Dear Residents,

As you are aware, 1489 LaVista Road is in the process of being redeveloped to house office space. Back in 1981, this property was rezoned from Residential to allow for O&I (Office and Institutional) building. As it stands today, the buildable area for O&I is smaller than the owner, Dr. Wendy Jacobson, would like to accommodate her offices.

When she presented her plans to us, there were several issues that appeared. I am writing to inform you of the Woodland Hills Board of Directors’ stance on the redevelopment of this property. I hope you will support us in our stance. We feel it is fair to the neighborhood and to the developer. Our positions are as follows:
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As you may be aware, the property of 1489 LaVista Road (on the SE corner of LaVista Road and Shepherds Lane) was recently purchased. It was purchased by Dr. Wendy Jacobson, a clinical psychologist in private practice and associated with Emory University. She plans to use this location as her new offices. This property was rezoned from residential to Office and Institutional (O&I) in 1981.

As the property stands today, the buildable area is restricted to being 50 feet from Shepherds Lane and 50 feet from LaVista Road. Dr. Jacobson is asking for a variance to alter these restrictions from 50 feet to 20 feet on Shepherds Lane and from 50 feet to 40 feet on LaVista Road.

Her plans as of today call for two one-story offices on the location; a 750 sq foot office which she will use and a 1500 sq foot office which she will rent out.

Dr. Jacobson has been advised by GA DOT (Department of Transportation) and DeKalb DOT to have two car access points, affecting both Shepherds Lane and LaVista Road.

Last Tuesday, members of LLCC, LaVista Park, and Woodland Hills Board of Directors met with Dr. Jacobson and her husband to discuss the details of her proposals.

There will be two public hearings regarding the property. The first meeting will be with the Zoning Board of Appeals on September 8th at 1:00 pm. The Zoning Board of Appeals will hear this matter regarding the setback reductions and possibly other related issues to this property. The second meeting will be on September 13th at 6:00 pm with the DeKalb County Planning & Development. This is a Public Administrative Hearing to discuss the potential impact of primary entrance on LaVista Road and a secondary entrance on Shepherds Lane.

Please plan to attend these meetings. The September 8th meeting at 1pm is being held at the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Dr, Decatur, GA 30294. The September 13th meeting will be held at 6:00 PM at 330 W. Pounce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030 on the 1st floor in Conference Room A.

Woodland Hills will be submitting a letter to the DeKalb County Board of Zoning and Appeals, as well as to the DeKalb County Planning and Development Department. WHNA Board Members are in discussions to formulate our stance regarding these developments. We plan to finalize them and email the Board’s position to you on Friday.

Please make every effort to attend these meetings and have your voice heard.

Sincerely,

Brad Grulke
President, Woodland Hills Neighborhood Association

Dear Residents,

We received notice of an attempted break in on Palafox Drive. It appears that the break in attempt occurred midday while the residents were out running errands. Someone tried to pry open the rear double doors (luckily, they were unsuccessful at entering). The police were contacted and a report was filed. The residents left a car in the drive way and the shades were closed. Neighbors did not notice any vehicles pull down into the driveway.

As a reminder, when you leave the house. Check for cars you don’t recognize. They are probably targeting your house. Be aware of construction crews in the area, and finally write down the serial numbers of your electronics. That is how criminals are caught.
Sincerely,

Kate Martin

Woodland Hills Neighborhood Association

The upscale, family-friendly businesses of Cheshire Bridge Road are working together to bring you the 2nd annual Taste & Tour of Cheshire Bridge. Some of Atlanta’s top restaurants will offer tastings while other retail stores will offer raffles and discounts. Ticket sales from this year’s event will benefit the Lindbergh LaVista Corridor Coalition or LLCC and the Blueprints plan to beautify the Lindbergh LaVista Corridor area.

Atlanta, GA, September 11-12 – The Taste & Tour of Cheshire Bridge will operate Saturday September 11 and Sunday September 12. Tastings, tours, will be offered from 12 noon to 5 PM with a gathering after 5 PM at Cheshire Pointe (2000 Cheshire Bridge Road) with local musicians, artist and information booths on civic associations, nature conservancies, park services and public service groups. Recommended lots for parking are on Liddell Drive, Faulkner Road, and 1893 Piedmont Road (back parking lot of Nakato Japanese Restaurant). Trolley service will be available with a history tour of the colorful street. Tickets will be sold online at www.lindberghlavista.org and participating store locations. Ticket prices are $20 each for the entire weekend. Many of the Cheshire Bridge businesses will be offering different samples, tastings, and giveaways for each day of the event.

Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Lindbergh LaVista Corridor Coalition, a non-profit organization for promoting the safety and progress of the business nodes along the corridor as well as creating a blueprint for sustainable and progressive neighborhood planning.

Many of the participating businesses have called Cheshire Bridge Road their home for decades while others have recently joined the eclectic Cheshire Bridge mix. Participating businesses include but are not limited to Alfredo’s, Antiques and Beyond, Bamboo Luau, Java Blues, The Colonnade, Costumes Etc., Flora Dora, Las Margaritas, Nakato Japanese Restaurant, Nino’s, Taco Cabana, Habersham Gardens, Johnny’s Pizza, Return to Eden, Roxx Tavern, Rusto’s Pizza, Ursula’s Cooking School, Sheik’s Burritos n’ Kabobs, Woodfire Grill and Rhodes Bakery.

Location:
Jesse and Laura Thompson’s Back Yard
1068 Country Ln NE, GA 30324 US

When: Saturday, August 21, 6:30PM

Attention WHNA Members,

Come and help us celebrate the end of summer with our 1st member BBQ and Movie Night.

Bring the family over for a BBQ and games, then at 8:30, we will start the movie. Our own little “screen on the green.”

Movie: TBD
Food: WHNA will supply the burgers, hotdogs, and softdrinks. YOU supply the sides/dessert (Pot Luck Style).

We hope to see you there. When you RSVP, in the comment field, say if you’re going to bring a dessert or a side.

So pack up the chairs and blankets and we will see you soon!

From Commissioner Jeff Rader
DECATUR – DeKalb County voters can still cast ballots early for the General Primary Runoff Election set for August 10. Early/Advance Voting in person for the General Primary Runoff Election is being held through Friday, August 6 with extended hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 4380 Memorial Drive in Decatur.  No satellite Advance Voting locations are open.

Voters who wish to vote absentee by mail are encouraged to submit their requests now.  Please note on the application that it is for the August 10 General Primary Runoff Election and mark your party preference.  Please remember you must vote in the same party’s runoff as you voted in the Primary.  If you did not vote in the Primary, you may choose either party’s runoff ballot.

For additional information, visit www.dekalbvotes.com or call 404-298-4020.

On Tuesday night, a car in the driveway was broken into at 1037 Briar Vista Terrace.   The resident lost an iPod, a Harmon-Kardon iPod interface and a brand new GPS unit. It certainly could have been worse as there were other things in the car they didn’t notice.

All, be on the alert for suspicious activity in the neighborhood.  If you see any suspicious activity, call 911 immediately.

Title: WHNA General Assembly Meeting
Location: Peachtree Baptist Church 2108 Briarcliff Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30329
Description: WHNA General Assembly Meeting at Peachtree Baptist Church, on the corner of Briarcliff and Lavista roads. Get the latest updates on the neighborhood. All residents are encouraged to attend.
Start Time: 19:30
Date: 2010-07-29
End Time: 21:00

From Commissioner Jeff Rader, June 2010.

Here are some topics of interest from recent DeKalb County Board of Commissioners (BOC) meetings:

911 Services
Green Energy
Code Red
PDK Airport
South Fork Peachtree Creek Trail

911 Services
Highly publicized events have revealed flaws in DeKalb County’s 911 emergency response system.  Based on those events, the system appears to be hampered by improper procedures, inadequate staffing and technical deficiencies.

The county CEO’s administration is working to eliminate the flaws.  Among its steps is the creation of a new position, E911 Director, with dedicated purpose of managing the daily operations of the 911 system.

The new position will be manned by a civilian to retain independence from the county’s public safety departments — police, fire, and emergency management.  The position will be fully funded by the emergency telephone fund based on a surcharge that appears on the telephone bill of all county residents.

The emergency telephone fund covers 100 percent of all operating expenditures for the 911 system so all of its performance flaws can not be blamed on the budget.  In fact, the emergency telephone fund finished the last fiscal year with a surplus.  Whether that surplus could have been used for additional training, personnel or equipment upgrade is a matter for hindsight.

As a result, state law compels the county to lower the 911 surcharge to eliminate future surpluses.  Effective July 1, 2010, the monthly surcharge will drop from $1.50 per month to $1.35.

The CEO’s administration recognizes the importance of the 911 system in protecting life and property in DeKalb.  A transition report prepared for incoming CEO Burrell Ellis in December 2008 identified the 911 system as an issue to be addressed.

“The Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System in the County’s 911 Emergency Center is severely inadequate and is not performing a majority of the basic functions specified by the County in the procurement of the system and needed by the citizens of DeKalb County.” (page 70, Transition Report, Dec. 19, 2008)

The Board of Commissioners will monitor the administration’s actions to rectify identified flaws in the 911 system.
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