The Decatur Minute

The impact

Beginning Saturday, April 28 at 1:30 pm, Sams Street will be closed between East College Avenue and East Freeman Street for the removal of a construction crane. Work is expected to conclude Monday, April 30, at approximately 6pm, weather permitting. No work will be allowed between midnight and 6am during the process.

****Sams Street will be open to normal traffic during Electronics Recycling Day, Saturday April 28, from 9 am to 1 pm.

How to manage

South Columbia Drive is expected to experience heavier than normal traffic during this time. Decatur Police will be on hand to direct traffic at the intersection of Talley Street and South Columbia Drive during Monday’s AM and PM rush hours. If you do not need to be in the area on Sunday and Monday, alternate routes of travel are recommended.

Pedestrian access through the area will be maintained. A sidewalk on the west side of Sams Street will remain open during the road closure.

The affected area is shown above.

Got questions? Contact John Maximuk, Design, Environment & Construction Director at 678-710-5165 or John.maximuk@decaturga.com.

For updates on this and other projects, visit decaturmakeover.com.

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Neighbors from across the community have submitted over a thousand ideas to help shape the future of this extraordinary 77 acre site, formerly the United Methodist Children’s Home. Now’s the chance to see the results of those contributions illustrated across multiple conceptual plans, each reflecting different priorities, and requirements. You’re encouraged to join us Monday, April 30, from 6 to 8 pm, in the gym of the Ebster Recreation Center, as first draft options are presented.

For more information on the process and to sign up for updates, visit www.decaturnext.com/category/umch/.

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Reminder: the City of Decatur is hosting Neighborhood Clean-up Days on Saturdays in March-June, to allow residents to dispose of bulky materials that would not normally be placed in pay-as-you-throw bags. Every street in the City has been assigned to one Saturday. Visit the Neighborhood Cleanup Days page on the city website for detailed instructions and specified dates for each street.

Collection for April 28 will take place in the following neighborhood:

Oakhurst Neighborhood #2 –
East Lake Drive (100 to 300 Block)
Winter Ave (east side only)
Johnston Place
Bryan Place
Beatty Place
Madison Avenue
Third Avenue (100 to 300 block)
Feld Avenue
Leyden Street
Cambridge Avenue
Hood Circle
West College Avenue (Mead to Cambridge)
Park Place

All items to be collected should be placed at the curb by 7:30 a.m. This ensures that we do not have to rerun routes for late set-outs. Collections run until 3:30 p.m., or until finished, whichever is sooner.

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Mark your calendars for the Spring Electronics Recycling event. Gather your old electronics, documents and even styrofoam to be recycled and shredded.

WHEN: Saturday, April 28, 2018 (9 am to 1 pm)

LOCATION: Decatur Public Works, 2635 Talley St. (Enter from Columbia Drive)

Recyclables must be dropped off during the hours of the event. Early drop-offs are not possible.

The fee for recycling cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs is $10 per TV set, and the fee for CRT monitors is $5 ea. Cash only, exact change required.

There is no charge to recycle other items. Any metro area resident can participate.

Visit the Electronics Recycling page to get a list of acceptable electronics, foam recycling and shredding guidelines.  Have additional questions? Contact Sean Woodson, solid waste superintendent, 404-377-5571.

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Decatur will host its first Open Office Hour of the year with Mayor Patti Garrett on Wednesday, May 2 (new date) from 7 – 8 p.m. Mayor Garrett will speak for approximately 15-20 minutes on the topic of tensions between modes of transportation in the City, including the steps the City is taking to improve safety on our streets and sidewalks as well as how to move people, bikes and cars safely and efficiently through Decatur. She will also talk about how the City Commission and staff are addressing the tensions between transportation modes and working with other government agencies such as DeKalb County and the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The community is invited to tune in to watch and listen and will be able and encouraged to submit questions related to the topic live via Twitter, Facebook, email or phone. If you already have a question in mind related to this topic area, submit it here now – https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/49/Issue_6203

*This question will close at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 2nd. After this time, questions can be submitted live via Twitter, Facebook, email or phone beginning at 7 p.m. (Details will be posted right before the meeting).*

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This a quick reminder that the City of Decatur 2018/19 afterschool lottery for K-8th graders closes Friday, April 20 at 6 p.m.

Detailed instructions are available on the Afterschool Lottery 2018/19 page of www.decaturga.com/cys.

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Decatur Residents

Recent precipitation and current winds can cause tree failure in our area today. Please use extreme caution around trees today and tonight.

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The City of Decatur and the Better Together Advisory Board invite you to a Community Reflection Sunday, April 15, 3-5 p.m. in the *Ebster Recreation Center- Gymnasium, 105 Electric Ave. The program begins 3:15 p.m.

April 4 marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In the spirit of his vision and hope for humanity, the community is invited to join in a reflection on the past, recognition of the present,
and a conversation that will serve as an inspiration for the future of Decatur.

Music by the Sinfo-Nia Youth Orchestra. Cookies and lemonade will be served.

For more information, contact Renae Madison, renae.madison@decaturga.com or 678-553-6561.

*Please note, due to the threat of rain in Sunday’s forecast, the location has been moved to Ebster Gym.

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Reminder: the City of Decatur is hosting Neighborhood Clean-up Days on Saturdays in March-June, to allow residents to dispose of bulky materials that would not normally be placed in pay-as-you-throw bags. Every street in the City has been assigned to one Saturday. Visit the Neighborhood Cleanup Days page on the city website for detailed instructions and specified dates for each street.

Collection for April 14 will take place in the following neighborhood:

Decatur Heights Neighborhood –
Grove Street
Hickory Street
Lockwood Terrace
Sycamore Ridge Drive
Renfroe Court
Fitzgerald Court
Wilburn Court
Grovemont Court
Woodland Court
Pinehurst Street
Poplar Street
Ridgeland Avenue
Sycamore Drive
Sycamore Station
Fairview Street
Glendale Avenue
Glenn Circle
Pinecrest Avenue
Mt. Vernon Drive
Forkner Drive
Glenn Court

All items to be collected should be placed at the curb by 7:30 a.m. This ensures that we do not have to rerun routes for late set-outs. Collections run until 3:30 p.m., or until finished, whichever is sooner.

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The impact

The City of Decatur has employed Blount Construction to re-surface several local streets as part of its annual street maintenance program. Jefferson Place from West College to Ansley Street and McKoy Street from its dead-end to West Benson Street are the first streets to be milled and repaved as a part of this year’s effort. Work is expected to start the week of April 9.

How to manage

Stay alert and watch for instructions when approaching either of these work areas. If possible, seek an alternate route. Affected areas (in orange) and travel options (in white) are shown above.

Other streets scheduled for milling and re-paving this spring include:

-Bucher Drive from S. Candler Street to Avery Street
-Kathyrn Avenue from Coventry Rd to Mockingbird Lane
-Pensdale Road from Willow Lane to the City Limits
-Eastland Drive from Willow Lane to City Limits
-West Howard Avenue at Adair Street
-East Lake Drive from Park Place to 2nd Avenue

Alerts for each segment will be issued at the appropriate times. Completion of the entire project will take about 2 months.

Got questions? Contact Senior Engineer Michelle Hirose at 678-553-6530

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