JANUARY 2020 • VOL. 14 — NO. 1
JANUA
Dunw oody
Local newsmakers take a look at what’s ahead P10
Brookh aven Buckh ead
Section Two
20
reporternewspapers.net EXCEPT IONAL ED
WWW.R
UCATOR PAYING TO FALL TRIBUTE MEMBE EN SERVICE RS PA
EPORTE
RNEW SPAPER
S.NET
SECTIO N
TWO
GE 38
In our annual 20 Under 20 section, meet local students who are making a difference
HO NO RI N G
Buckhead Reporter COMMENTARY
RY 20
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
Check out our podcasts at ReporterNewspapers.net
The Buckhead Reporter is mail delivered to homes on selected carrier routes in ZIPs 30305, 30327 and 30342 For information: delivery@reporternewspapers.net
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