tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34928162307866005292024-02-20T14:14:01.875-05:00Dunwoody USAAll about Dunwoody and Dunwoody homes for sale, from the view of a Springfield resident and real estate agent.Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.comBlogger535125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-58368376654520663712013-11-04T16:28:00.000-05:002013-11-04T16:28:04.931-05:00If You Want A Tax Increase - Vote Clean Sweepers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYd9i3cVbvGJzorTjL2LQh2oi3ERYvE3tbUt1wIOv-xmGSm0xzlGmND86zpssDLaTn0_FdkhmLwspFbdSx2aRO5Xoo1WVVQtpATI4rItjoV3xRdHcqrkJQDVONaXFvZjFfC-yrNARprL8/s1600/Tax+Increase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYd9i3cVbvGJzorTjL2LQh2oi3ERYvE3tbUt1wIOv-xmGSm0xzlGmND86zpssDLaTn0_FdkhmLwspFbdSx2aRO5Xoo1WVVQtpATI4rItjoV3xRdHcqrkJQDVONaXFvZjFfC-yrNARprL8/s200/Tax+Increase.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Did the headline and photo grab your attention? It should. <br />
Full disclosure, the clean sweepers, to my knowledge, are NOT pushing for a tax increase. However, their uninformed policies could very well force the city to increase taxes to pay for the massive legal defense bills that could pile up. <br />
If you've read <a href="http://dunwoodynorth.blogspot.com/2013/11/facts-over-fud-6000-apartments-are-not.html" target="_blank">John Heneghan's blog</a> or that of <a href="http://www.dunwoodyfarmerbob.com/2013/11/the-bullst-continues.html" target="_blank">Dunwoody Farmer Bob</a>, you are familiar with the letter circulated by Tammy Anderson, the wife of dismissed city attorney Brian Anderson. <br />
In a nutshell it insinuates Dunwoody has the means to stop 3,000 apartments from being constructed as part of the High Street project across from the Dunwoody Marta. It implies the current council is not doing anything to prevent the construction, but if elected, that the "clean sweepers" would. <br />
I don't know a whole lot about zoning, but I have spoken directly with those that do. They say without a doubt, following the advise of Tammy Anderson's letter will put the city on the wrong end of a lawsuit that it cannot win. <br />
It's pretty simple. The developers purchased the High Street property because it was zoned high density. The city can work with the developers, and through the use of variances, modify the project and hopefully lower that density. But they cannot flat out change it, as the letter, and the sweepers, would have you believe.<br />
Imagine you and your spouse purchased a home in Dunwoody with the idea of raising a family. A few years after the purchase, the city changes the zoning to limit the number of people per household to two. You'd cry foul, sue the city and win big. <br />
My concern with the sweepers is their lack of knowledge and the unintended consequences. If they had attended council meetings or DHA meeting or zoning meetings prior to running for office, they would have a working knowledge of government, which is vastly different from private business. But they didn't attend any of these meetings. They did not take the time to educate themselves. Basically, they want to go from kindergarten straight to high school. Like a child making such a jump, their chances of succeeding are very small. And unfortunately, it will come at the taxpayers' expense.<br />
Vote Shortal, Wescott & Thompson on Tuesday.<br />
<br />Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-68986626816482885962013-10-29T22:53:00.003-04:002013-10-30T08:04:03.908-04:00Teddy Roosevelt Says Sweep Aside The Clean Sweepers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuL95uZ8cXzpE3Bl0FtyGQaPuMy1W3CORBCZPy1y3JKYJj39vODwWsylDSNNYJgruW24EadAlxBiMqryfaImefjYX2PtgG4cBEWqi6HJLT-ZX5AIG71CgiZsn2R2v_SNNZNEyVzyuXElw/s1600/Teddy+Roosevelt.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuL95uZ8cXzpE3Bl0FtyGQaPuMy1W3CORBCZPy1y3JKYJj39vODwWsylDSNNYJgruW24EadAlxBiMqryfaImefjYX2PtgG4cBEWqi6HJLT-ZX5AIG71CgiZsn2R2v_SNNZNEyVzyuXElw/s200/Teddy+Roosevelt.png" width="164" /></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><em><strong>It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.</strong></em></span></div>
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Teddy Roosevelt</span></em></strong></div>
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The above is an excerpt from a speech entitled "Citizenship In A Republic" by one of the country's great president ,Theodore Roosevelt, in 1910. Truth is, Roosevelt could have delivered this speech today to the citizens of Dunwoody. </div>
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Roosevelt says bully to the critics, let's give credit to the people who are actually doing the work. He said let's applaud those who have spent the long hours volunteering and laboring to make our city the best it can be. He said sure, these "doer of deeds" will make mistakes along the way, but in the end will "triumph." </div>
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Roosevelt was clearly speaking of the Clean Sweepers when he talks about the critics. The sweepers, all good souls to be sure, have put forth hardly an ounce of energy to make this city better. By their own admission they never served on the board of their local swim/tennis club, or church, or charity group, or baseball, football or softball league. They've never been an active member of the DHA - who's mission statement is to protect the homeowners of our fair city - or served as a volunteer in the parade or even attended a city council meeting (until deciding to run for a seat). Besides pointing out the flaws of those doing the work, these Clean Sweepers have done nothing. </div>
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In the same verse, Roosevelt talks about "the man who is actually in the arena." He says this is the man to be praised. This is the one who spent long hours in seemingly endless meetings to create a city or a school system, who woke up long before daylight to ensure the success of the parade, who raked the infield dirt hours before a ballgame at Murphey Candler, who tediously lined the football field, who slaved over the grill at the swim meet or pushed cars up and down a hill to ensure the success of the local soap box races. Roosevelt was talking about Denny Shortal, Doug Thompson and Heyward Wescott. For they have been, without fanfare, the "doer of deeds." </div>
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Do I agree with everything the city has done in its five years? Absolutely not. I think the city manager, while doing an adimirable job, needs more oversight, I feel the mayor, at times, could be less heavy handed, and hiring a traffic official (non-police officer) to handle the congestion at Vermack and Womack is, by far, the best solution for this intersection. However, I feel more comfortable placing those decisions in the hands of folks who have walked the walk, rather than the do-nothing Clean Sweepers, one of whom admitted at a candidate forum to being "asleep at the wheel." </div>
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I know "the doers" will not fall asleep on the citizens of this city. Please don't fall asleep on November 5.</div>
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Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-53604577961162539582013-10-17T13:21:00.001-04:002013-10-17T13:21:32.720-04:00Important Candidate Forum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Okay, it's been about eight months since my last blog - my apologies. I've gotten a little busy on the real estate front and with my hobby - freelancing at CSS (Comcast Sports Southeast) a few nights a week, talking SEC Football. It becomes very addictive! <br />
I did want to get a blog post out reminding you of the important Dunwoody Homeowners' Association candidate forum 7pm Thursday night at the high school auditorium.<br />
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We have an important city council election coming up in November. There's a lot of mis-information being spread, which is why it is important to attend the forum. <br />
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If you know me, it is no secret that I am supporting Heyward Wescott in District 2 (the district in which I live). A city council position is the ultimate in public service to the community, and Heyward has a strong track record in Dunwoody. He was one of the driving forces in starting up the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce and Soap Box Derby. He is a past president and vice president of the Kingsley Racquet and Swim Club. He is the current vice president of the Dunwoody Homeowners' Association. And he is involved in Dunwoody's quest for an independent school district. Heyward's spent a lot of evenings and Saturday mornings rolling up his sleeves for the betterment of the community. He's walked the walk. Meantime, I'm not really sure what his opponents have done. They probably are very nice guys, but in the time they've lived in Dunwoody, what have they done to better the community? It's easy to complain, especially from the family room sofa! <br />
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I hope to see you Thursday night!Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-12296706091663075282013-03-18T13:52:00.002-04:002013-03-18T13:52:23.325-04:00Dunwoody Real Estate Update<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fmls.fusionmls.com/DotNet/Pub/EmailView.aspx?r=1788062368&s=FML&t=FML" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQguJGlm18i7lOm9qYCtOg5YgcZXudaQ9inNIf_W9g-StcIf3I6mvDRj_ch2PvsFnf4du17cutRMQ8mmNi_WpmQ8JHCaceBilk7wHknzzbcP4U1YiiPEY4ITYGmCVde0bqlInY6H0_TX4/s320/MasterBedroom.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4868 Mill Brook Dr. in Springfield</td></tr>
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Someone asked me this weekend, "so, how is the (real estate) market?" For almost five straight years I would answer "fantastic" as I tried to stay positive. Fact of the matter is, and as most of us know, the Dunwoody market, like the rest of metro Atlanta, struggled mightily. Prices reached their peek in the summer of 2007, and had been on a steady decline. <br />
However, the first quarter of 2013 bears all positive news. <br />
I'm a big believer in statistics, and the stats for the first three months of 2013 compared with 2012, are all improvements. Again, this is something we couldn't say the last five-plus years.<br />
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From January 1 through March 1 of 2012, a total of 35 single-family homes sold in Dunwoody (30338, 30360). The average list price was $349,000. The average sales price was $331,000. The average days-on-market was 146. <br />
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From January 1 through March 1 of 2013, a total of 43 single-family homes sold in Dunwoody (30338, 30360). The average list price was $360,000. The average sales price was $349,000. The average days-on-market was 114. That's an increase of 5.2 percent sales price, in 32 less days. In normal market conditions, a homeowner can expect a 4-to-5 percent increase in their home value from year-to-year. All the signs are good.<br />
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Currently, there are 78 active listings in Dunwoody, ranging in price from $924,900 to $215,000. There are 58 other homes under contract (an excellent ratio of active listings to pending listings).<br />
To view any of the active listings, click on the first link below (that includes my newest listing at 4868 Mill Brook Dr. in Springfield. For more information on this home, click on the photo above). To view these listings as a line item report, click on the 2nd link. If you wish to view any of these homes, please contact me <a href="mailto:bobfiscella@kw.com">bobfiscella@kw.com</a> or 404-644-5220.<br />
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<a href="http://fmls.fusionmls.com/DotNet/Pub/EmailView.aspx?r=1841166752&s=FML&t=FML" target="_blank">Active Listings in Dunwoody</a></div>
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<a href="http://fmls.fusionmls.com/DotNet/Pub/GridReportView.aspx?r=346226342&s=FML&t=FML&g=1" target="_blank">Active Listings - Line Item Report</a></div>
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Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-57909618466835803022013-02-25T16:24:00.000-05:002013-02-25T16:27:13.526-05:00Governor Suspends DeKalb Board MembersBy <a href="http://www.ajc.com/staff/greg-bluestein/" target="_blank">Greg Bluestein</a> and <a href="http://www.ajc.com/staff/ty-tagami/" target="_blank">Ty Tagami</a><br />
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOGjso98pfa_TQRtmkykp392rETdAHDIbY0CMdpm_gSRpAEMacrsUxCT54dETkE26KUz1Q41xE_yxwQiHl4IdSBGh2b2gMLKg5_5IVrVXwQtJOGxxN6mzKJBEKagOgibqoO1IQ4rBX3g/s1600/Governor+Deal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gsa="true" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOGjso98pfa_TQRtmkykp392rETdAHDIbY0CMdpm_gSRpAEMacrsUxCT54dETkE26KUz1Q41xE_yxwQiHl4IdSBGh2b2gMLKg5_5IVrVXwQtJOGxxN6mzKJBEKagOgibqoO1IQ4rBX3g/s200/Governor+Deal.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Gov. Nathan Deal said Monday he will suspend six of the nine members of the DeKalb County school board, calling the district’s accreditation crisis a “matter of grave concern” that compelled him to intervene.<br />
At a press conference flanked by members of DeKalb’s delegation, Deal said he would appoint a nominating committee to replace the suspended board members.<br />
“I feel it’s my responsibility to act,” Deal said, adding: “Maybe there’s a better way but the reality is this is the only way open to us now.”<br />
He said he wrestled with the decision to suspend duly elected officials, but ultimately decided he had little other choice.<br />
“The urgency is this: We don’t need to have this cloud hanging over the students and their parents any longer,” he said. “We didn’t take it lightly.”<br />
Several DeKalb lawmakers expressed their support of Deal’s decision, but others said it only plunges the state’s third-largest school district into more uncertainty.<br />
“Now the question is: Who is running the DeKalb Board of Education and how long will it be before they can get a legal vote,” said state Rep. Billy Mitchell, D-Stone Mountain. “This is a difficult road we are going down.”<br />
Click <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/news/state-regional/deal-weighing-dekalb-decision-as-some-press-compro/nWYzj/" target="_blank">Governor Deal</a> to read full story.Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-63161960799363331152013-02-22T01:06:00.001-05:002013-02-25T16:27:41.881-05:00State School Board Votes to Suspend 6 DeKalb Board MembersBy <a href="http://www.ajc.com/staff/ty-tagami/" target="_blank">Ty Tagami</a><br />
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution<br />
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After a grueling 14-hour hearing that lasted until 10 p.m. Thursday night, the Georgia Board of Education voted unanimously to recommend suspending six of the nine members of the DeKalb County school board.<br />
“I just think the culture of poor governance that has been sustained over years has to be broken now,” said state board member Brian Burdette. “And I don’t think there’s any way to do it short of replacing some of these board members.”<br />
Jennifer Hackemeyer, Department of Education general counsel, asked that the suspension not affect the three board members who took office this year.<br />
The rambling hearing sounded at times like a legal proceeding, and at other moments like a confessional. It covered everything from financial mishaps to board member ethics.<br />
At stake are the futures of 99,000 students in Georgia’s third-largest school district.<br />
Click <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/news/dekalb-county-school-board-hearing-a-lengthy-legal/nWWwD/" target="_blank">Georgia Board</a> to read full story.Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-9278432591627828072013-02-20T10:28:00.001-05:002013-02-20T10:50:12.076-05:00Dekalb County School Board at it Again! Mayor's State of the City SpeechBy <a href="http://www.ajc.com/staff/ty-tagami/" target="_blank">Ty Tagami</a><br />
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution <br />
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The DeKalb County school district filed a lawsuit Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to derail a process that could unseat all nine members of the school board.<br />
The action, filed in Fulton County Superior Court by an attorney paid with taxpayer funds, elicited outrage from parents and other observers. The suit seeks a temporary restraining order to prevent a hearing by the Georgia Board of Education on Thursday.<br />
The state board could recommend suspension of the DeKalb board, giving Gov. Nathan Deal authority to remove the DeKalb members under the provisions of a 2011 law.<br />
Click <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/news/breaking-news/dekalb-county-school-board-sues-to-avoid-suspensio/nWScZ/" target="_blank">Ty Tagami at AJC</a> to read the full story.<br />
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<strong>Good question: To spare system and save money, why doesn’t the DeKalb board resign?</strong><br />
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By <a href="http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/about/" target="_blank">Maureen Downey</a><br />
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution<br />
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Today’s AJC story by Ty Tagami gives a great summation of the lawsuit filed yesterday by the DeKalb Board of Education to keep their elected positions by challenging the constitutionality of the law that permits the governor to oust them.<br />
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Taxpayers are underwriting this legal challenge, which is upsetting many DeKalb parents tired of crowded classes and dwindling resources.<br />
As I wrote in a piece yesterday, there may well be good cause to question the state law. But should a costly legal challenge come from DeKalb, a system with a $16 million deficit and a parent community that seems delighted at the prospect of getting rid of its board?<br />
Click <a href="http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2013/02/20/good-question-to-spare-system-and-save-money-why-doesnt-the-dekalb-board-resign/?cxntfid=blogs_get_schooled_blog" target="_blank">Maureen Downey at AJC</a> to read the full story.<br />
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<strong>Dunwoody Talk's Take</strong><br />
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The blogsite Dunwoody Talk also has a take on the school board fiasco - click <a href="http://dunwoodytalk.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dunwoody Talk</a> to read it. I respect Dunwoody Talk's author, Rick Callihan, who's a friend, but I disagree. It's time for the entire DeKalb County School Board to go. I agree, Nancy Jester and Pam Speaks appear to have done everything they possible can, but in order to remove the dead wood, the entire pile has to be burned. And in the case of Nancy and Pam, they can be reappointed by the Governor. It's simply time to remove the board, and hope that when elections are held again, the bad apples don't get re-elected.<br />
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<strong>Mayor's State of the City Speech</strong><br />
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Dunwoody Mayor Mike Davis delivered his State of the City speech last night at the Crown Ravinia. John Heneghan has posted the video of the speech on his <a href="http://dunwoodynorth.blogspot.com/2013/02/listen-to-mayor-mike-davis-of-dunwoody.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DunwoodyNorth+%28Heneghan%3Fs+Dunwoody+Blog%29" target="_blank">blogsite</a> - all 65 minutes! <br />
The mayor did a nice job, but he's got to learn to be more concise. His speech started a little after 7:40pm, and at 8:20 I said, "I gotta go!" So I didn't get to hear the end. <br />
Remember mayor - always leave them wanting more. No one knew that better than Abraham Lincoln. Below is the <strong>entire</strong> text of one of the greatest speeches of all-time, the Gettsburg Address. The speech lasted less than 10 minutes!<br />
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<em>Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. </em></div>
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<em>Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.</em></div>
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<em>But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.</em></div>
Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-18930844740600230952013-02-19T12:21:00.000-05:002013-02-19T12:22:43.053-05:00State of the City<em>Mayor Mike Davis gives his "State of the City" address tonight at the Crowne Ravinia. The public is invited. The mayor will speak of his vision for Dunwoody. I assume much of the mayor's speech will focus on businesses, and in particular, businesses in the PCID. But I'm hoping some of the speech talks abut the residents of Dunwoody and the neighborhoods. Below is the release from the city.</em><br />
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The City of Dunwoody, the Rotary Club of Dunwoody, and Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce proudly present the fourth annual State of the City Address on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia on Ashford Dunwoody Road.<br />
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Dunwoody Mayor Mike Davis will deliver this year’s City address focusing on new goals and opportunities for 2013, growth, economic development and the implementation of key projects in the coming year. <br />
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“In 2012 the City of Dunwoody was actively engaged in the enhancement of our community’s basic needs for public safety and transportation accessibility,” said Mayor Mike Davis. “Our successes over the past year include improvements to our roads and traffic, upgrades of our park amenities, growth of new and existing commercial business and the financial health of our city’s resources. Our vision for the future is to implement the plans and ideas of our community and help Dunwoody become an even better place to live, work and play.”<br />
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This year’s festivities kick off with a public reception beginning at 6:00 p.m. followed by the State of the City Address scheduled for 7:00 p.m. In addition to Mayor Davis, the Rotary Club, the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce and the City are honored to have Bryan Tate, CEO and founder of Digitel as the honored guest speaker. Entry to the State of the City event is free and open to the public. Early arrival is encouraged, as seating and parking will be limited. Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-80250692477598886122013-02-16T11:01:00.002-05:002013-02-16T11:02:51.712-05:00Post from Rep. Tom Taylor<em>Our state representative Tom Taylor asked if I would post the message below. As you may know, Tom is working on a bill that could give cities like Dunwoody the ability to have their own school system, although he warns don't expect that to happen in the near future. </em><br />
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Fellow Citizens,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGczxl7gVWWvij2AvFNsqVB69lbJb0xWit2oy6NWVsxvlp-YchrHe-ve_FvCFDzcOsN097_wG1ONG_c-0gkuRwbbTrYv_WVFW20bgNgIqLg-7ny_02-UKvskaOIw9G7SBIW8OqhaTcJM/s1600/Tom+Taylor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGczxl7gVWWvij2AvFNsqVB69lbJb0xWit2oy6NWVsxvlp-YchrHe-ve_FvCFDzcOsN097_wG1ONG_c-0gkuRwbbTrYv_WVFW20bgNgIqLg-7ny_02-UKvskaOIw9G7SBIW8OqhaTcJM/s200/Tom+Taylor.jpg" uea="true" width="170" /></a>Many of you, especially those with children in DeKalb public schools have contacted me asking how you can participate in what is currently happening with our school system. The fact that SACS has placed the entire DeKalb School system on academic probation, which is only one step from loss of accreditation, is very serious. For more on this, please read my op-ed in the Dunwoody Crier here:</div>
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<a href="http://www.thecrier.net/our_columnists/article_c1eeb360-535e-11e2-8e0d-0019bb2963f4.html">http://www.thecrier.net/our_columnists/article_c1eeb360-535e-11e2-8e0d-0019bb2963f4.html</a><br />
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I recommend that if you feel so inclined, please write a personal letter to Governor Deal and/or the Georgia State Board of Education. Emails are fine, but a personal letter, hand delivered by my office to the Governor or the State BOE guarantees that your thoughts and opinions land where they need to go.<br />
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My Chief of Staff Page Olson will be collecting letters at her home now through next Tuesday, February 19th. She lives at 1148 Redfield Ridge in Dunwoody. She'll have a box at the top of her driveway for your to deposit you letter. Make sure that it is marked to go to either Governor Deal, the State BOE or both. I'll hand deliver to both offices on Wednesday morning the 20th.<br />
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You are all encouraged to come down to the Sloppy Floyd building, 20th floor (across from the Capitol) next Thursday, February 21st at 8am to witness the hearing between our DeKalb BOE and the State Board. You will need a photo ID to get in. If you can't be there in person, watch it streamed live on the Department of Education website:<br />
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<a href="http://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/State-Board-of-Education/Pages/Live-Webcasts.aspx">http://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/State-Board-of-Education/Pages/Live-Webcasts.aspx</a><br />
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Contact my office at any time should you have questions. <br />
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Respectfully,<br />
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Tom Taylor<br />
State Representative, District 79<br />
Office 404.656.0152Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-53389679778368361802013-02-15T11:49:00.002-05:002013-02-15T11:49:46.118-05:00A Great Community Dinner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Need a dinner option for this evening? Give All Saints Church World Famous Knights of Columbus Fish Fry a try - I promise it is one of the best values in Dunwoody! The Fish Fry is now averaging over 1,100 meals every Friday night (5p-8p) during the Lenten season. Catholics and non-Catholics are invited.<br />
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The Fish Fry, now in it's 17th year (my math could be off), has a fabulous menu that includes either crispy fried cod (similar to Long John Silver's, but better), broiled talapia or salmon seasoned to perfection, or crispy fried shrimp - all for $8 (salmon is $9). The price includes two sides, and in the case of the fried meals - hush puppies as well! <br />
And if you're a clam chowder connoisseur, you've got to try the Knight's secret recipe. It was handed down from a popular restaurant in New England - and is to die for! Water and tea is included with the meal, soft drinks, beer and wine are available by donation. All proceeds go to Knights' charities (Special Olympics, the Elaine Clark Center, etc). <br />
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Click on the photo below to watch a Channel 11 story on the Fish Fry.<br />
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Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-35102399602631600712013-02-14T15:34:00.003-05:002013-02-14T15:54:14.151-05:00Happy Valentine's Day; Update from Councilman Nall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>The following update from sent from Councilman Terry Nall (if you are a reader of John Heneghan's blog, you know I'm a day (or two) late on this! </i><br />
<i>I know a lot of folks are upset with council these days (and I still believe those folks are in the vocal minority), but we are better off since becoming a city. If we remained in unincorporated DeKalb County, our taxes would be higher, we'd have less police protection and a lot fewer streets would be paved! Do I agree with everything council does? No, but these three points cannot be argued.</i><br />
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If you received this inadvertently, please click on the "SafeUnsubscribe" link at the bottom or just "reply" and let me know to remove you. If you find this email to be of interest, please forward it to your friends and neighbors. If you received a forwarded copy and wish to subscribe, please email me at terry.nall@dunwoodyga.gov.<br />
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<strong>Dunwoody Village Parkway</strong> <br />
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Despite my efforts to pass an alternative plan, the majority of Council (vote 5-2) concluded the existing parkway plan approved by the 2011 Council is best for Dunwoody's future. This was after careful research and deliberation by my fellow Council Members. The deliberation phase of this project is now over and it is time for implementation. Because of grant funds will subsidize the city's cost, many administrative details are now underway. Construction is tentatively expected for this August, which will avoid the Dunwoody's Independence Day parade.<br />
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<strong>Brook Run Multi-Purpose Trail </strong><br />
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The Dekalb Superior Court injunction that halted this trail construction was lifted by the presiding judge on February 4. The homeowners' lawsuit may continue, but the burden of demonstrating irreparable damages by the trail was not met by the plaintiffs, as determined by the judge. Construction will resume as soon as the contractor re-mobilizes the crew, which is expected mid-February.<br />
I attended each day of the court hearings in order to hear the evidence and arguments of the plaintiffs, as well as hear greater detail from the city's engineers and trail consultants. Every design feature of the trail has a specific rationale behind it. This includes having the trail compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in order to make the trail available to those with disabilities, limited mobility, or other hindrances not faced by able-bodied persons. The final design also allows access by emergency vehicles when needed.<br />
In contrast, the alternative trail design preferred by those who signed a noted petition for presentation to City Council erroneously does not result in ADA compliance and thus, excludes park amenity access by disabled and limited mobility citizens. Some signers noted that they preferred a mulch trail to any paved surface. This would also preclude families with strollers or families with bicycles from enjoying this park amenity.<br />
I do not support citizen exclusivity. Dunwoody is better than that. Our park amenities should be available to all citizens, not just the able-bodied. The petitioners' approach also prevents access by emergency vehicles. All it takes is one medical emergency where the window of survivability is critical and the current trail design will prove invaluable. As with the Dunwoody Village Parkway, the deliberation phase of this project is over and now is time for implementation.<br />
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This past week, the city released an update on the trail that contains the latest information and rationale. I encourage you to read it, as it contains excellent up-to-date information. The release is at this web link: Updated Info About Brook Run Multi-Purpose Trail <br />
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<strong>False Alarm Ordinance </strong><br />
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Council approved the city's first False Alarm Ordinance that affects businesses and residents with alarm company monitored alarm systems. For the last four years, Dunwoody paid the price for having no policy about false alarms. Each year, our police respond to over 4,000 false alarms, which is an average of over 80 per week. This is excessive. We have a modest-sized police force and false alarms tie up officers who would otherwise by available for 911 calls. False alarms are avoidable with intentional system maintenance and attentiveness by alarm owners. Implementation details for the new ordinance will be forthcoming when implementation begins in a few months.<br />
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<strong>Intersection Improvements </strong><br />
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This is a key priority for me. We must ease our intersection congestion as the city population continues to grow and more vehicles are added to our streets. Each intersection project takes an estimated 18-24 months for the entire timeline of preliminary design, final design, bids, easements and right of way acquisition, and finally construction.<br />
The intersection improvement for Tilly Mill, N. Peachtree, and Peeler is now underway with easements and right of way work. Construction is expected to begin either late 2013 or early 2014.<br />
The Vermack/Womack intersection remains in the design phase to incorporate the issues raised during public and neighborhood meetings, as well as other public input received. These two intersections are our first to be considered as we seek to improve 1-2 intersections each year under our "pay-as-you-go" policy.<br />
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With the arrival of 2013, two new intersection improvements to start the conceptual design process include Mt. Vernon at Vermack and Chamblee-Dunwoody at Spalding.<br />
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<strong>2013 Street Paving </strong><br />
Bids have not been received, but the preliminary list of summer road paving and related improvements from our prioritized paving list include the below listed streets. Once bids are received and reviewed, Council will then decide if the below list should be adjusted under our "pay-as-you-go" policy:<br />
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Chamblee-Dunwoody Rd (from Cambridge to Valley View; awarded grant funds)<br />
Chamblee-Dunwoody Rd (from Womack to Roberts)<br />
Mt. Vernon Rd (from Nandina to Vernon Oaks)<br />
Perimeter Center Pl (from Perimeter Center W to Meadow Lane)<br />
Crowne Pointe Pkwy (from Meadow Ln to Perimeter Center W)<br />Meadow Ln (from Ashford-Dunwoody to Crown Pointe Pkwy<br />
Peachford Rd (from Dunbar to N. Peachtree)<br />
Spalding Dr (from Chamblee-Dunwoody to Weldston)<br />
Redfield Ln (from Redfield Dr to end)<br />
Redfield Dr (from Redfield Rd to Redfield Ln)<br />
Redfield Cir (from Redfield Ln to end)<br />
Mill Gate Ct (from Bend Creek to end)<br />
Mill Race Ct (from Mill Trace to end)<br />
Mill Shire Ln (from Dunwoody Club to Mill Glen)<br />
Mill Trace Dr (from Dunwoody Club to Bend Creek)<br />
Trowbridge Dr (from East End to Ball Mill)<br />
Trowbridge Cv (from Trowbridge Dr to end)<br />
Tamworth Ct (from Trowbridge to end)<br />
Ashmont Ct (from Mt. Vernon to end)<br />
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If you have input or suggestions on these or other city topics, please contact me. Also, I am available to present to organizations, church groups, neighborhood associations, etc.<br />
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Terry Nall<br />
Dunwoody City Council (At Large)<br />
Email: <a href="mailto:terry.nall@dunwoodyga.gov">terry.nall@dunwoodyga.gov</a>Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-64907594160211006962013-02-08T11:01:00.002-05:002013-02-08T16:06:16.976-05:00A Long Time ComingWow - it's been almost two months since my last blog post, which is the longest period between posts since I started blogging in 2008. A few things have surfaced since my last post.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Dunwoody Village Parkway</strong></span><br />
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The <a href="http://dunwoody.inalign.com/Libraries/2012_Newsletter_and_PR_Material/10_04_12_Dunwoody_s_Main_Street_Project_-_DVP_FAQ_Handout.sflb.ashx" target="_blank">Dunwoody Village Parkway Project</a> has hit a crescendo - Save Dunwoody signs are everywhere and "redshirts" on a mission flock to city council. <br />
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I don't get it. I don't get the backlash. The city is going to spend approximately $2.4 million, which it has in the budget and <strong>NO</strong> taxes have to be increased, and, of which $1.1 million of that total comes from a federal grant. The idea of the project is to jump-start the village - make it a vibrant city center that has a park, sidewalks and yes even bike paths (I don't ride a bike very often, but in the bigger, long-term picture, I get it).<br />
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I keep hearing the argument that the project will increase traffic flow, as four lanes are narrowed down to two. You know what - it will increase traffic flow - but on a street that <strong>DOESN'T </strong>get much traffic! Hey, if decreasing traffic flow is our number one goal, let's turn Mt. Vernon and Chamblee Dunwoody into four-lane roads. I don't hear much support for that. And rightfully so.<br />
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I also hear the argument that we're cutting down trees. Oh my gosh, wouldn't that be tragic. Com'on - if trees weren't cut down, my house wouldn't be standing, and a strong possibility yours wouldn't, either. Besides, Dunwoody has a No Net Loss of Trees policy. Every tree that is cut down will be replaced. And don't look now, but most of those trees on the parkway are short lifespan fruit trees that will grow back very quickly.<br />
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Look, I have no idea if this project will spur redevelopment of Dunwoody Village. But I do know the chances of redevelopment are much greater if the project takes place. I'd love to see a park in the Village one day. But maybe that's just me.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Womack/Vermack Intersection</span></strong><br />
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I have a little different view on the roundabout at Womack/Vermack. Long-term, a roundabout may very well be the best solution. But short term, I believe the best, most cost-effective solution (one suggested by some of the neighbors) is hire a part-time, safety-trained citizen or official to act as a traffic officer at the intersection. One of the neighbors told me finding retired or off-duty personnel to handle the job would not be a problem (I have no idea). He said the going rate is $35 per hour. At a maximum of three hours per day (1.5 hours in the morning, 1.5 in the evening), the cost would be less than $20,000 a year. It's a no brainer! By the way, I can't help but laugh everytime I see those "Save Womack Vermack Intersection" signs. Are you kidding me? Save babies, save whales, save our second amendment rights. But save an intersection? Really.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">DHA vs City of Dunwoody</span></strong><br />
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Finally, recently <a href="http://www.thecrier.net/talk_back_to_the_crier/article_2b07ee96-6a27-11e2-9c60-001a4bcf887a.html" target="_blank">I read a letter to the editor in <em>The Crier</em></a> by a gentleman who wrote, in part, "It is important to realize that today there is a very close and cozy relationship between the Dunwoody Homeowners Association and the Dunwoody City Council ... Many DHA Board members actively and publically promoted the $60 million bond issues advocated by the Dunwoody City Council that were defeated 2 to 1 in the city election ... Every member of the Dunwoody City Council is also an ex-officio member of the Dunwoody Homeowners’ Association board of directors and at least four of seven members of the Design Review Advisory Committee of the city of Dunwoody are also on the DHA board of directors. These are interlocking directorates that would probably be illegal under the Clayton Act if in private industry. These interlocking directorates clearly establish the very close and cozy relationship between the Dunwoody Homeowners’ Association and the Dunwoody City Council."<br />
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As a member of the DHA board and a past vice president, I can tell you the gentleman is correct, there is a very friendly relationship between the DHA and the city. And every member of city council is an ex-officio member of the DHA. However, no member of the city council is a voting member of the DHA. They are not part of board-only discussions. And while Terry Nall, John Heneghan and Doug Thompson are regular members at the DHA's monthly meetings, Denis Shortal, Lynn Deutsch and mayor Mike Davis are only there on occasion, and I don't recall ever seeing Adrian Bonser at one of our meetings.<br />
I will also tell you that the DHA was very mixed on the park's bonds. Personally, I was vehemently against it and made no secret of my feelings (<a href="http://dunwoodyusa.blogspot.com/search?q=parks%27+bonds" target="_blank">read any of my posts leading up to the vote and you will clearly see that</a>). <br />
By the way, why shouldn't the DHA and city have a great relationship. After all, and despite what some might think, the two entities, for the part, have the same objective - the betterment of Dunwoody!
Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-5399134397322144722012-12-18T11:03:00.000-05:002012-12-18T11:05:35.340-05:00The Case for Multi-Use Trail in Brook Run<em>Yesterday my blog included an editorial piece by former councilman Danny Ross against the city's nearly $1 million expenditure on an impervious concrete trail in Brook Run Park. </em><br />
<em>To be fair, today's post is by bicycle enthusiast Joe Seconder, on why this path is needed.</em><br />
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Why reinvent the wheel? In February 2011, I provided the (linked) material which was posted on Heneghan's Dunwoody Blog. It received plenty of comments & feedback of all sorts. I just wanted to re-post it here for a refresher and reminder. The same facts and thoughts hold true today.<br />
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I detailed an actual trail in Walnut Creek, CA -- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Horse_Regional_Trail" target="_blank">The Iron Horse Trail</a>. When completed, the trial will span 40 miles connecting two counties and nine communities. Interestingly, the demographics of Walnut Creek & Dunwoody are VERY similar. Yet depending on who you speak with in our town, the support or opposition of Multi-Use trails is very DIS-similar.<br />
Click <a href="http://www.bicyclingjoe.com/2012/12/multi-use-trail-research-2011-with-2012.html?m=1" target="_blank">Cycling Joe</a> to read more.Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-14038865018015175092012-12-17T09:04:00.000-05:002012-12-17T09:04:34.503-05:00Is Dunwoody in Need of Cement Trail?<em>Is Dunwoody in need of the nearly $1 million impervious concrete trail that is about to be constructed through Brooke Run Park? I really don't know. Danny Ross, the former city councilman, was among those who initially voted to approve a $30,000 expenditure by the city for a "walking trail." It has since morphed into an entirely different project.</em><br />
<em>Danny asked me to blog the article that he wrote in the </em><a href="http://www.reporternewspapers.net/2012/12/12/former-dunwoody-councilman-all-we-wanted-is-a-walking-trail/" target="_blank"><em>Dunwoody Reporter</em></a><em>. It is certainly worth the read</em>!<br />
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To the editor:<br />
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In just a few days, bulldozers and chain saws are scheduled to arrive at Brook Run Park, one of the last urban forests in our community, to construct the equivalent of one lane of I-285, where speeds of 70 mph are allowed, and in some areas cut down enough trees (a 50-foot-wide swath) to build four lanes on I-285. Over 330 trees will be cut to make way for this so called multi-use trail. It does not make sense!<br />
Two years ago, the city completed a master plan with significant community input. During the development of the plan, the consulting firm conducted a survey and found that the number one desire of the citizens was to have “walking trails” through the park.<br />
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The City Council, of which I was one of the members, authorized the director of parks and recreation to seek out grant funds to construct this trail.<br />
Before becoming a park, Brook Run had previously been home to the Georgia Retardation Center. Many years ago, six-foot trails were built to provide walking paths for the residents. Over the years, these trails deteriorated. In 2011, the city received a $100,000 grant to construct an eight-foot wide trail in the location of the original trails. This made sense. Without cutting any of the urban forest the entire trail (1.3 miles) could be completed and the city would only have to pay $30,000.<br />
Click <a href="http://www.reporternewspapers.net/2012/12/12/former-dunwoody-councilman-all-we-wanted-is-a-walking-trail/" target="_blank">Dunwoody Reporter</a> to read full opinion piece.Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-43406157178200203632012-12-02T11:55:00.000-05:002012-12-02T11:55:50.435-05:00DHA Discusses Village Parkway - Your Chance for InputThe Dunwoody Homeowners Association holds its December meeting tonight, and there are two items on the agenda that should be of great interest to most all of us who live in the city. <br />
The first is discussion of the improvements to Dunwoody Village Parkway. Click on <a href="http://www.dunwoodyga.gov/home/Project-Details/12-09-29/Dunwoody_Village_Main_Street_Project.aspx" target="_blank">Dunwoody Village Parkway</a> to view the plans presented by the city. At this evening's meeting, we will hear from the Dunwoody Village Design Review Committee (separate from the city, chaired by DHA member Bill Robinson) on the improvements it has made to the city's plans (unlike a city council meeting where public input is minimal, at DHA meetings you will have a chance to have your say).<br />
I agree, the city has done a poor job of explaining why the redesign of the parkway is necessary. I believe the city feels, first and foremost, the addition of sidewalks is essential to any redevelopment of the Village - not only for walkers and runners, but for events like the 4th of July parade. If you read <a href="http://www.savedunwoody.com/">www.savedunwoody.com</a>, a simple repaving and restriping of the lanes will do the trick. And to a certain extent, I believe Save Dunwoody is correct. However, it would be a Jerry-rigged solution, and at the end of the day, Dunwoody is a first-class community, and needs a first-class solution. Sure, we would save about $1 million by simply restriping and pruning trees, but the money is already budgeted, and the city is not asking for a tax increase for the improvements. <br />
Is the Design Review Committee's plan an improvement of the city's? I have no idea, but I will be in attendance this evening to find out (the public is welcome and encouraged to attend as well). The DHA meeting is held in Room 4 at the Spruill Cultural Arts Center, which is the building attached to the library. The meeting starts at 7:30pm, and is usually over in 60-90 minutes (you can leave at anytime).<br />
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The second item of interest is discussion of the proposed City of Dunwoody School system. Is this a pie-in-the-sky idea? Sure it is. But so was the city of Dunwoody. And, at the end of the day, having our own school system would increase the value of our homes and community by leaps-and-bounds. I look forward to the discussion.Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-13069681954273063532012-11-16T11:09:00.000-05:002012-11-16T22:25:54.614-05:00Odds & Ends<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A reminder that the DHA's Light Up Dunwoody is this Sunday from 3pm to 6pm at the Farmhouse. Santa will be there with his live reindeer (as always a great photo opportunity) as well as face painting, cookie decorating and singing of carols. The Christmas tree and Farmhouse will be lit at 5:45pm. Click on the photo below to watch Good Morning Atlanta at the farmhouse Friday - and yes, a guest appearance by yours truly!<br />
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<strong>Womack/Vermack Intersection & More</strong><br />
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Kudos to Dunwoody City Council, which earlier this week voted 5-1 to continue with the design improvements for the Womack/Vermack intersection. The vote does not mean that a roundabout will necessarily happen, but that the design work will continue as the city tries to make the intersection more traffic-friendly and pedestrian-friendly. The project would not be moving forward without the hard work of councilman Terry Nall, who understands that council just can't "stick its head in the sand" when it comes to solving traffic congestion issues. I also have to give credit to Terry for broaching the possibility of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5XfvZ2qdiM&ytsession=Lp-1MF2SrRzhKhgXVl7JkonOXqqEnQzdvqppb8IBxVtITR235qWJU-QFCBr7wQ2F8JGLY3qElmbGq51nn6cWL0R5Kruf1BFDLiSOnAu-qt30yDov1LJOnkkS0ZRhX-O0vayutF8zPvxw9a8U8PNiKeYPbxHMBnxAvhd4UyTl7w7m4h9EjCSpXFB-hNcIhEkbZ4jd-IDeAA-RS0h5LfpnAY3lCzRJ6_H8g8is5poWK3w" target="_blank">Dunwoody having its own school system</a> (click on link to watch video). Is it likely to happen anytime soon? No, but why not get the ball rolling? It will never happen unless someone takes the first step. Great job Terry!Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-67258606765390648682012-11-11T23:01:00.000-05:002012-11-12T08:55:46.278-05:00Womack/Vermack; Update from Councilman ShortalDunwoody city council meets on Monday night, and one of the item added to the agenda is discussion of the Womack/Vermack intersection. Kudos to the councilor (Terry Nall, I presume) that got this item added, as it gives council a chance to redeem itself for its faulty actions at the last council meeting.<br />
In my last blog post, I didn't do a great job of explaining what council actually did at the October 29th meeting. <br />
By a 4-3 margin, council voted to <span lang="EN">remove the remainder of the design funding of an intersection improvement at Vermack/Womack road. Council did this despite the fact that the designs were not complete, and that the Comprehensive Transportation Plan called for much needed improvements as congestion at this intersection is among the worst in Dunwoody.</span><br />
<span lang="EN">The four councilors reasons for voting against the funding were, quite frankly, confusing and without merit. Two councilors said they heard from their constituents (fact is, the only folks they likely heard from was the small, vocal group of neighbors who live near the intersection, that spoke at the Oct. 29th council meeting), another said let's "kick the can down the road," while the last said it was for financial reasons. Apparently all four have little interest in fixing "what needs to be fixed." Why else would they vote against funding that was already in the budget, and on a project that was noted as a "priority" in the Comprehensive Plan? At the very least, let's hire an off-duty safety patrol official for 3 hours a day at $35 an hour.</span><br />
Let's hope council has the courage to make the right decision on Monday night.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Update from Councilman Shortal</span><br />
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<em>Below is an email update from councilman Denis Shortal. I appreciate the General sending out these updates, but it would have been nice to hear why he voted against the funding above!</em><br />
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My fellow citizens …, the following is an update of some items of interest ...<br />
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<strong>1. Recycling Fees</strong> ... Correction/clarification .... Below is the info I sent out on my last update. It is true that the "blue box" and the initial 100 "blue bags" are free. After you use up your initial two year supply of "blue bags" you can contact DC for a resupply but, there will be a charge of $15 for an additional 100 "blue bags" ... these additional bags will be delivered to your home within about 10 days. Recycling is still a bargain. <br />
"The DeKalb County (DC) Commission voted last week to remove the $30 recycling fee thus making recycling free. The Blue Box Recycling Brigade should now grow by leaps and bounds. You still must sign up for recycling so that DC can properly route the truck to you area on "recycling day." To sign up for recycling service call 404-294-2900 or email to ... <a href="mailto:sanitation@co.dekalb.ga.us">sanitation@co.dekalb.ga.us</a>. It takes about a week or so for DC to drop off your Blue Recycling Box and a 100 Blue bags. A 100 bags should last you about two years and when you start to run low on bags just call DC and reorder. I am a late convert to recycling but I can tell you it is a win/win situation. Your current annual DC sanitation fee is $265 - this has been the fee since 2006 and as you know you pay this when you pay your annual property taxes."<br />
<strong>2. Veteran's Day</strong> ... Dunwoody will celebrate Veteran's Day this coming Monday, 12 NOV 2012, at the Brook Run Park Veterans Memorial at 1:00 PM. The ceremony features the Marine Color Guard from H&S Bn, 4th MLG, Marietta, GA, guest speakers ... COL Charles Guta, USA (RET) and our very own Corporal William "Blake" Yeargin, SCNG - you may also know him as Officer Yeargin of our Dunwoody Police Department - who has recently returned from a deployment in Afghanistan. I hope to see a large number of our patriotic citizen attend to give thanks for our freedom by honoring our Veterans.<br />
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<strong>3. Marine Corps Birthday</strong> ... Keeping with a military theme, tomorrow, 10 NOV 2012, Marines around the globe will be celebrating the 237th Birthday of the U. S. Marine Corps. Have no doubt that this is a special day for me and all Marines. I attended a celebration last night and today at 1130 and will be at a Marine Corps Birthday Ball in west Georgia tomorrow night. Happy Birthday to all you Marine Warriors and Semper Fidelis.<br />
<strong>5. Paving</strong> ...With the completion of the paving on Mt Vernon Rd last week all the paving projects for 2012 are now complete. Acadia Builders came to the city and offered to pay 2/3 of the cost of installing new curb, gutter and sidewalk to Layfield Dr and we accepted the offer. (My note ... to me that was an easy and sound financial decision.) This enabled us to widening Mt Vernon Rd all the way to Layfield Dr which is just a few feet from our western city boundary. In paving the name of the game is quality and in my opinion again this year we received a quality paving job across the spectrum. My thanks to our Public Works Director, Michael Smith and his staff for another outstanding job. Michael, you are a tremendous asset to the citizens of Dunwoody. <br />
<strong>6. More Paving</strong> ... We were recently awarded a $640,000 grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission for the infrastructure and paving funds for Chamblee Dunwoody Road between Cambridge and Valley View. This grant came up on a short notice and thru the professional work of Michael Smith with the assistance of Ted Rhinehart of DeKalb County we were awarded the grant. To be eligible for this grant the project had to be on the planning schedule and be a multi-mode transportation project (cars, pedestrians and bicycles). We are anticipating funding for construction for next year. <br />
A personal note on grants ... if I ran the federal government there would not be any grants especially in light of the fact the government is financially broke. However, I don't run the government and there are grants available and I think it is financially prudent to aggressively pursue ever available grant. Remember if we don't get the grant then some other city will and I can assure you the grant money will be spent .... not saved. At least this way our citizens would get some return of the tax dollars we pay to higher government levels. <br />
<strong>7. More Paving</strong> ... At our last City Council Meeting a citizen who lives on Vernon Oaks Dr chastised the City Council and Public Works Dir. for the method and the paving of his street. I don't know if he was speaking for all the neighbors or just himself. Now folks, I have heard a lot of outlandish things in the 4+ years we have been working to make this a better city but that was the most astonishing and surprising statements that I have heard. Suffice to say, if your street is on the paving list please notify us if you don't want it paved. I assure you there are hundreds of street where thousands of our citizens live, including me and my neighbors, that would give their "right shoe" to have their street paved.<br />
<strong>8. Light Up Dunwoody</strong> ... The annual family friendly event, Light Up Dunwoody Christmas Village, takes place on Sunday, 18 NOV, from 3 PM to 6 PM. The lighting of the tree will take place at 5:45 PM. The center of the activities will be in the area of the Farm House. Santa and the Elves will be there and there will be plenty of photo opportunities … so bring your camera. Admission is free ... you can't best that deal. There are plenty of community volunteer opportunities ... please contact Pam Tallmadge @ 770-393-9647 or pam.tallmadgega.us.<br />
<strong>9. That is all for today</strong>. Please pass this on to all your friends, neighbors, members of your HOA or anyone else you think maybe interested. If anyone would like to be added to my email list please let me know and I will make that happen. Thanks for your continued support and input. <br />
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Let Us Continue To Build Our City Together<br />
<br />
Denny Shortal<br />
Dunwoody City Council, District One, Post-1<br />
Mayor Pro Tem<br />
<a href="mailto:denis.shortal@dunwoodyga.gov">denis.shortal@dunwoodyga.gov</a><br />
PH (O) 678-382-6700 (C) 678-246-9006 Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-50252915954109953002012-11-05T12:10:00.002-05:002012-11-05T15:00:48.157-05:00Vote; Womack/Vermack Intersection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Tuesday is Election Day - don't forget to vote! There is much more on the ballot than the presidential race. To view a sample Dunwoody ballot, click on the image below.</div>
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<strong>Womack/Vermack Intersection</strong><br />
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Despite the recommendation from staff, last week Dunwoody City Council voted to do nothing to alleviate the congestion at the Womack/Vermack Intersection. It was a 4-3 vote against the improvements, with Councilors Deutsch, Bonser, Heneghan and Shortal voting to keep this hazardous, congested intersection like it is. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why. Hopefully they didn't cave to the pressure applied by a small, but vocal group of neighbors who spoke before council prior to the vote.<br />
The roundabout project proposed by staff will not only minimize the congestion at this intersection, but make it safer for pedestrians and bikers (folks at a dangerous intersection near Emory University had the same concerns a few years back, but since a roundabout was constructed, they have become believers and now extoll the virtues of the improvements).<br />
Council Terry Nall has done more homework on this than any other council member, and is pushing for the project to be funded next year. The Dunwoody Homeowners Association unanimously approves the <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">city's continuing of the design process of this intersection, and the roundabout has the support of Dunwoody High School principal Noel Maloof, as well as Dunwoody resident and former mayoral candidate Bob Dallas, who is the former </span>Director of the state's Office of Highway Safety. <br />
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For more on council's head-scratching actions on this intersection, read <a href="http://www.kerry4dunwoody.com/2012/11/the-hypocrisy-of-some-council-members.html" target="_blank">I'm Just Sayin' Dunwoody</a>, <a href="http://www.dunwoodyfarmerbob.com/2012/11/the-roundabout-vocal-minority-sings-off.html" target="_blank">Dunwoody Farmer Bob</a> and <a href="http://dunwoodytalk.blogspot.com/2012/10/heshe-who-screams-loudest-wins-in.html" target="_blank">Dunwoody Talk's</a> blog posts. They are much more direct in their indictment of council on this vote. Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-41694092048841950912012-10-20T13:46:00.002-04:002012-10-20T13:46:53.876-04:00Dunwoody Welcomes Sen. Isakson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cm.dunwoodycommerce.org/Events/details/chamber-event-annual-meeting-2012-1005" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="119" nea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G5GvPsjCRaU/UILiX7_26DI/AAAAAAAACws/9ggDWjayOEw/s320/Dunwoody+Chamber.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce's Fall Gala is this Monday night from 5pm-9pm at the South Terraces, featuring keynote speaker, Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson. The event is open to the public. Click on the photo above for more information. <br />
The event is a great chance to network with fellow Dunwoody business owners and residents. Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-14313892001034365492012-10-06T18:17:00.001-04:002012-10-06T18:24:05.875-04:00DHA To Discuss Womack/Vermack Intersection<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on agenda to enlarge</td></tr>
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Above is the agenda for the DHA's October meeting at 7pm, Sunday at the Spruill Center for the Arts next to the Dunwoody Library. The item that has my attention is discussion of the Womack/Vermack intersection (city renderings below). City staff appears to be pushing for a roundabout to replace the flashing red light. I'm okay with a roundabout as opposed to a traditional stop light, however, I am concerned about pedestrian safety - more specifically the safety of the kids walking to school in the morning and afternoon. I'm anxious to hear what staff has to say. I'm also not thrilled with all the added pavement extending from the roundabout along both Womack and Vermack. If you live near the intersection, please plan to attend the meeting. <br />
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Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-67636173704115564882012-10-03T10:48:00.003-04:002012-10-03T10:48:38.820-04:00Dunwoody Football Pancake Breakfast; Update from Councilman Shortal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Update from Councilman Shortal</span></strong><br />
<br />
<em>I'm a day late in getting out Councilman Shortal's update, but it is below and a good read, nonetheless. Nice to see DeKalb County drop the charge for recycling!</em> <br />
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My fellow citizens …, the following is an update of some items of interest ...<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>1. Recycling Fees ...</strong> The DeKalb County (DC) Commission voted last week to remove the $30 recycling fee thus making recycling free. The Blue Box Recycling Brigade should now grow by leaps and bounds. You still must sign up for recycling so that DC can properly route the truck to you area on "recycling day." To sign up for recycling service call 404-294-2900 or email to ... sanitation@co.dekalb.ga.us. It takes about a week or so for DC to drop off your Blue Recycling Box and a 100 Blue bags. A 100 bags should last you about two years and when you start to run low on bags just call DC and reorder. I am a late convert to recycling but I can tell you it is a win/win situation. Your current annual DC sanitation fee is $265 - this has been the fee since 2006 and as you know you pay this when you pay your annual property taxes. <br />
<strong>2. Zoning Rewrite Update Public Meeting ...</strong> This meeting will take place tonight night, 2 OCT, at your City Hall at 7 PM. I strongly believe that the Zoning Rewrite is the most important task we have undertaking since becoming a city. This is all about what we want our city to be in the future. Very honestly I think the attendance at our public meetings is rather poor but tonight night I hope you will come out and pack the Council Chambers. Don't worry about all the formal zoning language ... just come out and write down your bullet item in layman's terms. By getting involved early you will know what is going on prior to us passing the new City Zoning Ordinance ... if all goes according to plan the ordinance should be voted on in 2013. For me, protection and preservation of our residential areas is high on my list. <br />
<strong>3. Walk to School ...</strong> Tomorrow, Wed - 3 OCT, is a walk to school day. I will be walking with my usual group to Austin School ... this group leaves Mellow Mushroom in Dunwoody Village at 7:15 AM. Walking to school is a win/win situation. More exercise for our children, helps curb the obesity problem of our youth, less traffic and thus less car pollution. Wherever you live I highly recommend joining the children and parents who are walking in your area. FYI, walk to school is always the first Wednesday of every month. <br />
4. City Council (CC) October Meeting Dates ... As a reminder, the CC meetings have been changed to the 15th and 29th of OCT (the 3rd and 5th Monday) ... this was due to a scheduling conflict. <br />
<strong>5. Security ...</strong> Remember you are the "eyes and ears" of our Dunwoody Police. Recently in our neighborhood an alert neighbor saw two suspicious men pull into his neighbor driveway and walk around to the back of the house. He knew the neighbors weren't home and called 911 .... after a foot chase our outstanding police officers arrested both of the suspects and they are now in jail. These suspects have been implicated in other burglaries in Dunwoody and surrounding cities. The key to security is all of us should know when our neighbors are normally not home and when they are out of town. Then if you see something going on that doesn't pas the "smell test" call 911 ASAP ... don't hesitate as you will not be bothering our police but rather assisting them keeping the "bad guys" out of our area. <br />
<strong>6. More Security ...</strong> While major crimes have decreased in Dunwoody, car break-ins are on the rise. Folks, I have hit this issue many times in my updates. By my estimate we can reduce car break-ins by 50% if we just took a couple of extra seconds to ensure we have nothing of valve in our cars that can be seen from the outside. All that the predators are looking for when they walk by your car is something of value .... if they don't see something they move on but if they do see something of value they will break into your car and are gone in a few second ... and you will be the victim. Fellow citizens, please help our Dunwoody Police, and yourselves, by enacting this security tip in your everyday actions. <br />
<strong>7. 2013 Budget ...</strong> The Dunwoody Budget Committee - I am one of the three members — met last Friday to discuss the 2013 City Budget. Although I believe we made some good decisions there are areas that I believe are of high expenditure concern. Some of these areas of concern are:<br />
Completing Phase II of the Brook Run Park Trail in 2013 ... If we wait until 2014 there is a better possibility of our $7 million park bond suit be adjudicated making these funds, that can only be used in Brook Run, available<br />
The size of the increase in the police budget ... approx. $735,000 ... some of these increases I agree with as necessary ... other increases are excessive<br />
The size of pay increase for city employees ... I firmly believe we can give our employees a pay increase for the fourth straight year ... but I think a 4% increase is excessive<br />
The budget is on our city website (dunwoodyga.gov) for your review and the budget public hearing will take place at the CC meeting on 15 OCT with the final vote at the CC meeting on 29 OCT <br />
<strong>8. Dunwoody Woman's Club (DWC) Home Tour ...</strong> This annual event, which takes place tomorrow, 3 OCT, raises money for many charity causes in our area. For complete information about the Home Tour go the DWC website at ... http://www.dunwoodywomansclub.org. You can buy a tickets from DWC members, various shop around town and at the door of the homes on the tour. Advance tickets are $25. At one of the homes you may know the folks that are parking cars.<br />
<strong>9. Home Owners Associations (HOAs) ....</strong> I will be speaking at a HOA on October 8. I will be glad to speak to any HOA in Dunwoody ... just let me know a time and place.<br />
<strong>10. That is all for today.</strong> Please pass this on to all your friends, neighbors, members of your HOA or anyone else you think maybe interested. If anyone would like to be added to my email list please let me know and I will make that happen. Thanks for your continued support and input. <br />
<br />
Let Us Continue To Build Our City Together<br />
<br />
Denny Shortal<br />
Dunwoody City Council, District One, Post-1<br />
Mayor Pro Tem<br />
<a href="mailto:denis.shortal@dunwoodyga.gov">denis.shortal@dunwoodyga.gov</a><br />
PH (O) 678-382-6700 (C) 678-246-9006 <br />
Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-46132341207104683992012-09-21T11:12:00.001-04:002012-09-21T11:12:11.376-04:00Vermack/Womack Intersection Improvements<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I spent a few minutes at Dunwoody High School last night talking with city officials about the two proposals to alleviate the traffic congestion during rush hours at the Vermack/Womack intersection. One proposal is a roundabout (above). The other is a traffic light (below). The cost of the projects range from $600,000 to just north of $1,000,000. <br />
Either project will solve the traffic issues, but not without creating other problems - mainly safety concerns for children walking to school, and encroaching on neighboring properties. And, oh yea, there's the price tag.<br />
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After speaking with city officials and neighbors, the latter who seem unanimous in opposition to either proposal, I believe the most cost-effective solution is the best solution (one not suggested by the city, but some of the neighbors) - hire part-time safety-trained personal to act as traffic officers at the intersection. One of the neighbors told me finding retired or off-duty officials to handle the job would not be a problem (I have no idea). He said the going rate is $35 per hour. At a maximum of four hours per day (two in the morning, two in the evening), the cost would be less than $30,000 a year. <br />
<br />
Not only would this plan be prohibitively more cost effective, but likely do a better job in alleviating traffic issues. It definitely would be safer than either of the city's proposals (and city officials will tell you that safety needs to come first). <br />
I know the city spent in excess of $100,000 to perform a study and hire a company to come up with their two proposals, but to me, the neighbors' solution is far superior. At the very least, the city should test this plan to determine if it works. The cost would be minimal. Why not at least give it a shot? And, if it works, it would give city officials an additional $600,000-$1,000,000 to <strike>waste</strike> spend on their beloved makeover of Dunwoody Village Parkway!<br />
Just my two-cents worth.Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-64374648668247822822012-09-19T16:24:00.003-04:002012-09-19T16:24:36.026-04:00Councilman Update and Ethics Board Meeting<em>The following is an update from Councilman Terry Nall. I am particularly interested in the Vermack/Womack intersection meeting, as I don't live far from there and am very familiar with the heavy congestion during both morning and afternoon rush hours. It's too bad this project is not higher on the list of the city's priorities and has to take a backseat to the mess that is Dunwoody Village Parkway. Whatever happened to "fixing what needs fixing!" </em><br />
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<strong>Upcoming City Council Meetings at 7:00pm </strong><br />
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<br />
September 24<br />
October 15 <span style="color: red;">(note this one-time change to 3rd Monday)</span><br />
October 29 <span style="color: red;">(note this one-time change to 5th Monday)</span><br />
<br />
<strong>Project Renaissance Parks and Trail </strong><br />
<br />
Two additional public meetings are scheduled to hear your input for the design of the four public parks and trail within the 35-acre Project Renaissance development in Georgetown. These additional meetings are during the day in an effort to reach those who are unable to attend night meetings.<br />
<br />
Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at 9:30am-11:00am AND 3:30pm-5:30pm<br />
Dunwoody Public Library; 5339 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road<br />
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<strong>Vermack Road & Womack Road Intersection</strong> <br />
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A public meeting is scheduled to share your feedback about the design possibilities for the Vermack/Womack intersection improvement:<br />
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Thursday, September 20, 2012 at 6:00pm - 8:00pm<br />
Dunwoody High School Cafeteria <span style="color: red;">(Note the revised location)</span><br />
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The two conceptual designs include a traditional traffic light and a roundabout. After an advance view of the designs, I personally favor the roundabout design for these reasons:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Retains a 24-hour traffic calming effect on Womack and Vermack - all cars will slow down to 15 mph to proceed through it</li>
<li>Has a protected pedestrian island so a pedestrian crosses just one travel lane at a time - a vast improvement over today's configuration</li>
<li>Involves the least amount of right of way acquisition</li>
<li>Reduces potential for head-on and t-bone crashes</li>
<li>Retains the neighborhood look and feel</li>
<li>Improves the efficiency of the intersection, but doesn't add additional capacity for volume</li>
<li>Offers the best intersection improvement ratings for the projected over the next 25 years</li>
<li>Less expensive than the traffic light design option.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Zoning Code Rewrite </strong><br />
<br />
Module 2 of the Zoning Code Rewrite Project will be ready for public input in early October. You're invited to attend the public meeting of this next module and share your thoughts. More information about the entire project is at <a href="http://www.zoningdunwoody.com/">www.zoningdunwoody.com</a>.<br />
<br />
Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 7:00pm<br />
City Hall, Council Chambers; 41 Perimeter Center East<br />
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<strong>A Message from Dunwoody Police </strong><br />
<br />
September 14th at about 3:30 PM a 14-year old student from Dunwoody High school reported that as he was walking home from school on Manhasset Dr, a white Nissan Frontier 2 door pickup drove up to him. He said the passenger of the truck asked if he wanted a ride. The DHS student was savvy enough to immediately walk up to the nearest home and call his parents and 911. The Nissan continued toward Manhasset Dr and Mt. Vernon Rd and was not seen again. Officers were in the area within minutes but did not locate the suspects.<br />
Talk with your children, even the older ones, and make sure they know what to do in the event something like this happens to them. It was very smart of the student in this case when he walked up to the nearest house and got on his cell phone. Encourage students to walk with friends. Children should never approach strange vehicles or people. In fact, take several steps away from strangers and their vehicles. Call 911 and report any and all suspicious people and or vehicles immediately.<br />
If you have input or suggestions on these or any other City Council issues, please let me know. I am available to organizations, church groups, neighborhood associations, etc. that desire a City Council member to attend and provide in-person updates.<br />
<br />
Terry Nall<br />
Dunwoody City Council (At Large)<br />
Email: <a href="mailto:terry.nall@dunwoodyga.gov">terry.nall@dunwoodyga.gov</a> <br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Ethics Board Meets</span></strong><br />
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The Dunwoody Board of Ethics met last night and recommended City Council sort out the mess before having any formal hearings. The board also dismissed charges against all council members except Adrian Bonser and Mayor Mike Davis. I'm guessing the charge against the mayor will be dismissed in the near future as well. <br />
For more on how the hearing went, read the <a href="http://www.reporternewspapers.net/2012/09/19/ethics-board-pushes-dunwoody-city-council-to-seek-mediation/" target="_blank">ethics story</a> in the Dunwoody Reporter or check out Kerry de Vallette's blog at <a href="http://www.kerry4dunwoody.com/" target="_blank">I'm just sayin' Dunwoody.</a><br />
I was unable to make last night's meeting, but I do want to go to one to see how the board operates. However, when Kerry uses words like "laborious" to describe last night's meeting, it doesn't sound like I'm missing much!<br />
Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-19595894027076862832012-09-05T00:07:00.000-04:002012-09-05T00:42:30.580-04:00Update from Councilman Nall<em>The following update was provided by Councilman Terry Nall. It is a partial update, as Terry sent it out on Monday, and my apologies, I'm just now getting it posted so I have omitted the dated materials. </em><br />
<em>I'm glad to see council finally get around to talking about possible traffic congestion improvements to the Vermack/Womack intersection. I'd love to see some talk about improvements along Mt. Vernon Rd., as well. These are roads/intersections that are more pressing, unlike Dunwoody Village Parkway, which was not on any one's radar until the council brought it up in the last year or so. Quite frankly, I never heard anyone talk about changes to DVP in the first 16 years I lived in Dunwoody! It seems the only reason we are even talking about Dunwoody Village Parkway is because we have secured federal and state grants. It's as if the city painted itself into a corner with these grants, and now is basically forced to spent $1 million of capital improvement funds, unnecessarily. Granted, at some point in time, Dunwoody Village Parkway probably needs to be addressed concerning redevelopment of the Village. But not now. Just one humble voter's opinion. </em><br />
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<strong>Vermack Road & Womack Road Intersection Public Meeting </strong><br />
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Continuing with City Council's desire to make substantial traffic congestion improvements, a public meeting is scheduled to share your feedback about the design possibilities for Vermack/Womack intersection as noted below:<br />
<br />
Thursday, September 20, 2012 at 6:00pm - 8:00pm<br />
City Hall - Council Chambers; 41 Perimeter Center East<br />
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<strong>Dunwoody Village Parkway </strong><br />
<br />
Last Monday, the Council divided on the vote to continue with the original scope of the Dunwoody Village Parkway project, which was designed, funded, and approved by last year's Council. The project includes tearing out the parkway median, reducing lanes of traffic, and adding dedicated bike lanes and sidewalks for a total cost of over two million dollars to be funded from Federal and State grants and capital improvement funds from the City of Dunwoody.<br />
Though some elements of the project have merit, such as the much needed sidewalks, I believe the parkway project is not our highest priority at this time in light of the other infrastructure priorities we face. However, the City ran the risk of blacklisting from future grants if we cancelled the plan completely.<br />
I recommended a compromise plan, as reported in the August 29 issue of the Crier (<a href="http://www.thecrier.net/news/article_47d0767e-f11e-11e1-a1d4-001a4bcf887a.html" target="_blank">click here</a>) that would not add dedicated bike lanes as the traffic counts do not warrant it, save the median and its landscaping (after proper pruning), add sidewalks and streetscapes, and avoid $300,000 of the median demolition cost.<br />
After much discussion, the final vote was 5-2 in favor of continuing with the project as previously approved by last year's Council. While I did not share my colleagues' vision and votes, we remain colleagues and neighbors both before and after Council meetings. On this issue, we simply agree to disagree.<br />
This parkway work will not begin until after the July 4, 2013 parade.<br />
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<strong>Fire/Rescue Service</strong><br />
<br />
This year, Dekalb County increased its millage rate for Fire/Rescue service from 2.70 to 3.29 mills. This is an annual increase of 22% and a 30% increase over the last two years. DeKalb County also relocated out of Dunwoody its fire/rescue ambulance unit that was stationed at the Roberts Drive Fire Station 12.<br />
At last Monday's Council meeting, we learned the average Dekalb Fire/Rescue response time in Dunwoody for the first six months of 2012 (measured from when a citizen first contacts ChatComm 911 to when the first fire/rescue unit arrives) is almost 11 minutes. Because this is just an average, some Dunwoody residents receive a much longer response time. In my opinion, that's not acceptable in life-threatening situations where the "window of opportunity" for optimum care is half this time. At my request, the city manager is researching the many fire district service models available to Dunwoody. More on this public safety initiative is to come later this year.<br />
If you have input or suggestions on these or any other City Council issues, please let me know. I am available to organizations, church groups, neighborhood associations, etc. that desire a City Council member to attend and provide in-person updates.<br />
<br />
Terry Nall<br />
Dunwoody City Council (At Large)<br />
Email: terry.nall@dunwoodyga.gov Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492816230786600529.post-36892141958620427142012-08-21T22:40:00.002-04:002012-08-21T22:40:51.055-04:00Odds & Ends<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow - I cannot believe it's been 15 days since my last post. That's the longest I've gone between posts since I started blogging four years ago. I'll never be a threat to John Heneghan's record number of post in one year (in 2009, John had 534 posts. My record is 131 in 2010). <br />
A lot has happened since my last blog. Dunwoody real estate has caught fire, at least comparatively speaking. I have two Dunwoody proper listings, and both went under contract. One was under contract in less than two weeks, the other had multiple offers. I also have a buyer under contract on a home in Dunwoody North. And I even have an offer on my $1,200,000 listing on the Dunwoody side of Sandy Springs (click on photo above to view more pictures and listing details of this fabulous home on the Hooch). Other agents are experiencing similar results. Now if we can just get prices up!!!<br />
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<strong>Butterfly Festival</strong><br />
<br />
I went to my first <a href="http://www.dunwoodynature.org/Butterfly-Festival" target="_blank">Butterfly Festival at the Dunwoody Nature Center</a> on Saturday and it was fabulous! In 18 years living in Dunwoody, this is the first time I've attended. Truth be told, I didn't even know the festival existed until DNC Executive Director Alan Mothner asked me if our All Saints' Knights of Columbus would volunteer to grill hot dogs and help as servers. Alan - it was a lot of fun. My guys estimated they grilled up almost 700 franks!<br />
<br />
<strong>DeKalb Tax Bill Snafu</strong><br />
<br />
Oh, how I love DeKalb County. Last year I filed an appeal of my property taxes. Finally, in May of this year, I received a postal notification of my hearing. The only problem was, I received it two days <strong>AFTER</strong> the hearing!<br />
The hearing was rescheduled, and when I finally had my day in court (so to speak), I got $52,000 knocked off my assessment, and in the process froze my taxes for the next couple of years.<br />
Well last week I received my tax bill for 2012, and lo and behold, the $52,000 had magically reappeared! DeKalb tells me it was an error, and that my mortgage company will be notified. Like I said, I love DeKalb County!<br />
<br />
<strong>Bad Press for Dunwoody PD</strong><br />
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It hasn't been a good week for the Dunwoody Police Department. Chief Billy Grogan's staff is feeling the heat for not treating Andrea Sneiderman as a suspect in her late husband Rusty's murder right from the get-go. The Atlanta Journal Constitution has <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/critics-dunwoody-police-took-1502222.html" target="_blank">called the department</a> to task.<br />
I remember when the murder happened, my neighbor blurted out, "you watch, the wife is involved." Even he knew! I'm not sure if the DPD handled this in the correct manner, but I'm willing to give the department a pass. Dunwoody Police have done too much right to let this drag the department down. <br />
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<strong>Bob - You Da Man</strong><br />
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Finally, I'm tired or reading follow up comments on the Crier, the Patch, the Dunwoody Reporter and other blog sites slamming Bob Lundsten for going public on an executive session leak. Here's a guy that's done more for the Dunwoody community than all of those nameless critics combined. He was a past president of the DHA spending countless volunteer hours ensuring we had the best zoning possible (under DeKalb County), was responsible for <a href="http://dunwoody.patch.com/articles/dunwoody-officer-saves-life-using-aed" target="_blank">lifesaving portable defibrillators</a> in every Dunwoody Police car and was a large part of the creation of the <a href="http://dunwoodygarden.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Dunwoody Community Garden at Brook Run</a>, which donates thousands of pounds of food to the needy every year. Bob thanks for standing up for what you believe in and walking the walk. I owe you a breakfast at Old Hickory House!Bob Fiscellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02622029302685035787noreply@blogger.com6