JAN. 19 - FEB. 1, 2018 • VOL. 10 — NO. 2
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Brookhaven Reporter
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► State, city officials debate best ways to regulate short-term rentals PAGE 4 ► Touring theater company for seniors eyes expansion PAGE 20
Jackie Williams sings praise during the MLK Day Dinner at Lynwood Park. She has lived in Lynwood Park all of her 64 years and is one of DeKalb County’s original school integrators. Read story page 14.►
BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net
DYANA BAGBY
OUT & ABOUT
Bring on the bagpipes! 1,500 expected in Tartan Trot run Page 16
Is Sandy Springs’ arts-oriented civic center a smart play? See COMMENTARY, Page 10
POP SECRETS OF A SNACK FAVE | P6
Eminent domain case for Greenway property heats up
MLK Day hits home in Lynwood Park
As an artist myself; I fully support art as a core in civic identity. Construction and traffic are my only main concerns preand post-completion.
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The fight over 19 acres of land the city wants for the Peachtree Creek Greenway is heating up after court-ordered negotiations proved fruitless. The city is refusing to pay more than its appraised value of $340,000 while the property owners say the tract of land is worth $2.3 million because it is prime for townhome development. The attorney for the property owners also states the city is “acting in bad faith and showing egregious conduct.” The City Council voted in June to use eminent domain to acquire the undeveloped land at 1793 Briarwood Road that is included in the first “model mile” of the Greenway trail and park expected to break ground early this year. The city appraised the property last year for $340,000 and said they tried to work with Mark Morgan and Lifestyle Family See EMINENT on page 22
Cherry Blossom Festival to get bigger, better BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net
EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATOR
Creating a student-operated cafe at North Springs High Page 8
The city is pumping up this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival, bringing in big guns Live Nation Atlanta to secure its music acts and expanding its vendor and artist market significantly. The fourth annual fest is set for March 24 and 25 at Blackburn Park. A new logo was unveiled at the Jan. 9 City Council meeting. “This is a more dynamic presentation symbolic of the growth of the festival,” Councilmember Linley Jones said. See CHERRY on page 13