For decades, Mattie Jackson has fought City Hall and worked to cut deals that would somehow help the oft-put-upon neighborhood of Summerhill, a community that’s a foul ball away from the Atlanta Braves’ ballpark.
The 93-year-old Mrs. Jackson was at City Hall again last week, this time making an emotional appeal to save her home, which stands in the way of planned retention ponds and walking trails.
Three years ago, Mayor Kasim Reed vowed to fix the flooding problems that have impacted homes south of the stadium, flooding that has been made worse over the years by the acres of ballpark parking.
But the solution, which is part of a $66 million plan, threatens to wash away some longtime residents. And many in the community are grumbling that this is part of a strategy to gentrify the area.
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