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From the all-knowing Decatur Minute…

South McDonough Street will be closed between Griffin Circle and Lenore Street beginning Jan. 17 from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. The work will take no longer than 21 consecutive days and homeowners will be able to access their driveways during construction. The road will be reopened every night and early morning between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact John Madajewski, P.E. Senior Engineer/CRS Coordinator at 678-553-6530 or at john.madajewski@decaturga.com.

A note from City Schools of Decatur notes that this closure will likely impact “the arrival and dismissal of several of our schools, especially College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center, Winnona Park Elementary and Renfroe Middle School.”

CSD recommends allowing an extra 15 minutes in the morning when dropping off your child or multi-childs at any of these buildings of learning.  Bus routes will also be affected.

• Powerplants contribute to 72% of carbon emissions, and the top emitter is in GA! [AJC]
• Decatur Rec Center Construction – Week 2 [Be Active Decatur]
• Johns Creek launches new interactive map for residents [Johns Creek]
• 107 Applicants for DHS Football coach [Patch]
• Top Republicans want to overturn GA charter school ruling [GPB]
• Who killed lard? [Planet Money]

Photo courtesy of Be Active Decatur

A fairly common complaint here on DM is the design and construction quality of new homes and downtown buildings. Some of these reflect matters of personal taste; others lament market realities that can’t be legislated.

But maybe there’s something the Zoning Task Force could recommend that would cost the city nothing, yet do wonders towards civic pride and our shared perspective on what buildings mean to a growing community.

I’m talking about mandated cornerstones on all new construction.

Not a new idea by any means but perhaps one that’s fallen out of popular use, the cornerstone has been used historically to document a building’s important details — when it was completed, who designed it, who built it and, for civic buildings, who helped make the project a reality.

The reasons I love them are twofold. First, they make us acknowledge the long-term (or what should be long-term) implications of the things we build. Second, they make those responsible for the buildings accountable for the end product. If you’re fly-by-night, it’s a shaming exercise. If you do great work, it’s a lasting testimonial on your behalf.

Either way, the community benefits. So what do you think? Could we boost the dignity of our built environment with something as simple as a couple lines of legal text?