This is now all over the frackin’ place, but this particular version was forwarded to me by Decatur Commissioner Patti Garrett…

The City of Decatur has employed Stevens & Wilkinson Architects to design the renovation of the Decatur Public Works Facility at 2635 Talley Street. This facility presently houses the Decatur Public Works Department, including the City’s Solid Waste Collection, Motor Maintenance, Facilities Maintenance and Engineering Divisions.

A community open house will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11, in the lobby of the Decatur Public Works Building where you can learn more about and help plan the project. The open house will begin with a presentation of the project’s goals and will provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions and offer their comments about the project.

For additional information, contact Hugh Saxon, Deputy City Manager, at 678-553-6507.

Among the items on tonight’s Decatur City Commission agenda is approval of a North McDonough “scoping phase report” that the city must submit to the Atlanta Regional Commission in order to receive the Livable Cities Initiative grant for streetscape improvements along the thoroughfare.

In his letter to the commission, Deputy City Manager Hugh Saxon gives an overview of what the project is looking like after a couple community conversations…

The proposed concept receiving the most support includes reducing North McDonough to 2 vehicle lanes, widening sidewalks on both sides of the street, and a 2-way “cycle track” on the west side of the street, along with traditional streetscape improvements and on-street parking.

Have an indescribable love/hatred of any of these plans?  Mr. Saxon states there will be additional community meetings to refine this plan as the project moves forward.

With the Decatur City Commission’s approval of a $450,000 budget to construct bike lanes along West Trinity Avenue and the very western portion of West Ponce de Leon Avenue Tuesday night, Assistant City Manager Hugh Saxon tells DM that construction should begin in the next 30-45 days, and the project will take up to 120 days to complete.

Mr. Saxon recently summarized the work being done in a letter (page 27) to City Manager Peggy Merriss as such…

From Decatur City Commissioner Patti Garrett’s email blast to the community…

According to Hugh Saxon, Deputy City Manager, a permit is being issued for the demolition of the Trackside and Fifth Earl property. This work will take place starting at 8 pm on Wednesday or Thursday of this week (Sept 1-2) and will conclude by 5 am the following morning. Because East College Avenue is a state route, a GDOT permit is also required. It appears that one travel lane will be closed but temporary pedestrian access must be maintained at all times. Once the remains of the building are demolished, work will commence on a new building.

Trackside’s Facebook page is a bit more specific, stating that the demo will take place Thursday evening.

It’s getting ready to happen: the walls of Trackside are scheduled to start coming down on Thursday evening, Sept 2nd (I don’t know the time yet). If you go to watch, please stay out of the way of the demolition guys. The best and safest place to park and watch is probably going to be across the street by the train depot (which is now the Farmstead 303 Restaurant). If you take pictures, please post them on this page.

UPDATE: Hugh Saxon recaps the city commission’s decision from last night…

“The City Commission approved a 5-foot easement with a protection fencing along the easement line, subject to the recommended conditions. An on-site review on Monday indicated that several trees adjacent to the property line would be severely damaged if the proposed Super 8 plan is implemented, regardless of the easement. The reduced easement minimizes intrusion into Cemetery property, allows an opportunity for saving 1-2 of the larger trees and provides for restoration of the easement area as a buffer with screening fencing and new vegetation.”

———————————————————————-

The Super 8 motel along Church Street is looking to expand.

As an item on this evening’s Decatur City Commission agenda, the property owner of the Super 8 is requesting a 10 foot construction easement – which stretches into the Decatur Cemetery property – from the city in order to build a second building on the adjacent 909 Church Street property, which currently sports a commercially zoned single-family house.

Along with demolishing the existing building at 909 Church Street, the owner of the Super 8 states in a letter to the commission that all trees along the southern property line will need to be removed along with a “damaged wall.”   The owner states that all trees will be removed in accordance with the DeKalb County tree ordinance.

Another letter from the property owner notes that the expansion will include a “number of guest suites, a fitness center, a business center, a coin laundry for hotel guests and a manager’s residence.”

How does the city’s staff feel about all of this?

Read the rest of this entry »

The item on last night’s agenda (page 59) – which led me to the city’s $1.77 million McDonough Street LCI grant – is also of particular interest on its own.

Remember when the Atlanta Regional Commission saved MARTA from massive cuts last year, directing $25 million in federal stimulus money to the cash-strapped transit authority’s operating budget?

Well, there were some strings attached.  It wasn’t an out-of-the-kindness-of-their-heart gift.

It was actually just a clever way to get around the suffocating state-imposed mandate that MARTA use half of its revenue from the 1-cent Fulton/DeKalb tax on “capital improvement”, even in times when the other 50% can’t keep the operating budget afloat.  (For more background info and the current sorry state on transit legislation, check out Thomas Wheatley’s excellent Creative Loafing article from yesterday)

In exchange for its $25 million operating budget “bailout”, MARTA agreed to use an equal amount of funds from its capital improvement fund to pay for studies and improvements around MARTA stations in line with the ARC’s mission to promote and fund more “livable” communities.

And it looks like Decatur will see a piece of that delicious capital improvements pie.

At last night’s City Commission meeting, the commission approved an agreement that MARTA would fund the planning and design for both the North McDonough streetscape improvements AND improvements to the Commerce Street intersections at Church Street and Clairemont Ave.

In a note to City Manager Peggy Merriss, Asst. City Manager Hugh Saxon also mentions that he believes there will be enough funding in the $750,000 budget to also design bike lanes for Church Street.

Photo from 231 Sycamore

Along with the usual exciting liquor license applications – this time for the Pharmhouse Restaurant and Oakview Grocery – this evening’s city commission meeting includes a request for a $121,280 increase in funding for Glenlake Park improvements, which will fall within the project’s budget.

According to a letter (page 35 of PDF) from Deputy City Manager Hugh Saxon to City Manager Peggy Merriss, the increase is the result of “several factors”, including the “owner’s and architect’s requirements and concealed site conditions”.  Saxon promises that the additional funds will result in a significant upgrade to the planned drainage system and landscape treatment of the park.”

According to a breakdown of the numbers, additional funding will be used for additional storm drainage improvements, landscape materials, a granite-faced concrete, utility changes, repaving the park’s main driveway and a screening fence at the park boundary along the creek.

Saxon closes his note with word that the recent wet weather has pushed back the completion date of Glenlake to “late March, early April 2010″.

Last month Hugh Saxon promised our city commissioners “extensive community participation and master planning effort” as part of the $1.5 capital bond project – detailed in the Community Transportation Plan – to improve railroad crossings at Candler/College/Trinity and McDonough/College/Howard.  Today we learn a few more details about those meetings.  From the city website…

A community workshop to discuss the railroad crossing improvements will be held on Thursday, November 12, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the City Commission meeting room of Decatur City Hall, 509 North McDonough Street, in downtown Decatur. We hope you will be able to join us to learn more about this project.

As part of its capital improvements program, the City of Decatur is considering options for improvements to the railroad crossings at Candler and McDonough Streets in downtown Decatur. The purpose of the work is to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians, bicyclists and others using these facilities. Measures required to implement a quiet zone in the railroad corridor will also be considered.

Also, here are a few more budget and timeline details specific to the intersections from the city’s webpage, which I had not seen before.

Candler/College/Trinity

• Budget: $1,200,000
• Status: Preliminary

• Bid Date: November 2011
• Construction: January 2012 – August 2012

• TE project – $1,000,000 awarded in February 2008
• DOT facility / CSX facility
• Quiet zone?

McDonough/College/Howard

• Budget: $600,000
• Status: Preliminary

• Bid Date: November 2011
• Construction: January 2012 – August 2012

• TE Project – $480,000 awarded in February 2008
• DOT facility / CSX facility
• Quiet zone?

Note that the question of whether to make these two intersection “quiet zones” has yet to be decided.  A great reason to attend and participate in the November meeting!

h/t: The Decatur Minute

View Decatur Railroad Crossing Improvements in a larger map

One of the key components of the city’s adopted Community Transportation Plan is improvements to all of Decatur’s confusing and unfriendly railroad crossings.  Tonight, the city commission votes on providing up to $267,000 to fund a master plan for future improvements where Candler and McDonough Street cross the CSX tracks.

According to a note from Asst. City Manager Hugh Saxon that is part of the materials (pdf) for tonight’s city commission meeting…

The work includes an extensive community participation and master planning effort. Specific improvements are dependent on approval of the master plan but will be designed to improve pedestrian accessibility and safety around and across the two CSX railroad crossings in downtown Decatur.

To be a bit more specific about what might be addressed by this projected $1.5 million construction project, here are the stated problems of each of these intersections according to the transportation plan. Read the rest of this entry »

The AJC reports…

“Decatur has rehired its deputy city manager for another two years – 31 years into his tenure at the city.

The city commission on Monday agreed to renew a two-year contract with Hugh Saxon, beginning July 1. Saxon oversees the city’s $16 million of capital improvement projects, such as a new fire station and upgrades to other city buildings.

Saxon will earn $117,000 a year under the new contract. Commissioner Jim Baskett described the salary as a value, noting Saxon’s role saves the city from having to hire a construction management firm to keep the various projects on track.

Saxon has worked for the city in varying capacities for three decades. He reports to city manager Peggy Merriss.”

Oh yes…I know you guys love me for my mad cutting and pasting skills…

Speaking of Peggy Merriss…I saw her on Ponce this morning across the street from the Post Office talking with a small group of people on the sidewalk.  Wonder what was going on…