In Defense of Our Homeless Neighbors

As Inman Park resident, I want to welcome our homeless brothers and sisters, and stand in opposition to an article published in the Inman Park Advocator last month. The individuals referred to as “Urban Campers” in the article are our neighbors. They should be welcomed and treated with respect and dignity, rather than labeled with inaccurate, degrading stereotypes while calling for their forcible removal.1 Our neighborhood would not be the vibrant, progressive space that it is without all of our residents.

By definition, a homeless person “has no private property and therefore no choice but to perform tasks necessary to life [in a public space].” Encouraging the city council to revise the 1996 Urban Camping Ordinance to begin persecuting these behaviors encroaches on the humanity of an already vulnerable population. The ordinance, which made “the ‘improper use of public spaces,’ [illegal] including erecting tents or other temporary structures or objects providing shelter; sleeping in a single place for more than one hour at a time; cooking or preparing meals; or other similar activities,” was overturned as unconstitutional in 1997 in a class action lawsuit lead by the ACLU.

During its short span, Urban Camping Ordinance resulted in the arrest of a college student and an employed homeless person, among countless others, pushing them deeper into homelessness rather than out of it.3 In a recent survey, almost every homeless youth in Atlanta, when asked about their future, had goals, dreams, and in many cases, specific plans in place to achieve them.4 Let’s not revert back to damaging legislation that so deeply offends human dignity and pushes youth into harmful situations.

BUTTERFLY BALL TICKETS 2017
By Thea Quillian, Butterfly Ball Chair

On Friday, April 28th from 8:00 p.m. to midnight, Butterfly Ball will kick-off our 46th Festival, and all IPNA members (membership is free to all residents of Inman Park) are invited. The Ball is sponsored by the IPNA Festival Committee, and if you have signed up for membership via the website (www.inmanpark.org), you will receive an email invite with instructions about obtaining tickets.

Those registered IPNA members will receive an email invitation with instructions on when and how to purchase tickets in mid to late March. The tickets will go on sale in early April. You must be registered as a member to receive the email with the link to the tickets sales. Also, for couples, each member must register independently.

Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can purchase two (2) tickets per individual or a maximum four (4) per household. Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to boogie. Bogey and the Viceroy will be here to entertain us this year. We will have two bars (drink tokens can be purchased at check in) and wonderful food catered by Bold American Catering, desserts to follow by local Inman Park eateries. (Non-alcoholic drinks are complimentary as well.)

Last week approximately 250 people turned out for our monthly meeting. Most were there to consider the Special Use Permit application of the Druid Hills preschool, proposing to move into St. Joseph's Church at the corner of Seminole and Sinclair. The previous week, the immediate neighbors voted 44-7 to oppose the application. At the IPNA meeting, the Preschool presented its proposal to the full neighborhood and the immediate neighbors presented their concerns, which focused on traffic. After more than one hour of question-and-answer, discussion, and advocacy, the neighborhood voted, 110-82, to support the immediate neighbors and to oppose the preschool's application. The neighborhood's vote is not legally binding; it is a recommendation to the City.

The next step in the process is for the applicant to present its application to the Neighborhood Planning Unit. The NPU will consider the application at its next meeting. The meeting is open to the public and anyone interested in the issue should plan to attend, though you should also know that the discussion and opportunity for public input is much more limited than the opportunity afforded at our monthly meeting. As with the decision at the IPNA meeting, the decision of the NPU is a non-binding recommmendation to the City. Rick Bizot, our Inman Park Representative to the NPU, has prepared a description of the procedures that the NPU follows:

Druid Hills Preschool for a Special use Permit

As Board of the Inman Park Neighborhood Association, we are aware that the pending application of the Druid Hills Preschool for a Special use Permit has generated a great deal of interest. The neighborhood will be voting on the proposal at our next monthly meeting on Wednesday February 15 at 7:30 at the Trolley Barn. Below, we set forth the procedures and some other points for any resident who plans to attend to bear in mind.

DELIBERATION.
First, the applicant (Druid Hills Preschool) will have 10 minutes to present its proposal. At the conclusion of the applicant’s presentation, the chair will recognize an immediate neighbor for 5 minutes to present their objections. After these presentations, we will open the floor for 25 minutes for questions and discussion. After the period for questions and discussion, we will devote 20 minutes total to advocacy. Those wishing to speak will form two lines. One line will be for opponents of the application, the other for supporters of the application. We will alternate comments between the opponents and supporters. Each line, opponents and supporters, will be allotted a total of 10 minutes. No individual may speak for more than one minute. Because we have allotted 20 minutes for advocacy, the Board asks that participants refrain from engaging in advocacy during the period for questions and discussion.

We recognize that our procedure requires that all meeting participants act in good faith. The meeting chair may determine, in his sole discretion, that it is appropriate to reduce, extend, or otherwise revise time allotments. The Board understands that there is disagreement regarding the benefits and burdens of the application. We are committed to deliberating constructively on the substance of these points. We urge both supporters and opponents of the application to confer in advance to ensure, to the extent possible, that the individuals making comments do not make duplicative points.

2017 Festival Artwork Winner

The artwork for the 2017 Inman Park Festival and Tour of Homes has been selected, and the designer is Mindy Phan. She’s a native of Saigon, Vietnam, and has been an Atlanta resident for about 12 years. Mindy is a graphic designer, and encouraged by her friends to showcase her art more publicly, she entered our Festival design contest. She’s been passionate about drawing since she was “a little kid”, but really started to advance her skills when she was accepted into a graphic design program in college. She loves to hike, and says that exploring different places and learning their histories broadens her horizons. When asked for a fun fact about herself to share, she responded, “I have a never-ending love for food!”

Mindy’s inspiration was the artwork on the BeltLine and within Inman Park, and since her discovery of the neighborhood occurred while she was on her bicycle, she used that as the central theme of her design, with the background butterflies symbolizing the rebirth of the neighborhood.

See the Artwork

The art of Filming in Inman Park

Karen Goeckel, Special Events Chair 

I’ve heard stories about a circus that would come to town, setting up in the property that is now Inman Inman Village on Lake Ave (long before the Mead plant stood on the same grounds) while it’s performers and various other hired hands would enjoy the hospitality of nearby residents. –So it is fitting that even now Inman Park is still a place that entices and welcomes “show-folk!”

As Georgia’s film and television industry grew by $1 billion in 2016, generating $7 billion in revenue with 245 feature films and TV shows shot in Georgia. Our beloved “small town downtown” has contributed to the $2.02 billion in direct spending in the state, helping the film industry create a home in Georgia that Governor Deal and Mayor Reed are committed nurture, creating jobs and economic opportunities.

Inman Park has always caught the eye of shrewd location scouts and is a popular on-camera location for motion picture and television filming for many reasons: diverse commercial spaces, historical homes, attractively maintained parks and its proximity to the city. A world can easily be created to resemble 1901 again just as easily as it could reflect modern life, which is why some of the productions filmed in our neighborhood have included Jumanji, Baby Driver, Neighbors 2, Being Mary Jane, What to Expect When You Are Expecting, Zombieland, Hangman, MacGyver, Star, Sleepy Hollow, The Originals, Fast and Furious 7, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Kill the Messenger and many, many commercials and music videos.

Get Ready to Party
“We’re Going to Have a Ball”

By Thea M. Quillian Butterfly Ball Chair 2017

2017 Festival planning is underway, and so is the planning for our yearly kick off extravaganza, Butterfly Ball.

This year get ready to eat, drink, dance and have a Ball under the star lit tent. Bogey and The Viceroy will be back to keep us on our toes and entertain us throughout the evening.

2017 Inman Park Diners Club

Yes, it is time to sign up for the Inman Park Diners Club and for those who are new to the Inman Diners dinner club, after you signup you will be invited to the kick-off party. At the party you will find out who is in your 2017 group and then you will attend 5 dinners with that group over the course of the year, approximately once every 2 months. I will suggest some dates but you as a group make your own decisions and dates can be changed at any time if needed.

The host or hostess has the honor to decide on the menu; emails out the recipes and everybody chooses one dish to bring. That means less work and less clean up for the host! You must live in Inman Park and you must to commit to show up at each dinner, dish in hand. Other than that, there are no requirements. This is not about cooking skills, large dining rooms, blind dates, or anything else. This is about having fun, getting to know each other and being able to walk home after some good eating and drinking with your neighbors. If you are not a member of the IPNA yet, this is a great opportunity to do so and it is free. This year the kick-off party will be on Saturday, January 28, 2017 at 7:30PM, 860 Euclid Avenue.

Please register here for the 2017 Diners Club.

In walking my dog, I noticed a "beware" sign someone posted about someone spotting a coyote. Knowing how common it is for coyotes to be in most urban and suburban areas around the nation (and in other Atlanta neighborhoods like Candler Park), I was not that surprised (even though I have never spotted coyotes myself even though I walk my dog daily). But I am afraid that some residents might needlessly over-react and hire some trapper to trap and probably kill those coyotes who might live around here. That will just open up the territory to other coyotes to come in.

I've been hosting a WRFG eco radio show "In Tune to Nature" since 2010, and I have interviewed many local experts who can help our Inman Park neighbors understand how to peacefully coexist with coyotes. This is one group https://coyotecoexistence.com (my friend Meta is a cofounder of Coyote Coexistence), and also the AWARE wildlife rescue group https://www.awarewildlife.org/how-to-live-with-wildlife I think either of these groups could send a representative to an inman park association meeting. Or perhaps you could use this information on their websites to help write an educational article in an upcoming Advocator.

Thank you! I appreciate you all working to help the neighborhood. I love it here.

Aging Well with Technology Recap

Steve and Karin Stern, our Inman Park neighbors and technology experts, provided a session on Taming Your Technology that included information on smart password management and organizing and managing files. We learned about the importance of choosing secure passwords and steps to take including avoiding using the same password for multiple sites and to never chose birth dates or other personal information as passwords. The session provided helpful information on cloud based password management software such as LastPass. Kathy Busko also gave a brief overview on Uber and Lyft car services and judging by the discussion, there is a strong interest and need for alternative transportation options.

During the session, many expressed interest in additional sessions as well as one-on-one in-home technology consults. Steve has offered to provide this service based on an hourly rate. For information on Steve’s services, he can be contacted at: [email protected]. Or 404-281-8582.

Look for announcements on our upcoming 2017 Aging Well Programs starting in February. These sessions are offered through the Lifelong Inman Park Committee.

18th Annual Inman Park Polar Bear Jump

Sunday, January 1, 2016 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Inman Park Pool.
It’s the very first party of 2017, right here in Inman Park. It’s a social event, a family outing, and a hangover cure all in one happy gathering! We still insist that it has cured the common cold. And we’re done before New Year’s Day parties and Bowl games! Rain, sleet or snow…we jump! Just bring your swimsuit and a towel and join in on the icy plunge. Or just come watch and cheer on your friends and neighbors (over Irish coffee). Changing rooms will be open.

The festivities begin at 10 a.m. on January 1, with the jump scheduled for 11 a.m.

NPU-N Update – December 2016

By Rick Bizot,  NPU-N Representative for IPNA: [email protected]

Notes from the November 28, 2016 meeting:

Engineering Project for Dekalb Ave.

The City of Atlanta is planning to undertake a major reconstruction and engineering project for Dekalb Ave. Right now, the City is at the most preliminary planning stage and is seeking public input as to what shape the project should take. The first step in that process occurred Thursday evening at a community meeting convened by Renew Atlanta (the City Office that is leading the planning effort).

At this stage, the City does not have a plan. The purpose of Thursday’s meeting was for Renew Atlanta planning officials to hear from individuals regarding their preferences and priorities for Dekalb Ave. This meeting represented the beginning of the process of community engagement. For those of you who were unable to attend, you may submit your comments on the Renew Atlanta website here. The public comment period will remain open until December 8. After that, Renew Atlanta officials will conduct formal studies of the options and priorities that the found preference during the public engagement process. The closest Renew Atlanta officials came to presenting a concrete plan was the recognition that the TSPLOST measure that passed at the last election includes funding for a multi-use trail from Inman Park to Rocky Ford Rd. (where it would link with the existing PATH trail).

At the meeting on Thursday, Renew Atlanta officials asked the community to imagine an eraser that could be used to clean the slate on which Dekalb Ave. was drawn. What would we want to see in its place if money were no object? Comments focused on prioritizing among four modalities: car, bicycle, pedestrian, and transit. Among those who spoke on this issue, most emphasized bicycle over car traffic. Nonetheless, there were those who spoke up for the importance of maintaining an efficient corridor for the thousands of cars that use this route every day (or, perhaps more accurately, support was voiced for creating such a corridor). There were also many comments made expressing concern about safety. On this point, there was a broad consensus in favor of eliminating the infamous “suicide” lane.

The Beltline Project at 670-690 DeKalb
by Neil Kinkopf

To this point, much of our deliberation over the proposal for this site has centered on whether the development would preserve or inhibit the potential future placement of transit along the Beltline path. I am pleased to report that our goal of preserving the possibility of keeping trail and transit together has been achieved (more on this below). The zoning aspects of the project remain and will require the neighborhood to vote at our meeting on Wednesday.

This is a lengthy post, so I have divided it into three parts. The first section describes the issues we will be voting on Wednesday. We are asked whether the proposal is sufficiently beneficial to the neighborhood that we should support the developer’s request to deviate in two ways from applicable regulations. First, the proposal would exceed the applicable height limit. Second, the density of the residential component of the development exceeds the applicable limit. The second section lays out the compromise to resolve the Beltline transit issue. The third section responds to some questions that have been raised regarding the process the IPNA board has followed.

1. The Zoning Issues

The developer asks the neighborhood’s support for its requested height variance. Our historic preservation regulations contemplate that variances up to a certain height can be granted (though they need not be). The proposal’s height is within the limit that we may (but, again, need not) permit.

URBAN CONVERSATIONS: T-SPLOST + MARTA SALES TAX REFERENDA

When October 24, 2016
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location Inman Park Trolley Barn

Event Management Team – Free Registration code required
General Admission – $25.00 (USD)
Your registration fee includes admission to the event, BBQ from Fox Brothers and beverages. A portion of this fee will also be donated to the Inman Park Neighborhood Association.
REGISTER HERE

Join us at the Historic Trolley Barn in Inman Park for a special edition of "Urban Conversations" as we discuss two measures that could help shape the future of Atlanta in a significant way. A team of distinguished city leaders who will explain what two referendums that City of Atlanta residents will vote on November 8. 

October 2016 NPU-N Update

By Rick Bizot Ÿ NPU-N Representative for IPNA Ÿ [email protected]

Notes from the September 22, 2016 meeting: Download the PDF

PRESENTATIONS:

Police Department: Capt. Gorley reinforced that it is good when citizens notify police of suspicious items or activity. MARTA police Sgt. Davis mentioned their “See and Say” app for smartphones.

Another Tree Planting?

Yep, that’s right. Tree Watch will soon be planting more trees in Inman Park. The date is Saturday, January 21, 2017.Here’s your chance to get trees for your yard and/or planting strip. Read on!

No doubt some of you are wondering why we need more trees. You see young trees along our streets, and you may remember me telling you that Inman Park is approaching 1,000 new trees since 2000.

Trust me, though. We do need more trees, especially in our yards. A recent study in Portland found that a single shade tree increased a homeowner’s property value by an average $7,130, not to mention the additional value realized by neighbors — $12,828 altogether. Street trees in Portland added $8,870, on average, to a house’s sale price.

Affordable Housing, The BeltLine, and Inman Park
By Regina Brewer

In 1999, a planning group Inman Park met to create a long- term vision for our residents. A survey was sent out and answered by well over half the neighborhood (quite a feat in those days). We wanted to live here as long as we could, protect our historic buildings, require reasonable, quality designed mixed- use development, and ensure that Inman Park remained affordable. Those goals were codified in the Inman Park local historic district regulations.

At the August IPNA meeting, we discussed the new development at 670 DeKalb Ave that straddles O4W and Inman Park with the Beltline Trail (and future transit) running through it. It is a critical juncture and must be designed and implemented so that it can safely go under the Hulsey Yard (CSX railroads loading and distribution facility) and come out onto Wylie Street. Concern was expressed over the lay out of the transit/trail and that the proposed development might prevent the future implementation of the transit. In regard to the development’s proposed mix of uses, quality of design, and requested height variance, the neighborhood expressed its support and noted that if the transit issues were addressed, the development had the neighborhood’s full support.

At the September meeting Atlanta Beltline Inc CEO Paul Morris and his engineers gave a very thorough presentation and we now know 1) Inman Park can and should express its preference for the ABI straight trail/transit corridor configuration 2) CSX has sovereign immunity and they have to agree to anything that crosses under or over their yard 3) The development as it is currently laid out, with our preferred path/transit configuration, can absolutely allow for future transit to be built. One issue remains. ABI and their engineers have confirmed that the proposed trail/transit tunnel width of 80 feet with the preferred straight configuration can meet all the goals. Ryan Gravel has stated that the trail/transit width should be 105 feet to allow for unforeseen circumstances and have less impact on the outdoor spaces adjacent to the development. It comes down to 25 feet.

The “Elegant” Beltline Solution and Dekalb 670-690

During the presentations on September 21, 2016 at the Trolley Barn, the only thing which became clear was that the issues under discussion reside on three different levels. Those levels need to be separated and understood in order to make informed decisions and votes. Look at the Site Plan.

Level One

Two options for the Streetcar/Light rail solution will be presented to the Federal Government to get major funding and have already been selected.

Option A: the Streetcar/Light rail will run in its own right of way which is principally next to and part of the Beltline pathway and go straight South, underneath Dekalb and the Yard.

Inman Park United Methodist Church is excited to host its very first Merry Artists Market!

We will be featuring local artists with an assortment of crafts, jewelry, ceramics, and edible treats that will be perfect for Christmas gifts. We will have a kid zone so kids can stay busy creating fun Christmas crafts while the parents can relax and shop at the market.