Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Summer Solstice Celebration June 20th

June 8, 2015 by Katie

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.

Posted in Community | Leave a Comment »

Junior Police Academy

June 4, 2015 by Lt. Jennifer S. Ross

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 Traffic Stops

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 3

JPA Participants touring the DeKalb County Jail.

Posted in Community | Leave a Comment »

June Siren Test Tomorrow

June 2, 2015 by Meredith

UPDATE: Today’s siren test has been cancelled. We’ll give it another try tomorrow, Thursday the 4th.

 

 

Tomorrow is the first Wednesday of June so we’ll be testing the tornado outdoor warning sirens at 5:00 p.m. The test should last approximately one minute. Should the weather become inclement, the test will be postponed until Thursday, 4 June 2015.

If you have questions or want more information about the siren system, check out the Siren page on the City’s website or contact Police Lt. Barry Woodward at 404-373-6551.

Sirens web

Posted in Community, emergency management | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

Wild Oats and Billy Goats 5th Anniversary This Weekend

June 2, 2015 by Catherine

WildOatsandBillyGoats

Wild Oats and Billy Goats is celebrating its 5th Anniversary in full folk art funky style on Saturday, June 6.

11 a.m.-9 p.m.: Sale on select artwork

noon-7 p.m.: Goat petting zoo

noon, 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m. & 6 p.m.: Soap making demo by Hope Floats Farm

2 p.m.: Puppet show by All Hands Productions

3 p.m.: Cake cutting and raffle winners announced.

112 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.
Decatur, GA 30030

404-378-4088

Posted in Retail & Restaurants | Leave a Comment »

FYI: Filming in Decatur this week

June 2, 2015 by Katie

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.

 

 

Posted in Community | Leave a Comment »

Night Work Tonight (6/1/15) on Trinity Place

June 1, 2015 by Catherine

Rampart Construction Co, the firm building Trinity Triangle, has been given permission by the City Manager to extend work hours and to close two of three lanes of traffic for sanitary sewer work in Trinity Place. This work has now been scheduled for tonight, June 1, from 10PM-5AM.

Specifically, the work will involve connecting a sewer line to the existing manhole located in East Trinity Place near the intersection of E. Howard/E. Trinity.  It is expected that the work would take 1-2 nights maximum and that there will be no disruption in water or sewer services.

Additional Information about  this work:

  • DeKalb County Watershed Management has approved this work;
  • A ROW permit has been granted by DEC for this work  (Permit number 14464 dated 5/27/15 was issued to Cummins Enterprises);
  • Work will be covered by steel plates during non-working hours;
  • Prior written notice to property owners and tenants of adjacent and nearby properties is a requirement of this approval;
  • Prior notification to the Fire Department and Police Department is a condition of approval;
  • Signage is a condition of approval; and
  • At  least one flagger will be posted at either end of the construction site.

If there are any questions, please contact John Maximuk at 404-370-4104.

Posted in Sidewalk Talk, Transportation | Leave a Comment »

Demolition of 102 Fifth Ave

May 28, 2015 by Casie Yoder, PIO

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.

Posted in Community | Leave a Comment »

FYI: Annual tax assessments mailed tomorrow

May 28, 2015 by Casie Yoder, PIO

fyi

The DeKalb County Tax Assessor’s office will be mailing annual assessment notices to property owners beginning tomorrow, Friday, May 29. These notices communicate 2015 property values set by DeKalb County for residential and commercial property. Based on reports from the DeKalb County Appraiser’s Office, the total value of property within the City of Decatur increased 20% over last year’s total property value.  Thirty percent of the increase is due to new property being added to the tax digest. The remainder is due to revaluation of existing properties. This increase is consistent with residential sales data for the City of Decatur as well as increases in property values in other cities within DeKalb County.

The assessment notice will include information on how to appeal the county’s determination of property value. There are specific deadlines associated with the process so please look for more information about the property appraisal process on the DeKalb County website . We encourage you to review the appeal information and to file an appeal if you believe the value established by the county is not correct.

In response to the increase in property values, the Decatur City Commission is considering a one mill decrease in the millage rate. The revenue from property taxes supports the city’s budget, which funds operations such as sidewalk maintenance and construction, community parks and playgrounds, and police and fire services. The City of Decatur budget for the next year has been presented to the City Commission  and they will be asked to vote on the budget at their meeting on Monday, June 15.

Public hearings on the millage rate and budget are scheduled for Monday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m., Monday, June 8 at 6:00 p.m., and Monday, June 15 at 7:30 p.m. All hearings will be held at Decatur City Hall, 509 N. McDonough Street. The budget is available for review on www.decaturga.com/budget, at Decatur City Hall and at the Decatur Library.

Posted in Meetings | Leave a Comment »

Delay in yard waste pick up

May 28, 2015 by Casie Yoder, PIO

Three public works vehicles have broken down today. As a result, yard waste pick up may happen later than usual today, or may not be picked up until tomorrow. We apologize for the inconvenience.

citylogo_xs

Posted in Community | Leave a Comment »

Retail and Restaurant News

May 27, 2015 by Catherine

Four times a year we host a meeting for Decatur retail and restaurant business owners and managers. We spend an hour discussing upcoming events, promotions and local business issues. Everyone who attends gives a quick update on their shop/restaurant. Here’s what was mentioned at today’s retail and restaurant meeting:

  • Every Thursday night Souper Jenny is hosting its Summer Supper Series and offering a new menu each week featuring dinner oriented dishes prepared with fresh, local, organic ingredients from Georgia farms.
  • Lisa Bobb, the new owner of Squash Blossom, said she has some fun things planned for the shop and will reveal them later this summer.
  • Sq/Ft will have it’s annual 1/2 price sale in July.
  • Wild Oats and Billy Goats will be celebrating its five year anniversary with soap making demos, special giveaways, a sale and a visit from some actual goats!
  • Every Tuesday is bike night at Victory. Two-wheel riders get exclusive weekly food specials.
  • Every Monday night Paper Plane hosts Steak Out, a family style dinner. Get the details here.
  • Farm Burger will have a table at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival this weekend.
  • Trinity Mercantile and Design is currently featuring artwork by Parker Owen. The shop will be moving across the street next to Big Peach Running this summer.
  • Cakes & Ale’s bakery, Proof, just opened and ships fresh baked goods to the Decatur cafe every day.
  • Butter and Cream has new summer flavors.
  • HomeGrown will be celebrating its 5th anniversary in September and is already planning for this year’s Haints and Saints Halloween Parade.
  • Little Shop of Stories has already started its summer reading program and its summer camps start next week.

Posted in Retail & Restaurants | Leave a Comment »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »