Free-For-All Friday 10/3/14
Decatur Metro | October 3, 2014 | 7:19 amFeel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local topics not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local topics not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
Bruce
Smith
TOK
Steve
Michelle Cavaliere
At Home in Decatur
LOL
brianc
brianc
At Home in Decatur
David
Sam
in re: parking meters — always choose the print receipt option and put the receipt on your dashboard. I often park in the parallel spots in front of the greenspace on Clairemont (or is it Clairmont there?). The other day I paid for ~90 minutes, and returned to find a parking ticket less than an hour later. Unfortunately, in solidarity with the soon-to-be-removed trees that nestled my vehicle in cooling shade, I didn’t print a receipt that day. So now it’s either pony up the fifteen bucks, or spend a Tuesday evening in traffic court with no certain result. Bah!
I have been using the parking app with good results. There is a small service fee but it is really convenient.
A printed receipt is not required to be placed on the dashboard. I print one anyway for my records. Guessing the app will hold those records digitally. The permit is linked to the car tag so perhaps letters or numbers were entered incorrectly.
Right, but that’s my point — because I don’t have a printed receipt from this particular instance, I’m stuck without a paper trail to contrast with the time of the ticket. So either the machine malfunctioned, or was misread somehow by the meter reader. If the app provides a log that can be relied on, that’s great. Otherwise, my advice is to get the receipt and put it somewhere that can be seen by the meter reader.
As to the letters/numbers being entered incorrectly, when I enter my 7-digit plate number, the first digit drops off the receipt, so instead of “PFIxxxx”, it reads “FIxxxx”. While entry error is always a possibility, the fact that the very first digit drops off every time (of the 50 or so times I’ve used the meters, so it can’t be just me) strikes me as a problem.
I’ve had issues with the key pad not registering what I typed. I’m thinking that you have to cancel and start over if the wrong info is registered.
Have you tried contacting the city about this before traffic court. They may be willing to cancel it. I had a wrongly issued ticket removed on the old meter system – I didn’t have any paper proof of course.
heard on the radio the avondale estates mayor resigned.
Big article on Decaturish.
Wow, Avondale Estates gets all the drama these days. COD can’t compete now that CSD is opening instead of closing schools, the 14 year old invading gunmen are back in school, and the tree ordinance is passed. Well, there is the whole Howard Ave. construction thingy….
Does anybody have a recommended contractor/handy man for staining a deck and fence?
Thanks,
+1 on a recommendation for someone to stain a deck.
Have you guys signed up for the OakhurstGA yahoo group? If not, do that first. Then you can go to the “Database” link and it has contractor referrals for all kinds of work.
For example, fencing has two recommendations: Pennington Fence Company and Lindley’s Fencing.
Call Jason @ ProActive Residential
http://www.proactiveresidential.com
Always professional and very informative.
I searched the archives, so sorry if this has come up and I missed it. I’m looking for a local, reliable handy man to do odd jobs around my house (replace storm window, etc.). Thanks!
Does anyone know if the street sweeping schedule is published anywhere? I would have liked to move my car from the street, had I known they were coming on Wednesday…
It’s on the COD website, but I haven’t noticed it being followed lately.
Update on Greg Germani & fundraiser coming up Nov 7:
http://www.medlockpark.org/2014/10/update-on-greg-germani-thumbs-up.html
Ladies, best place in town for a mani-pedi? Thanks.
Not in Decatur, but THE BEST mani/pedi I’ve had anywhere around here was at the Nail Shack in EAV. They take walk-ins, but I recommend making an appointment. They do excellent work for the most reasonable prices you’ll find in the area.
Loosely defining intown… I’m now a regular at Tony Nails in Toco Hill/Hills? and have been for the past year or so. I see Tammi, she gives a nice little massage while your nails are drying. If you absolutely must go within the city limits, the place by the barbecue joint on Church is also good (can’t remember the name.)
I am an extremely happy long-time customer of Midtown Nails at the Whole Foods shopping center on Ponce. Extremely clean. I’ve seen everyone there – from a Gerogia Supreme Court justice to Congressman John Lewis. Mani-pedis in a massage chair are $30.
I love Viet Traditional Nails on Ponce for pedicures I get the number 3 for $36 and it is perfect every time and it lasts 2 weeks, no problem.
I imagine I could look this up somewhere, but does anyone know the current building codes around yard fences? I am seeing a proliferation of high privacy fences right against property lines/sidewalks. I thought they had to be set back a bit, or restricted in some way? IMHO these detract from the community feel of our neighborhoods, and make them look more like mini security fortresses….
It’s the Latin American elite look. Soon we’ll have concrete walls with broken, jagged glass along the top edge. Where’s that moat?….
Not between you and your prejudices, that’s for sure!
It doesn’t demonstrate prejudice to reference what is a very common urban form in Latin America.
And the desire to be kept separate from said group demonstrates….?
I didn’t perceive any desire to keep separate in AHID’s remark.
Well then this was fun!
Re-read her post, but turn off your sarcasm filter when reading the line about the moat.
I’m not sure where this is going but I was not trying to advocate for fences, jagged glass, or moats. In fact, I’m hoping that class tensions in the U.S. never get to the point where the wealthy find it necessary to protect themselves from the poor with jagged glass on top of concrete walls. I guess I was wondering whether 8 foot privacy fences encircling a property are more about privacy and keeping in the dogs or more about fear of strangers. But it sounds like 8 foot fences aren’t allowed in the front anyway. 4 foot fences seem more about yard décor than keeping out the riffraff.
This is not definitive but I believe the rules are 8′ max behind the front facade; 4′ in the front yard. Placement at the property line is fine. Best to double check though.
I believe that is correct. I know b/c my reclusive neighbors (who should probably live on a rural farm with no neighbors for miles) have installed every square inch of fence allowed by the ordinance. IMO, no one should be able to install a 8′ fence.
why not? aesthetics?
Yeah! Dawgfan and I finally agree on something. Will heaven and earth now collide?
such a collision is on the horizon
Well played.
“IMO, no one should be able to install a 8′ fence.”
Tell that to folks whose dogs can jump 6 & 7 ft fences with no more effort than playing hopscotch.
and to their neighbors!
I think you should be allowed to put up an 8′ fence between your yard and your neighbor’s if said neighbor keeps an old toilet and bathtub in the side yard for more than 2 years and has never cleaned their aluminum awnings.
An old toilet? Really?
Property line placement should be legal but to be safe I’d bring it in 6″ or so. That should help if any ROW or property line disputes arise (real or perceived).
What would it take to get the lights on Commerce synced? Specifically from W. Trinity to Church. Wouldn’t that be great? Those three from W.Trinity to Swanton to W. Ponce are such a pain in the ass. I drive through there at least twice a day and can tell there’s never a pattern to their timing.
#RandomRant
Cheers,
Zack
I think it would require getting the county to act, because Dekalb county is responsible for the lights on that road. But I agree with your rant. It would reduce cut-through traffic through downtown on Ponce as well. I don’t understand why we have a 4-lane ring highway around our city that’s slower than the 2-lane drive through the pedestrian zone.
Zack, give DeKalb Traffic Ops a call: (404)297-3947. Nice folks who are quite willing to go out asap to see about addressing traffic light or crosswalk signal issues. They just need folks to actually take the time to let them know when there’s a problem! Thanks for doing it! :0)
In the morning, the lights on Commerce are synced — entering and traveling from E Ponce around to Trinity.
Twice in the last week I’ve been stuck a behind a car in a left turn lane where the car stays behind the line, even though the light is green. The light then turns yellow, then red and the car still hasn’t moved (there isn’t a left turn arrow).
The way I learned it, you are allowed to cross into the intersection anytime after the light turns green, and can stay there through the yellow (and even red) until you have an opening to turn left. But, I’ve heard that in some states that it is against the law to make this move, you have to stay behind the line until it is safe to turn.
Just curious if anyone know which states have this law?
I don’t think you’re allowed to stay in the middle of an intersection after the light turns right. Also, if you’re out there waiting to take your shot at a quick left, you’re potentially blocking a car coming from the other direction wanting to make their own left turn. I don’t know what the law says but I think you should stay out of the intersection until you have a chance to actually move and get out of it again. There are so many places in Decatur and elsewhere, that SHOULD have a left turn arrow but just don’t for whatever reason. Traffic lights in general all over the area seem to be awful.
The way people drive around here, you often don’t get a chance to turn left until the red. I understand your point about blocking the lane, but with most intersections, that isn’t an issue.
In Georgia, one car may cross the line to wait for an opening to turn left. They can wait until red if need be to make the turn safely.
“The way I learned it, you are allowed to cross into the intersection anytime after the light turns green, and can stay there through the yellow (and even red) until you have an opening to turn left.”
This is what I was taught by my professional driving instructor. One car (per direction of travel) is allowed to be in the intersection awaiting a chance to make a left turn at a light.
Some Mead Rd. publicity? http://atlanta.curbed.com/archives/2014/09/25/heads-on-sticks-concrete-bunkers-and-other-oddities-of-mead-road.php
That was fun!
should be required reading for all suburbanites considering a move to Oakhurst.
#notinKansasanymore
Yup. Decatur is not a piece of Alpharetta conveniently located ITP. That’s not to say that new residents shouldn’t advocate and complain with the rest of us. They should just know what they are getting into before they move here.
I bought a six of Three Taverns Prince of Pilsen. Interesting. The carton says Decatur, GA and the label says Atlanta, GA.
If you Google them, their first search result begins with the description “Atlanta based…” But the address listed below it is of course Decatur.
Our kitchen sink window looks out on a old vacuum cleaner and large bags full of dog poop. Not sure if the outside vacuum was for the poop, but neither have moved for years.
Who’s the cute kid from the Decatur Soap Box derby that made it onto the CNN website with photos from all over the world? Hint: has and octopus on his head. Great photo.