What can the ranch house teach us?

That question, presented to a historian, architect, or planner will garner three (or more!) very different responses.

• Its long and low form is a direct result of its suburban environment.
• Its interior spaces document the American family’s desire for larger interior spaces.
• The ranch’s simplified architectural style, evolved loosely from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Style, speaks to the growing desire in the mid-20th century to keep the cost of construction down .

On Wednesday, March 24th at noon, the DeKalb History Center will dedicate an entire Lunch & Learn on one of the most controversial, yet wide-spread house types/styles of the last century: the Ranch House.

All details after the jump!  So jump!

Photo of a “typical ranch house in Belvedere Park” courtesy of the DeKalb History Center

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Renewal Design Build announced yesterday that it had received a regional Whole House award from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry for its “green” renovation of 601 Third Avenue in Oakhurst.

During its construction in 2007-2008, the Third Avenue renovation was a media darling, from its feature on Discovery’s Planet Green, which helped fund some of the renovation, to its inevitable AJC spread.  The only other Decatur residence with such extensive media exposure in recent years is another eco-friendly home, Wilton Avenue’s RainShine House.

Though at the time of 601’s completion I wondered how REALLY eco-friendly a house twice the size of the old could be, Renewal states that the remodel “doubl[ed] the home’s existing square footage while cutting its energy bills in half.”

Not too shabby.

Disclosure: Renewal is a Decatur Metro sponsor

From the Decatur Metro “This Story is Completely Fictional” desk…

As Decatur continues to trudge through the wet, winter months, steady progress continues on one of the city’s most controversial bond projects in recent memory: the Great Glenlake Mudpit.

It’s a story of love, hate and political savvy.  A giant pit of mud that symbolizes an underlying turmoil inside five, precious square miles.

It all started with what is now being termed a “simple mistake.” In an effort to be more inclusive than humanly possible during a city-wide vote on how to spend bond-project money, city staff, commissioners and Glenlake Park advocates agreed that in order to include literally EVERYONE in the city’s decision-making process, children from 2-18 years-old would also get a say.

When asked about left out 0-2 year-olds, Glenlake improvements advocate Frank McGuilt-Trip chuckled knowingly and explained “Well, while we really DID want to include every city resident in this decision, when it came to the two-and-unders we felt that their general lack of understanding of most anything might impede their decision-making on the Glenlake project.”

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Feel free to use this post to discuss and ask questions about local issues not discussed here in the past week.

Comments close on Monday.

Neighbors helping neighbors.  Lisa writes in…

Just wanted to let you know that the James Joyce Pub is hosting a benefit for the Our Way Cafe Recovery Fund on Tuesday, February 9, 2010. 20% of the proceeds from all sales between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and close that Tuesday will benefit the fund.

UPDATE: The Zoning Board of Approvals won’t address this issue until March.  Not on the docket for next Monday.

While the AJC’s recent follow-up story on the Peer Support and Wellness Center controversy details the arguments of those making zoning-related arguments about the Center….

“How can you be a resident if you only stay at most seven days? And 25 people who come every day, they are not just visitors,” said Soren Christensen, who has lived in the neighborhood for eight years.

…Dave Kell’s InDecatur and Decatur Heights blogs continue to focus on potential criminal elements.

Publishing an “Incident Address Report” requested from Decatur PD, Dave shows that there were 20 “incidents” called into the center and documented in the past 20 months.  Five of these incidents are tagged “EMS”, while six are labeled “disturbance”, two “location checks”, one “theft”, one “meet a person”, one “suicide threat”, one “criminal trespass”, one “suspicious person”, one “person down” and one “hang up”.

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From the City Schools of Decatur…

On Wednesday evening (2/3) Winnona Park Elementary was vandalized by someone who is unhappy about the tornado sirens that have been placed on our schools by the City of Decatur. They spray-painted a very large message on the blacktop of the lower parking lot as well as on the pole that the siren is attached to. If you have any information about this incident or know who is responsible for the vandalism, please contact the Decatur Police Department at 404-377-7911 or call Winnona Park Principal Greg Wiseman at 404-370-4490.

If you or others are upset about the tornado sirens being placed on the schools, please contact the Decatur City Commission or Ms. Peggy Merriss. Naturally, there are better ways to express one’s displeasure than defacing school property. Thank you for helping us keep our schools safe and clean for our students.

UPDATE: FM Fats reports that he spoke with Depeaux owner Bill Sharkey today and was told that the Depeaux isn’t entirely closed and is still open on weekends.

It opened to renovation controversy (after a $250,000 move funded by the DPA) and high Cajun-food-hopes.  It closed quitely and without notice.

Until now.

A few days after a major refreshening of its “Business For Sale” page with the Shumacher Group, Carl reports that it looks like the Depeaux (in the old Decatur depot) has finally closed its doors for good.

No hours posted, mail slot sealed shut…no sign of life. BBQ joint moving in?

Photo courtesy of the Shumacher Group

That’s what the sign on the door to the barely year-old cafe in the 340 West Ponce building says, along with an” Available” sign from Shumacher Group.

If the first isn’t an ominous sign, the second certainly is!

Carl headed over there after a Twitter tipster gave us the heads-up and snapped this pic.

Beautiful wands for sale, for a good cause!  Audrey sends in this announcement…

Haiti needs a little magic.

A group of 3rd graders from Winnona Park Elementary have made some beautiful wizard and fairy wands and will be selling them on Saturday Feb 6th in front of Little Shop of Stories starting at noon. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to help Haiti. The wands will be $10 each.