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Buckhead Reporter
Making history
‘We love BuHi’ Business promotes Buford corridor COMMUNITY 6
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NOV. 13 — NOV. 26, 2015 • VOL. 8 — NO. 23
Permit needed to sell door-to-door PUBLIC SAFETY 28
‘Day of the Dead’
AROUND TOWN 9
Plan to add trails to Atlanta Memorial Park draws varying reactions BY JOE EARLE
joeearle@reporternewspapers.net
joeearle@reporternewspapers.net
A proposal to add walking trails to a portion of Atlanta Memorial Park drew widely varying reactions Nov. 5 when presented to the city park’s neighbors. Consultant Jill Sluder, a landscape architect with Hughes, Good, O’Leary and Ryan, outlined a plan that would add two miles of 5-foot-wide concrete trails around the perimeter of the 35-acre portion of the Buckhead park west of Northside Drive. The plan also calls for another mile of trails within the park that would be made from permeable materials. “You have a lot of people using the park,” Sluder told about 60 people who gathered at Northside United Methodist Church for her presentation. “However, the odd thing is they’re not in the park. They’re in the streets. Let’s get these folks off the streets.” In addition to the trails, she said, consultants working for the Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy proposed removing invasive plants, such as ivy and privet, from the park, replacing curbs and adding two foot bridges. The consultants recommended cutting down five trees Sluder described as hazardous. Sluder said the trees to be removed would be replaced and were among 800 “specimen” trees in the park. “When we finish this project, your tree canopy is going to be greater than what we started with,” she said. “We are not removing any healthy trees on this property,” she said. “That is phenomenal, in my experience.” The project also would protect five “champion” trees in the park, she said. “Champion” trees are the largest of their type in a particu-
The battle over Peachtree Road bike lanes appears to be “We love bike lanes,” someone shouted as the crowd picking up speed. worked its way down a hall into the meeting room. Hundreds of supporters and opponents of a proposal that “Yes, bike lanes somewhere else,” another crowd memwould bring bike lanes to Peachtree packed a meeting room ber loudly replied. at the Shepherd Center Oct. 29 to voice opinions on the GDOT officials say the project is intended to make travchanges. el on Peachtree safer. A handout at the Oct. Members of the crowd, which includ29 public meeting reported that more than ed Buckhead homeowners and cyclists from 800 collisions occurred from 2009 to 2013 See Commentary for more throughout the metro area, were sharply diin the area being restriped. During that pereactions to bike lanes, p. 8 vided on a Georgia Department of Transporriod, there also were 11 crashes involving bitation plan to restripe Peachtree from Pharr to cyclists and 42 involving pedestrians, the Deering roads in order to add a middle lefthandout said. turn lane and bike lanes along the portion south of Peachtree GDOT officials propose relining the six-lane road to creBattle Avenue. ate a central left turn lane from Deering to Pharr roads. From Differences were expressed even before some people Deering north to Peachtree Battle Avenue, the road would made it into the meeting. SEE PEACHTREE, PAGE 3
Consultant Jill Sluder guides residents through a plan to add walking trails to a portion of Atlanta Memorial Park.
PHOTOS BY PHIL MOSIER
The Atlanta History Center welcomed visitors to its annual “Day of the Dead” or “Dia de los Muertos” festival on Nov. 1, a Mexican event that honors deceased loved ones. Left, Joselina Leon, 12, shows off customary face paint. Above, sugar skulls were a featured candy. See additional photos on page 26.
Arguments over proposed Peachtree Road bike lanes show no sign of slowing down BY JOE EARLE
SEE RESIDENTS, PAGE 7
JOE EARLE