Fresh Loaf

Man, the Beltline can be pretty confusing, huh? So can writing about transit agency disputes.

To put it plainly: The vision of a 22-mile loop of transit, parks and trails is now in jeopardy after the state Department of Transportation and AMTRAK unexpectedly announced they had their own heavy-rail plans for the project’s northeast section along Piedmont Park.

On Wednesday, members of the Beltline Network, a citizen group that supports the project, will meet for a special-called meeting to discuss how to keep the $2.8 billion “Emerald Necklace” — the largest public-works project of its kind in the country — on track.

Liz Coyle, chair of the Beltline Network, writes in an “urgent” e-mail sent yesterday to members (emphasis added for the more civic-minded Fresh Loaf readers who want to get involved):

I am calling a special meeting of the BeltLine Network on this Wednesday, January 28, at 4:30pm at Trees Atlanta, 225 Chester Avenue. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss and strategize a community response to a threat to BeltLine transit. I will provide more details as available at the meeting, but to summarize the situation and get right to the point, AMTRAK has begun condemnation proceedings on the NE Corridor of the BeltLine. This is in response to Norfolk Southern Railroad (NSR), Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) and Atlanta Development Authority (ADA) pursuing rail abandonment on the Northeast Corridor (aka the “Decatur Belt”) with the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB), a necessary step to advancing light rail transit in the BeltLine corridor. Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and AMTRAK have filed Motions to Stay the abandonment proceedings.

More on Coyle’s e-mail and the issues — and questions — surrounding this dispute after the jump.

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Tom Coffin, former Atlanta arborist

Tom Coffin, the Atlanta senior field arborist whose firing last summer sparked a firestorm of controversy, says he’s mulling legal options if the city doesn’t rehire him.

In mid-December, his attorney told the city — in the form of an ante litum notice — that he planned to sue to under the city’s “whistleblower” statute. Coffin has maintained he was fired because he alerted superiors about alleged lax enforcement by his colleagues of the tree ordinance — an eco-minded yet controversial law that forces homeowners or businesses to meet criteria before cutting down trees. Coffin, whom we cheekily referred to as a real-life Lorax, helped write the ordinance, and has earned both praise and scorn from residents and developers for keeping a watchful eye on its enforcement.

In an open letter last week to the city council and residents, Coffin said he’d prefer to be rehired and get back to enforcing the tree ordinance rather than head to court to argue a case he thinks he can win.

Coffin writes:

“…I seek reinstatement to the Sr. Arborist position that I won through merit and lost through deceit. I wish to continue my nearly 12 years of service to the city in formulating, implementing and enforcing one of its signature environmental laws. I seek my job back. I ask for compensation for lost salary and benefits, and for the legal costs incurred by me since my firing in July 2008. These demands are reasonable and minimal. I ask that the [city's Public Safety] Committee recommend this result to Council in the interest of justice, fairness and economy.”

Beth Chandler, the city’s attorney, says the law department is reviewing Coffin’s claim. There is no timeline for when a decision will be made, she says.

In an earlier open letter to city council and residents, Coffin said the city’s tree ordinance, in his absence, has become a “dead letter.” Coffin, who travels around the city on a recumbent bicycle, told CL on Friday that even months after he was sacked by the city he still finds himself surveying trees and reporting possible violations to the arborist’s office.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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D.L. Bennett of the AJC has an article that addresses what many of us have assumed — the intown building boom is hitting the skids. The rush to build homes to welcome the influx of new residents was broadsided by the foreclosure and credit and resulted in shuttered-up houses and dwindling property values.

Says Ben at Terminal Station:

The combination of factors hitting these areas is brutal.  First, all the subprime mortgages that got people into these homes in the first place reset and foreclosures follow.  Housing prices plummet, and you might think there would be a wave of people who could get into some infill homes for a great price.  However, tighter credit standards are going to prevent people from getting loans, and the cratering economy will further depress things.  So these homes will just sit empty for who knows how long.

The city has received $12 million to buy foreclosures, but it will barely make a dent in the problem. I don’t really know what sort of policy solutions are available. There needs to be an infusion of capital somewhere to buy these houses and get them occupied. I know some folks who are buying up cheap houses (~$30k), renovating them, and renting them to people with Section 8 vouchers. The problem is that this is not a recipe for revitalization. Instead, it can become a recipe for concentrated poverty and can prevent new residents from wanting to move in. I’m not enthusiastic about an infusion of capital of this sort, but it is probably the only sort of private capital available.

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Consider, for instance, recent negotiations to purchase the northeast quadrant of the Beltline, a 22-mile loop of transit and trails that will one day circle the city.

That deal — and the history of the controversial plot of land — has resulted in the city parting ways with two developers and paying millions of dollars that critics say was squandered.

Mike Dobbins, a Georgia Tech professor and Atlanta’s former planning commissioner, says the city rushed to pay Gwinnett County developer Wayne Mason and his son Keith $65 million for land that could have been had for much, much less.

“Buying out Mason was a flawed proposition,” Dobbins says. “I mean, name me anyone who wouldn’t love to make a 300 percent profit in three years on a $25 million investment. It’s crazy.”

Says Keith Mason: “I’m pleased with the outcome.”

Read the rest of this story.

(Photo by Jim Stawniak)

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Decatur Metro reports that the developer of 315 W. Ponce de Leon Avenue, a mixed-use project that’s caused some nearby residents to question its size and potential impact, has altered its plans for the project. A building that was proposed along Ponce de Leon Avenue has been scuttled, Decaturite says.

Well, the developer made [a reduction in units] by eliminating the building that originally was to be squeezed in along Ponce between the existing office building and the street, while retaining the rear building that would be built within the existing parking lot, with a parking deck situated behind Fairview and courtyards along Montgomery (view above is along Ponce Place). Livable Growth has the full plans here [pdf available at Decatur Metro].

…

Next step is for this new plan to go before the Planning Commission this Thursday at 7:30p.   If all goes according to schedule, they will make a recommendation to the city commission, which will vote yea or nay on the project next Monday (Dec 15th) at 7:30p, along with some other issue regarding annexation.

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Ethics complaints filed by a Sierra Club lobbyist for alleged improper influence-peddlin’ at the state Capitol for the controversial “private cities” bill require further investigation,  says Rick Thompson, executive director of the Georgia State Ethics Commission.

The complaints, filed by Gold Dome-fixture and eco-lobbyist Neill Herring, allege Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders, political consultant Derrick Dickey and two developer brothers from Dublin, Ga. lobbied without registering for “infrastructure development districts” — a mechanism that would’ve allowed developers to issue tax-free bonds to pay for sewers, roads and schools on their properties. The districts are legal in 17 other states. (You may have seen television advertisements for one, Florida’s “The Villages.”) Opponents of the concept call them “private cities” and say they are catalysts for sprawl. The legislation passed the General Assembly but failed a statewide referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot. (CL weighed in on the issue prior to the General Election.)

Thompson says commission staff needs to gather additional information to investigate Herring’s complaints.

The commission sifted through a laundry list of ethical complaints at its hearing yesterday against state representatives, lobbyists and Mayor Shirley Franklin. (According to the AJC’s Jim Galloway, the mayor’s agreed to pay a fine for “paperwork violations” and “failing to fully explain some of her campaign expenditures.”) Thompson says complaints filed by ethics watchdog George Anderson against Fulton County Superior Judge T. Jackson Bedford for not adequately completing campaign finance disclosures were dismissed by the commission because Bedford corrected the error.

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Decatur Metro notes yesterday’s AJC article about Nadege Adam and Jude Valles, a couple who’ve overextended themselves when it comes to home ownership. With credit now tight and the housing market in disarray, the couple now faces skyhigh payments.

Here’s what Decaturite noticed:

But the number that caught my eye in the article wasn’t their $419,000 Smyrna home that costs $100,000 less than it did a few years ago. Suburb declines are well documented at this point. Personally, I was struck by the condo at “Twelve” Atlantic Station, which was purchased for $387,000 in 2005-6 and is now worth $150,000 less.

This is the Atlantic Station that everyone (including the AJC) touted as the new wave of smart growth development. Massive, single developer cities that could do no wrong as long as they threw a bunch of residential and commercial in the same general vicinity. Atlantic Station was so awesome because it had its own zip code and organized mommy stroller walks. Yeah well, the economy may have played a part in exacerbating this problem, but a 39% decline in home values is nothing short of damning market critique of this project, which shows that all smart growth (just like everything else) isn’t created equal. You can’t cut corners, you can’t overestimate demand, and I personally believe you can’t build a town from scratch and expect it to compete with areas that have developed over time.

Well put. Be sure to check out the comments as well. (On Decatur Metro, I mean — the comments on the AJC’s article are, as usual, mostly just displays of ignorance and racism.)

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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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State Sen. Jeff Chapman, R-Brunswick, along with Democratic state Reps. Debbie Buckner of Junction City and Stephanie Stuckey-Benfield of Decatur, was one of the few voices during last year’s legislative session to criticize the Linger Longer project on Jekyll Island, a historic state park.

The op-ed below by Chapman is the first in three that the senator says will lay out the case for increased examination of the Jekyll Island Authority, the Governor-appointed state agency that oversees the park, and the idea of “selling off” state land to the private sector. In closing, he says he’s requested the state conduct an audit of the authority’s activities during the last three years.

Chapman admits it may seem strange for a senator to write a series of articles about the topic, but:

in the case of Jekyll Island State Park, there are issues involved which demand the attention of elected officials who have been given the honor to serve the public good. Transparency and accountability in government, responsible management of publicly-owned assets, and respect for the public trust are all wrapped within the Jekyll issue, as is the principle of eminent domain, not in the traditional form but in an upside down way with the taking of publicly-owned land and using it for private profit—a kind of eminent domain in reverse.

Senator, the Internetz are yours. Below and after the jump is Chapman’s full editorial:

Last year, when the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) granted a rent reduction of some $10 million to hotel developer Trammell Crow (TC) to replace the Buccaneer Resort, there were many who saw it as a sweetheart deal. Now the authority is spreading the love.

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Memorial Drive’s fast-moving metamorphosis from industrial eyesore to a neighborhood with amenities continued last week after the Atlanta Regional Commission stamped its seal of approval on a 10-acre development that would feature a much-needed grocery store.

The project on the corner of Memorial Drive and Pearl Street would add 71,000 square feet of retail, 12,000 square feet of office space and 350 housing units to the area. It also requires the demolition of the Atlanta Dairies building.

Atlanta-based developers Brand Properties wouldn’t return calls about the project. Judging from site plans submitted to the commission, however, the $65-million project’s layout would be similar to that of the nearby Edgewood Shopping Center on Moreland Avenue — except more compact and a bit friendlier to foot traffic. It features storefronts along the streets surrounding a parking deck and courtyards.

It’s an ambitious endeavor at a time when financing is tight and housing is a gamble. But it’s also a development that regional planners say is smart for Memorial Drive — a close-to-downtown thoroughfare that’s seen land prices escalate as more people want to live closer to the city.

“Kind of the easiest way to think of it is ‘Paris-style’ density — four stories with ground-level retail,” Dan Reuter of the commission says. “It’s similar to what you find in Chicago, San Francisco and even New York City. It provides a good concentration of people in an area that can support retail.”

For the project to proceed, the city must rezone the property. If things go according to plan, the developers estimate the project will be complete in June 2010.

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Congratulations, fellow citizen! If things go according to plan, come Friday at 10 a.m. you’ll be a co-owner of 66 acres of prime property in Northeast Atlanta.

The Atlanta City Council today approved 9-1 the issuance of $64.5 million of Beltline TAD bonds. Councilmember Felicia Moore was the lone vote against the deal.

Atlanta Beltline Inc. Finance Director Richard Lutch says the project will meet the Oct. 31 deadline set by Gwinnett County developer Wayne Mason and settle the $45 million debt Mason is owed for property near Piedmont Park.

Beltline leaders will also use $3.5 million of the bond funds to buy out the remaining stake in the property held by Barry Real Estate and Ben Rainey, its private partners in a joint venture that was created to purchase the land from Mason late last year. Beltline leaders must then must transfer the property to the Atlanta Development Authority. (The land must be owned by a public agency to meet tax-exempt bond regulations.)

After the vote, Tax Allocation District Advisory Committee Chair Eugene Bowens, Sr. said that the citizens’ group — while supportive of the deal — still feels it’s not being involved enough in how funds from the TAD bonds are used. By law, the committee is charged with ensuring those public funds are spent in a “fair and equitable manner.” Numerous times in the past — most notably when Beltline leaders decided to spend a large chunk of funds to pay off the Mason property in affluent Northeast Atlanta — the committee has said they have been kept out of the loop. He said TADAC members were only notified of today’s bond deal at a meeting last night with Beltline leaders.

This development raises many questions, such as what direction the project takes now and where it will focus its energy, how the city plans to act on property that it must rezone if it plans to sell, and how future allocations and deals will be handled. Feel free to chime in below if you have any thoughts.

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If Atlanta City Council gives them the OK, bonds set to be issued this week to pay for Beltline projects will be worth $64.5 million — a much lower amount than the $117 million initially anticipated before bond markets ground to a halt because of Wall Street’s meltdown.

Atlanta Beltline Inc. CEO Terri Montague says more bonds will be issued in mid-2009. The tax-exempt bonds will be split in half and sold to Wachovia and Suntrust with a 6.2 percent interest rate. She says the reason the offering is much smaller is because debts — most notably, the Wayne Mason property in the 22-mile project’s northeast quadrant — must be paid. Additional bonds are planned to be issued in in mid-2009. Montague says the affordable housing component will receive roughly $8.5 8.8 million.

Beltline leaders will also have to buy out Ben Rainey and Barry Real Estate, its private partners in a joint venture that purchased the 66-acre Mason property, to meet regulations established for tax-exempt bonds. Montague says the two partners agreed to settle for $3.5 million — they originally wanted $10 million.

Beltline officials appear before Atlanta City Council at 3:30 p.m. to seek its approval before proceeding with the deal. Should City Council fail to approve the bond offering, the city would lose both the property and $26 million its already paid to the Masons.

Should voters approve Amendment 2 on the General Election ballot, Montague says, the next Beltline TAD bond offering could potentially be much larger.

More updates to come.

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Sources tell CL that Atlanta City Councilmembers were given notice that a special-called meeting will be held at City Hall tomorrow at 3 p.m. Details are vague, but the event could mean developments are underway for the 22-mile loop of parks, trails, transit.

Why? Well, as we’ve been reporting, the Oct. 31 deadline for Beltline leaders to settle the debt on property purchased from Gwinnett County developer Wayne Mason is drawing near. The property — a 66-acre parcel of land and transit right-of-way located near Piedmont Park in the project’s northeast quadrant — generated controversy this summer when Beltline leaders decided to allocate nearly half the TAD bond funding to settle the debt. If it’s not repaid, the Mason property could enter foreclosure.

Because of the virtually shutdown bond market, those TAD bonds have been delayed until the project’s financial wizards could secure the best possible deal. Beltline leaders would most likely have to brief City Council on their progress.

Regardless, we’ll be there and update once we hear word.

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So you’d like there to be more public transit in Atlanta, want to see more smart-growth development, but you still don’t know exactly what the Beltline is all about. The Beltline Partnership, the 22-mile project’s fundraising arm, operates twice-a-week tours of the proposed loop of transit, trails, parks and development, so that’s one way.

Another way is to help clean the project up. Last year, volunteers cleaned up the Beltline’s southwest portion. On Nov. 8, Keep Atlanta Beautiful and other partners plan to do the same in the northeast quadrant.

Here are the details:

Last week, TruGreen LandCare, lawn and landscape professionals, donated their time and expertise to prepare the area for volunteers by accomplishing some of the heavy lifting.

On Saturday November 8, Atlanta BeltLine Inc., Ponce Park, the Historic Fourth Ward Park Conservancy, City of Atlanta, Park Pride, Trees Atlanta, Atlanta Community ToolBank and PATH are orchestrating the northeast corridor BeltLine clean-up. This is necessary to achieve the clean-up’s goal of taking a first step in creating a useable connection between Piedmont Park and Freedom Park. See images below.

Volunteers will pick up litter and remove kudzu from trees along the 1.5 mile stretch. You can register as a volunteer for the clean-up at www.keepatlantabeautiful.org.

(Photo courtesy of TruGreen LandCare)

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After two hours of contention and confusion, Atlanta’s Neighborhood Planning Unit F voted last night to approve a rezoning designation that proponents say would preserve Virginia-Highland’s charm.

Scrunched in the jampacked meeting room of a psychiatric hospital off Monroe Drive, nearly 200 residents ultimately stamped the organization’s seal of approval on a  two-year effort meant to preserve the neighborhood before developers capitalize on its antiquated zoning codes.

(more…)

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As Virginia-Highland attracts more residents, barflies, and Sunday afternoon pedestrians, it’ll also — for better or worse — catch the eye of developers who want to capitalize on that appeal. And for residents and property owners who want a voice in how their bustling neighborhood evolves, tonight’s their chance.

Members of Neighborhood Planning Unit F, whose boundaries include Virginia-Highland will vote tonight whether its members want Virginia-Highland rezoned as “Neighborhood Commercial.” The designation focuses on three busy “nodes” along North Highland Avenue where it intersects Briarcliff Place, Virginia Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue. The designation could potentially affect The Mix at 841 (above right) — an ambitious mixed-use development proposed across the street from the long strip of bars that includes Blind Willie’s and Diesel — that’s irked some residents for its size and scope.

According to the Virginia-Highland Civic Association, current zoning allows commercial buildings as high as 11 stories in some areas. If ultimately approved by the Atlanta City Council, the rezoning would limit the height of buildings to three stories and encourage such smart-growth concepts as mixed-use design and shared parking. It would prohibit “suburban-style” buildings such as the CVS Pharmacy and encourage developers to take the neighborhood’s architecture into account.  (For the association’s documents related to the rezoning proposal, click here.)

The meeting takes place at 7 p.m. tonight at the Hillside facility between Courtenay Dr and Monroe Dr. According to the NPU-F website, “access is available from 1301 Monroe Dr., opposite the CSO facility on Monroe. Parking is available at the rear of the building off Monroe Drive.” The public is welcome, but keep in mind that you have to live or own commercial property in the district if you want to vote.

UPDATE: Christa at Pecanne Log is none-too-pleased with The Mix.

(Apologies for the screenshot. The Mix website appears to be incomplete.)

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In an op-ed distributed today, Republican State Sen. Jeff Chapman of Brunswick — an ardent supporter of Jekyll Island under the Gold Dome — says even though Linger Longer has drastically scaled back its redevelopment plan for the state park, the matter is far from settled.

On October 6th, Linger Longer Communities revealed its revised plan for a Jekyll Island town center. The new plan, at first glance, suggests a town center much different than the over-sized and condo-dense beach village in Linger Longer’s original proposal, and closer to what many Georgians have been calling for over the past year. While the town center question may be decided in the public’s favor, the long-term future of Georgia’s only coastal state park, unfortunately, is far from secure.

(more…)

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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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Estimated cost to turn a once-rowdy nightlife district into the eight-acre, Rodeo Drive-styled “Streets of Buckhead” development: $1.5 billion

Cost of pair of horned-back alligator cowboy boots that will be available at Billy Martin, the Streets’ western-styled shop: $3,750

Cost of lamb’s wool coat for 3-year-old at Bonpoint, the Paris-based children’s store that will open at the Streets (converted from euros): $520

Months between the day that five-star Baccarat Hotel and Residences announced its inclusion in the Streets and the day it indicated it might withdraw: 8

Number of metro Atlantans who sought consumer debt counseling in first eight months of 2007: 27,000

Number who sought debt counseling in first eight months of 2008: 37,000

Average annual salary of metro Atlantan seeking debt counseling last year: $42,000

Average annual salary of metro Atlantan seeking debt counseling this year: $49,300

Number of past years in which average salary of Atlantan seeking debt counseling was higher than $49,300: 0

Sources: Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, BillyMartin.com, www.littlefashiongallery.com, Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta.

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Beltline bonds scheduled to be priced this week have been delayed until mid-October, a spokesperson for the 22-mile loop of parks, trails and transit says. Project leaders say the bonds — estimated to be worth $117 million — are now scheduled to be issued the week of Oct. 20.

Timing is of the essence, however, as that issuance cuts close to an Oct. 31 deadline to settle outstanding debt on a vital piece of property in northeast Atlanta near Piedmont Park. The property includes transit right-of-way and was purchased late last year from Gwinnett County developer Wayne Mason and his son, Keith. The decision to allocate the majority of Beltline bond proceeds to the Masons was opposed by community groups, but ultimately determined necessary to ensure the future of the project.

Should Beltline leaders not settle the Mason debt by the deadline, the property could risk foreclosure, placing valuable intown property on the real-estate market and in turn, making it harder to secure.

The national market for municipal bonds — for years the go-to financing mechanism that’s kept cities apace — has been essentially closed since the fallout on Wall Street, leaving many projects as grand as the Beltline and as everyday as highway repairs in a lurch. Athens-Clarke County recently put three long-planned sewer treatment plants, to be paid for with bonds, on the backburner until the market improves.

Atlanta is currently sitting on four upcoming bond issuances: The Beltline and Perry Bolton TAD bonds, the General Obligation refinancing bonds, and the Downtown Redevelopment bonds. Dana Boone, the city’s debt and investment chief, says most buyers in the market are hesitant to make purchases until Congress acts on the controversial bailout package. (The U.S. Senate approved the $850-billion, 450-page package last night.)

“The belief is that there are not a lot of issuances going out to market and postponing deals because there aren’t a lot of buyers in the market,” Boone says. “The costs would be too high. The issuers that are pursuing bond issuances are those with high needs.”

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City of Atlanta Planning Commissioner Steve Cover has resigned. According to a department spokeswoman, he submitted his written resignation this morning. He’ll officially leave the department on Oct. 3, after which he’ll join HOK Planning Group.

Deputy Commissioner James Shelby will be acting commissioner.

Cover’s department has been at the center of an unlikely controversy involving the firing of Tom Coffin, a senior field arborist with the city. City Hall’s kept mum as to why the arborist was dropped off the payroll — which in itself isn’t too strange, as commenting could lead to a lawsuit. Nonetheless, that silence has helped fuel speculation that Coffin was edged out to appease the development community.

The arborists’ office is part of the bureau of buildings, which is also part of the planning department. In the wake of Coffin’s ouster, City Councilmember Mary Norwood has called for an audit of the bureau.

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The blog, “Holding Atlanta City Government Accountable,” isn’t written by Tom Coffin, the arborist who was fired by the city for working too hard, but by fellow tree lovers in Atlanta who are keeping watch on the ongoing investigation into his ouster. It’ll include documents related to Coffin’s firing, news stories and information about suspicious tree removals.

Check it out here.

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THE VISIBLE HAND: Smugness is growing abroad over the global free-market champion — especially under such an anti-regulation Republican administration — essentially nationalizing private corporations to combat its sputtering economy.

PAIN IN THE BANK: Top central banks of the world unite to infuse $247 billion into money markets in an attempt to stave off a global financial meltdown.

GOUGING: The state has subpoenaed at least nine gas stations for price-gouging after Hurricane Ike shut down oil production on the Texas coast.

EUGLENA: A big swath of slimy plant/animal goo is floating down the Oostanaula River toward Rome.

ZONE DEFENSE: Metro Atlanta communities are more often having to deal with abandoned clear-cut lots and subdivisions that developers couldn’t afford to finish, often doing so by revisiting zoning conditions.

CLAYTON: Corrective Superintendent John Thompson meets with SACS president, says he’ll soon unveil the school system’s plan to regain accreditation in the next 12 months.

THE HOOKY CRUMBLES: Nine DeKalb parents have been arrested for educational neglect based on their children’s truancy; police have arrest warrants for 59 people in all, some of whose kids have missed 40-50 days of school.

DOT: Auditors discover the department’s financial situation is even worse than previously thought.

DENNIS QUAID: Visits Falcons practice to promote a movie.

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Tom Coffin, the dedicated Atlanta arborist who was fired by the city in late July for what seems to be simply doing his job, has not given up on his fight to uncover why he was dropped off the city payroll. (To get the background about Coffin’s firing, click here.)

The real-life Lorax sent word this morning that the city’s investigation into his termination is now complete:

I received word from HR investigator Al Elder that his investigation is complete and is now undergoing executive review.  I assume that “executive review” means that the report is now on the mayor’s desk, though Mr. Elder declined to clarify who is doing the review.  I have been given no time frame for a decision and don’t know if the review will take days or weeks or months.

Meanwhile I made an Open Records request for the July and August “Inspections Completed By” reports produced in the Arborist Division to supplement the January through June data that I have circulated.  The chart below indicates that in the short run at least the only change in the enforcement pattern of the field arborists is to finally bring me in line with my former subordinates, by default.

The big blue and red bars represent Coffin’s average monthly inspections from January to June and July, respectively. The other three sets of initials are his former colleagues’ monthly inspections during the same time periods.

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UPDATE: The date of the sold-out event has been corrected in the post.

On Thursday, the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation will attempt to turn a longtime cocktail party topic into a campaign to sever Buckhead from the city.

The foundation will gather businesspeople, politicians and activists at the posh 103 West restaurant to determine whether they should create a formal coalition, begin raising money and hire a lobbyist.

Both inspired by the recent incorporations of Sandy Springs and John’s Creek and frustrated by Atlanta’s estimated $140 million budget shortfall, secession advocates say the city unfairly leeches off the largesse its wealthiest district. Glenn Delk, an attorney who conducted a study that’s emboldened the movement, claims the move would reduce Buckhead residents’ tax bills by 50 percent.

Secession is an ambitious endeavor to say the least. It not only would be difficult to maneuver through the state Legislature, but it would create a huge hole in Atlanta’s pocketbook. According to Delk’s calculations, Buckhead generates 45.9 percent of the city’s property and sales tax revenues.

If they do push forward with the campaign, the activists are likely to face plenty of opposition from the Buckhead establishment, as well as City Hall. Scotty Greene, executive director of the Buckhead Community Improvement District, says residents would be better served by working with the city to right wrongs.

(Photo by Matthew Miller)

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