Comments on: Free-For-All Friday 5/3/13

By: Arriba

Arriba — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:45:06 +0000

This happened to us (luckily not taking out the top floor!) A branch from the neighbors tree took out our electricity and phone lines, also fried a couple of appliances.Luckily, we have a great neighbor who was mortified that their tree took out our electricity and offered to pay for some of the costs of tree trimming.
You are *allowed* to cut branches that hang over your yard, but I would not do that without expressing your concerns with your neighbor. Do ask if you can do a tree assessment (our neighbor had one done, and the tree is perfectly fine – just old – and they do shed braches as a matter of them being trees.) Then go from there. If you can offer to trim some overhanging branches, really the neighbor cannot say no, but it’s neighborly to ask first.

By: At Home in Decatur

At Home in Decatur — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:32:27 +0000

As of this past weekend, Cakes and Ale and Wahoo were booked. (But cancellations can occur.) No. 246, Cafe Alsace, and The Marley House still had reservations.

By: smalltowngal

smalltowngal — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:18:44 +0000

That one drives me nuts, too!

By: DrB

DrB — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:12:57 +0000

I have not read Decatur’s ordinance in detail, but 10+ years ago when I lived in unincorporated Dekalb, it was in the zoning/planning code books that any property improvements could not change the runoff across the property line (i.e. make it worse). In practice, I doubt it was often enforced, but it provides an aggrieved property owner with legal ground for a complaint.

Just did a quick search of Decatur’s code – best I can find is Ch. 42 Sec 113. Most deals with large projects, new homes, and subdivisions, but the text below seems to cover small projects:

“The following activities are exempt from this article:

a. Individual single-family dwellings that are not part of a subdivision or phased development project, nor part of a common or joint development of two or more adjacent and vacant lots, provided the unmitigated increase in the stormwater discharge from the entire property being developed does not exceed 0.55 cubic feet per second (cfs) for the 10-year storm event as calculated in accordance with the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual;

b. Additions or modifications to an existing single-family dwelling, provided the unmitigated increase in the stormwater discharge from the entire property being developed does not exceed 0.55 cubic feet per second (cfs) for the 10-year storm event as calculated in accordance with the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual or the city’s stormwater management policy guidelines;
“

By: dsw

dsw — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:24:52 +0000

I’m glad to know there are other grammarians out there. My pet peeve is when people use “over” instead of “more than.” As in, “Over 500 people attended the Decatur Book Festival.” That drives me bonkers. I only know this because my News Writing and Reporter professor told me multiple times, often using a very loud and exasperated tone, “Over is a spatial relationship.”