Christie sends in this pic of a cardboard sign in the window of the old Big H Center in Oakhurst that says “Echelberger Construction, 630 East Lake Dr, Family Dollar” next to a City of Decatur permit.  She also reported construction activity at the site today.

According to Decatur Planning Director Amanda Thompson, the owner of the Big H property, Bruce Cohen, has submitted plans to the city’s Planning Office for a Family Dollar at the Oakhurst site, but does not yet have a signed lease in place.

The much-discussed Dollar General in that location also went through the planning stages, but a lease was never signed.

Wondering where the heck “the Big H Property” is?  Here’s a streetview for ya.

Heather asks and sent in this photo yesterday.

UPDATE:  It might be associated with the “Living Walls Conference“, which Catherine mentioned on the Decatur Minute blog this morning.  Though she didn’t mention Big H.

If so, this pic from Mary a couple days back of the wall outside of Squash Blossom is also part of the event…

If you dipped into FFAF over the weekend you may have noticed a resurgence in talk surrounding a recent development concerning the most-talked about property in Oakhurst.

The topic of the “Big H” property at 630 East Lake Drive – named for a long-gone former tenant – frequently brings out both the young and old alike to debate the future of the property and Oakhurst itself.   The largest remaining vestige of a former era that saw unlimited potential in the automobile, the Big H was built for major artery-like car crowds in a single-family, residential neighborhood.

Today the parking lot often sits mostly empty; and until this past weekend, served as an overflow FREE parking spot for drivers looking to frequent one of Oakhurst’s businesses.

But then, parking suddenly went from FREE to $5, the response from “consumers” was the same as when ANYTHING goes from free to pay.  Anger, resentment, exasperation.  The pastor at the new Oakhurst Church in the “Big H” complex stated publicly on the Oakhurst Message Board that he was “deeply saddened and frustrated” by the switch to pay parking, and asserted that creating a pay lot “was in direct conflict” to “fostering community”.

But is it really?

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Scott sends in this pic…