We’re upgrading the median at S. Hairston Road, just south of Redan. With the expert help of Kirk Hickson, a Redan High School graduate and owner of AKS Landscaping, we
planted Red Fountain Miscanthus and Cherokee rosebushes.
Keep DeKalb Beautiful dug the holes for us, and the department promises to put fresh mulch on the median.
If you need landscape help, Kirk welcomes your call: 678-702-1899.
More than 90 people showed up for Earth Day at Hairston Park April 21. We worked happily under brilliant blue skies. Volunteers cleared a six-foot-wide path from the parking lot to the north edge of the park near Elam Road and back around to the playground. Others aired out the shrubbery next to the sidewalk, volunteers picked up litter, and children painted cement barricades.
Thanks to John Ahern at Park Pride for guiding us through the project. Many staff and volunteers came from Park Pride, and we appreciate you all. Thanks to Gwendolyn Stegall and the Friends captains: Larry Cole, Jarvis Walker, Jonathan Stegall, and Keith Williams. And thanks to Antioch AME Church, Wells Fargo, Home Depot, and Invesco for sending volunteers.
District 4 Commissioner Steve Bradshaw and District 7 Commissioner Gregory Adams opened the day’s event with gratitude and inspirational pep talks.
The community made a tremendous difference in Hairston Park. Look at the before and after pictures:
Visit and see for yourself. We’ll have other fun projects at the park, so please join us. Write to FriendsofHairstonPark@gmail.com to be on the mailing list.
Apologies to all. We must reschedule our Max the Median morning set for Saturday. Several utility companies have not completed their inspections, so we cannot dig. We’ll send an update when we set a new date.
Please note two upcoming dates. The next Greater Hidden Hills CDC meeting is 10 a.m., April 14, at Mainstreet Community Center.
And, join the fun on Earth Day, April 21, 9 – 12. We’re meeting at Hairston Park to clear trails, make a forested area next to the playground a safer place for kids to play, and pick up litter.
All the details are found at this link:
This project is a joint effort of Friends of Hairston Park and ParkPride. Please sign in for the Earth Day event whether you can help for an hour or the morning. It will help the non-profit show community support, and that’s vital when it asks for grants.
Join the effort to make a positive difference in our community. Saturday, March 24, 9:45 a.m., we will brighten a key stretch of S. Hairston near Redan (across from Kroger). The median will get spruced up with a dozen new plants and fresh mulch.
You may park between Wendy’s and Doo’s Seafood or in the shopping center parking lots.
The work is fun and satisfying. Keep DeKalb Beautiful staff will have the holes dug for the plants. We put them in the ground and spread the mulch. Bring your gloves, a shovel and a metal rake.
A dozen volunteers can knock this out in an hour. Please come! The result will please you every time you drive down S. Hairston. It will remind people that our community cares about its appearance.
If you have questions, write to GHHCDC@gmail.com
Erica Weaver got tired of seeing trash around Marta stops on Redan Road and Panola. She contacted the right parties, and voila! There are now trash cans at six Marta stops. One person can make a difference!
Join Erica and other great people at the next Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Corp. meeting: March 17, 10 a.m., Mainstreet Community Center, 5001 Mainstreet Park, Stone Mountain.
We planted 26 trees as part of the ongoing streetscape improvement in Greater Hidden Hills! This tremendous effort is a joint project with Keep DeKalb Beautiful and the DeKalb County Tree Bank. The planting occurred Jan. 19 and 22, 2018.
The 14 Nellie Stevens Holly make a grand parade leading up to the entrance of Hairston Park. These trees will grow 15-20 feet high. What a statement they make as we invest county and grant money into the dramatic refresh of Hairston Park.
In the roundabout in the park, we planted a Georgia Gem Green Ash, a beautiful shade tree that grows 50 feet tall. We planted another Georgia Gem in the public easement in front of Champions Christian Academy at 1131 S. Hairston (a block north of Redan).
Then, we planted 10 crepe myrtle in the public easement on Redan Road, to beautify the Hairston Square shopping center. There will be more work in this area, focusing on the bus stop. Waffle House plans to help when it erects its new restaurant there.
The trees were donated by QuikTrip as part of its obligation to the DeKalb County Tree Bank. They were professionally planted by Landscape Design Company.
Stay tuned. More natural beauty to come! We’re planting PRIDE in our community.
See a short video at: https://vimeo.com/252247693
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners unanimously supported us in our fight against more liquor stores and gas stations. On Nov. 14, the commissioners voted 7 to 0 to deny the request to put these businesses at 4736 Redan Road, just west of S. Hairston.
More than 639 people signed the petition and gave comments, and these were shared with the commissioners. It made a difference! We thank these advocates for speaking up for better development in our community.
Update on Liquor Store/Gas Station Fight
The fight continues against more liquor stores and gas stations in the community. The District 4 Community Council voted 13 – 0 to deny the request to sell liquor and gas at the old Tire Store, 4736 Redan Road. Now, we turn to the Planning Commission.
The meeting is Thursday, Nov. 2, 6:30 p.m. at Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur. The issue is last on the agenda, numbers 7 and 8.
After that, it goes to the Board of Commissioners: Tuesday, Nov. 14, 6:30 p.m.
If you can’t make the meeting, please sign the petition. We have 238 signatures so far.
How many liquor stores and gas stations are enough? This report, from Esri Business Analyst, shows the number. The measurements are based on the center point: 4736 Redan Road, the proposed site of a gas station/alcohol outlet.
| Business Type | 1-mile radius | 3-mile radius | 5-mile radius |
| Liquor Stores | 2* | 14 | 28 |
| Grocery stores, convenience stores, &drugstores that have alcohol sales | 9 | 108 | 327 |
| Gas stations (which also provide alcohol) | 2** | 41 | 100 |
| TOTAL | 13 | 186 | 479 |
* There is a liquor store 1.5 miles away at Redan and S. Indian Creek, and a liquor store 1.8 miles away at Redan and Panola.
**The Kroger gas station is hidden under grocery stores. There are three gas stations within one block: a Chevron, BP, and Kroger.
The businesswoman interested in putting a liquor store near Publix at S. Hairston/Covington was not dissuaded by the 40 people who attended a meeting Oct. 16. Look for the issue to be on the District 5 community Council agenda Dec. 11, 6:30 pm., Redan-Trotti Library.
Update on Phase Two of Streetscape Improvements
We have received a commitment of 27 trees from the DeKalb County Tree Bank. We’re working with a developer who is supposed to plant them. We’ll keep you posted!
Dec. 2, 9 a.m. – Streetscape upgrade at Los Arcos. Save the date for a fun morning of planting. Rain date is Dec. 9.
It’s time to restate your opposition to unwanted businesses in the community. We are facing the prospect of three more liquor stores and one gas station. In all cases, the applicants have asked for a special land use permit to operate. Our overlay code put that restriction in place. This email shows you several ways that you can keep them from getting the permit.
1) Show your opposition by showing up at meetings.
Oct. 16, 7 p.m. – Meet with owner of proposed liquor store at Publix Shopping Center. 2079 S. Hairston Road, Suite E
Oct. 17, 6:30 p.m. – Ask the Community Council to deny a request for a gas station and liquor outlet at the old tire shop at 4736 Redan Road, Stone Mountain. The meeting is at Sue Kellogg Library, 952 Leon Street, Stone Mountain. (Does this look familiar? It is! We fought the same battle last year and won!)
Oct. 24, 6:30 p.m. – Ask the Board of Commissioners to deny the request for a liquor store at 1026 Holcombe Road, Decatur. The meeting is at the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur.
Nov. 2, 6:30 p.m. – Ask the Planning Commission to deny request for a gas station and liquor outlet at the old tire shop at 4736 Redan Road, Stone Mountain. The meeting is at the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur.
2) Sign the online petition the states your opposition. It will be shared with DeKalb County.
3) Write our county commissioners.
Email to: GregoryAdams@dekalbcountyga.gov, srbradshaw@dekalbcountyga.gov, mdjohnson@dekalbcountyga.gov, kgannon@dekalbcountyga.gov, larryjohnson@dekalbcountyga.gov, jrader@dekalbcountyga.gov, nancy@nancyjester.com
Dear DeKalb Commissioners,
Please support our community in its efforts to attract businesses that we need and to keep out undesirable operations. In particular, we ask you to deny the special land use request for these three applicants:
1026 Holcombe Road, Decatur, GA – Request to operate a retail liquor store.
4736 Redan Road, Stone Mountain, GA – Request to build a gas station and request to build a convenience store/alcohol outlet.
2079 S. Hairston Road, Suite E., Decatur, GA – Request to operate a retail liquor store.
4) Share this message with your email list.
If you want to write individual letters, here is the complete email list.
| Gregory Adams | GregoryAdams@dekalbcountyga.gov |
| Steve Bradshaw | srbradshaw@dekalbcountyga.gov |
| Mereda Davis-Johnson | mdjohnson@dekalbcountyga.gov |
| Kathie Gannon | kgannon@dekalbcountyga.gov |
| Larry Johnson | larryjohnson@dekalbcountyga.gov |
| Jeff Radar | jrader@dekalbcountyga.gov |
| Nancy Jester | nancy@nancyjester.com |
Greater Hidden Hills 