Free-For-All Friday 7/3/15
Decatur Metro | July 3, 2015 | 7:05 amFeel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not yet discussed here over the past week.
Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not yet discussed here over the past week.
Siv
Justguessing
BethW
WinnonaWinnona
Oaky
lumpintheroad
King Tommen
Larkspur
Larkspur
Calamari
Christy
Siv
First Pint at Leon's Goes For $2,650
Dear CoD, although you haven’t finished the entire project, you already need to re-do the first phase of the Oakhurst streetscape improvements. When you build curbs 10-12 inches high, I can’t get out of my car without the door scraping the sidewalk.
When the road is paved, the curbs won’t be so high.
DawgFan, they are probably planning on putting a nice layer of asphalt down that will make the curb a more normal height when they are done.
it’s real nice how water puddles for days after it rains now. it’s real nice how water puddles for days after it rains now. You’d think that regrading a road would improve drainage, not make it worse.
Good morning, all.
So last night there was a police roadblock at Scott and Ponce de Leon. Every car had to drive through the roadblock, some of them were pulled over, some waved through. For traffic coming from the west. Started around eleven o’clock last night and lasted a few hours. I wonder what that was about?
Gonna take a wild guess that it had something to do with most businesses being closed on Friday because the 4th is on a Saturday and people were out getting their drink on.
Another item of local interest: Ted Cruz will be at Eagle Eye Books this afternoon, according to his recent tweet.
The sign at the front of store refers to it as a book sighning (sic).
Winnona Park Stud chuckled at Eagle Eye’s sighn
https://instagram.com/p/4o_7Rao4q3/
Has anyone found a good selection of newly legal retail fireworks close by?
I just picked up a groupon-$10 for $20 worth at the pop-up TNT stands. I think there’s a stand on Memorial and Columbia.
Do you have a link or a keyword for that Groupon?
TNT fireworks has the big mortars (inside the storefront not in the tent) 3307 Buford Highway.
$10 off coupon at tntfireworks (dot) com/coupons (click on the one for “Stands & Tents”)
Since there was confusion about trash pickup Wednesday and Thursday, I offer the following info:
Today is a government holiday, city, county, state, and US.
The banks are open today, but not the stock markets.
There is mail delivery today, but not tomorrow.
I read this literally two seconds after a (county) garbage truck passed my house, causing me to furrow my brow in confusion….
Don’t know about DeKalb collection – Decatur is off today.
Wait, mail delivery on a federal holiday? That seems unusual.
I double checked. I figure they couldn’t skip 2 days in a row, so there would be no mail either today or tomorrow and apparently USPS opted out of tomorrow.
Not sure why there was confusion about the trash. On non-holiday weeks, there isn’t any trash pickup on Wednesdays. For holiday weeks, Wednesday becomes the makeup day – if the holiday is on Monday, then Monday is picked up on Tuesday, Tuesday on Wednesday. If the holiday is on Friday, Thursday is on Wednesday, Friday on Thursday…
There was confusion because folks weren’t paying attention.
I was just on the Groupon site–30% off local deals and just bought one for Marco’s Pizza. Address is listed as COMING SOON–227 N. McDonough. This is news to me!
That’s the south corner of E Maple and N McDonough, so it’s possible.
Very unhappy with Park Atl at airport. First I tried to use one of their machines in the parking deck to pay my $2 hourly parking fee. It ate my ticket and credit card and didn’t give them back and suddenly the screen read “Temporarily Out of Order”. The call button did work well and a manager came by in about 15 minutes and got me back my credit card and we used another machine to pay the fare. Then I drove to the parking deck exit and tried to use my paid ticket in the machine there. This time it ate the ticket, did not raise the barrier, and the machine also read “Temporarily Out of Order”. Pressed the call button and a manager was to be there soon. While waiting, I tried to pull out the ticket with some tweezers I had in my purse but it didn’t work. I got tired of waiting, so I backed up and went to a booth with an attendant. Luckily, I had chosen the “Receipt Yes” option when I paid for my ticket so I could show it to her. Still took her some phone calls and taking down my license plate, but she eventually let me through. It took longer to pay for the parking than it did to park, get a boarding pass, walk someone to the security line, walk back to my car, and drive out. Luckily, the total time was still less than the 1 hour maximum for a $2 fee. Next time, I will just use the cash pay booths and forget the “convenience” of paying by credit card at the machines.
I have a small house on a large lot in a Historic district. Does anyone know if I could build a garage (or Carage I guess) with an apartment over it and rent out the apartment? I know the City wants more affordable housing stock so I wondered if current code allowed for this sort of thing.
I think it could be done, but you would need (a) approval of the Historic Preservation Commission if you’re in a locally designated historic district and (b) a zoning variance, since I don’t think apartments in separate building are allowed as the regulations stand. I do know the latter has been done.
Steve, the Historic district I am in is actually National. There are some infill houses and several remodels in my neighborhood that are putting in the garages with apartments over them. Is it easier somehow for developers to get these things approved than it is for homeowners?
If it’s a national district then I don’t believe you need any permissions on that front, unless you’re trying to find some manner of tax credits. As for local, accessory apartments (over garages and otherwise) are legal with no special permissions required (so long as you adhere to the applicable regs) and you should have no greater difficulty building one than a developer would have.
Scott is correct re: historic district. It sounds like the regs have been updated since I knew about accessory buildings. I’d make an appointment and consult with city zoning folks to understand what you can and cannot do.
All the rules got updated during the UDO process and they’re pretty straightforward. Max 800 sq. ft.or 1,000 sq. ft. if it also includes garage space. 10′ side setback for a two story accessory; 3′ for a one story. Max 2 bedrooms and 2 occupants.
Thank you Scott and Steve! Excellent information.
You da man ! Thanks for the current info.
Go Team USA! Beat Japan on Sunday. USA, USA, USA!
Happy Independence Day!!
Anyone know how to properly dispose of broken Decatur recycling bins? We have several that are no longer functional. Are they recyclable? Thanks!
I went through the trouble of using a box cutter to slice them up into small pieces and placed them in the remaining bin and they took the pieces. Then I bought a big wheelie recycle thingy.
This new fireworks law is going to be a waking nightmare for those of us who live in close proximity to dopey, inconsiderate man-children. Allowed until midnight, any night of the year, with no local government right to enact more stringent regulations.
It was the Georgia Legislature that done it, it would be their job to fix it.
City of Decatur’s noise ordinance might apply. But you’ll have to have police come by to document.
Here’s the language:
“The governing authority of a county or municipal corporation shall not prohibit the sale or use or explosion of consumer fireworks or products or services which are lawful under subsection (b) of Code Section 25-10-1, unless such prohibition is expressly authorized by general law.
If the sale of a product or service is regulated by Chapter 10 of Title 25, the governing authority of a county or municipal corporation shall not enact additional legislation of the sale or use or explosion of such product or service, unless such additional regulation is expressly authorized by general law.”
The term “general law” in the first instance was modified from the original language “the general law of the state”. I’m not an expert or anything, but it reads to me like the state legislature reserving for itself the right to enact further restriction in the future, not necessarily the right of municipalities to invoke existing noise ordinances. There’s nothing in the language that addresses noise ordinances per se, and so this might be a point of contention upon which a challenge could happen.
We heard them going off at 3am.
I should have mentioned, the law allows for fireworks until 2 AM on Jan 1, Jul 3, Jul 4, and Dec 31.
Unless you meant to say July 5 instead of July 3, then anything after midnight still illegal.
Saw a man on a motorized skateboard zipping down Glendale Ave last Friday, holding up what looked like a cell phone and a smaller piece of electronic equipment, like he had a GPS and was videoing straight ahead. Any clue?
Touche! The law says “midnight to 2am” on JULY 4 (not July 5).
I doubt that was the legislative intent!
Read here:
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-US/Display/20152016/HB/110
(I have an unhappy dog in downtown Decatur)
And yes – whose idea was it to say until midnight year round, and include vague language (at least to me) that is not clear about the priority of local noise ordinances?
Cool. Just take it to the Supreme Court. Apparently they can change laws now based on what they THINK the lawmakers should have meant.
Interpreting laws is kinda the reason the Supreme Court exist.
From a post on the Oconee County Georgia Sheriff’s Office’ FB page (very entertaining page, btw)”
“Georgia law, House Bill 110 to be exact, allows the display and shooting of fireworks from 10 am until 12 Midnight every day of the year except for July 3, July 4, December 31, January 1 of any year. On the days listed fireworks can be shot off until 2 am. Now, maybe if you want to be a good neighbor and think about how much noise you are making…that would be awesome.
To add: HB 110 specifically prohibits local governments from restricting the discharge of fireworks. Local noise ordinances, therefore, will not restrict the discharge of fireworks.”
Wow. Local noise ordinances do not apply to firework related noise? That’s a biggy even in toney, upscale City of Decatur. I guess our only recourse if the noise gets too onerous is to go to the neighborhoods of local legislators and set off noisy fireworks from 11 AM to midnight until some of them tire of it and decide to amend the law. That’ll only work with the early-to-bed-early-to-rise crowd and the non-hearing impaired. Not sure how many legislators fit those criteria.
You could as easily speak to the offending party.
In my jammies?
Seriously, the problem with firework noise in an intown area is that you don’t really know where it’s coming from, just that it’s sporadic, unpredictable, sudden, and loud. Rythmic traffic noise is less disturbing.
In theory, I agree and believe people should always try working out points of friction by talking to each other. In practice, however, anybody who’s lighting fireworks late at night in a populated area is either rude or drunk or both and the likelihood of a constructive conversation about it is pretty low.
Late FFAF question: Just got a summons for jury duty in a couple months that falls during already planned, non-refundable travel. Anyone have previous experience in dealing with this? Happy to serve. Just want to bump to a subsequent date. Thanks.
They’ll work with you. Just tell them the circumstances and they’l put you back in the pool for another date.
Thanks, Steve. Just call the general jurors number or is there a special person to get in touch with?
Just the general number.