Free-For-All Friday 11/7/14

Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local topics not discussed here over the past week.

114 thoughts on “Free-For-All Friday 11/7/14”


    1. Emilio Herrera 678-887-3826
      Meticulous with the work and diligent about clean-up every day. Also the best I’ve seen at repairing old plaster walls & ceilings.

  6. I’ve noticed some activity (dumpsters being staged, etc.) at one of the old car dealerships (I forget which one it was) on Scott Blvd.. If you’re facing it, it’s just to the left of where all the gas piping went in recently. Any word on what’s happening there?

  8. What on earth is up with the stop sign that appeared out of nowhere on East Lake and Parkwood? And it’s only in the west to east direction? Nearly rear ended someone yesterday. Anyone have any intel?

    1. I think someone put it there as a prank. Normally when a new sign goes in it’s covered up for a while and they have signage ahead announcing a new sign. Plus it’s on a 4 lane road. I called the DPD last night about it. Hopefully it will be removed today. If not there will be an accident for sure.

      1. I noticed 2 stop signs lying on the ground in that little triangular grassy area at the intersection of Parkwood and East Lake this morning. I guess someone took them down, but left there for the pranksters.

    2. I think it’s set out prematurely. There will be a four-way stop there, right before the light at Paden.

        1. How does one determine a valid stop sign versus a “prankster” stop sign? This is an extremely dangerous situation. Coming around a blind curve, no signs announcing a stop ahead or a new traffic patter, no striping on the street at all, a random, never-before-there stop sign pops out at you. This is an accident waiting to happen. By the way, the sign is still there as of 8pm Friday, and my brakes are much worse off after slamming on them to stop.

  10. Heliotrope closing, according to the salesperson yesterday, He didn’t know when. 20% off everything yesterday.

      1. Ditto, and even more so for snarky cards. Crap. This is going to leave a hole in my retail needs.

    4. Ditto to all the other sad comments. Plus they were open late when not much else retail was open in Downtown. I wondered how they could afford to staff so many retail hours.

    5. I’d express my sadness, but I don’t think that is allowed here. I’m sure the closing is my fault.

    7. That sucks. I’ve bought a lot of gifts there over the years, and their card selection in particular was awesome.

    8. I just called Heliotrope. The gentleman that answered the phone said that as it stands now, if business doesn’t increase, he will have to close. He made it sound like he would stay if business increased. Lets spread the word to start shopping at Heliotrope!!

    9. Yes- everything is 20% off right now. Just now left the store and asked the owner about the closing. He said it’s not a done deal yet and everyone just needs to come in and shop. Let’s keep the best gift shop in Decatur open!

      1. How tough it must be to keep retail afloat these days. Mingei World Arts packed in in yesterday and Donna Van Gogh’s in Candler Park closed its doors six weeks ago. Heliotrope’s possible demise doesn’t surprise me because inventory has been shrinking for months but I hate to see them go.

        The rent’s too damned high!

        1. If it’s not food and/or beverage oriented, retail is going to have a hard time most places, but especially in Decatur where there are relatively few shoppers around on weekdays.

          1. Don’t fool yourself. Just about anyone who has been in the food service business would tell you it’s brutal also. Lots of moving parts to keep together.

  12. How do I comment on a specific reply in this new mobile interface. All I can do is reply to the OP.

    1. Yes, a problem. The workaround until DM changes this is scroll to the bottom and switch to web view. That generates the reply buttons.

  14. So, this week I noticed some traffic engineers observing the light/traffic at the College/Rocky Ford underpass, then noticed them again at the Dekalb/Moreland interchange.

    Might they actually consider making the lights more efficient??
    It could be an early christmas present.

    Now if we could actually get one left turn signal when heading east on College, that would make my year.

    1. I bike this route regularly on the way to and from work. They have tweaked the light timing a couple of times over the past week or so. Specifically, I have noticed when heading from the DeKalb Place / Howard Cir side towards College, the left turn arrow and the whole green light lasts longer. If I was first in line of the left lane on DeKalb Place, I could just barely make the green light if I peddled my little heart out. Wednesday, I noticed that can make it fairly easily.
      The tweaking seems to be trying to relieve the back up that occurs under the track overpass as the lights change. May be working….. but final judgment TBD.

    2. I shouted out to them that we need more time on that southern light while going south. They smiled and nodded. It was a sprint on the bicycle. Did they listen?

    3. They’ve obviously made some sort of change – Howard now backs up beyond the RR crossing and East Lake MARTA headed into Atlanta in the morning. So they’ve relieved one backup and created another?

  16. The spouse and I stuck our head in “Splash of Olive” this week next to Teds on Commerce. It was interesting . They have 20+ olive oils and basalmic vinegers to taste. We cook with both, so it was fun to try them before purchasing the stuff. Its about the same price as good oil/vineger at the store, but you know what you are getting.

    Nice presentation so we got some to give as a house warming gift.

  18. It seems the majority of current COD residents are against any additional annexation, but many feel powerless to change it. What is the best way to let the commissioners know we understand there is a student population increase, but we don’t want it solved (in the short term) by annexation?

    1. Not picking a side, just posing a question:

      Where within the current boundaries can the school system build new campuses to house the approximately 70% increase in student numbers over the next five years?

      My point: Additions can only go so far, and they change dynamics from small schools to large schools whereas new campuses help keep the small school environment.

      1. The school system can build anywhere it wants so long as the city is willing to face the political backlash if it chooses to condemn. I am starting to think the only reason the Methodist home is up for annexation is b/c the city could condemn it cheaply, relatively speaking, and build a new school there.

        2. But it doesn’t automatically have to condemn. Sembler didn’t seem to face too much difficulty buying up a church and a street of homes at Scott and North Decatur. Surrounding areas may have plenty of motivated sellers.

        3. What about the site that the Decatur Housing Authority owns across Commerce from DHS? I understand the Housing Authority wants to sell. It is now completely vacant. I know is it not that large, but at least a classroom building could be built there. Not another piece of vacant land like that one around Decatur.

          1. As I understand it, both the sale of that property and its development at full entitlement are necessary to fund DHA’s other rehabilitation and redevelopment efforts, many of which have already taken place.

            1. Sounds to me like the school crowding issue is bad enough that CSD and/or the City ought to go ahead and pay the market price.

              1. But that’s the thing. I don’t think just market price will do it. From what I’ve heard, DHA’s strategy has them as a development partner in the deal as well, meaning they make additional money off unit sales.

                1. Oh. Can the City condemn an empty beautiful field and appropriate it? Well, we don’t want to undercut DHA.

          2. Sounds like a winner to me. There used to be a Ponce de Leon elementary and a Beacon Hill elementary so having an elementary school right Downtown is in keeping with the city’s history. The only problem would be zoning such that it didn’t become inadvertent resegregation of the elementary schools. Maybe the Lenox (Park? Hill? Place?) area that just got rezoned to Westchester would prefer to attend a Downtown school that is walkable rather than having to cross Scott.

            Or maybe this is where (a) Renfroe or High School addition(s) would go if the 7,000–8,000 enrollment is realized. They are already central.

      2. Here is an idea. Let’s accept one of the residential petitions (you know, those who didn’t pay to live in CoD, but now want in) and then immediately condemn the property and build a school. Seems like a win-win. The homeowners get the windfall they want, and we get land.

    2. I do not agree that the majority of COD residents are against annexation. The ones against are just quite visible and vocal. I think that most COD residents are against the extreme tax increase that will happen without annexation. Part of the reason for annexation is to spread out the tax burden. The city wants all those new residents (and especially businesses) to pay for our schools.

      1. And luckily for us, none of those new residents have children who will attend the schools and every single one of the homes will be revenue positive.

      2. Every citizen of Decatur I speak to about annexation is against it. I know that is all anecdotal, but nobody I speak to is in favor of bringing in more homes/kids into the City; i.e CSD; commercial yes; residential no.

      3. I can only speak for myself (but I think this is fairly consistent with most COD residents), we chose Decatur (3 times) knowing it was a small walk able town with good schools that has high taxes (compared to unincorporated Dekalb)……annexation threatens to take all that away (except the high taxes)

      4. For those of you who only speak to people who are against annexation, I guess we travel in different circles. There are plenty of Decatur residents open to annexation. I am one of them. I don’t believe Sizemore’s number are misleading, exaggerated, short-sighted, or designed to set a pre-determined outcome in motion. As with every demographic projection made for every city and county in this country, they are just that, a projection. I take their math at face value, and the one thing I believe to be true more than any other statement in their study, is that Decatur’s school enrollment will skyrocket with or without annexed property.

        The discussion on this site seems to be only about annexation’s impact on the school system. But I view it from a much wider lens. I moved to this city because of its history of progressive and engaged local government. If you like the intimate, walkable city with good schools that we currently have, then you’re a fan of Decatur’s engaged local government as well. The city’s heavy involvement was instrumental in creating the current feel and desirability that convinces so many people move here, from the first town center plan, through the MARTA plaza redevelopment, to the active recruitment of local businesses over chains. I certainly want more people to have access to the service I enjoy, and I don’t think the sky is going to fall, or our school system is going to implode, should that happen.

        1. I agree with pretty much everything in your post JC, but I would argue that the successes you highlight were possible because of the small size of our city……the risk of the proposed annexation does not equal the reward…..agree to disagree

  20. Highly recommend trying the new restaurant BBQ Takorea on Clairmont – http://bbqtakorea.com/ My husband and I tried it last night and were hugely impressed – the freshness, quality, and taste were all amazing! Let’s keep these guys loving Decatur.

    2. I agree Kat. That sweet family knows how to cook Korean for the American palette. I had some super Korean tacos that were better than any I’ve had from Atlanta food trucks. I’m looking forward to going back for steamed buns and bibimbop.

      1. Yay! I had the bibimbap with tofu (amazing) and my hubs had the pork buns and the Korean bbq burrito with chicken. We loved it and it was so cheap! The kimchi is to die for… this is the best I can remember having since NYC.

    4. hate to throw sand in the vaseline, but the store bought tortillas (same brand I usually use) and just about everything else seemed processed off premises and was “okay.” maybe they’ve worked out a few opening day kinks.

    5. OMG, the first thing I saw on the menu was that the bibimbap can be made with tofu!!! I’m there. Thanks for posting the link!

  22. This place sound similar to Blossom Tree in downtown Atlanta. I love that place. Will have to see how this compares.

  24. Come support Decatur’s local dance company, Decatur City Dance! Your children, both boys and girls, will love the interpretations of Mother Goose rhymes. Performances are on Saturday, November 15 at 2:00 and 6:00 PM at Druid Hills High School’s Uhry Theatre. Buy tickets at the door or online at http://www.decaturcitydance.com.

  26. Big shout out to Decatur Boxing – if you are looking for a great workout that is different every time in an inviting and fun atmosphere, head down to New Street and look for the boxing sign behind 3 Taverns – hit the pads with “Bad Pads” Biggs…have never felt better…they also have a groupon deal currently….

    1. Thanks for the heads up. I take my dog to day care on New Street and have always wondered about that gym. When you say inviting, what do you mean? Is this for fighters only, or do they welcome anyone looking for a good workout?

      2. Some people can get intimidated by an authentic “boxing gym” setting which this is. That’s what I meant. Its no frills and everyone is welcome women, kids, old, young – workout is awesome!

        Biggs the owner is known nationwide as a great trainer and just got back from being on tour with Usher who he trained for his upcoming Sugar Ray Leonard movie…my first day I had no idea how to wrap my hands and hadn’t boxed ever..some of the veteran students came up an helped me with everything..it is really a family vibe and can’t recommend it more highly..Biggs brother is Tyrell Biggs 1984 Heavyweight Olympic gold medalist…

      3. I can’t say enough about Decatur Boxing Club. Philly style gym cleaned up Decatur style. Collegial atmosphere! All fitness levels can get the best workout in town! Tennis people increase hand and foot speed. Celebrity sightings are not uncommon. Get Fit, Not Hit!

  28. On Saturday at 1:00 p.m., I’ll be reading from my newly released short story collection “American Blues” at The Iberian Pig on Decatur Square.

    You don’t have to order *anything.* You’re welcome to just show up and listen. (There will be tapas and a few other items available from the menu, plus wine and beer.)

    The book has gotten two reviews; both have been raves. (If you’d like to read a brief excerpt first, you’ll find one at http://www.indieberlin.de/indie-lit/excerpt-from-sonnys-blues-a-story-by-evan-guilford-blake.html.)

    If you do want something to eat, please plan to come about 1:00. I’ll start reading about 1:30. There’ll be time for questions and to sign books, but we should be finished by 2:30 at the latest.

    The Decatur Wine Festival will be going on at the same time, so you can do both if you like!

    Hope to see you there.

    Evan Guilford-Blake

  30. Not sure where to go with this….a family moved into a rental house on the street and sent their kids to CSD for a few months. They moved out before the 2014 school year began but the parents continue to drop the kids off for the bus in the AM…driving them to the bus stop. I don’t know for sure that the didn’t relocate within city limits but I doubt it. But now I’ve got a rental house overfilled with grad students and the former renters perhaps using the school without having to pay our lovely taxes. Thoughts on how to broach with the city?

    3. I in fact witnessed a similar situation a few years ago. During the first week of school, I saw a DHS student park his car about 2 blocks away and walk to school. It did not have a DeKalb tag. I called CSD and within a week I didn’t see the student or the car any more.

    4. “But now I’ve got a rental house overfilled with grad students”

      Not sure what you mean by “overfilled” but there can be no more than 3 unrelated individuals or a family plus 2 unrelated individuals living in a single family house in Decatur.

  32. I guess you could give CSD the address and ask if they’ll check if anyone enrolled is using it. I assume they have the ability to search it out, but who knows? Up to CSD from there.

    1. +1 what brainc says – contact CSD.

      My understanding is that CSD does do random residency checks. Also as a CSD parent, I had to prove residency several times through out the years my kids have been in school even though we have been at the same address for 12+ years. Seems like in forth grade everyone has to provide proof of residency. So it may just catch up with the situation mentioned above.

  34. The City Schools of Decatur Board of Education will vote this Tuesday night on one of four building options for expansion at both Decatur High and Renfroe Middle schools. I attended the community review for the DHS plans on Monday and while some of the design ideas could enhance the school, I hope they’ll give a lot more thought to the parking proposed in the leading options (identified as 1 and 3 in the board report.) The designs show 358 parking spaces in an unbroken expanse of asphalt the full length of the school property, from McDonough Street to Commerce Drive. Although people at an August listening session asked for progressive ways to address parking needs, the only response so far has been that decks are too expensive and some people feel they are unsafe. The public has one more opportunity to speak to the School Board during the comment period at the meeting Tuesday, 11/11 at 6:30 p.m. at CSD’s Central Office at Beacon, 125 Electric Avenue. I’m hoping folks will air some ideas for parking in a city that is supposed to value green space and transportation alternatives. Shared facilities with the city? Financial incentives for staff to not drive if they live nearby? No spaces for students without special permits? The kind of stuff that universities and businesses already do. Then for those those who must drive, if a deck is too expensive, what about permeable parking surfaces with integrated green space? Creative solutions are out there. Googled and found a picture of grass-covered porous paving in a University of Copenhagen parking lot , and applications like that aren’t just going into uber-progressive Northern Europe. There’s a pilot program in Athens and may be more around here. Decatur is supposed to be different — I just want the powers that be to consider something better. If you have an opinion, please air it to the CSD school board in writing or at the Tuesday meeting.

    1. Unfortunately, porous paving isn’t worth the trouble in DeKalb because of our stony, hard-packed clay soil (the same reason this county, in its rural days, had dairies instead of farms growing field crops).. We investigated it for our condo complex a while back…

    2. I’d say student parking should be only for those with documented after-school jobs, but don’t how much difference that would make.

      1. As a parent, I would be fine if DHS students were not allowed to have cars except for certain special situations like internships, work study, other situations that absolutely necessitate a vehicle. DHS is so centrally located that teens can easily walk/cycle to and from anywhere within COD limits. Less teens driving is more safe teens as far as I’m concerned. Plus there’s MARTA. The inconvenience of teens not being able to park a car at the high school is definitely a first world problem. If none of them could do it, except for certain well-defined, fairly enforced exceptions, they’d all survive just fine. I’d much rather have more classrooms, more labs, more drama/art/music/club/sports space, more community garden, more usable greenspace, than parking spaces. I’m not against high school students driving to school but it’s way down on my priority list compared to other school uses of the space.

      2. I disagree. Driving to and from school is great experience for new drivers. As the parent of a senior, I want my kid to have as many hours on the road as possible before we send her off to college in another city. The experience of having a car, being responsible for keeping it gassed up and maintained, and getting herself up and out the door in time to account for trains, rain, etc., has been a great learning experience. (She has so many friends who don’t even have a license and I wonder when they will ever learn to drive or practice — we as parents have to teach them and let them practice in a variety of conditions.)

        1. Please make room for the possibility that other people may not wish to subsidize this “great learning experience” for your child, by paying for that much more parking (and surrendering other uses to which the land might be put). Those people might include those who can’t afford to provide their teen with a car, those who don’t want to provide their teen with a car, those who don’t have a teen of their own and are struggling to come up with their share of the cost of educating yours. Life lessons about waking up and being on time for commitments aren’t transportation-specific–they are being learned by students who walk, bike, bus, train to school.

          1. I agree with STG. Providing on-campus free parking for students should be the lowest priority in planning for expansion. To O3 you can add the challenge of finding free parking in downtown Decatur to that list of life lessons for your offspring.

          3. And the possibility that driving and cars are discouraged or not needed where your “kid goes to college in another city.” Still plenty of locations where most folks get around without the expenses of a car and many places where both job and housing make that work for her even if it’s not the norm (ex: ITP metro Atlanta). Thanks STG.

        2. Oh how I wish fewer people had to rely on cars! I’m with you all on that. However, I think teaching kids to be good drivers is an essential life skill — and it can certainly be done in many ways. I am glad that our kid has been able to drive to school when she has activities and when she doesn’t, and I hope that the future drivers of Decatur have that opportunity too. It takes a lot of practice to become a good driver, and my point was simply that driving to high school is great practice (for driving and for being independent adults generally) so I disagreed with the notion that only kids with after school activities should be able to drive to school.

          1. I think it’s fine if kids want, and are allowed and able, to drive to school, but only if they’re bearing the full cost of their choices. DHS should save the garden at Commerce and Howard/DeKalb, build structured parking instead of asphalt, and finance the difference by charging for parking permits.

            The only downside to such a plan is that, once people actually have to pay for things that were previously perceived as free, they often change their approach. So the necessary demand might not materialize. Ultimately, though, I’m not sure what would happen, since teens are not necessarily known for rigorous cost/benefit analysis when it comes to “wants.”

          2. I’m not against high schoolers driving to school if parking space exists. But if the high school has a space issue, I think that classrooms, PE, science labs, drama/art/music, other academic necessities, a community garden, sports fields, teacher parking, etc. should have a higher priority. Other options for practicing driving exist but other options may not exist for the higher school priorities. Personally, I’m fine if the pressure on teens to have a car and drive it to school was eliminated because there was nowhere to park–I think there would be hidden social, health, and safety benefits to that set-up– but I recognize that other families feel differently and driving to high school has been the American teen ideal since 19XX.

  36. Anyone have a recommendation for a good KitchenAid repair company? The piece of the top rack connecting to the track broke, which of course is not covered by my extended warranty.

    Thanks

    1. There is a place in DeKalb where you can order repair parts for appliances. Sounds like a simple repair.

  38. Tomorrow night the school board will hear a request from the Housing Authority to allow children currently residing in Gateway apartments to continue to attend CSD during the demolition/construction of their homes even though most if not all will relocate outside the city limits for the two year (or so) project duration. It seems to me like this is an opportunity to “put our money where our mouth is” as it relates to being a compassionate city. Some of these kids have lived in Gateway their whole lives and have only attended CSD schools.

    2. Agree completely! This is a temporary, involuntary, one-time move for longtime Decatur residents, not a precedent.

      1. Deanne and AHID – I suggest you come out and make yourself heard. This is far from a done deal.

        1. That’s truly appalling (that the question has even arisen in any but the most pro forma way).

        2. And we know from this very thread up above that if the Board doesn’t approve the request, there will be a bunch of concerned Decatur citizens checking up on these kids and getting them kicked out if they dare live outside the city during the construction!

          1. Now, hold your horses, junder, mein Freund. I’m sure plenty of upstanding Decaturites can hold two thoughts in their head at the same time — that school district cheaters should be identified and banished, while Gateway kids are welcome to stay put in Decatur schools while temporarily displaced from their abodes.

        3. smith, I have to be at another meeting at the same time or I would. Can you tell us a bit more about it– like, what else folks would want to include in an email to board members? And do you happen to know how CSD handles temporary relocations for homeowner renovations? While those usually aren’t for as long a time frame, it’s almost always by choice.

          1. As I understand it, the Board will hear a request from DHA to accommodate the Gateway students during the construction. The logisitics of transportation are a nightmare (these kids will end up in apartments all over central DeKalb County) so I think the Administration is recommending letting the students stay, but no transportation provided. This seems like a fair solution. Most families I have known in Gateway have jobs and some have cars so should be able to get the kids to school.

            1. That’s a very fair and common sense solution. We have quality folks on the Board, and I feel good that they’ll make the right decision.

              smith, thanks for sharing this on here.

            2. I also have another commitment but am happy to hear that there will be a reasonable solution. Agree that most of the displaced kids will be able to find a way to school during the temporary move.

    1. The Civilized Plumber. not HQ’d in Decatur but he goes where he’s needed. Can’t put my finger on the number but google and he’ll turn up.

  42. BTW, for anyone interested, it looks like the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner web page is down, so you can’t pay your second installment taxes online today.

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