AJC > NorthSide > Blog > Archives > 2007 > April
April 2007
May Day in Milton means a new police department
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The first of May in Milton will be the birthday for the new city’s new police department.
What would you like the police to focus on in their first few weeks. What questions do you have about the new department?
Read more about the new police force in this report by Doug Nurse.
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: Milton
Johns Creek takes measure of its road troubles
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A patched section of Buice Road in Johns Creek/photo by Phil Skinner/AJC
If you drive east of Roswell or west of Duluth into the new city of Johns Creek, better brace yourself — and your cup of coffee.
A consultant says they have some really bad roads there. How bad?
Geordie Johnston, who works at the Butler Tire shop on Jones Bridge Road, said they’re so bad that a customer came in on a recent Thursday to have new wheels installed. On Monday, he was back, needing new wheels.
“We replace seven to 10 wheels a month,” Johnston said. “When I was in Doraville, we would do one or two a month, and Doraville has a lot more traffic. The roads in Atlanta are better than here. It’s pretty absurd.”
Johns Creek is only five months old, but the new city inherited its shake-and-bake, bouncy-jouncy roads from Fulton County, such as Old Alabama Road, Buice Road, Jones Bridge Road.
Mayor Mike Bodker, who also led the campaign for cityhood in this North Fulton community of brick and stacked stone shops, manicured subdivisions, and legendary traffic congestion, said conditions of some roads reflect years of poor maintenance.
“They won’t be fixed overnight,” Bodker said. “It’s going to take a lot of time and a lot of money. We’re playing catch-up.”
Read the full story, and add your comments
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Johns Creek
Will this intersection ever be fixed?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The road-widening project at the intersection of Dunwoody Place and Roswell Road has haunted both residents and businessowners for about six months.
When it’s done, the project, sponsored by GDOT, will result in a widened Dunwoody Place, improved turn lanes on Roswell Road, dedicated bike lanes, new traffic signals and improved drainage.
But in the meantime, sidewalks have disappeared, paved roads have been replaced with gravel and asphalt hills block neighborhood entrances. On Monday, utility workers caused a gas line rupture that sent fumes throughout the neighborhood and tied up traffic for more than 10 hours.
And it’s all in the name of progress. Or is it?
NorthSide.Talk wants to know if the pain is worth the gain?
UPDATE: Read the full story about the delays.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: Sandy Springs
DeKalb, Atlanta officials extend MARTA tax
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Despite objections by a number of north Fulton mayors, the sales tax for MARTA has been approved. Of the three governments involved in funding MARTA — Atlanta, DeKalb, and Fulton — two had to agree to the extension. Atlanta had already approved it, and on Tuesday the DeKalb County Commission gave its okay.
DeKalb commissioners approved the measure 6 to 1 Tuesday, with member Elaine Boyer casting the lone dissenting vote. Fulton has yet to vote.
The move extends the 1 percent sales tax from 2032 to 2047, after which it would fall to a half-cent through 2057.
Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker and Roswell Mayor Jere Wood were among north Fulton leaders who opposed the extension because they want MARTA to include more service for north Fulton in their long-range plans.
Read the full story about Tuesday’s vote.
UPDATE: North Fulton County’s mayors are looking into ways to derail a 1-cent MARTA sales tax extension approved last week, arguing the tax unfairly burdens their residents with paying for a system that provides little service to their communities. Read the full story.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Johns Creek
Roswell Road: What needs fixin’?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s been called “The Main Street Everybody Loves To Hate” and downed for its traffic clogs and never-ending curb cuts.
And in 20 years, not much has changed. Still all eyes are on Roswell Road.
In one corner, Kym Hughes, the city’s new hospitality director, is focused on making the city and its main drag, one of the southeast’s best places to visit.
In the other, a new homeowner’s network -Homeowners Adjacent to the Roswell Road Corridor— has formed to ensure issues, such as high-density development, don’t disrupt their quality of life.
NorthSide.Talk wants you to chime in. What’s the greatest issue facing Roswell Road? And, if you could, how would you fix it?
Permalink | Comments (19) | Categories: Sandy Springs
Should Sandy Springs rename Roswell Road?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sandy Springs officials may not be able to fix Roswell Road but they want to give it a new name.
“We’re trying to get the whole Roswell Road corridor upgraded,” Sandy Springs Mayor Eva Galambos said. “So, why not upgrade the name?”
At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, officials threw out a few suggestions
- Roswell Boulevard (so businessowners wouldn’t need all new stationery)
- Sandy Springs Boulevard (to eliminate “Roswell” completely)
- Main Street
But even officials understand that a name change won’t get rid of the corridor’s clogged traffic or the big box stores
“You can’t just change the name—everything else must come with it,” she said.
So, should Sandy Springs re-name their signature corridor? Do you have suggestions?
Permalink | Comments (60) | Categories: Johns Creek, Sandy Springs
Portman’s house plans causing a stir
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta architect-developer John Portman, who has lived on upscale Northside Drive near the Chattahoochee River for almost 45 years, wants to build a 27,000-square-foot home on 12 acres just south of his current residence.
Like the downtown buildings he created, Portman’s new home would spiral into the sky — some 80 feet in places. But Sandy Springs sets the height limit at 40 feet.
He has a hearing this week seeking a variance to allow construction of the home. Neighbors are objecting.
THE MEETING: The Sandy Springs Board of Zoning Appeals will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday April 12 at Sandy Springs City Hall, 7840 Roswell Road, Building 500.
THE PROCESS: The city staff will give a brief overview of the application, then each side — applicant and opposition — has 10 minutes to speak. After both sides have finished or time has expired, the public hearing is closed and the board will deliberate and then will vote.
LEARN MORE: View Portman’s application and supporting documents at www.sandyspringsga.org. Click on City Departments, then Community Development, then Planning and Zoning and then Board of Zoning Appeals. For more information on the meeting, call 770-730-5600. [Web shortcuts: BZA Agenda in PDF | Portman application in PDF.
YOUR TURN: If you live in the neighborhood, or have another reason to have a strong opinion about this application, read the proposal on the links above and then tell us what you think the city should do.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: Sandy Springs
Mayor supports tax district for Holcomb Bridge
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[Editor’s note: Roswell mayor Jere Wood submitted this letter to AJC Northside. For more about Charlie Brown’s Roswell East proposal, see the links below.]
One of the main problems we have to solve in Roswell is the traffic nightmare at the Ga. 400-Holcomb Bridge Road interchange. On most mornings it takes Roswell residents more time to drive from home to Ga. 400 than it takes to drive from there to Atlanta.
I believe there is a solution to this congestion. I expect the traffic engineering study requested by Roswell will show that we can make improvements to the intersection that would reduce traffic congestion at a cost of around $50 million.
However, with a $7 billion shortfall in state funding for transportation projects, I expect Roswell will have to make a substantial contribution to the cost of improving this interchange if we want it done before 20 years.
Some people believe that Roswell cannot afford to pay for the improvements needed for the Ga. 400-Holcomb Bridge Road interchange. I disagree. I believe that Roswell cannot afford not to improve this intersection.
Charlie Brown has proposed a $2 billion development at the southeast corner of the Ga. 400-Holcomb Bridge Road interchange. If a tax allocation district is approved in conjunction with this $2 billion project, the incremental increase in property taxes from new development could easily pay for the cost of improving this interchange, thus reducing the traffic problem.
I have told Charlie Brown and the Roswell City Council that if we can improve the Ga. 400-Holcomb Bridge Road interchange, reduce traffic congestion and pay for this with the additional tax revenues that would come from Charlie Brown’s development, he has my support.
There is no better way to pay for reducing traffic congestion than to have the development that generates traffic pay for it.
LEARN MORE
Huge Roswell project faces hurdles
Charlie Brown retired three years ago at 65 and installed his son Scott as head of his development company in Atlanta.
• Related blog topic: Is Roswell ready to go vertical?
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Hot topics
Fulton school board plans high school on Freemanville Road
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A north Fulton property once proposed as the site of a private Christian school has been bought by the Fulton County school system for a new high school.
Al Nash, who is one of the current owners, confirmed Wednesday that the school board has purchased 116 acres along Freemanville Road, close to the historic Crabapple crossroads.
School board member Katie Reeves, who represents north Fulton, said the county plans to build a high school on the property. Other details were not immediately available.
The property was formerly proposed as the site for King’s Ridge Christian School, but neighbors fought a multi-year legal battle to keep the school and accompanying traffic from their quiet, rural neighborhood of estate-sized lots.
The land is located in what is now the city of Milton.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Milton
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