Lake Claire Neighbors Meeting: June Minutes
June 16, 2011
Led by Sarah Wynn
Attended by 6 neighbors (3 officers) and 6 guests
Minutes recorded by Heidi Hill
Sarah Wynn, president of Lake Claire Neighbors, opened the meeting at 7:05 pm.
1) Guest speakers. Sarah invited Sgt. Sinks, a Zone 6 officer from the Atlanta Police Department, to give the APD report. He announced that a traffic car had been assigned to patrol Connecticut Avenue from 2:00 to 10:00 pm for cars running stop signs. The patrol began last week and has resulted in a few tickets so far. Sarah said that the MARTA Mobility buses that serve the Frazer Center have also been observed running stop signs, and Sgt. Sinks assured her that bus drivers were not exempt from the law. He also mentioned that the stop sign at Connecticut and New York is partially obscured by trees; Valencia Hudson, from councilmember Natalyn Archibong’s office, said she would address the issue. When asked about crime in Lake Claire, the sergeant said that it was probably not one of but the safest neighborhood in Atlanta.
Sarah then invited Valencia Hudson to talk to the neighbors. She had nothing new to report but reminded everyone that the requested stop sign at Connecticut, Ridgewood, and McLendon had been rejected. Trace Haythorn, executive director of the Frazer Center, who was in attendance, suggested that the request be revisited in September, when traffic and speeding pick up.
Genny Castillo, from Representative Stacey Abrams’s office, spoke next. She introduced herself and directed everyone to Abrams’s website, www.staceyabrams.com, for information on upcoming meetings regarding the legislative redistricting. Castillo also invited neighbors to email her with any questions at genny@staceyabrams.com.
To talk about the City’s new plan for a quadrant-based cleanup, Douglas Raikes, director of Solid Waste Services, attended the meeting. He explained that the new system would allow for concentrated efforts in a given area, increase efficiency, and reduce carbon emissions and missed pickups. Lake Claire is located in the Northeast quadrant, and as such will receive all its services—trash, recycling, and yard waste pickup; bulk waste removal; and street sweeping—on one set day a week: Monday (shifting to Tuesday in holiday weeks). This change will go into effect on August 1, 2011. City of Atlanta residents will receive prior notice of the change through postcards, flyers, door hangers, the City’s website, TV, and other media. Street sweeping will occur in each quadrant once every four months. For more information, neighbors can call the Department of Public Works Customer Service Center at (404) 330-6333 or email publicworks@atlantaga.gov.
Sarah invited Trace Haythorn to speak next. He told neighbors about some upcoming renovation work at the Frazer Center; namely, a paving project, the removal of a fence with razor wire, and the installation of landscaping and traffic-calming speed bumps. He also talked about a joint project with Southface and the Olmsted Linear Parks to plant and build a trail system in the Frazer Forest, which he encouraged neighbors to visit. In the fall, adults at the Frazer Center will be selling honey from their first beehive. They will sell the 100 to 200 lbs. of honey for income and to raise money for the center. A neighbor asked if the Frazer Center would be on the Lake Claire Home & Garden Tour. Haythorn said they would love to participate and had been a part of the Druid Hills tour. Heidi Hill, from the tour committee, said that the committee had recently been in touch with the center to discuss partnering for the event.
Another guest, Claudia Goffan, was introduced to speak to neighbors about Kirkwood Family Medicine, a new medical center that is part of the Grady system. She said the center will offer everything from pediatrics to geriatrics, including eye care, a lab, a pharmacy, and X-rays, and is not a walk-in facility. The grand opening would be held on Saturday, June 18, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the center, 1863 Memorial Drive SE, to which all were welcome. The website is www.kirkwoodfamilymedicine.com. Sarah asked if the center had been in touch with Clifton Sanctuary Ministries and provided contact information for the executive director and health care case manager at CSM.
2) LCN officer reports. Sarah Wynn, LCN president, told neighbors that she had contacted the APD to request stop sign enforcement and will send out a newscast once it goes into effect. She also gave Heidi Hill, VP of Communications, an out-of-town special patrol request form to put on the website for neighbors who want the APD to keep on an eye on their house while they are out of town.
Jennifer Sams, the neighborhood NPU representative with Kathy Evans, said she had no news to report. Sarah gave information on the NPU meetings, which are held on the fourth Thursday of the month at the Little 5 Points Community Center, 1083 Austin Avenue NE.
Heidi gave an update on the neighborhood blog, which should be up and running in July, and read the treasurer’s report in Cara Stevens’s absence. The neighborhood has approximately $7,400 in its checking account and $4,100 in savings.
Sarah announced that Robby Handley, VP of Environment, would be meeting with representatives from the Frazer Center, Southface, and Olmsted Linear Parks to discuss the plan for the forest.
3) Announcements. Sarah reminded neighbors that dues are $20 per household.
On Saturday, July 9, Candler Park Market will be selling $2 raffle tickets for a New Belgium “Fat Tire” bicycle. CPM will donate half the raffle proceeds to Lake Claire Neighbors; the other half will be donated to CPNO.
This year’s B*ATL events—which include storytelling, musical performances, tours, and more—will take place on Saturday, July 16. The event marks the 147th anniversary of the Battle of Atlanta in the neighborhoods of Atlanta’s 5th Council district. To learn more, visit www.batlevent.org.
The 2011 Lake Claire Home & Garden Tour will be held on October 1 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The next meeting of the tour committee will be on July 11. To learn more, or to sponsor, participate, or volunteer, email tourofhomes@lakeclaire.org.
4) Voting items/land use. The next agenda item was a vote on the reaffirmation of the annual NPU-N bylaws. There was some confusion about what exactly was to be voted on, so the discussion and vote were deferred until more information could be gathered.
With no other issues to be discussed, the meeting ended at 7:45 pm.