Fresh Loaf

Remember Decatur Court? The mixed-use development proposed for the Wachovia building near downtown Decatur? The one that concerned nearby residents because they feared it would tower over their properties and not have enough parking to handle the new residents and workers?

Our dear friend Decaturite brings word that a consultant brought in to mediate talks between the developer and residents is giving it another look on Wednesday, Dec. 3 from 6:30-8:30 at City Hall. The development’s also shrunk a wee bit.

In an e-mail from Otis White of Civic Strategies that Decaturite posted:

We are convening a meeting about the 315 W. Ponce project on Wednesday, Dec. 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 at Decatur City Hall. The meeting will be in the City Commission Room.

Background: A group of neighbors has been in direct talks with the 315 W. Ponce developer since our Oct. 15 meeting, and these talks are continuing. The developer presented a revised plan to this group in response to issues identified at the Oct. 15 meeting. While neighbors recognized the concessions being made by the developer, they identified problems with the new proposal. In response, the developer revised the original site plan that reduced the number of units from 218 to 160 units and eliminated the need for a parking variance.

Emphasis added. To check out the rest of White’s e-mail, head over to Decatur Metro.

(Screenshot from JLB Partners)

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He might be too modest to post it, but by God I’m not.

Tonight, CL senior writer Andisheh Nouraee will join the talented members of the Doug Dank Project at PushPush Theater in Decatur to perform a free-wheelin’, mindblowing, chuckle-inducing improv performance. The fun starts at 10 p.m.

Here’s the gist of how the evening goes: Andisheh will stand before the crowd and begin talking. The members of the troupe will use these delicious thoughts and topics as fodder for improv. Andisheh decides when to cut them off and the process repeats until time runs out or the fire marshall has all parties arrested for safety concerns and/or noise complaints. Hilarity does indeed ensue.

Tickets are $5 at the door. Push Push is located here.

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Decatur Metro’s all over the latest smart-growth shenanigans in his burg.

First, there’s the news that the celebrated Otis White of Civic Strategies will sit down with nearby residents and developers of the controversial 315 W. Ponce project to help the two groups work out the kinks. (The developer recently postponed a requested commission hearing because of an uproar over parking at the proposed mixed-use development. Read the harrowing account of the most recent late-night public hearing here.) The sitdown led by White is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. in Decatur City Hall.

Next, one of the groups that help concerned residents rally against the 315 W. Ponce project’s scope has now focused its attention on Trinity Triangle near bustling downtown. There’s an interesting conversation going on there about the debate.

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Or at least pretend to be one? Here’s your chance:

From the Oakhurst Yahoo message board:

Volunteers needed tomorrow for a diaster drill
Posted by: [redacted]
Fri Oct 3, 2008 5:49 am (PDT)

Looking for something unique and interesting to do this weekend? Want to maybe learn some make-up tricks to help you create a realistic looking costume this Halloween? The DeKalb County Fire Rescue corp is looking for volunteers to be simulated patients for a disaster drill THIS SATURDAY (tomorrow, Oct. 4th) from 4pm-9:30pm. You will need to wear old clothes because you will be made-up with fake injuries (fake blood, etc.). Then you’ll be assigned to an area of “the scene” and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and DeKalb firefighters will arrive and try to make everything better.

If you, or your family, neighbors, friends, community group members, Boy Scout Troops, Explorer Programs, church members, or ANYONE else would like to volunteer please email [redacted to save the guy from spammers] for details ASAP. Volunteers must be 12 years of age or older.

Send him an email here.

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The intersection of Adair Street and West Howard Avenue in Decatur is so dangerous, there were three city employees directing traffic there this morning: two school crossing guards and a police officer yelling at drivers through a megaphone.

How much do traffic lights cost? Are they less than the cost of putting two crossing guards and a cop and an intersection twice-a-day for an entire school year?

All I’m doing is saying.

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Decaturite over at Decatur Metro breaks the news that JLB Partners, the developers of the controversial 315 W. Ponce, have requested an “indefinite deferral” from the city and asked the development authority and planning commission to convene public meetings so various kinks and concerns about the project can be ironed out.

Decaturite posted a well-written message from Duane Truex, a neighborhood resident with a really cool name, that sums up much of the concern about the proposed mixed-use development at the doorstep of downtown Decatur. These two paragraphs really stood out to me:

We are NOT anti growth, we live in mixed use development and always have in this neighborhood around the 315 project (Ponce place, Montgomery, Fairview etc, etc…). It *is* our backyard so we want growth to be sensible, properly scaled, proper quality and to the benefit of all…as well as something that honors Decatur’s past and future. Yes we are idealists. But we are willing to work with the city and developers on a proper project.

For the record we reached out on several occasions to Hudson Hooks [ed. JLB Partners' Atlanta associate]and company. We drank together and talked and attempted to sit down in a small setting to discuss the project. My guess is that the developers were of the opinion (somehow) that it was so ‘in the bag’ they did not need to listen. Moreover they may have underestimated both the skill set extant in these neighborhoods. We are parents, tradesmen and women, artisans and professionals–engineers, architects or various flavors, scientists, producers of content, lawyers and others who can research, reason, design, problem solve, and if needed, resist.

(Screenshot courtesy of JLB Partners)

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(8:48 a.m.) Storm has weakened and the service is allowing the warning to expire. Have a great one, folks!

(8:30 a.m.) The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton Counties until 8:45 a.m.

(8:17 a.m) Weather.com is reporting a tornado warning in the Decatur area and a nearby emergency siren has been activated. Here are instructions on how to safely take cover.

(Above screenshot from Weather.com. For current weather conditions, click here.)

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Remember how we told you that Wordsmiths Books could be shutting its doors soon? Well a fundraising blitzkrieg the past couple of weeks helped the indie bookstore collect enough dough to remain in operation, at least through the fall.

Owner Zachary Steele elaborated in a press release sent earlier this afternoon:

We asked for your help. We asked for the chance to take this business and turn it forward. …And you responded…thanks to you all, we are still here. …There is still much for us yet to do. We have operating expenses caught up and have made some traction into tomorrow, but we will still be working on paying down our debts for the foreseeable future. I would be remiss to state that all is well and that we are completely in the clear, though we are at least now in a position to address our concerns. I am still working to secure the long-term future of the bookstore.

Down, but definitely not out.

(Photo by Dustin Chambers)

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The Living Beacon of Hope won’t be there himself, but his staffers will be walking around with video cameras to record questions you’d like answered at the annual Democratic convention in Denver at the end of the month.

Barack Obama will be accepting the Democratic presidential nomination at the convention in Denver on August 28th, and we’re throwing the doors open to the public by hosting America’s Town Hall.

Americans from around the country will be submitting questions that will be answered by elected leaders and national experts, live at the convention.

To be a part of this historic opportunity, come this Wednesday to Decatur City Square and submit a question of your own. Staff will be on hand to videotape your question which could be selected to be asked at the convention.

Here are the details:
America’s Town Hall Question Submission
Decatur City Square
599 N. McDonough Street Decatur, GA
Wednesday, August 13th
3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Hope to see you there! Obama for America

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Five hours of comments and more than 100 concerned residents were ample enough reason for the Decatur Zoning Board of Appeals to indefinitely table a parking variance early Tuesday morning for a large mixed-use development proposed in the city.

JLB Partners has envisioned one- and two-bedroom apartments at 315 W. Ponce de Leon Road with streetfront retail. The proposed 218-unit development would rise from a parking lot and wrap around an existing 11-story office building.

At first glance and on paper, the proposal appears to be your typical smart growth development — the sensible combination of retail, office and resident that’s made Decatur such a walkable, desirable place to live. Tonight’s parking variance was necessary because the developers requested less spaces than zoning codes require for a development of its size. JLB Partners are banking on a nationally proven smart-growth concept called “shared parking” to remedy the situation — as well as allow them to both max out the land and save money on building a parking deck.

(more…)

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Wordsmiths Books could be shutting its doors soon.

The Decatur bookstore responsible for scores of literary workshops, quirky local music showcases and inventive author events can’t pay the bills. Debt left over from its former location on W. Trinity Place (it’s now located around the corner in the old Sun Trust building on N. McDonough Street) and an unprofitable recent event have left owner Zachary Steele in the red.

From a blog by Steele:

The reality of Wordsmiths is that, though it began with a great push, it did so in the wrong location. That location drained its resources and left a lagging parachute of debt … to compound our difficulties, we handled the sales for a large scale event recently that did not return the investment that we were required to pay up front. Such is the way, I could say, but the timing was incredibly poor.

For the next couple of weeks, Wordsmiths will be collecting donations to help pay off the debt and keep the store open. The fundraising push culminates Aug. 15-17 with the Saving Bookstores is AWESOME!!! Night of AWESOME!!!! in conjunction with PASTE magazine and BabyGotBooks.com. The event features local fave Jack Pendarvis and his new robot-love novel Awesome, a performance from Atlanta indie outfit the Sealions, and a silent robot art auction. E-mail Wordsmith’s director of marketing Russ Marshalek (russ@wordsmithsbooks.com) about creating and donating a robot for the auction.

The shop’s also accepting donations of all sizes at its website or mailed to 545 N. McDonough St., Decatur, GA 30030. It wouldn’t hurt to visit the store and buy some books either.

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Number of building permits issued in Decatur in 1995: 349

Number of building permits issued in Decatur in 2007: 822

Percent decrease in car volume at the intersection of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Church Street from 2001 to 2006: 20

Population of Decatur in 2000: 18,147

Population of Decatur in 2007: 17,914

Average household size in the U.S.: 2.58

Average household size in metro Atlanta: 2.7

Average household size in Decatur: 2.12

Source: City of Decatur 2008 Annual Report, Decatur Court Traffic Impact Analysis

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— Decatur Metro has found the city’s annual report online. One interesting nugget: Decatur’s population is declining despite a boom in downtown condos. Why? Household size is shrinking in the city.

— And InDecatur brings us up to speed on the latest city news, including Kid Rock’s plea of no contest for his role in a Waffle House brawl in 2007.

— The state’s budget is all in a mess, and flackattack chimes in at Tondee’s Tavern on how state lawmakers are totally out of touch with reality.

— Over at Cracker Squire, Sid discusses how Rand Knight’s union endorsements failed to give him a lift in the U.S. Senate primary. Now that those unions are backing Jim Martin, will it matter in the run-off?

— Drifting Through The Grift thankfully shares another Morning Wooten.

— Just as fun, Preston Craig — the DJ host of the Decatur Social Club — is back online at Kiss Atlanta, with a couple of hot underground bands to help us get our groove on.

— What happens when a good friend reveals that he’s HIV positive? ETK shares a sad, intimate moment on I’m Just Sayin’.

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…Decatur’s traffic declines. That’s what Nick at DecaturMetro discovered when he perused the 38-page traffic study completed by the developers of the proposed 315 W. Ponce project in the smart-growth posterchild’s downtown (more on that project, called Decatur Court, later.)

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Do you find it annoying when the news media uses the name Decatur to refer to places or events that are outside Decatur’s city limits?

The AJC’s coverage of yesterday’s double-murder in DeKalb County was first reported with the headline “2 women killed, children flee in Decatur.” Later in the day, the headline was corrected to “2 women killed, children flee in DeKalb.”