meeting space, and some retail and residential units. The City Center, set to open in December 2017, is expected to give the city a much-needed symbolic site to better establish a city identity, said Axt and DeJulio. “At one time, Sandy Springs was just a crossroads. Now it has developed into a vibrant, energetic, energized community,” Axt said. “We are no longer an experiment,” Axt said. “We’ve always had a sense of belonging and now we are developing a sense of place.” DeJulio is also optimistic that the City Center will provide the city a much-needed unifying space. “We really are counting on it bringing the community together,” he said. “When I ask people if they live in Sandy Springs and they say, ‘No,’ I always tell them, ‘I’m very sorry. Maybe someday you’ll be lucky enough to live here.’”
A decade behind us, and we’ve only just begun.
Congratulations to the City of Sandy Springs on turning 10!
John Ruch contributed to this article.
2007
2/20
Friends of Sandy Springs, an organization started decades earlier to promote the creation of a city of Sandy Springs, officially goes out of business. Tibby DeJulio and Rusty Paul turn over the last $14,000 in the organization’s treasury to the city. www.ReporterNewspapers.net |
NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | 17
5040 Northside Drive NW, Sandy Springs, 30327
Sandy Springs at Ten
City holds birthday events
7 Bedrooms / 7 Full 1 Half Baths / $2,800,000 “Villa Normandy” Enter this beautiful property through the gated entrance and drive down the long winding drive to this private retreat on 4 +/- magnificent acres. The entire main floor overlooks the incredible pool terrace. Wonderful home for entertaining. Easy au-pair/nanny suite. Handsome library with fireplace. Main floor master suite. You will truly think you are in Callaway Gardens as you stroll around this property.
The city celebrates its 10th anniversary with a Dec. 1 open house and a Dec. 4 birthday party at City Hall. The open house, on Tues., Dec. 1, comes before that evening’s City Council meeting. It’s also the exact birthday of the city, which began operations Dec. 1, 2005. The free event runs 4 to 5:45 p.m. at 7840 Roswell Road. It will feature guided tours of various city departments. For more, see sandyspringsga.gov or call 770-730-5600. The birthday party on Fri., Dec. 4 will include entertainment, food and a “walk down memory lane” with historic images, according to the city. The party runs 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Sherwood Event Facility, 8610 Roswell Road. Tickets are $30 advance, $40 at the door. For ticket information, see bit.ly/1ihyNFR.
THEN & NOW
The Spring
David Hutchins www.davidhutchins.com Associate Broker 404-550-0533 RE/MAX Around Atlanta Office 404-252-7500 Celebrating 22 years of helping Sellers & Buyers Top 3 Individual Producer for Office 2004-2014
THEN: Cabins around the site of the spring for which the city is named, off of today’s Sandy Springs Circle, around 1850. Known as “tents,” the cabins housed attendees of United Methodist Church revivals and became the foundation of the Sandy Springs community. (Photo: Heritage Sandy Springs)
Connecting the Corners of your World
NOW: The Heritage Sandy Springs Museum stands near the site where the spring remains preserved under a pavilion. (Photo: John Ruch) • • • • • • • • •
Free Business Checking Free Personal Checking Interest-Bearing Checking Accounts Savings Accounts Personal and Business Money Market Accounts Safe Deposit Boxes Certificate of Deposits Individual Retirement Account (IRAs) SBA Loans
• • • • • • • • •
Personal and Business Loans Mortgages Home Equity Loans and Lines of Credit ATM Services and Deposits Online Banking/Bill Pay/Wire/ACH Services Mobile Banking and Mobile Deposits Business Remote Deposit Capture Merchant Card Services Business Courier
Come in and see our Sandy Springs staff for all your banking needs
Congratulations SANDY SPRINGS On your 10th Anniversary! Fran Farias, Agent
6649 Roswell Rd., Sandy Springs, GA 30328
770-668-0222 www.FranFarias.com
Celebrating Fran Farias’ 26 YEARS & State Farm’s 93 YEARS of providing Insurance & Financial Services
6344 Roswell Rd NE Sandy Springs, GA 30328 678-553-3500
7/8
2007
City Council agrees to buy site of abandoned Target store at 235 Johnson Ferry Road for use as a future City Hall. The city pays $8 million for the property in 2008.
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2008
5/6
10001014.1
2009
Fulton County School Board approves site for new elementary school on Ison Road.
NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®
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State Farm Presidents Club and Crystal Recipient 2010 Rotary District 6900 - “Rotarian of the Year” 2011 Sandy Springs Society - “Spirit Award” 2012 Leadership Sandy Springs - “Alumni Leadership Award”
State Farm Home Office, Bloomington, IL
9/1
9/21
11/3
Chattahoochee River 911 Authority, generally known as Chatcomm, opens.
Record floods hit Sandy Springs. Residents of 98 homes report flooding.
Eva Galambos elected to second term as mayor.
SAND Y 2005
GS N I R SP
A nnive
rsar y
2 01 5
LET’S CELEBRATE THE CITY’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY! Come mingle with your elected officials and tour City Hall
Join your neighbors for an evening of celebration of Sandy Springs
Open House Tuesday, December 1, 2015 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Evening Party Friday, December 4, 2015 6:30 – 10:00 p.m.
Tours begin at 4 p.m. Mix and mingle takes place from 4 – 5:45 p.m. followed by a City Council Meeting at 6 p.m.
Sherwood Event Facility 8610 Roswell Road, Suite 200 $30 per person in advance ($40 door)
Sandy Springs City Hall 7840 Roswell Road, Building 500 Sandy Springs, GA 30350
There will be a small transaction fee
Cash bar Reserve tickets by 11-27-15 at bit.ly/1ihyNFR
Presented by
Presented by
SSPC SANDY SPRINGS/PERIMETER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.ReporterNewspapers.net |
NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | 19
Sandy Springs at Ten
Sandy Springs’ development hot spots for the next 10 years In its first 10 years, the city focused on planning a new “downtown” on central Roswell Road. In its “Next Ten” planning process underway—including a revised land-use plan and a new zoning code—the city is eyeing a wider variety of development opportunities and challenges. Some are places where the city hopes to spotlight, like Powers Ferry Landing. Some are places where the city is preparing for other agencies’ plans, such as MARTA’s proposed Red Line expansion. This map shows Sandy Springs’ likely development hot spots of the next decade.
MARTA Northridge station MARTA proposes a new station at Ga. 400 and Northridge Road as part of a five-station extension of the Red Line to Alpharetta. That’s not a done deal and would be years away. But existing MARTA stations are sparking transitoriented redevelopment, and the city is planning ahead for a Northridge area boom.
North Roswell Road The northern section of the city’s main thoroughfare is mostly known for strip malls, older apartments and the office park where City Hall is currently located. The city envisions “nodes” of walkable, mixed-use mini-neighborhoods replacing today’s highway feel.
City Springs
Abernathy Road/Ga. 400 Surrounded by some of the largest undeveloped tracts in town, this major interchange area is seeing a major boom that will roll into the next decade. On the west side, the Mercedes-Benz USA headquarters is coming in 2018, along with huge Ashton Woods housing developments. On the east side, there are stalled plans for an office skyscraper, a luxury hotel and more. And MARTA’s North Springs station could see a Red Line extension boom.
City reinventing itself
The crown jewel of the city’s first decade of planning, this $220 million redevelopment will create a new City Hall, concert halls, parks, apartments and commercial spaces. It’s slated to open in late 2017. Big as it is, City Springs is just part of a larger plan for a new, mixed-use downtown that private developers are already starting to build in some older shopping centers.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
ROSWELL ROAD
“Sandy Springs, 10 years into its existence, still struggles with our identity,” said Paul in a recent interview. Creating a sense of place and community through redevelopment remains a priority that will define the city’s next decade, he said. The city’s “Next Ten” planning process is tackling that challenge head-on. Continuing into next year, the process will set new standards for redevelopment, in part by looking Pill Hill closely at both popular areas and neglectThe medical area is anchored by three rapidly ed corners of the city. Community leaders expanding hospitals—Northside, Emory St. Joseph’s express optimism about the Next Ten— and Children’s Healthcare—and is starting to see though with varying degrees of caution. residential development that could continue, espe“I think that they’re probably going to cially around MARTA’s Medical Center station. A big do a very good job of figuring out which planning question is how Pill Hill will cope with its way people want us to go in the future,” nightmarish rush-hour traffic. said Trisha Thompson, president of the Sandy Springs Council of Neighborhoods. “I’m eternally optimistic, but I’m definitely feeling, as an HOA president, very hesitant,” said Matt LaMarsh, president of the Mount Vernon Woods Homeowners Association, who lives in one of the hottest redevelopment spots at Ga. 400 and Abernathy Road. Everyone agrees that traffic congesGateway/south Roswell Road tion is the city’s biggest challenge. A rebuild of the Ga. 400/I-285 interAs with the northern stretch of Roswell Road, the city envisions walkable, change will be a defining project of the mixed-use developments. An early test of that vision comes next year as the next decade, but it’s just part of possihuge Gateway mixed-use project opens on the Atlanta border, with over 20 ble solutions that may bring more loacres of stores and hundreds of apartments. The city already plans to alter the cal MARTA stations and transit-oriRoswell and Windsor Parkway intersection to handle the new traffic.
Powers Ferry Landing This business area, flanking I-285 at the city’s far western border, has long struggled with a sense of identity. Many people don’t realize it’s in Sandy Springs, and Cobb County commuter traffic is a challenge. The city will try to rouse what founding Mayor Eva Galambos once called a “sleeping giant.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
2010
4/6
Groundbreaking for Abernathy Linear Park.
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7/28 Morgan Falls Overlook Park, the first park completely developed by the city, opens to the public.
2011
4/16
5/17
June
Sandy Springs Farmers Market opens.
City ends using single contractor, CH2M HILL, to provide city services.
Georgia Supreme Court sides with sign companies against four cities, eliminating billboard restrictions put in place before the areas were incorporated.
The first markets are held at the city-owned Target site on Johnson Ferry Road.
NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net
City Council splits up city business and contracts with five different companies, reducing its cost by $7 million, officials say.
WHERE WOULD A GREAT COMMUNITY HOSPITAL BE WITHOUT A GREAT COMMUNITY?
Northside Hospital is proud to have been part of this community since 1970 and part of this wonderful “new” city for the last 10 years.
A Lifetime of Care Northside.com
www.ReporterNewspapers.net |
NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | 21
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20
Happy 10th Anniversary and to many more years of great success!
ented development. Sandy Springs, a city founded on localism, likely will join in more regional planning, officials say. “I see a crystal ball that looks very bright, very promising,” said Yvonne Williams, president and CEO of the Perimeter Center Improvement Districts, describing Sandy Springs as poised to seize opportunities and overcome challenges.
A SENSE OF PLACE
SANDY ABRAMS When only the best will do! Cell: 404-281-0097 Office: 404-233-4142 sandy.abrams@harrynorman.com 532 East Paces Ferry Road, Suite 200 Atlanta, Georgia 30305 | www.HarryNorman.com
We’ve got you covered! Cityhood for Sandy Springs 10 years ago was the catalyst to launch Reporter Newspapers. We look forward to covering every milestone in the city’s history for years to come.
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2012
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It drives the mayor crazy when locals use “Atlanta” rather than “Sandy Springs” in their street addresses, or when people think the King and Queen buildings are the city’s downtown. “Part of [the future] is to create this larger sense of community…the sense of place like Marietta has, like Decatur has,” Paul said. City Springs is a massive attempt to do that by combining a new City Hall, performing arts center and parks with a mixed-use project. When it opens in 2017, it should anchor a more walkable downtown. And, Paul said, it will tie together some disparate Sandy Springs neighborhoods, like the southern end around Chastain Park or the panhandle that often identifies as Dunwoody. “That’s a legacy project,” said City Manager John McDonough. “I think even five years from now, you’ll see a completely different landscape. I think [there will be] more focus on community, more interaction among people.” But even as it builds that landmark project, the city is looking ahead to a different kind of place-making. Instead of rebuilding entire neighborhoods, the next phase is more about adding to them. Paul said he’d like to see the rest of Roswell Road lined with small, walkable clusters of shops and restaurants instead of shopping centers—“a little community meeting space, if you will.” “We want to broaden the horizon of what a neighborhood is,” he said. “In the next 10 years, that’s kind of our vision.”
THE NEXT TEN The Next Ten process is how Sandy Springs will put such visions on paper. Among the results will be a new Comprehensive Plan of land-use
7/31
9/18
Metro voters reject T-SPLOST, a regional tax that would have raised $6 billion for transportation improvements.
City settles dispute with billboard companies. City officials agree to allow 10 new signs, but limits them along Roswell Road.
NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net
Sandy Springs at Ten
guidelines; a new, unified zoning and building code; and several “Small Area Plans” giving detailed visions of such areas as Roswell Road’s northern and southern reaches. “The focus on the next 10 years is different from the first 10 years,” said McDonough. “The first 10 years focused on creating the delivery system” for city services, planning and infrastructure, he said. Now it’s about delivering the products, especially City Springs, but also the more refined input process of the Next Ten. “We should have broad community support. If we don’t, we missed our mark,” McDonough said of the development that will follow the Next Ten guidelines. “In the end, it should be the community’s plan.” Thompson, the Council of Neighborhoods president, said the Next Ten isn’t exactly grassroots planning, but does involve more public input than ever. “I’m not sure it is building [a plan] on public input, but I truly believe this new crew [of planners], they are scouring every nook and corner of Sandy Springs they can think of to garner opinion,” she said. Thompson said the future of Sandy Springs lies in pushing for higher-quality development standards, and that the current mayor and City Council are more responsive to that, especially after the Glenridge Hall estate controversy earlier this year. “They see the older homes coming down. They see trees coming down,” she said. All developers know how to build projects that contribute to a good quality of life, Thompson said, adding, “It’s just whether we can force them to do it in Sandy Springs and not bring their cheap end.” LaMarsh isn’t as convinced that the city’s leaders are on the right track. He and wife Melissa are part of Sandy Springs’ post-cityhood generation, having moved here from Acworth four years ago to be closer to Atlanta and start a family in a “dynamic community.” “We certainly got it,” LaMarsh said with a laugh. The land surrounding their neighborhood is now the site of two enormous and controversial housing plans by developer Ashton Woods. LaMarsh has been a leader in the debates, at one point threatening to sue, and more recently helping broker a key compromise. There’s no guarantee that city leaders will stick to the new development
11/13
guidelines, LaMarsh said. And he worries that most big parcels will be built out already with less thoughtful projects. “My concern here is the damage has been done and it’s going to be hard for us to climb out of [existing projects],” he said. “My fear is we’ve moved a little too far, a little too fast.” However, LaMarsh counts himself a fan of some pending projects, including City Springs. “I think the future of the city is bright and we do have some good things coming down the pipe,” he said. “Hopefully we can continue to protect the neighborhoods that kind of made Sandy Springs, Sandy Springs.”
TRAFFIC AND TRANSIT With all of the growth comes traffic, and solutions to it may reshape several parts of the city. The billion-dollar project to add lanes on Ga. 400/I-285 will start in about a year and wrap up in 2020. But potentially even more landscape-changing is MARTA’s proposed Red Line extension to Alpharetta. The Next Ten includes transit-oriented development studies around the existing North Springs station and a potential Northridge Road station. “Long term, to absorb population growth…we need to have more efficient transportation, and the only way we’re going to do it is mass transit,” said Mayor Paul. “Unless you have transit…we are going to drown in traffic, and we’re going to kill the goose that lays the golden egg and destroy our quality of life.” While it may not feel like it at rush hour, “We’re ahead of the curve” on longterm traffic solutions, said the PCIDs’ Williams. The Perimeter Center’s future includes shuttle systems, more sidewalks and multi-use trails, and more east-west connection roads. Other possibilities include a bus rapid-transit route along the Perimeter to Cobb County, she said. “We’re going to see a very walkable district,” said Williams. In fact, the future may be largely about getting Sandy Springs out of its car. Walkability is key to the sort of place-making the mayor envisions at both City Springs and the mini-neighborhoods of Roswell Road. “If we can do that over the next 10 years,” Paul said, “we’ll be a long way toward making Sandy Springs the most enviable community of [metro] Atlanta.”
2013
Consultant Goody Clancy proposes a downtown redevelopment anchored at the Target site that includes a street grid and a network of green spaces.
4/22 Mayor Eva Galambos announces her retirement at the end of her second term.
Sandy Springs at Ten
from your neighborhood centers, on the City’s 10 Year Anniversary! Sandy Springs by the Numbers
#
101,908
7
Rank in population among Georgia cities
Rank in residents among Georgia cities White Black Hispanic Asian Other
$424,700
59% 20% 14% 5% 3%
Median household Income Georgia $49,179
13,341
Total number of business firms
29.4
%
%
FOREIGN BORN RESIDENTS
26
%
It also has two of the TALLEST
SUBURBAN TOWERS in the United States
Pictured: King and Queen buildings
47
%
OWN HOMES VS. 65% GA
56 25.2
%
MINUTES MEAN TRAVEL TIME TO WORK
Rusty Paul elected mayor.
Massage Spring National Council of Jewish Women Palm Beach Tan Penzey’s Spices Pier 1 Imports Pure Bliss Med Spa Roasters Scotttrade Smoothie King Spring Nails State Farm Insurance Co. The Welch Experience Trader Joe’s Village Cobbler Shoe Repair Willy’s Mexicana Grill
Visit Us: Roswell Road & Johnson Ferry Road
Powers Ferry Village Alpine Cleaners Blimpie Subs & Salads Goodwill Mardi Gras Posh Nail and Spa
Publix Sushi Huku The Juice Box The UPS Store
Visit Us: Powers Ferry Road & New Northside Drive
housing units in multi-unit structures
Percent of firms owned by women
Cornerstone Square Ace Hardware Aldi Carniceria Los Pinos Concentra Urgent Care Cornerstone Bank
Created by Reporter Newspapers | ReporterNewspapers.net Sources: U.S. Census, Wikipedia.org Some icons made by www.flaticon.com are licensed by Creative Commons BY 3.0
11/5
Aaron Brothers Any Lab Test Bell Carpet Galleries Buckhead Uniform Dog City Bakery Elegant Cleaners Firehouse Subs Five Guys Burgers & Fries Foot Solutions Fox’s Fragile HCG Weight Loss Henri’s Bakery Joseph & Friends Manpower Staffing
speaking a language other than English at home
Median value of owner-occupied house
$63,134
20
Sandy Springs Plaza
CVS Pharmacy EZ One Price Cleaners Hancock Fabrics Hollie’s Nails Metro Trophy
Visit Us: Roswell Road & Cromwell Road
12/5 Eva Galambos turns the mayor’s gavel over to Rusty Paul. She says farewell with a poem that concludes: “It’s been a great eight years/we’ve tackled small and big affairs/we set a tone for those to follow/I have no fears about tomorrow.” www.ReporterNewspapers.net |
NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | 23
Sandy Springs at Ten - Other Views
I
s Sandy Springs better off now than we were 10 years ago? Was incorporation worth it? Whenever I attend community or civic events, I am always struck by the tremendous pride that our residents, business owners and government leaders have for their home town. There is a passion and a spirit of cooperation that exists in Sandy Springs that I believe is the direct result of our incorporation 10 years ago. Certainly, things like the groundbreaking of City Springs, new road improvements, the addition of sidewalks and parks, and the city’s strong financial condition and high bond rating are all tangible accomplishments we can point to, but it is the intangible component of our Chris Burnett civic pride coupled with strong leadership that makes all these things possible. Both our city and our chamber celebrate their 10th birthdays this year and this is an exciting time of reflection for us. In the past decade, we have seen iconic international companies move their corporate headquarters to Sandy Springs. We have also seen many budding small businesses get their start here, including our company, Bank of Sandy Springs, which opened here in 2014 to help invest in the future of our community. We have seen the expansion of our public and private schools, and we’ve seen the development and construction of some beautiful neighborhoods and homes within our city. Our long-time residents are staying here, and new residents are coming here because of the quality of life and the quality of community that Sandy Springs offers. We know that success and growth come with their own set of challenges, and building and maintaining a strong community infrastructure requires vision and hard work. Because we are our own city, we control our financial and strategic planning decisions in ways that were unavailable to us 10 years ago. For these reasons, incorporation has given the residents and leaders of Sandy Springs more control over their city’s destiny. Our mission will be to keep the fire that we feel for our city today burning for decades to come, and to pass on our sense of pride to the next generation of residents and leaders. If we do this effectively, then Sandy Springs will continue to enjoy its current level of success and prosperity, and will continue to be Georgia’s greatest city. Chris Burnett is market president of the Bank of Sandy Springs and chairman of the board of the Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce.
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or the first six years of its existence, the Sandy Springs Council of Neighborhoods worked directly with Fulton County on behalf of the neighborhoods. We dealt with seven commissioners, only one of whom had our interests at heart. We had successes. However, we still suffered while watching huge amounts of our tax dollars being diverted to both north and south Fulton. Our roads were potholed, police and fire departments were understaffed for the needs of the community, and the response times were bad. Since cityhood, we’ve gained award-winning fire and poTrisha Thompson lice departments as well as a volunteer COPS program that’s a big success. We’ve gained better roads and more sidewalks. We’ve gained the cleanup of garbage-strewn, deteriorated sections of town. We’ve gained repairs of broken stormwater systems. We’ve gained more and better parks. We’ve also gained a traffic control system that helps the traffic flow along Roswell and Abernathy roads. None—not one—of these would have been implemented at the level of quality we have seen had we not become a city. Yes, we have rezonings that bring additional traffic, but this would have occurred even in Fulton County—and, believe me, with far less care, less quality and less thought given to impact mitigation. If you look at the total picture and the total scorecard, we’ve gained, and those gains are huge. For our future, the challenge will be to control quality. The concerns need to be focused on: the quality of the homes and projects being built; the quality of our natural environment—preservation of trees and green space; the quality of our schools; and our quality of life. Traffic is a huge detriment to our quality of life today. Infill development is of major concern in the neighborhoods. We don’t think anyone is against more people—it’s just how to include them without chopping down all the trees and gridlocking our roads. We do want new businesses. We will have new residents. We want everyone to share a fantastic quality of life in a beautiful city. Trisha Thompson is the president of the Sandy Springs Council of Neighborhoods.
3188 Towerview Drive NE, Atlanta, 30324
THEN & NOW
King and Queen/ Ga. 400 THEN: Ga. 400 and the “King” tower at the Concourse at Landmark Center under construction, alongside the completed “Queen” tower, around 1990 in this Georgia State University Archives photo on display at Heritage Sandy Spring’s exhibit “Sandy Springs: Then & Now.”
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2014
1/6
7/17
City begins Abernathy demolition of old Greenway Park Target store. opens.
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2015
1/6
NOW: Ga. 400 and the King and Queen towers as seen from the Johnson Ferry Road overpass. (Photo: John Ruch)
3/9
Mercedes-Benz USA City issues demolition announces plans to permits for Glenridge Hall. move its headquarters from New Jersey to Sandy Springs.
NOV. 27 – DEC. 10, 2015 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net
4/19 Eva Galambos dies at age 87.
9/20 City officials announce the new city center will be called “City Springs.”
C
Sandy Springs at Ten - Other Views
ongratulations to the city of Sandy Springs on turning 10! Prior to the city’s formation in 2005, many people worked for decades to make it happen. Two primary goals of the innovative new city were to control the services provided to citizens/businesses and to control development. Due to the necessity of delivering services and the real estate recession of 2008-2012, we now see development—both new projects and how the city addresses future development—begin to have a significant impact on the direction of the city. My perspective extends 36 years, having attended high school in Sandy Springs, lived half of those years here, and worked for compaKirk S. Demetrops nies all with a Sandy Springs address. The great news in Sandy Springs regarding development is plentiful. The city’s southern boundary is improving with the Sandy Springs Gateway project at Windsor and other development moving up Roswell Road from there. The eastern boundary at Perimeter Center is truly seeing a live-work-play environment unfold. Downtown Sandy Springs is poised for the biggest change, with perhaps the most local impact toward quality of life (a “real” downtown) wanted by many who live and work in Sandy Springs. Projects underway or expected to start soon should create more development in downtown than has occurred in the last 20 years combined. This is led by City Springs, the public-private partnership development under construction, that will deliver a new City Hall and performing arts venue, private mixed-use development and open space. This development and others announced should create the critical mass needed. So what are the significant challenges? I see two. One, land use and zoning, and two, Roswell Road north of Abernathy to the city of Roswell border. The city is currently in the process of updating its zoning ordinances and procedures. I commend the leadership of the mayor and council for initiating this. Lengthy, controversial zonings are counterproductive. From a developer’s perspective, time is usually not our ally. Windows of opportunity open up in our business but do not remain forever. A more efficient, interest-aligned process will benefit all stakeholders. Roswell Road north of Abernathy should be the city’s next big platform for change. The road is a primary artery serving a significant portion of the city. I believe more publicprivate initiatives will be needed. As I look ahead, and knowing the probable developments to come out of the ground, I do see a city moving in a great direction and the new real estate developments having a significant contribution to the success of the city. Kirk S. Demetrops is president of MidCity Real Estate Partners.
Congratulations to the City of Sandy Springs on its 10th Anniversary.
N
ot so long ago, the Wall Street Journal highlighted 20 troubled American cities and how Chapter 11 bankruptcy appears to be the only option to wipe the slate clean and start
over. How can such a municipal mess be avoided? One suggestion may be to look at the city of Sandy Springs and its model for providing city services. Ten years ago, when Sandy Springs incorporated, the model of outsourcing was viewed with skepticism. But as the community celebrates it first decade, evidence of accomplishments is in full view: miles of roads paved, new parks and construction underway to create an epicenter for the community. All accomplished withRep. Joe Wilkinson out a tax increase. Before cityhood, Sandy Springs was part of unincorporated Fulton County, and residents were poorly policed while paying high taxes for few services. That is why I made it my main mission to get the cityhood legislation ratified by the General Assembly, so it could go to the voters. There was an unwavering desire for governance close to home, and that is what Sandy Springs has today. Those making decisions on behalf of the community live within that same community. There is a greater level of accountability. Accessibility also matters, and if you ask any of the members of the Sandy Springs City Council, past or present, they hear from their constituents frequently, via phone calls and emails, as well as in the grocery line and at local events. It is gratifying to see the positive chain reaction that has occurred since 2005, with other cities and counties opting for more privatization of services. In addition to the business model, there is a sense of ownership within the Sandy Springs community. This is a city comprised of residents who feel empowered and who exercise their right to voice an opinion. They also frequently back up the talk with action. The community is strengthened by its volunteerism, as is evidenced by groups such as the conservancy and Leadership Sandy Springs, which have been instrumental in the increase in parks and programs within the city. And both the police and fire departments have troops of volunteers providing assistance from house checks to manning water rehab tents during emergencies. They give. The city gives. It works. As Sandy Springs celebrates 10 years, it’s a good time to say congratulations on thinking different, taking the risk and a job well done. It will be interesting to watch what we do as a community in our next 10 years. Joe Wilkinson represents District 52 in the state House of Representatives.
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Nonprofit thrift store provides free clothing to the homeless BY ELLEN ELDRIDGE
elleneldridge@reporternewspapers.net
Robyn Hazelrigs helps clothe the Hazelrigs said three 17-year-old needy. boys came into the store in March “I give out anywhere from $125,000 2013 wearing pants hanging off their to $140,000 a year in free clothing,” hips, hoodies and T-shirts. “They came Hazelrigs said. “We are one of the only in and said, ‘We need suits. We’ve nevstores in Atlanta that gives free clother owned suits and we have job intering.” views,’” Hazelrigs Hazelrigs mansaid. Do you know an organization or ages the BuckHazelrigs said she head THRIFTique, helped the recent individual making a difference a nonprofit clothhigh school graduin our community? Email ing, food pantry and ates get dressed and editor@reporternewspapers.net thrift shop operatshowed them how to ed Monday through tie their ties. Sunday by Buckhead “One man Christian Ministries turned around and and located at 800 said, ‘My mom’s Miami Circle. never seen me in a The money the suit. This is going to store earns selling make her day,’” Hasecondhand clothes zelrigs said. “That’s goes toward operatwhen I knew we ing expenses, such as were making a huge the light bill, Hazeldifference.” rigs said. The rest of Though she regPHOTOS BY ELLEN ELDRIDGE the clothes are given ularly works with THRIFTique store manager away. 40 to 45 volunRobyn Hazelrigs. She also donates teers, Hazelrigs said reading material. she always needs “I give a free book more help around away to every child that comes in the the store and more donations. “I love door because I feel every child should coming to work,” she said. “You get in have a book,” she said. your car and you know you’ve made a Hazelrigs said the ministry helps difference every single day and people people in need, including the homeare so grateful.” less and people who are out of work or Shortly after she started volunteerhave had their work hours cut. Single ing at the shop in 2006, Hazelrigs parents and parents of multiple chillearned teenagers chose to skip prom dren who can only work part time and because they couldn’t afford dresspeople struggling to pay medical bills es and tuxes. She said she asked why also receive help after proving they live the store couldn’t just give away dressin the 15 ZIP-code area the nonprofes because they had so many. it serves. Every March, Hazelrigs gives away Local religious organizations of all more than 150 prom dresses and tuxdenominations and for-profit clothing es, many of which are donated by Le vendors regularly donate to the shop Dress, a shop located in Sandy Springs. to help its clients, who live in areas The thrift store even helps coordinate spread across Buckhead, Brookhaven, a prom held at Covenant House, a Dunwoody and Sandy Springs. homeless shelter for teenagers. Adults aren’t the only ones who The community of people helped need help. by Buckhead Christian Ministries’
clothing bank also includes about a dozen people living under a nearby bridge, Hazelrigs said. “They use the thrift store as a personal closet, she said. The thrift store receives such great donations that it creates the best dressed homeless people, Hazelrigs said. “Because of this area, we get such great donations through the door regularly. I get so much Ralph Lauren that I can’t mark it up.” Armani and Prada are two designer
brands in the thrift store, but “marked up” prices mean $20 for an Armani tie that might sell for $250 new in a store, Hazelrigs said. Prada shoes sell for hundreds of dollars less as well. Hazelrigs said she gives away J. Crew, Abercrombie & Fitch clothes every day. “We have great people walking around looking good,” she said. “We have the best looking homeless people in Atlanta walking around.”
2015
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Chase Michael Nightingale, right, a student at High Point Elementary School in Sandy Springs, walks with Mary EuDaly and her dog companion, Angel, both with Reading P.A.W.S. The program brings four-legged friends to hear stories and assist students with reading skills.
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Share in the Spirit Marist School provides an education where the joy of achievement exists within a spirit of humility and generosity. Students are challenged by an extensive college-preparatory curriculum while an array of extracurricular activities inspire exploration and uncover hidden talents. Through it all, students gain a unique strength of character and skill and a joy of serving others that prepares them to be compassionate, confident leaders.
Sarah Smith Elementary School’s fourth- and fifth-grade chorus performed for the third year in a row at the Macy’s Great Tree Lighting ceremony at Lenox Square on Nov. 22.
Come visit to experience Marist’s spirit yourself. Open House Sunday, December 6, 1-4 p.m. Learn more at marist.com or call (770) 457-7201
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Warren T. Jackson Elementary School’s Fall Festival included a petting zoo, which Anna Mijares, left, and her sister Estely loved.
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Lexi Poline, left, and Gabe Goodhart, pre-K students at The Epstein School in Sandy Springs, spent time at the school’s Thanksgiving table reflecting on the many things they appreciate. Children answered the question, “What are you thankful for?” “My whole family, teachers, and all the puppies and animals in the world,” said Lexi. “My Mommy and Daddy, my brothers and my pet fish,” said Gabe.
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COMMUNITIES OF FAITH
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Standout Student ► Haley Burns ► Lovett High School, senior Haley Burns’ charity work goes back at least until 2012, when she started with the National Charity League, an organization through which mothers and daughters volunteer together. “I do that with my mom,” she said. “It’s kind of like a mother-daughter thing...We go out and do our own service projects.” But that was just the beginning. Since she started, Haley has used her people skills and willingness in a variety of ways to serve others to try to make the world a better place. Why does she do it? “I just enjoy it,” she said. She’s awakened at 3:45 a.m. to serve breakfast to the homeless. Recently, she chaired a parent’s night out event for her school Service Board that hosted around 80 children, a record for the program. “She was very involved in planning and organizing this event,” said her advisor, Angela Morris, who described Haley as very organized and helpful. That’s only a part of her volunteer resume. One of Haley’s favorite aspects of charity and volunteering is her time at Northside Shepherd, a senior center. There, she works with elderly people and displays her outgoing personality to liven up the mood. In May, Haley participates in an allnight fundraiser for cancer research. The project, according to Haley, “is extremely fun and takes months before to plan.” Recently, she recently took a mission trip to Peru. “We went to a church/ pre-school and built a new room and a roof, tutored some kids, played with them,” Haley said.
Haley Burns
Asked what she learned from the trip, she replied, “I guess my biggest take away was that all the people there were so nice, even though that’s probably the most impoverished place I’ve been to.” She found the trip inspiring, she said, because of the people she met. She said her experience made her much more appreciative of the things she had living in the United States.
What’s Next? Haley’s applying to many colleges. She’s thinking she might like to attend Tulane University and pursue a career in nursing. This article was prepared by Dave Ghimire, a junior at Dunwoody High School.
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COMMUNITY
Planting bulbs to remember lives lost
PHOTOS BY PHIL MOSIER
A Children’s Memorial Garden at Hammond Park in Sandy Springs was dedicated on Nov. 15, part of the “Daffodil Project,” an effort by Am Yisrael Chai to plant bulbs for children who lost their lives during the Holocaust. Above, Dr. John Galambos, center, husband of first Mayor Eva Galambos, attended the ceremony, with family, left to right, Sarah Maslia, Michael Galambos and Alexis Rosengarten.
Rabbi Bradley Levenberg of Temple Sinai in Sandy Springs speaks, while Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, back right, listens.
Resident Ben Walker takes to the podium.
Guests planted daffodil bulbs in a garden created by volunteers from the North Fulton Master Gardeners Club.
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COMMUNITY
Barfield family member opposes Mercedes street renaming
Proposed area for the new MercedesBenz headquarters.
BY JOHN RUCH
johnruch@reporternewspapers.net
Renaming Sandy Springs’ Barfield Road for Mercedes-Benz would be a “slap in the face” to the Barfield family, according to a Hapeville woman who said she is among the descendants. “I feel like I owe that to my ancestors… to make an effort, even if it’s not successful,” said Nancy Kite, who opposed the renaming in a letter sent to the city on Nov. 8. “What price do we put on this, destroying history?” Kite said her mother was born Claris Lorene Barfield in the family’s farmhouse that once stood on the road where Mercedes-Benz USA intends to locate its corporate headquarters. Heritage Sandy Springs previously said the road is named for a Barfield family. MBUSA recently informally notified the city of its intent to request renaming part of Barfield Road, between Abernathy Road and Mount Vernon Highway, to Mercedes-Benz Drive. MBUSA is going ahead with that request, said company spokeswoman Donna Boland. She said that naming the corporate headquarters’ street as Mercedes-Benz Drive is a “tradition we have had for over 40 years.” “Nothing has changed,” Boland said. “If there were any objections raised in the interim before the council votes, we’re confident that a fair resolution could be reached.” Mercedes-Benz Drive also was the street name at the MBUSA headquarters in Montvale, N.J., which it is leaving for Sandy Springs. Kite pointed to a similar situation in Hapeville, where the Porsche car company in 2012 had Henry Ford II Avenue renamed to Porsche Avenue after
Porsche moved in. Kite is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and sometimes attends its Atlanta temple, which is located on Barfield and would face an address change. She said that it is a coincidence the temple ended up near her family’s former land, as the church purchased the property from a different owner. However, it does mean she drives on Barfield from time to time. Choking up, Kite recalled that when she drives on Barfield Road she often thinks, “‘Wow, this is where my mother played and where she had her joyous memories as a child, and the connection to a great-grandfather I never knew.’ It just means so much to me.” “Changing the name of this street would be a slap in the face to me and my family as well as to a community that has always been proud of its history,” she wrote in her letter to the city. Kite, 56, said she learned all of the Barfield family lore from her mother, who died in 1994. Kite described the family and its connections in detail and shared some photos of the family that she said came from her mother’s albums. The Barfield family owned property between today’s Barfield Road and Glenridge Drive from sometime before the Civil War to around the mid-1940s. That’s when Kite’s great-grandfather, William Monroe Barfield, died. “They were farmers,” Kite said. “They called it a plantation. It may have been [a plantation] before the Civil War.” Kite’s mother said she was “born in that plantation house…She remembered play-
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Mercedes-Benz USA informally notified the city of Sandy Springs that it intended to rename part of Barfield Road (highlighted in blue), between Abernathy Road and Mount Vernon Highway, as Mercedes-Benz Drive. To see a larger version, go to ReporterNewspapers.net.
ing up and down the street when she was a child.” The Sandy Springs area at the time was considered part of Marietta, where more Barfields lived, Kite said. She said her grandfather, Ernest Barfield, identified himself as a cousin of Mary Phagan, the 13-year-old victim in a notorious 1913 murder case that led to the lynching of Leo Frank in Marietta. Kite said she learned about MBUSA’s
street renaming proposal from a friend, Terrence Smith Sr. Smith said he sent Kite’s letter to the city on her behalf. He said a city staff member later told him that MBUSA will have to go through an approval process. Meanwhile, Kite said she is attempting to identify other Barfield descendents in the area to find out where they stand on the Mercedes-Benz Drive proposal.
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PUBLIC SAFETY
Agencies battle Internet crimes, sex trafficking BY ELLEN ELDRIDGE
elleneldridge@reporternewspapers.net
Vice crimes, such as human traffickabout the movie “Taken,” where the ing for sex, are on the rise locally, law main character’s daughter was abductenforcement officials say. ed in a foreign country and sold into “You may not realize it, but we do sexual slavery. She said she wondered have a serious problem with human if that happened here in the Perimeter trafficking, particularly with underage area and quickly learned that because girls,” Dunwoody Police Chief Billy of Atlanta’s centralized location, near a Grogan said Nov. 17 while introducing major airport and interstate highways, Georgia Bureau of Investigations Spetrafficking is a big problem. cial Agent Renea Green during a DunShe added that blame also falls on woody Perimeter Chamber of Comsome rap artists, such as 50 Cent writmerce luncheon. ing “Candy Shop,” a popular song that “We had an operation not too long Green said idolizes prostitution. ago, where we recovered a minor that The GBI focuses only on commerwas being sex trafficked,” Grogan said. cial exploitation of children, which is A 26-year-old woman and a 16-yeareasier to describing as “juvenile prostiold girl were rescued June 25 from sextution,” Green said. ual servitude and prostitution, when But people have misconceptions Dunwoody Police when they hear about worked with the minors involved with FBI Metro Atlan“prostitution,” Green ta Child Exploitasaid. “‘Oh well, she’s tion Task Force and doing this because the Gwinnet Police she wants to do it’ or Department Vice ‘she’s feeding a drug Unit. habit,’” Green said Dunwoody popeople think. “I, for lice investigated one, had all of those four sex traffickstigmas and misconing organizations ceptions.” in 2014 and GroAn important part gan said the poof the job she does lice department has as a special agent is seen an increase helping train law enin vice-type comforcement officers plaints. Officer Tim ELLEN ELDRIDGE and the public about Fecht, a spokesman GBI Special Agent Renea Green what is going on. for the department, says many young girls run away “I have yet to meet said police charged one girl who woke up from abusive situations. seven people with one day and decidprostitution, three ed, ‘I’m going to be people for pimping a prostitute,’” Green and one person for “I have yet to meet one said. “It just doesn’t escorting without a girl who woke up one happen.” permit Sept. 3. Sadly, Green said day and decided, ‘I’m many young girls “Our goal of the operation was going to be a prostitute.’ who run away from to rescue any vicabusive situations at tims of human traf- It just doesn’t happen.” home end up trapped. ficking and reduce “The way most crime as it relates to of these kids get in– RENEA GREEN prostitution,” Fecht volved is they are said. runaways or throwGBI SPECIAL AGENT Green said the aways,” Green said. GBI is a “request “Most of these girls— only” agency that and the majority are doesn’t usually help police agencies or girls, though boys are affected, too— enter local jurisdictions without being are already experiencing sexual abuse at called. Unless the case involves bombs, home.” commercial gambling, child exploitaMany people are too quick to judge, tion or human trafficking, Green said. Green said, when it comes to cases When Gov. Nathan Deal took ofabout juvenile runaways who mistakfice, Green said he created an Internet enly fall in love with pimps and believe Crimes Against Children Task Force to someone is finally taking proper care of stop human trafficking and child exthem. ploitation in Atlanta. “These are the hardest cases to work Green said when she first heard the because they don’t identify as victims,” term “human trafficking,” she thought Green said. DUN
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SPECIAL
The city of Sandy Springs has its own traffic management center. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
as far as we can.” PTOP provides about $1 million a year in grant money to coordinate the timing on 99 Perimeter Center traffic lights: 55 in Sandy Springs, 33 in Dunwoody and 12 in Brookhaven. It costs the cities nothing, and PCIDs provide a traffic consultant that oversees the coordination. Brad Edwards, Sandy Springs’ traffic and transportation director, said at a recent Sandy Springs City Council meeting that the goal is a system where “there’s not an ‘our side’ and ‘their side’” of Perimeter Center. In its latest PTOP report, from November 2014, PCIDs said the average stopped-at-a-light time on Perimeter Center streets has dropped 31 percent due to the program. PCIDs claims the program saves commuters at least $9.8 million a year in time and gasoline that would otherwise be wasted, and that the program’s grant investment pays for itself every two days. Those numbers may get even better as Sandy Springs moves forward with traffic signal upgrades next year. PTOP signals currently all use “time of day” technology, meaning programmed cycles estimated to be best for a given time of day, which traffic engineers can change remotely. The upgraded version will use sensors in the road to change timing based on traffic volume. Sandy Springs is the oldest of the three cities and has the most modern traffic system, including a “traffic management center” where engineers can view various roads on a wall of monitors. Its underlying network of computer servers is still used to run the entire PTOP connections for all three cities. The Sandy Springs City Council tapped the brakes on renewing PTOP at its Nov. 3 meeting, partly out of concerns that the other cities, especially Dunwoody, aren’t upgrading their own technology fast enough. “They’re behind us three years or maybe more,” as a city that formed later, Edwards told the council in a re-
port at its Nov. 17 meeting. But Dunwoody is now building its own traffic management center and extending fiber optics connections to all of its citywide signals. Smith said in an interview that upgraded signals will come after that network is completed to handle them. PCIDs President and CEO Yvonne Williams said the beauty of PTOP is that new technology can easily plug into the existing collaboration. “As cities upgrade technology, it can be coordinated,” she said. While Sandy Springs councilmen were largely satisfied and voted to renew PTOP, some suggested that their city and Dunwoody should share a traffic management center. Others said that’s inefficient, and Smith said it misunderstands how the PTOP network works. “It already coordinates best as possible…The coordination is already done,” Smith said of the cables and digital systems that link the three cities’ Perimeter Center signals. In the digital age, a traffic management center is convenient, but not necessary to coordinate or tweak signals, he said. “Our traffic engineer can be sitting at his house on his laptop and do everything you can do in a traffic management center,” Smith said. The Sandy Springs council also was concerned that PCIDs continues to operate a separate program that hires police officers to direct traffic at major intersections and large companies’ parking decks. Williams and Sandy Springs Police Chief Kenneth DeSimone said police are needed, not because of PTOP’s flaws, but because some drivers will always attempt to cheat or make mistakes and block intersections. “People aren’t going to obey every traffic signal all the time,” Williams said. However, Sandy Springs police will explore the possibility of coordinating communications among officers on that duty and with the city’s traffic management center, Chief DeSimone said. DUN
PUBLIC SAFETY
Dunwoody Police Blotter From police reports dated Nov. 6 to 19
Nov. 17, theft of articles from a vehicle was reported. 5200
block of Azalea garden Drive— On Nov. 17, theft of articles from a vehicle was reported.
The following information was pulled from Dunwoody’s Police-to-Citizen Portal Event Search website and is presumed to be accurate.
ASSAULT
BURGLARY 4400
block of Chamblee-Dunwody Road—On Nov. 7, aggravated assault and battery with a weapon was reported and an arrest was made.
4000
block of Dunwoody Park—On Nov. 9, burglary was reported.
6300
block of Charleston Place—On Nov. 12, burglary was reported.
6600
2400
block of Peachtree-Industrial Boulevard—On Nov. 13, burglary was reported.
4600
4900 block of Winters Chapel Road—
First block of Perimeter Center West—
On Nov. 13, burglary was reported.
4600
block of North Shallowford Road—On Nov. 15, burglary was reported.
AUTO THEFT 1200
block of Peachford Circle—On Nov. 12, theft of a motor vehicle was reported.
THEFT/LARCENY 4300
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road—On Nov. 6, 7, 9, 13 and 19, reports and/ or arrests were made for shoplifting; On Nov. 12 and 13, theft of articles from a vehicle was reported. block of AshfordDunwoody Road—On Nov. 6, 12 and 19, shoplifting and/ or larceny was reported and/or arrests were made.
block of Peachtree Place Parkway—On Nov. 6, theft of articles from a vehicle was reported. On Nov. 9, theft of articles from multiple vehicles was reported.
6600
block of Peachtree-Industrial Boulevard—On Nov. 10, larceny was reported.
200
block of Perimeter Center Parkway—On Nov. 10, theft of parts from a vehicle was reported.
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road—On Nov. 9, theft of articles from multiple vehicles was reported. block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road—On Nov. 6, 9 and 19, theft of articles from a vehicle was reported; On Nov. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, shoplifting was reported and/or arrests were made. block of Ashford Circle—On Nov. 6, theft of parts from a vehicle was reported.
300
block of Perimeter Center North—On Nov. 6, theft of parts from a vehicle was reported three times.
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1400
2100
block of Peachford Road—On Nov. 13, simple assault and battery was reported.
4500
block of Summerford Drive— On Nov. 14, simple assault was reported.
5300
block of Tilly Mill Road—On Nov. 14, simple assault was reported.
4300
block of Stonington Circle—On Nov. 16, simple assault was reported.
FRAUD 4700
block of Cypress Commons— On Nov. 6, fraud was reported.
block of Vernon Ridge Close— On Nov. 8, family battery was reported and an arrest was made.
4900
5200
2200
block of Manhasset Court—On Nov. 9, family battery was reported; On Nov. 10, an arrest was made for simple battery of a family member.
block of Mill Stream Court— On Nov. 6, credit fraud was reported. block of Vernon Oaks Way—On Nov. 7, fraud by swindle was reported.
2900
block of Wintercrest Drive—On CONTINUED ON PAGE 38
block of Perimeter Center East— On Nov. 11, an arrest was made for larceny; On Nov. 12, an arrest was made for larceny from a building. 4400 block of North Peachtree Road—On Nov. 11, larceny was reported.
5000 block of Foxcreek Court—On Nov. 12, larceny from a building was reported. 100 block eter Center Place—On shoplifting was reported; 17, larceny by sudden was reported.
of PerimNov. 13, On Nov. snatching
1000 block of Crown Pointe Parkway—On Nov. 13, larceny was reported.
4700
100
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road—On Nov. 7, simple assault was reported.
block of Perimeter Center East— On Nov. 11, an arrest was made for family battery.
4300
First
4400
4500
block of Cobb Drive—On Nov. 7, battery of a family member was reported.
First
1100 block of Hammond Drive—On Nov. 13, shoplifting was reported and an arrest was made; On Nov. 15, larceny was reported and an arrest was made.
block of Perimeter Center West— On Nov. 13, an arrest was made for shoplifting; On Nov. 17, shoplifting was reported.
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4800
block of Leeds Court—On Nov. 14, larceny was reported.
1800
block of Berkshire Pass—On
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PUBLIC SAFETY
Dunwoody Police Blotter block of Leiden Court—On Nov. 10, credit fraud was reported.
block of Peachtree-Industrial Boulevard—On Nov. 10, an arrest was made for making a false report; On Nov. 13, a wanted person was located and arrested.
First
2100
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37
Nov. 7, fraud was reported. 1900
block of Perimeter Center East— On Nov. 13, fraud was reported.
5000
block of Old Branch Court— On Nov. 18, credit fraud was reported.
ARRESTS First
block of Perimeter Center East— On Nov. 6, 15 and 17, arrests were made for violation of probation; On Nov. 10, public indecency was reported and an arrest was made; On Nov. 15, two arrests were made for disorderly conduct.
Winters
Chapel Road and PeachtreeIndustrial Boulevard—On Nov. 7, an arrest was made for driving without a license.
I-285
at Ashford-Dunwoody Road— On Nov. 8, an arrest was made for DUI; On Nov. 10 and 14, arrests were made for driving while unlicensed.
6600
block of Womack Road—On Nov. 10, an arrest was made for driving while license was suspended or revoked.
or revoked. 6700
block of Peachtree-Industrial Boulevard—On Nov. 14, an arrest was made for driving while unlicensed. 7400 block of Azalea Garden Drive—On Nov. 16, prostitution was reported.
4400 block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road—On Nov. 16, an arrest was made for criminal trespass.
1800
block of Savoy Drive—On Nov. 10, an arrest was made for driving while license was suspended or revoked.
4300
block of AshfordDunwoody Road—On Nov. 11, an arrest was made for DUI.
6800
block of Peachtree-Industrial Boulevard—On Nov. 12, an arrest was made during a traffic stop for brake lights and turn signals required.
1200
block of Ashford Center Parkway—On Nov. 13, an arrest was made for driving while license was suspended
4300
2300 block of Dunwoody Crossing—On Nov. 17, an arrest was made for possession of marijuana.
OTHER 5000
block of Vermack Road—On Nov. 6, a bomb threat was reported.
1100
block of Oak Trail Court—On Nov. 9, harassing communications were reported.
block of Georgetown Square— On Nov. 11, damage to private property was reported.
4600
block of Peachtree Place Parkway—On Nov. 12, damage to private property was reported.
2500
block of Mount Vernon Road— On Nov. 13, disorderly conduct was reported.
4700
block of Vermack Road—On Nov. 13, damage to private property was reported.
4700
block of North Peachtree Road—On Nov. 13, damage to public property was reported.
4300
block of Ashford-Dunwoody Road—On Nov. 14, criminal trespass was reported.
4500
block of Kellogg Circle—On Nov. 14, a noise violation was reported.
4700
block of Springfield Drive—On Nov. 15, damage to private property was reported.
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