DEC. 15, 2017 - JAN. 4, 2018 • VOL. 9 — NO. 24
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Brookhaven Reporter
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► Rabbi’s book recalls her silent retreat at a Christian monastery PAGE 21
- JAN. 4, 2018
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BROOKH
Brookhaven
AVEN AT
A path to th e future: Brookhave n’s journey fro m ‘yes’ to Gr eenway City leade rs create a which opened in
► PCIDs emerges with ‘next generation’ master plan PAGE 26
new scho Norcross in ol, 2016.
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5th Anniver
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Commemo rative Special Sec tion
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Pro-cityho voters win, od 2012.
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Brookhav en Police Departme nt opens, 2013 .
The Atlanta Hawks anno a local pract ice facility, unce 2016.
SPECIAL SECTION | P5-12
Georgia Tech students share visions for Buford Highway
BY EVELYN ANDREWS AND DYANA BAGBY
The Peachtree
Creek Green way’s cons
truction begin
BY DYAN A
dyanabagby
BAGB Y
@reporterne
EMILY WIRT
s in 2018.
Visions for Buford Highway’s future — some with big dreams, some with small details — were offered in recent weeks by two different groups of Georgia Tech students seeking ways to preserve affordability and diversity as the famous immigrant neighborhood redevelops. One group, taught by Ryan Gravel, the father of Atlanta’s BeltLine, envisions Buford Highway with expansive greenspace, public art, safer pedestrian access and an emphasis on the diverse cultural ties that make the road corridor unique. Another group, under the tutelage of Professor Gary Cornell, explored some of those same ideas, but under a more traditional land-use and urban-planning methodology that included a formal presentation to Brookhaven City Council.
wspapers.net
Five years ago this mont city of Brook h, the new haven began down its own a journey path. It’s been a sometimes rocky road, but marked with major stones, and mileas former mayo rs look ahead they see succe , ss on the horiz on.
Georgia Tech students taught by Ryan Gravel, the creator of the Atlanta BeltLine, presented their projects on how to improve the Buford Highway corridor at a Nov. 28 open house. This project by Emily Wirt envisions a large public art installation at the highway’s intersection with Shallowford Road to provide “a moment of pause within a busy street and heavily trafficked intersection,” Wirt wrote in her proposal.
Cherry Blossom Festival debuts, 2015.
During its first five years, the has paved roads new city , improved parks model city for others to a police force, and set up look to,” Mayo and also has John Ernst begun effort r said. “We’r create afford s to e finding ways able housing, be innovative to update zonto ing codes to and showing deal with rapid ways to do the region things bette developmen and to take t r.” the first steps The battle for toward estab lishing the cityhood began long-dream with the form in 2010, ed-about Peach Creek Green ation of a group called tree way trail and izens for North park system Cit“We’re on DeKalb. Then . our way to “Brookhaven the group becoming Yes” was form a their state ed to lobby representa tives, notab ly for-
The first Martin Luth er King Jr. Day celebratio n at Lynwood Park, 2016 .
mer state Rep. Mike Jacobs, over desire to have their a local gover nment to take over some services from DeKalb Coun ty. The coun ty governmen t, they argue did not adequ d, ately repre sent them provide servi or ces comm ensurate with the taxes the community paid. Continued on
page 6
Gravel’s Generator
Students from Gravel’s Generator Workshop class, the pilot program for his new nonprofit urban design organization, Generator Studio, presented their projects at a Nov. See GEORGIA on page 13
STANDOUT STUDENT Lovett senior wins national service award
... Our small paper stared down a potential lawsuit from former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci. The battle reinforced the importance of journalism to me, both as a student and in a larger world. Eddie Samuels Brookhaven resident and an editor at the Tufts Daily newspaper See COMMENTARY Page 18
Page 22
BY DYANA BAGBY dyanabagby@reporternewspapers.net
OUT & ABOUT
Page 28
Boys & Girls Club to be torn down for residences
Celebrating by candlelight
A controversial townhome and singlefamily development will be built on the 6-acre site of the Boys & Girls Club on North Druid Hills Road following a Dec. 12 vote by the Brookhaven City Council to approve the project. The council voted 3-1 to rezone the property from R-75 (single-family residential) to See BOYS on page 16
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