JANUARY 2020 - Buckhead Reporter

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JANUARY 2020 • VOL. 14 — NO. 1

JANUA

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Local newsmakers take a look at what’s ahead P10

Brookh aven Buckh ead

Section Two

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In our annual 20 Under 20 section, meet local students who are making a difference

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Buckhead Reporter COMMENTARY

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Sandy Spring s

O GIVE BACK WH TS EN UD ST

City Council to revive tree ordinance rewrite

New police commander takes charge

20 Under 2 Runn0e rs Up PAGE 36

BY JOHN RUCH johnruch@reporternewspapers.net

ROBIN’S NEST

the 4499 Garmon Road mansion also ended in a court hearing and a fine, only to resume this summer under a new operator. It remains to be seen what the future holds for the mansion, which officials say has unclear ownership, and now is listed for sale on online real estate sites. One certainty was a legal outcome for the latest operator, Olutosin “Tosin” Odu-

A new Tree Protection Ordinance will come in 2020 one way or another, some City Council members say, as they vow to move ahead despite the administration’s still-mysterious halt of a revision process in November. “I want to pass a new tree ordinance in 2020,” said J.P. Matzigkeit, who represents Buckhead’s District 8. “To me, we need to get something on the table and start to look at real legislation.” He and At-Large Councilmember Matt Westmoreland say they intended to reintroduce a 2014 draft rewrite as a starting point. “I certainly have expectations that something will be acted on in the next calendar year,” said Westmoreland, adding that, by the end of the first quarter, “I would like to have a first draft.” The tree ordinance has been in a rewrite phase for months – or years, through various processes – amid concerns that clear-cutting remains too easy in a city that prides itself on its urban forest. The process stalled Nov. 7, when the Department of City Planning abruptly canceled a Buckhead community meeting with virtually no notice or explanation. The immediate cause was negative reaction from a crowd – including many Buckhead residents – at a

See PARTY on page 23

See CITY on page 22

Telltale signs you’re an optimist P13

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Writing fiction as part of a team: Q+A with author Karen White P20

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JOHN RUCH

Maj. Andrew Senzer, the new commander of Buckhead’s Zone 2 police precinct, speaks to community members at a Dec. 5 meeting at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church. Story page 16 ►

Party mansion controversy ends in fine, jail sentence BY JOHN RUCH johnruch@reporternewspapers.net

The latest chapter in the saga of controversial commercial events at a local mansion ended in December with a court injunction, a hefty fine and a 30-day jail sentence for the operator. A year ago, a similar string of parties at

Don’t settle for Ordinary jewelry this year ORDINARY ( See Page 8 )

POSTAL CUSTOMER

PRSRT STD ECRWSS US Postage PAID Monroe, GA Permit #15


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