…thanks to the mortgage crisis.

A report created for the U.S. Conference of Mayors shows that Atlanta’s GMP (Gross Metropolitan Product) will decline 0.6 points to 3% (a loss of $954 million) thanks to the current correction taking place in the real estate market.  As bad as this massive number may sound, Atlanta (thankfully!) does not to come close to appearing in the top 10 metro areas with the largest loss of GMP.  That honor belongs to New York City ($10 billion), L.A. ($8.3 billion) Dallas ($4 Billion) , Washington ($4 Billion) and Chicago ($4 Billion).

This shouldn’t be a huge shock to anyone, in Atlanta or elsewhere.  The real estate market continues to see the largest declines in areas that just a couple years ago, were producing the largest profits for investors.  While Atlantans used to shake their heads as valuations in Florida, California and other metro regions returned mind-blowing profits for investors, we should now be thrilled that Atlanta has seen a more modest correction (even if foreclosures are some of the highest in the country).

Thanks to all the mortgage lenders and people that over-extended themselves with mortgages they couldn’t afford.  This massive correction couldn’t have been possible without your support.

Chris (left) and Tim Russell in their living room on Adams Street in Decatur. (Photo Courtesy of AJC)

The AJC’s Annual Holiday Guide includes an extensive write up and photo tour of Leila Ross Wilburn homes featured on this year’s Decatur Tour of Homes. Having graduated from Agnes Scott College in 1902, Wilburn was a shining star of the Craftsman movement. As one of the only women to have her plan books published in the era, her designs not only exist in Decatur’s MAK Historic District, which borders her alma mater, but in countless unidentified homes throughout the southeast and the country.

Additional info and ticket info can be found on the Decatur Tour of Homes website, including this….

Five of [Lilburn's] plan books, along with enlarged mounted copies of the plans represented in MAK, will be available for public viewing at Agnes Scott College’s McCain Library during Decatur’s Tour of Homes, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Dec. 7 and 8, 2007.

Also found this interesting…

MAK is very proud that Leila Ross Wilburn’s niece, Lib Kennedy, is the neighborhood’s oldest and longest-term resident. She lived in the neighborhood as a child during its development at the beginning of the 20th century and still resides on Adams Street.

UPDATE: InDecatur links to the MAK District website, which includes a list of all Leila Ross Wilburn Homes in the district.

Theater and wine lover, Angelo Pitillo, owner of the much-loved Cafe Lily died from pancreatic cancer last Thursday.

From the AJC…

Angelo Pitillo bought a restaurant with no kitchen and, even though he never set foot in the region, built it into a popular Mediterranean cafe.

A certified sommelier, he delighted in introducing unique wines to Cafe Lily customers dining on dishes created by his son.

“He had the best Zinfandel list in town,” said longtime customer Jon Abercrombie of Decatur. The restaurant, in downtown Decatur, has won three consecutive Wine Spectator awards of excellence.

Mr. Pitillo used Mr. Abercrombie to solve a wine connoisseur’s political dilemma. “My favorite wine is a French wine he gave me when he was put out with the French,” Mr. Abercrombie said. “He wouldn’t sell it, and he wouldn’t pour it down the drain. He said he might as well give it to a liberal.”

Angelo Michael Pitillo, 70, of Sandy Springs died of pancreatic cancer Thursday at Hospice Atlanta. A private service is planned. A.S. Turner & Sons is in charge of arrangements. Read the rest of this entry »

Decaturguy and DriftGrift wade into the “fetid waters” stirred up by State Rep. Kevin Levitas’ opinion piece in last Friday’s AJC calling for the elimination of the position of DeKalb County CEO.

Both suggest that Levitas to get his interfering “heavy hand” out of the county’s cookie jar.

DriftGrift is wary of a county commission sans CEO and looks to the west for an example.

Fulton has a much more traditional form of county government. One which certainly could be the model for the legislation now proposed by Levitas and Jacobs. Power is dispersed among the various commissioners with a board appointed county manager running day to day operations.

The result of such distributed power over a huge infrastructure is instead of a single strongman, Fulton has individual fiefdoms. lorded over by their elected representative. And you want discontent? The Fulton system has worked so well the voters have for all practical purposes voted the entire county out of existence. It’s no shock the “let’s form our own city” push began with north Fulton’s Sandy Springs and then metastasized to Johns Creek, Milton and Chattahoochee Hills.

There has always been an uneasy truce between Dekalb and its various towns but compared to the neighbors to the west, the tension has been no worse than the typical family Thanksgiving dinner – lots of sniping with everyone warily glancing about, but no one leaves the table until the pecan pie is served.

While Decaturguy points towards his hometown to combat the idea “pouring hours” legislation that jump-started this current initiative

I would also point out that the City of Decatur (which has its own last call hours and would not be impacted by anything Dekalb County does) has a 4AM last call and there aren’t late night nightclubs pouring into the city. That’s probably because Decatur is not going to put up with any lawlessness. If there is something illegal going on at these clubs then it is a law enforcement problem, not a reason to curtail the freedoms of law abiding business owners, their employees, or their customers.

I do agree that this is a bit of an over-reaction by the state, but ultimately if you learn one thing in Local Politics 101 its that cities are products of the state. For Better or Worse.

In a bit of musical chairs, the city of Decatur is looking to annex nine parcels along Columbia Drive to provide new homes for the Quaker “Friends School of Atlanta” and an AT&T work center. Both organizations currently own property in an area that Decatur plans to put to new use as part of redevelopment in the Avondale Station Livable Centers Initiative. Their new locations will be on the edge of the LCI district.

From GoDeKalb

Lyn Menne, assistant city manager of community and economic development, said the master plan called for a public park space at the Bell South facility site and mixed-use development at the current school site. She said the school wanted to remain in the city.

In her report to the City Commission presented at their Nov. 5 meeting, City Manager Peggy Merriss said the annexation request involved about 8.5 acres at 814-874 Columbia Drive.

There will be public hearings on Dec. 6 and 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Decatur City Hall regarding rezoning applications for the property involved in the annexation.

UPDATE: The City Commission follows through.