George sends along this announcement from the Downtown Decatur Neighborhood Association…

Downtown Decatur residents are invited to help create a neighborhood association working on the myriad issues that surging development is bringing to our community. Since 1996, the number of housing units in Downtown Decatur increased from 1050 to 1678. It will take one year – not twenty – to add the next 600 new residences. And more are coming.

Growth is great, so long as it preserves or improves the quality of life of the people currently living downtown. The City of Decatur has done a good job working to make sure this happens, but the sheer quantity of growth on the horizon will challenge these efforts. A Downtown Neighborhood Association will help preserve what drew us to downtown by working on traffic, public spaces, sidewalks and the other quality-of-life issues that we live with every day.

Join us on November 12 and help make a difference.

With a number of new residences being built downtown, it seemed only a matter of time before a neighborhood association popped up.  And here it is!  George writes in…

I am working to create a downtown decatur neighborhood association and would appreciate your support in publicizing the organizational meeting scheduled for November 12 at 7:00 at the Decatur Recreation Center.  I have been working with the planning department and Commissioner Scott Drake, as well as other residents.

The Facebook page is Decatur Downtown Neighbors.  I am happy to discuss with you if you need additional information.

On the site’s Facebook page you begin to a get a sense already of some of the groups’ initial concerns.  Here’s a post accompanied with pictures of the city’s vacant parking lots…

Despite all the development underway, there are many sites whose future has not been decided. The new residents will need new amenities (like a park), and the City should look at these sites to ensure a good quality of life for the growing number of downtown residents.

Photo of future development site – Callaway Building – courtesy of Downtown Neighborhood Assoc. Facebook page