The Decatur Minute

Slide the City tickets for the event in Decatur on July 25th have SOLD OUT.

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DeKalb County is starting a waterline replacement project on Superior Ave, part of which will take place in the City of Decatur. This project will upgrade outdated infrastructure and lead to a more reliable delivery system and a reduction of water main breaks and leaks. It is project to be completed by November of this year, weather permitting. The best place to check for the most up-to-date information for this project is www.dekalbconsentdecree.com.

Here is the full bulletin from DeKalb County about the Superior Avenue Waterline Replacement Project that is being distrbuted to affected neighbors:

Project Bulletin

June 12, 2015

Superior Avenue Waterline Replacement

Contract No. 15-902970

CIP No. 82

Superior Avenue Waterline Replacement Project  

The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management’s Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Division is scheduled to begin construction on the Superior Avenue Waterline Replacement project. The project is slated to start the week of June 9, 2015, and is expected to last approximately nine months. Initial activities will be comprised of site preparation, and will include the installation of silt fence in the construction area.

This work is being performed as a part of the County’s Waterline Replacement Program to replace undersized waterlines with new, adequately sized pipes that will improve water pressure, reliability and water quality in the area. The project is also being implemented to upgrade aging infrastructure, as well as address issues related to reoccurring waterline breaks and leaks in the community. Not making these improvements would result in continued water service disruptions to businesses and residents located in the area.

Construction activities will occur between 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday thru Friday on Superior Avenue between Park Lane and Huron Street. The first phase will originate at Park Lane and terminate at North Decatur Road. The project will involve lane closures; periodic service interruptions; construction crews working in close proximity to homes; and steel road plates deployed in the roadway at the end of each construction day.

County contractors have been directed to ensure permanent access to your property/business during construction, as well as provide sufficient notification of any service interruptions. The steel road plates will also be sealed and edged to Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) standards to reduce vehicle impacts. Lastly, we ask for your assistance in minimizing inconveniences by not parking your automobile(s) on the street during construction hours.

The County would like to thank you in advance for your patience as we work diligently to complete this essential project. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the details presented in this bulletin, please feel free to contact the CIP public outreach team at 1-800-986-1108 or email projectinfo@dekalbcountyga.gov.

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Oakhurst

CMES has begun work on the expansion of Harmony Park.  This includes demolition of the existing public parking area, installation of storm drainage improvements and the construction of a new plaza. A new permanent angled parking area will be provided on East Lake Drive in front of One Step at a Time and Oakhurst Market.  Ten parking spaces have been leased in the surface parking lot at 630 East Lake Drive to provide a temporary replacement for the parking area.  Pedestrian access to Oakhurst Market and One Step at a Time will be maintained during construction.  Depending on the weather, this phase of the work should take 10 days to 2 weeks.

Later in June, an area on Oakview Road just south of East Lake Drive will need to be demolished and rebuilt.  This will lower the roadway so that positive drainage can be provided for new sidewalks on Oakview Road.  This work will take 7 – 10 days, again depending on the weather.  Sidewalks and pedestrian access will be maintained during this work.  A plan is being developed to allow traffic to detour around this area.

Phase V Downtown

GS Construction is finishing this phase of work on Church Street and will be waiting for the installation of new streetlights and for Comcast and AT&T to complete transferring utilities to new utility poles so it can wrap up all the sidewalk improvements. Two-way traffic will be restored on Church Street this week.

Starting tomorrow (Wednesday, June 10), GS will begin demolition and installation of new curbing and sidewalks on the south side of East Trinity Place. Work will commence at North McDonough and proceed toward Church Street.

During this period, vehicle and pedestrian access will be maintained to all businesses, though there may be some  inconvenience. Vehicle  traffic  will be reduced to 2 lanes on East Trinity Place, so expect delays.

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In celebration of the 30^th anniversary of the Decatur Business Association, the DBA along with the City of Decatur has decided to shake up our traditional summer event, the Decatur Beach Party, and make a huge SPLASH this summer. For one day only, there will be a 1000 foot long water slide in the middle of W. Ponce de Leon Ave, stretching from Clairemont down just past Ponce de Leon Place.

This amazing event is produced a by a professional event company called Slide the City which has brought this wild slide to cities such as Salt Lake City, Boise, Fountain Hills, and Ft. Lauderdale.  Decatur will be the only metro Atlanta city to host this event which will bring Decatur thousands of visitors and tons of foot traffic.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, June 10th at 9am EST through the Slide the City website. This is the only place where tickets can be purchased.  Only a limited number of tickets will be sold for this event.

Use the promo code  DBA15   to get a  10% discount off of your tickets.  A portion of each registration that uses that code will go directly to the Decatur Business Association, our Slide the City non-profit partner for this event. As a reminder,  the DBA meets monthly to provide a networking opportunity for local businesses, advocates on behalf of local businesses and partners with the DDA to support marketing, advertising and special events designed to showcase Decatur’s business districts and introduce potential new customers to the quality of our local business districts.   They sponsor the free Concerts on the Square series and Blue Sky Concert series, the Decatur Easter Egg Hunt, the Holiday Bonfire and Breakfast with Santa along with providing support to other festivals and events that contribute to our sense of community.

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Please join the businesses of the Eco-Art District on East Howard Street on Saturday June 20th from 1:30PM-4PM for a Summer Solstice Celebration- Yoga for Yoga from 1:30PM to 4PM.  The proceeds from the event’s Silent Auction will be donated to Centering Youth- a non-profit whose mission is to help our youth that are stuck within the current juvenile system by offering them yoga and other mindful practices as a means to break out of the cycle, to date Centering Youth’s success has been remarkable in helping our youth back to a more normalized childhood by extending a helping hand when so often none has never been extended before.  The day’s festivities will include music, arts and crafts, family yoga, storytelling, face painting, balloon art, massage therapy and the like.  In addition Whole Food and several other health conscious food vendors (KIND Bar, Suja Juice, Ancient Awakenings) will be present to allow those attending to sample their foods and learn about their health benefits. So plan to kick off the summer by celebrating in the Sun at the First Annual Summer Solstice Celebration- Yoga for Youth- all events are free and open to the public.

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The Decatur Police Department will be hosting a “Junior Police Academy” during the week of June 22nd-26th, 2015. Class times will be from 9:00 am- 5:00 pm each day. This program is designed to educate and enlighten youth about the functions and duties of their police department.  Attendees will participate in fun and educational exercises designed to simulate real law enforcement activities as well as learn about personal safety and crime prevention.

JPA Participants learning about conducting traffic stops and officer safety.

The class will be limited to 12 participants who are 11-14 years old.  Preference will be given to city residents and students who attend schools in the city.

Applications must be submitted to Lt. Jennifer Ross no later than Friday, June 12, 2015 at 5:00 pm.  You can submit completed applications to Lt. Ross via email at jennifer.ross@decaturga.com or drop them off/mail them to: Decatur Police Department, Attn: Lt. Jennifer Ross, 420 West Trinity Place, Decatur, GA 30030.

JPA Participants touring the DeKalb County Jail.

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The City of Decatur has issued a film permit to Chorus Films for commercial work today, Tues. June 2nd.  The project will film at 105 Sycamore Place.  We do not anticipate intermittent traffic control.

A film permit has also been issued to Max Media for a television commercial shoot on Olympic Place for Wednesday, June 3rd from 7am-9pm. Decatur Police will be present and we anticipate intermittent traffic control for a brief time during the project.

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Making a Safer Oakhurst – the Demolition of 102 Fifth Avenue

The building at 102 Fifth Ave. has been in an unsafe condition for a long while. For this reason, the City will be demolishing the building starting on June 1, 2015.

This building has had several uses over the years. Most may know it as the recent home of the Tabernacle of God Missionary Holiness Church. The Church no longer uses the building and no longer has the financial resources to provide proper maintenance. The City became involved last year when it was determined that the structure was abandoned and generally unsafe. The process used to handle situations such as this is known as nuisance abatement. This process has lead to the City’s plan to demolish the building.

About the Demolition

The City has been preparing for this demolition since July 2014.

• In Fall 2014, a hazardous material survey was conducted for the City by Life Environmental Services, Inc.  The results indicated that there was lead in the building.
• Last month, a qualified contractor, Leon Benton Construction, Inc., was selected for the demolition.
• Earlier this month, the City prepared a building permit for the demolition (#15-312/5-20-15).
• On May 20, 2015 a team from Abatement Contractors Unlimited, LLC removed as much of the lead as possible given safe access to the building.
• To reduce the impact of rodents, Bizzy Bee Exterminators, Inc. was hired by the City in advance of the demolition.

What to Expect

The demolition will take place on June 1, 2015 starting at 7 a.m. Work is expected to take one to two days. During the demolition itself, city staff will work to ensure that all conditions of the building permit meet standard practice. While disturbance to the site and surrounding areas will be minimized, sidewalks around the site will be closed starting Friday, May 29, 2015. To the extent possible, erosion control fences will be set in place. No trees will be impacted.

Going Forward

When the demolition is complete, the entire corner site will be graded and seeded. For now, the church will maintain ownership of the corner parcel. A lien will be placed on the property in the amount of the demolition and associated costs. The City will remain the owner of the adjacent undeveloped property that makes up the other half of the site. The City will continue to ensure that both properties are properly maintained.

At this time there are no plans for construction of any kind on this property. Any future construction will have to comply with the Unified Development Ordinance under the R-60 zoning district.

Questions or Concerns

Residents may call or write John Maximuk, Director, Design, Environment & Construction Division, Public Works at John.Maximuk@decaturga.com or 678.553.6570 with questions or comments.

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