We are happy to welcome The Villasto the Greater Hidden Hills CDC.
They join our other neighborhood associations: Carriage Woods, Carriage Cluster, The Highlands, Hidden Hills, Mainstreet, and Kingsgate. Thank you, neighbors! Together, we are making our voices heard as we work to improve our commercial corridors and our quality of life. If you would like to join as an individual, it is $20. Neighborhoods and business memberships are $100. The membership link is on our website. Go to Donate Here at the top bar.
Ground has been broken for the new community & senior center on the north end of Hairston Park,
at 4885 Elam Road. DeKalb County District 4 Commissioner Steve Bradshaw hosted the much anticipated ceremony 4885 Elam Road April 15, 2021. Many heartfelt speeches were given, including one by Commissioner Bradshaw who initiated and nurtured the development of this center, and one by Friends of Hairston Park president Gwendolyn Stegall. You can watch the video at the link below. All of the speeches are inspiring, but if you are short of time, jump to 16:15 to see Commissioner’s Bradshaw’s remarks and to 55:15 to see Gwendolyn’s.
We continue to follow the proposed development for the center of the closed Hidden Hills golf course.
We will provide an update at our May 15, 10 a.m. meeting. We will also discuss initiatives to improve the overlay district code, beautify the median on Hairston, and fight crime at some commercial corners.
Please join us for our next meeting, May 15, 10 a.m.
This newsletter is longer than most. We cover the groundbreaking of the new community/senior center at Hairston Park, the survey results for businesses you would like to see at Panola and Young, the Hairston Park Clear the Trail Day, and an update on the proposed development on the closed Hidden Hills golf course.
Groundbreaking for the new Community and Senior Center in Hairston Park
The dirt will finally start moving April 15, 10 a.m. You can watch the groundbreaking live at
Parking is very limited. If you do go, masks and social distancing are required. The center is at 4885 Elam Road, Stone Mountain. It is the first community and senior center in District 4, and it will have an indoor lap pool. Commissioner Steve Bradshaw and the DeKalb County Community Development have been working for three years on the plans, and the public has been included in the process in several public meetings.
We continue to work with Community Development and the DeKalb County Parks Department to build a hardscape walking path from the center to the center of Hairston Park.
Survey of Preferred Uses near Panola and Young Road
Thank you for your survey input on what to put on the parcels at 1762 and 1764 Panola Road, across from Berean Christian Church. The developers withdrew their plan to put a gas station/convenience store there, and we are most grateful.
We wanted to let them know what we would support, and that’s why we asked you. We shared the results with the developers, and they were pleased to receive them.
We heard from people in five zip codes, most of them in Stone Mountain. The survey results show that more than half of the respondents are open to commercial development. About an equal number prefer medium-density residential.
It is currently zoned residential (R-100, which means single-family homes on medium- to large-sized lots. We asked people if it were to be rezoned, which of the choices listed are best (and people could pick more than one).
We asked people If it were to win approval to become commercial, what businesses would you like to see on the 1.38 acres?
Commercial
School
Law firm, financial/accounting/bookkeeping, Call Center where locals can be employed.
Chipotle, Starbucks, Gusto!, Panera, Blaze Pizza
Publix
Seafood Market, Meat Market, Coffee whop with sit-in area
Restaurant
Juice bar, medical clinic, mental health clinic, professional buildings, standalone pharmacy
Upscale restaurant
Restaurants, bar
Starbucks
Office blog like insurance, realtor or tax office
Residential
Smoothie King or Planet Smoothie Small home and gift shop Health/Wellness Store
Office Space
None, there are already enough strip malls within in range of this property.
I would love to see something like a JoAnn’s or Michaels. No more dollar stores, a Chick-fil-A on our side of Wesley Chapel.
None
Lidl grocery
Coffee shop, juice bar, cookie/cake bakery, casual dining restaurant
None, there are already enough strip malls within in range of this property.
cookie or cake shop
We should build big Lofts on upscale end.
We asked specifically about businesses that are on the approved use list in the Hidden Hills overlay zoning district. These parcels fall just outside of the boundaries, but we think the list is appropriate.
Again, thank you for taking the survey. Your opinion will help shape development.
The Clear the Trail workday in Hairston Park March 27 was a huge success.
Twenty-five friends showed up, and we cleared the trail around the small lake. Jason Woods led the work crew. Jonathan Stegall picked up and shared the work tools we rented from Tool Bank, and he took them back. Patrick Medley and John Deas provided tremendous motivational support. Antioch A.M.E. Church Senior Pastor Vandy C. Simmons cleared a lot of brush and brought many members with him, including Janice Hardy who helped take care of sign-in and directing volunteers. Abraham Smith brought his chain saw so that we could move chunks of huge trees that had fallen on the paths. We also appreciate District 7 Commissioner Lorraine Cochran Johnson and staff liaison J.P. Phillips for lending a hand. Here are pictures of the grand morning when people who care worked together to open the paths in the park.
Plans to develop townhomes and apartments in the center of the closed Hidden Hills golf course and convert all of the fairways to permanent greenspace are still in the works.
The proposal has undergone a revision to include a community center and more amenities for the community. We will keep you posted on the development. When the plans are closer to being finalized, we will have a public meeting and show them to you. You can also join our next meeting because I always show the current plans during the call.
Our next GHHCDC meeting is May 15, 10 a.m. We’ll send out the link closer to the date.
Update on Gas Station/Convenience Store on Panola near Young Road
There was an unexpected development at the Planning Commission hearing on March 4 when the gas station/convenience store came up for review. The developer said he no longer wants to put a gas station at 1762 Panola Road, across from Berean Christian Church. Instead, he wants to put in a strip mall with businesses as yet undetermined. What are the types of business you would like to see? Take the survey and let us know.
His application cannot be amended once the process has begun. He will have to submit a new application. The Planning Commission had to vote on what was before them, and they unanimously recommended denial.
Several people in the community attended the call and spoke out. I thanked the developer for the withdrawal of the gas station and added that we needed to see the new proposal and have hearings on it. Others spoke up, too, including Laura Ellis, Lois Dunlap, Phyllis Frierson, and Barbara McClendon.
The Board of Commissioners votes on the case Thursday, March 25, 5:30 p.m. You may give your opinion at the meeting.
The issue of allowing a renter to run a transitional home for teenaged boys was deferred to the Board of Commissioners. The home is at 4552 Dorset Circle, Decatur, just off of Hairston Road, one mile from Wesley Chapel. According to the GA Department of Community Health, there are 13 “personal care-type” homes within one mile of this address. This issue will also be considered March 25 by the Board of Commissioners.
We look forward to seeing you on March 27th, 10 – noon!
This is our first workday of the year with additional safety protocols. Please be mindful of the following:
All volunteers must sign in
Liability waiver required
Masks MUST be worn at ALL times
Working spaces will be marked 6-12 feet to ensure social distancing
To reduce waste, bring your own refillable water bottle. (As an exception this year, we will have some extra water bottles on hand).
Bring sunscreen and/or bug spray. Long sleeves and denim pants are recommended.
If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to anyone with COVID-19, please stay at home! There will be other opportunities.
Yellow Rose Award Given to Gwendolyn Stegall
The State of Georgia recognized Gwendolyn Stegall, the president of Friends of Hairston Park, for her service to the community. On March 8, 2021, Gwen received the Yellow Rose Nikki T. Randall Servant Leadership Award.
She was nominated by District 87 State Representative Viola Davis. “Gwendolyn Stegall has a long history of serving our community with dedication, diligence and a heartfelt commitment,” said Rep. Davis. “I commend Gwendolyn for working extremely hard for many years to renovate the Hairston Park in DeKalb County and her efforts to acquire a $50,000 park grant from Park Pride. I also commend her for envisioning neighborhoods in this area coming together as a community to promote beautification, encourage commercial growth and cultivate business relationships.”
Gwen serves on the GHHCDC as treasurer and is president of the Carriage Cluster Neighborhood Association. She and her husband Jonathan have lived in their home for 29 years, raising three children and doting on the grandchildren.
The Yellow Rose award was created in honor of former State Representative Nikki T. Randall, the first African American female elected to the Georgia General Assembly. Former Rep. Randall served as chair of the Georgia Legislative Women’s Caucus, and every year during Women’s History Month, this caucus recognizes outstanding women in Georgia who exemplify the leadership and inspiration embodied by former Rep. Randall.
We are all so proud of Gwendolyn Stegall and thrilled that she received recognition for her tireless efforts on behalf of the community.
Please come to the Planning Commission meeting Thursday, March 4, 5:30 p.m. Make your opinion known. It makes a HUGE difference. Note – the Planning staff recommends approval with conditions, so if you care about this, you really must speak out.
The District 5 Community Council met Feb. 8 and heard from many residents who do not want this development. No one spoke in favor. The Council unanimously recommended denying the application.
At this same meeting, speak out on the request to put another personal care home in the community. The owner of 4552 Dorset Circle, Decatur, just off of Hairston Road, one mile from Wesley Chapel, wants to rent the home to a group home provider for boys. Within a mile of this spot are eight homes that provide such services. Yes, children need loving care and supervision, but this neighborhood does not need any more transitional housing. If you know anyone in that area, please tell them about the meeting. The Planning staff recommends a full cycle deferral.
We will hold elections to the Board of Directors Saturday. We will discuss community developments including the potential development on the closed golf course, the proposed gas station at Young and Panola, and other initiatives.
The Highlands at Hidden Hills is the latest neighborhood association to renew its membership in the GHHCDC. We so appreciate it. They join Carriage Woods Civic Association, Hidden Hills Civic Association, and Mainstreet Community in association memberships. Many individuals have also renewed their membership, and we thank them.
The membership is a testament to the neighborhood’s commitment to the entire community, composed of many neighborhoods. Together, we are making our voices heard as we work to improve our commercial corridors and our quality of life.
Please ask your neighborhood organization to join. The contribution is $100, and it is tax deductible. Individuals may join or renew their membership for $20. Click here to download the form or click donate at the top of the screen to join or renew.
The money helps us pay for improved streetscapes, such as the median on S. Hairston near Redan Road, anti-litter campaigns, and education efforts. We are dedicated to ensuring that the Hidden Hills Overlay Zoning Codes are applied so that we can create a better business environment, beautiful streetscapes, and protected greenspace.
Working together, our community will be prosperous, attractive, and green.
Community Council Says No to Gas Station/Convenience Store Next Hearing March 4
The District 5 Community Council met Feb. 8 and heard from many residents who do not want a gas station/convenience & alcohol store in their neighborhood. No one spoke in favor. The applicant missed the meeting, but he will not miss the next one.. The Council unanimously recommended denying the application.
Next step — March 4, 5:30 p.m. Please come to the Planning Commission meeting. Make your opinion known. It makes a HUGE difference.
At this same meeting, speak out on the request to put another personal care home in the community. The owner of 4552 Dorset Circle, Decatur, just off of Hairston Road, one mile from Wesley Chapel, wants to rent the home to a group home provider for boys. Within a mile of this spot are eight homes that provide such services. Yes, children need loving care and supervision, but this neighborhood does not need any more transitional housing. If you know anyone in that area, please tell them about the meeting.
The District 5 Community Council met Feb. 8 and heard from many residents who do not want a gas station/convenience & alcohol store in their neighborhood. No one spoke in favor. The applicant missed the meeting. The Council unanimously recommended denying the application.
Next step — March 4, 5:30 p.m. Please come to the Planning Commission meeting. Make your opinion known. It makes a HUGE difference.
A developer seeks a rezoning so he can build a gas station and a convenience store that will sell alcohol. The location is across the street from Berean Christian Church and Family Dollar at 1762 and 1744 Panola Road. Express your opinion. Let the Community Council know what you think of the impact this will have on our neighborhood.
When: Monday, Feb. 8, Community Council, 5:30 p.m.
Or Telephone: Dial: USA 602 333 0032; USA 888 270 9936 (US Toll Free); Conference code: 934462
The Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Corporation (GHHCDC) is against this development. The Community Council will make a recommendation Monday night to the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission will hold a public meeting and makes a decision, March 5, 5:30, and sends its recommendation to the Board of Commissioners. The Board will vote on the matter March 25, 5:30 p.m. (Visit DeKalb County Planning to review cases and to see all agendas: https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/planning-and-sustainability/public-hearing-agendas-info )
Support Our Community Development Corporation
Thanks to three neighborhood associations for renewing their membership dues: Carriage Woods Civic Association, Hidden Hills Civic Association, and Mainstreet Community. Many individuals have also renewed their membership, and we thank them.
The membership is a testament to the neighborhood’s commitment to the entire community, composed of many neighborhoods. Together, we are making our voices heard as we work to improve our commercial corridors and our quality of life.
Please ask your neighborhood organization to join. The contribution is $100, and it is tax deductible. Individuals may join or renew their membership for $20. Click here to download the form or go Donate at the top of the home page to join and renew.
The money helps us pay for improved streetscapes, such as the median on S. Hairston near Redan Road, anti-litter campaigns, and education efforts. We are dedicated to ensuring that the Hidden Hills Overlay Zoning Codes are applied so that we can create a better business environment, beautiful streetscapes, and protected greenspace.
Working together, our community will be prosperous, attractive, and green.
Hairston Park – Exciting Development and Meeting Feb. 13
The Community/Senior Center at Hairston Park is getting close to the groundbreaking! The Board of Commissioners chose Headley Construction to do the work. The DeKalb Community Development Department anticipates having a virtual groundbreaking in the next few months. We will keep you posted.
The Friends of Hairston Park is laying the groundwork for things we can do as we wait for the pavilion building and path creation to begin at the park. Friends invites you to stay informed and learn how to be a part of this great park. Write to FriendsofHairstonPark@gmail.com to be on the mailing list. Join the next meeting via Zoom on Saturday, Feb. 13, 10 a.m.
Hairston Park received a $50,000 grant from Park Pride to realize the Mindfulness Project. This wonderful project will activate underused parts of the park with inviting amenities. Many thanks to Gwendolyn Stegall and her team for their heartfelt commitment and diligence to our community.
The project will:
● Create a Serenity Garden. We will clear a one-third mile winding path through a wooded area that is easily accessible from the parking lot and built environment. We will plant three native plant shade gardens, and near these spots will be a comfortable bench. We will have discrete signs with inspirational quotes that prompt people to seek solace in nature, meditate, and experience awe.
● Provide directional and educational signs. The directional signs will point people to the Serenity Garden path, helping them feel invited and safe in their exploration. The educational signs will describe the trees, plants, birds, and wildlife in the park.
● Place three shaded benches (one handicap-accessible) near the large lake. These will be visible from the parking lot and draw people to the lovely water scene.
● Place three picnic tables in the woods across from the pavilion (to be built soon). The pavilion is small, and this will provide overflow seating as well as a more private and rustic experience.
Spending time in nature, especially for urban and suburban residents, is a proven way to reduce anxiety and improve a sense of well-being. It fosters curiosity in children. It gives people fresh air and natural spaces to stretch their legs.
The Mindfulness Project will foster peace, tranquility, and inclusion through the enjoyment of nature. At this time in our history, we face heartbreaking loss, social injustice, and bitter divisiveness. Inviting people into a natural space where they will feel safe and find solace is essential. The Mindfulness Project provides a remedy that is essential to our very beings. It represents a piece of the beloved community that Martin Luther King, Jr., envisioned, a place where all people can share in the wealth of the earth.
Gwendolyn Stegall receives flowers and homemade pastry for her dedication to Hairston Park.
The Friends of Hairston Park are meeting Jan. 23 at 10 a.m. Stay tuned. We’ll provide a link.
Congratulations to our Community for Winning the Senate
Our community turned out to vote in record numbers. Thanks to you and many others, Reverend Ralph Warnock and Jon Ossoff are our new Georgia Senators. Their victory is a triumph for the forces for good, social justice, health care for all, equality, and economic relief for those hard-hit by COVID-19.
This victory is the result of years of effort to get out the vote and to fight against voter suppression, an effort led by Stacey Abrams, who narrowly lost the governor’s race in 2018. We owe her and all the hard-working organizers much appreciation.
Unfortunately, the elation many of us felt on Jan. 7 was quickly overtaken by despair and horror as white nationalists rampaged through the U.S. Capitol, at the urging of the president and his supporters. It is shameful. The forces of hate have not disappeared. We must be diligent. We must continue supporting our community and VOTING.
The Greater Hidden Hills CDC will hold its next meeting Jan. 16, 10 a.m.
Your vote matters tremendously in the runoff election for two Senate seats. Please vote early. Please ask your relatives and friends to vote. Election day is January 5. President-elect Biden won by only 12,000 votes in Georgia. Every vote matters! Click this link to find out where to vote early.
GHHCDC thanks Erica Weaver for her continued diligence in bringing the Family Dollar at Panola and Young Road up to code. Code Enforcement issued a citation because of her efforts. Things are still not right, but they are improving. The store has a new manager, whom Erica has met, and the manager vows to remove the extra dumpsters on the property and keep the remaining one behind the screened enclosure. Erica has pursued this case for well over a year, and we appreciate her efforts.
Another Gas Station! Good Grief Please attend the community meeting with the developer Dec. 21, 6 pm, via Zoom.
Developer Jeff Smith have invited us to a Zoom meeting to discuss a rezoning for two parcels located on the corner of Panola Road, and Young Road, from R100 to C1, “in order to build a high-end convenience store with gas pumps. We look forward to presenting you all our plan and fielding all questions.”
The GHHCDC has a low opinion of erecting yet another gas station in our community. Unfortunately, the parcels for the proposed gas station falls outside of the overlay district, but it is right across the street, and right across from Berean Christian Church. We will attend and hope you do, too. Let us see what he has to say. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89953377945?pwd=RFcvSGgrb3orNXMwWnRLUFErNHV4dz09
Give yourself a few minutes extra to log in. There is a registration form to complete.
Meeting ID: 899 5337 7945
Passcode: 244430
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+13017158592
Meeting ID: 899 5337 7945
Passcode: 244430
Effort to Amend Overlay Code Will Start Again in 2021
Jahnee Prince, deputy director of the department, reports that the department has been able to hire staff and is now fully staffed for the first time in two years. That is good news for the Hidden Hills Overlay District. We have been trying that long to amend the code – the main objective is to further restrict liquor stores, gas stations, nightclubs, and “dollar” stores, and to update various portions. The overlay district was passed in 2011, and it covers 4 square miles (roughly Covington, Young, Redan, S. Hairston).
Karen Hill, senior planner at the DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability Department, retired recently. We are going to miss her, and we wish her a fulfilling, healthy, and happy retirement.
Trees – A Gift to Yourself and Future Generations
Would you like to increase the value of your home? Reduce your air conditioning bill? Improve air quality? Provide habitat for songbirds? You can do this by taking a simple step: ask DeKalb County to plant a beautiful hardwood in your front yard.
This is such an important act of kindness to our environment and to future generations. For only $25, you can participate in the new ReLeaf DeKalb program and have an overstory tree professionally planted in your front yard. The program is in partnership with the experienced non-profit organization Trees Atlanta.
Some of the trees for this effort have been reserved for public initiatives. GHHCDC asked DeKalb County to plant trees along S. Hairston Road from Wesley Chapel to Memorial. The Planning & Sustainability Department is receptive to the idea and is considering the request. We will keep you posted.
Hairston Park Updates
Our park is waiting to hear about the Park Pride grant we applied for. It will be used to build a serenity path and gardens in the wooded area and to add seating areas. We are hopeful.
The pavilion is coming, really. We won the grant in 2017. The Parks Department intends to send the final plans to the Board of Commissioners for review.
Unfortunately, the slaughter continues at 1676 Rice Road. The State v. Rudolph Bradford (18C16630-3) – against Rudolph Bradford, Bradford Homes & Grounds, Lithonia, GA 30058, has not been heard because of the COVID-19 shutdown in our court system.
Solicitor-General Thomas Kemp diligently keeps us posted, and he said on Dec. 17:
The DeKalb Courts are still operating under statewide and local judicial emergency orders concerning COVID-19, but the State should be ready to proceed to jury trial when jury operations resume. Right now, the exact date of in-person hearings and jury trials is unknown, but we will always do our best to keep you and your neighbors informed about upcoming court dates.
W. Thomas Kemp, III Senior Assistant Solicitor-General
From January 2016 – October 2020, Rudolph Bradford killed 4,079 animals. Since the cease-and-desist order issued March 1, 2019, he has slaughtered 1,949 animals. The numbers are based on records sent from the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
DeKalb Enters Third Phase of New Sanitation Trucks Are You in the Service Area? Since October, many households have noticed that the third phase of DeKalb County’s deployment of automated side loader (ASL) collection trucks have begun. There are 43,000 households on select residential ASL garbage service routes that have or will be issued a larger capacity 95-gallon garbage roll cart in exchange for their existing 65-gallon garbage roll cart.
The DeKalb County Sanitation Department continues to receive emails from residents inquiring about the 95-gallon roll cart curbside exchange project. After review, they have determined that many of the residents requesting exemption from transitioning to the 95-gallon garbage roll cart are not within the project’s participation area at this time.
Why the exchange? The 65-gallon roll cart issued to residents in 2015 is inadequate to meet the needs of many households, and leads to overflowing garbage bins, excess garbage at the curb, and slower collection
The Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Corp. met Nov.21, and it was so good to see everyone. Several of the items in this newsletter were prompted by our discussion. Getting together helps us stay motivated. We will meet Jan. 16 at 10 a.m., and I invite you to attend. GHHCDC will send an announcement with the link closer to the event.
New Rental Townhomes near Indian Creek Marta Board of Commissioners will Vote on Nov. 19
Kaplan Residential is proposing to build 230 rental townhomes just south of the Indian Creek Marta station, and north of Redan Road. The Board of Commissioners will vote on the case Nov. 19, and you are welcome to attend the meeting.
This complex will be managed full-time by Kaplan. It includes pocket parks and amenities. The apartments are 1 – 3 bedrooms, and the rent is expected to range from $1,150 – $2,100.
The District 5 Community Council recommended approval of the plan with the condition that the firm work with Marta to provide smooth pedestrian access from the community to the Marta station. The firm has made changes to the plan in response the input.
(From Kaplan) Pedestrian connections to MARTA: In addition to the sidewalks at the secondary access drive that connect to the Elder Lane sidewalk, we have added sidewalks connecting to Elder Lane from the pocket park (SE corner), from each unit facing the public ROW, and from the NW corner of the site (subject to MARTA approval). We also have delineated raised pedestrian crossings at driveway entrances. These changes are responsive to the Community Council’s condition of approval.
The Planning Commission recommended a full cycle deferral, but the vote was based in part on a misunderstanding of the submitted documents.
If you would like to see the townhome plans, click on
The Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Corp. is meeting Nov. 21, 10 a.m., virtually, of course. We will discuss what we have been doing during this challenging year and what we hope to accomplish next year.
If you have not used Web Ex before, give yourself a few extra minutes so that it can download to your computer.
Your Opinion Matters
Surveys to share your thoughts on community plans and parks
DeKalb County Long-Range Plan
The DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability Department is asking for your feedback on the Five-Year Comprehensive Plan Update. This is a mandatory five-year update required by the Department of Community Affairs that every County must comply with to maintain its Qualified Local Government status. Your input plays a vital role in the development of the plan and will guide the future growth and redevelopment of the County. Please participate by taking the survey and do encourage others to get involved in the Comprehensive Plan update. The planning department will share results of the survey in the next Comprehensive Plan public meeting.
Hidden Historic Farm on Redan Road The 9.2-acre park at 5338 Redan Road, a short distance from Redan High School, is undergoing a visioning process with Park Pride. What should the park be? It was a working farm for most of its history, starting from the late 1800s, and includes several structures – some of them with historic value.
Your opinion is crucial to the success of this process. Take this survey and share your ideas:
Once you’re there, you can register for the December 9 public meeting and watch for yard signs around the neighborhood. We will be asking for your honest feedback every step of the way.
The goal is to identify capital investment and policy changes that can support a more livable, pedestrian-friendly environment at this key intersection.
Register for a public input session on Nov. 18 – all done ONLINE. Two design workshops:
12 – 1 pm. Envisioning Opportunities (covers overall vision for land use and mobility in the area)
6 – 7:30 pm Planning for Redevelopment (pull together the ideas brought forth earlier in the day and come up with at least one redevelopment alternative
Greater Hidden Hills 