DR Horton Townhomes Approved

The DR Horton townhome project was approved by the DeKalb Board of Commissioners Feb. 25. This project, near the corner of Covington and Young Road, will add 324 townhomes to the area over the next 3 – 5 years. People are concerned about the housing growth along Covington Highway, but more homes means more people – and that is what attracts restaurants and other business.

 

State of Georgia Update from Rep. Davis

State Representative Viola Davis (District 87) provided an update on state government at the GHHCDC meeting Feb. 22.  The Republicans are continuing to work to cut essential services while trying to cut taxes for the wealthy and raise their own pay.  There’s much effort to pass some form of gambling. Rep. Davis has a full update in her online newsletter Talk Issues Under the Gold Dome.  Click:  https://violadavis.com/f/talk-issues-under-the-gold-dome

 

Kroger on Wesley Chapel “Underperforming”

The manager of the Kroger on Wesley Chapel near I-20 met with concerned residents of Kings Ridge recently.  She said that the store is not doing as well as the one on Redan or other neighboring stores, and that sales were lower this February compared to last February.  The community is naturally concerned about Kroger. None of us wants a repeat of what happened with Publix at Covington and Hairston.

The community has created a short survey to gather input on what to do next.  Please take the survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SJG7L7V

We will keep you posted on any upcoming meetings.

 

New Senior Community Center

DeKalb County showed the latest renderings of the new senior community center on Elam Road on Feb. 24.  The $7.8 million, 24,000-square-foot center is a welcome development, and dozens of people came to see the plans. The center will have a 30-by-75-foot swimming pool, a multipurpose room with a stage (it will serve as the dining hall for seniors’ meals), exercise rooms, classrooms,131 parking spaces, and many amenities.  The pool will be available for public use, county officials said.

It will be built on 8 acres of Hairston Park, and the director of Community Development, Allen Mitchell, again made the promise that there would be at least one path connect the center to the center of the park.

District 4 Commissioner Steve Bradshaw noted that there is not a senior center in the district, and he has been working hard to make this happen. Groundbreaking is scheduled for May 2020. It will take at least 18 months to build.

 

 Slaughterhouse Continues to Violate County Law

Unfortunately, the slaughtering continues at 1676 Rice Road, Lithonia (near Redan Elementary School). Bradford Home & Grounds is now suing DeKalb County and trying to get the criminal case delayed.  The County has cited him for operating a business without a license, a business NOT allowed in a residential zone.  He is in violation of the citation and of the cease-and-desist order issued March 1, 2019.   He does have a license from the State of Georgia, which for some reason does not respect County laws.

On March 16, the Superior Court judge will decide whether to set a trial date as the County Solicitor has asked.  Rudolph Bradford has slaughtered 2,943 cows, pigs, goats, and sheep from Jan. 31, 2016 to Jan. 31, 2020.

 

New Subdivision on Stephenson Road

A development of 160 single-family homes is proposed for 45 acres on Stephenson Road (1467 & 1503 Stephenson Road, Lithonia, just east of S. Deshon).

At the pre-submittal meeting Feb. 25, the developer said that the price point would begin at $225,000. There would be about 3.57 units per acre, and they would be built over a 2 – 4-year period. The homes would be 1800-square-feet minimum, have 3 – 4 bedrooms and 2-car garages. There will be a mix of single and 2-story (mostly 2-story).

Parkland Communities is the land developer.  To build at that density, they need to get the land rezoned from R-100 to RSM. The property adjacent to the proposed development is RSM. Once they get approval and prepare the site, they would sell it to another company for the build-out.

The meeting had several dozen people from the community, and most were concerned about density, traffic, and impact on services such as schools, sewage treatment, and roads.

The developer expects to file the official application this week, and eventually, it will be online.

We will be hearing a lot more about it.  If the plan is filed soon, it should come before District 5 Community Council on April 6.

 

 

Best 5K Event Around!

Time to sign up for the annual Hidden Hills 5K Walk/Run/Bike.  This great event is a wonderful celebration of community, there are great prizes, AND you get an official time.  Click below to register:

https://www.wearehiddenhills.com/annual5k.html

 

The Next Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Meeting will be March 25, 2020, 10 am.  We meet at Mainstreet Community Center, 5001 Mainstreet Park Drive, Stone Mountain. You are welcome to attend.

Thank you for your attention. We encourage you to stay informed. Make this the year to get involved.