Dear Atlantan,
On November 6, Mayor Shirley Franklin and the City of Atlanta kicked off the Connect Atlanta Plan, a yearlong planning process to develop the City’s first citywide transportation plan.
Now it is time to get down to work.  We need your participation in making Atlanta a more livable city with high quality transportation.  You are invited to join us at a series of public visioning sessions for the Connect Atlanta Plan.  These interactive sessions will introduce you to the study.  Each meeting will include a working session to develop goals and a strong vision for Atlanta ’s transportation future.  Your input is critical to this effort; please join us in your neighborhood!
All meetings are from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Outreach District 2 Northside: (NPUs A, B, C, D)
E Rivers Elementary School
8 Peachtree Battle Avenue NW
Directions:
MARTA Bus #23 Lenox/Arts Center or #110 The Peach from Arts Center or Lenox Station
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Outreach District 4 Southwest: (NPUs H, I, Q, P, R)
Quality Living Services Senior Center
4001 Danforth Road SW
Directions:
Take bus #71 from West End Station towards Country Squires Apartments (every other bus alternates its destination to Country Squires or Ashley Courts).  Get off at the intersection of Cascade and Danforth.  If you happen to be on an Ashley Court bus then get off at Cascade and Kimberly Road then walk along Cascade (in the direction the bus was taking you) for 5-10 minutes to the Center.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Outreach District 1 Northwest: (NPUs G, J, K, L)
Radcliffe Presbyterian Church
286 Hamilton E. Holmes Drive NW
Directions:
Take bus #53, 60, or 59 from HE Holmes Station.  Get off before the intersection of HE Holmes Drive and Simpson Road .
Monday, December 10, 2007
Outreach District 3 Northeast: (NPUs E, F, M)
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
435 Peachtree Street NE
Directions:
Walk 2 blocks east along Pine Street and turn right onto Peachtree Street .  Or walk south on Peachtree Street from the North Avenue MARTA station.  Or take bus 110, which runs along Peachtree Street from 5 Points to the Arts Center Station.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Outreach District 7 Southside: (NPUs X, Y, Z)
John C. Birdine Neighborhood Center
215 Lakewood Way SW
Directions:
Take MARTA Bus #17 Lakewood /Polar Rock from Five Points Station.  Ask driver for stop once you turn off Pryor Road onto Lakewood Way .
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Outreach District 6 Intown South: (NPUs S, T, V)
Morehouse College , Executive Conference Center
830 Westview Drive SW
Directions:
Walk north from MARTA West End Station or take MARTA Bus #68 Donnelly from West End Station.  Get off at intersection of Welborn St and West End Avenue (which is shortly after turn from Joseph E Lowery onto West End Avenue ).
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Outreach District 5 Eastside: (NPUs N, O, W)
Georgia Hill Neighborhood Center
250 Georgia Avenue SW
Directions:
Take MARTA bus routes #49 McDonough or #97 Georgia Avenue from Five Points Station
See the attached flyer.  For questions or to stay up to date with the Connect Atlanta Plan, please visit the plan’s website at www.connectatlantaplan.com or contact our helpline at 404.330.6800.

Conservation workshop available online

November 20, 2007 – The large-user conservation workshop jointly sponsored yesterday by the City of Atlanta and P2AD, a division of the state Department of Natural Resources, is available online at https://admin.acrobat.com/_a743857129/p13265116/. The workshop was attended by 82 representatives of Atlanta’s biggest water customers, including the Atlanta Braves, Georgia Tech, Sunny Delight, Georgia Power, American Golf Corp., Cousins Properties and numerous hotels. Focused on innovative and unique ways to conserve water, the workshop featured case studies of successful water conservation efforts by Delta Air Lines, Emory University, the Dublin Veterans Administration Hospital and Melaver, Inc., as well as presentations on “Cooling Tower and Boiler Water Efficiency” by the Aquatrol division of Momar and “A Continual Improvement Approach to Water Management” by Georgia Tech. All handouts from the workshop are available in downloadable format. 
While aimed at large users, information presented during the workshop is useful to all commercial, industrial and institutional customers. “We urge all our customers to take advantage of the tips presented yesterday,” said Commissioner Rob Hunter. “We are delighted with the response to the workshop. It is a real indication that Atlanta’s business community is aware of the issues and working to address them.”
The workshop is one of a series of initiatives the Department is undertaking in its efforts to meet Mayor Shirley Franklin’s goal of a 10 percent reduction in water usage citywide. The City also is spending $1 billion on drinking water infrastructure improvements to repair leaks and repair and replace meters and mains; helping finance water conservation audits for large customers; and taking steps to reduce usage among its various departments.

The Connect Atlanta Plan

 http://www.connectatlantaplan.com/  

Stakeholder Form

Connect FAQ

 On November 6, 2007 the City of Atlanta launched its first comprehensive plan to address transportation and commuter needs to, from and within the city limits.  The first phase of the CTP is a year-long public involvement plan. The City will rely on stakeholders to provide input to create a long-term plan that meets the transportation needs of Atlanta communities. The Department of Planning and Community Development is currently seeking Stakeholder Committee members. 

Atlanta City Council clarifies Recycling Requirements-Recycling to be made easier and convenient for apartment, condominium and public housing residents

http://citycouncil.atlantaga.gov/2007/images/proposed/07O1335.pdf

 On November 5, 2007 the Atlanta City Council amended the existing ordinance 07-O-1335 to clarify the responsibilities owners of multi-family complexes have in recycling disposable waste.  Currently, the City of Atlanta requires the owners of multi-family complexes, condominium associations, or the owners of townhouses consisting of six or more living units to furnish commercial containers for the collection of recyclables, including glass, plastics, newspapers, aluminum cans, junk mail, magazines and phone books.  Under the new ordinance, after July 1, 2008 the owners of apartments complexes, condominiums, townhouses and public housing will be required to make sure those containers are capable of holding an adequate amount of recyclable waste and no less than three gallons multiplied by the number of living units in the development.  The owners of these dwellings will be required to submit or on their behalf by a recycling collection provider, an annual report to document the amount of recyclables collected each year, the frequency of collection and the size and average number or recycling containers located on their property.

 As the sponsor of the legislation, Councilmember Clair member explained, “Recycling should be made easy and convenient for all residents of multi-family dwellings, and citizens and residents of these dwellings especially in our high-rises, have expressed a strong desire and a need to recycle.  We all must do our part for the sake of our environment.”  Recycling has many benefits, including: conservation of our natural resources; energy conservation; reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and pollution; and avoids waste disposal thus reducing our dependency on landfills. 

 “ Atlanta ’s population continues to rise, and number and scale of multi-family developments are following the same trend.  With the increasing number of these developments, especially in the downtown area, providing these residents with the proper tools to recycle is crucial.”  Councilmember Clair Muller is a member and former chair of the City Utilities Committee which overseas solid waste issues in Atlanta .

Please check out the new website for the Beltline:
http://www.beltline.org/

NORTHEAST CORRIDOR ACQUISITION MOVES BELTLINE VISION ANOTHER STEP FORWARD

ATLANTA (November 1, 2007) A public/private partnership of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) and NE Beltline, LLC has closed on the acquisition of the northeast section of the BeltLine corridor, affording the City of Atlanta control of a crucial 20 percent of the right-of-way (ROW) to develop the BeltLine.

The Joint Venture between ABI and NE Beltline, LLC (NEB), which is a partnership with Ben Raney and the principals of Barry Real Estate Companies, have purchased the property from Wayne Mason for $66 million. Financing of the acquisition and development of the property involves a mix of capital provided by the JV partners and short-term debt from the Sellers. ABI will exercise management control of the venture. NEB will provide development services to the venture. Closing on the acquisition at this time will allow ABI to more quickly commence critical transit preparation studies than otherwise possible.

The acquisition of the property provides several benefits:

• Provides near-term public control of a key segment of Right-of-Way, clearing the way for immediate infrastructure investments

• Provides ABI with direct involvement and oversight of planned development consistent with the BeltLine vision of mixed-use and mixed-income urban neighborhoods connected by transit, trails, and greenspace

• Creates a path forward for the rezoning of the property through the normal community and legislative processes

"I am pleased that ABI and its partners have finalized the acquisition of this critical piece of property."  said Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. "We can now proceed with the next phase of work on this important corridor.  The BeltLine is becoming a reality."

The joint venture--NE Corridor Partners, LLC--is the first of what may be several private/public partnerships ABI forms to develop the transit, trails, parks, housing and employment centers envisioned in the BeltLine plan.  Joint ventures of this type are used throughout the country to execute large public infrastructure projects and have been used frequently in Atlanta .  Examples include the Olympic Games, the Atlanta Zoo, and Philips Arena.

"Were grateful to the combination of public and private interests who came together to make this possible," said Chair of the Board, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. Cal Darden. "This joint venture will, above all, ensure that the communitys vision for the BeltLine is implemented."

This is the first section of the BeltLine under control of ABI and represents the third major acquisition for the BeltLine following the acquisition of the Bellwood Quarry last year and complete assemblage of Boulevard Crossing park in June 2007.

"This section of the BeltLine is an important lynch pin to the project as it enables connectivity to important centers around Atlanta ," said Hal Barry, Chairman of Atlanta-based Barry Real Estate Companies. "We look forward to continuing our partnership with ABI and working to judiciously protect and grow these communities."

The partnership embraces community input on proposed development along the corridor and recognizes the importance of following the Citys standard regulatory and planning practices. Guided by this understanding, master planning addressing land use, traffic and access studies and park planning will be initiated prior to and in coordination with any rezoning proposals. All development proposals will be subject to the normal planning process, and preserve opportunities for community review and input.

"We appreciate the interest and cooperation of Barry Real Estate and their various partners, including Atlanta Beltline, Inc., in our 66 acre, 4 1/2 mile section of the Atlanta Beltline located in Northeast Atlanta ," said Keith Mason on behalf of the sellers. "We remain pleased with our original investment in this property and are pleased to move forward at this time."

With more than $1.5 billion in new investment and more than 60 new projects underway within its Tax Allocation District, the BeltLine is already generating new jobs and stimulating economic activity throughout Atlanta . The project proposes a network of public parks, multi-use trails and transit along a historic railroad corridor circling downtown and connecting many neighborhoods directly to each other by streetcar. 

"The BeltLine is the preeminent economic redevelopment project in the United States and todays announcement marks a major milestone in its development," said Chairman of the Beltline Partnership, Ray Weeks, Jr. "With todays closing of the NE Corridor, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. acquired a major component of the BeltLine that will advance the vision of combined greenspace, trails, transit, and new development that will improve the quality of life in Atlanta."

  For more information about the BeltLine, please visit www.beltline.org

TRANSPORTATION TUNNELS—

Should we put traffic underground?

 As someone who fought for a decade to put Atlanta ’s sewage into underground tunnels, I know the value of tunnel technology.   I am interested that the Reason Foundation has come forward with the recommendation to put our transportation corridors into underground tunnels.

 Mind you, I am not always pleased with the Reason Foundation’s ideas, such a privatizing everything from Atlanta ’s airport to Atlanta ’s water supply. But, in Atlanta, where traffic gets worse every day, and the prospect of more and more surface roads which would swallow Atlanta’s greenspace--- and sidewalk space--- and quality of life space, designing underground transportation tunnels for commuters seems to be an idea we can explore to see if it could decrease congestion of surface streets and allow for a more pedestrian friendly environment and TRANSIT above-ground in our cities.

 The City of Atlanta has learned that sewer tunnels work, and they are much less disruptive to the general public than shallow-dug sewers as they are being constructed.  They are bored into granite 100-300 feet underground, much as Chicago ’s sewer tunnels were built decades ago to solve their clean water issues.  Boston ’s transportation “big dig” was a surface dig, not a bored tunnel, and should not be compared to what is being suggested here. We should compare to transportation tunnels in other countries that should be studied for their effectiveness, cost and safety.

 For years, prior to, and after being elected to Atlanta City Council, I have opposed misguided rampant construction of urban highways.  Often, instead of alleviating traffic, they have contributed to increased congestion, while separating neighborhoods and reducing greenspace and hampering pedestrian access.  As weird as it sounds, the surface-based road solutions have often had the opposite effect.

 Now the City of Atlanta is searching again for congestion remediation, and the transportation tunnels are an interesting approach.  Let’s explore this immediately.

 That however, should not be the sole direction for transportation solutions.  As our city becomes more vertical, there are multiple transportation needs to be met—for economic growth, for pollution solutions, for quality of life.  I still believe that Atlanta (and the region) should emphasize TRANSIT more and more--- for our above-ground transportation.

 Just one example of need is our changing demographics.  The senior population in the region is increasing.  They are coming to be near their children, for the weather, for entertainment, and many other reasons.  The PAM (Piedmont/Atlantic/Metro) region that stretches from Birmingham to Tennessee is one of the fastest growing metro regions of the U.S.   The 2000 Census shows that Georgia ranked eighth in the nation in net migration of those 60 and older.  Surprisingly, there are more 60 and older migrants moving from Florida to Georgia than vice versa.  They will have transportation demands that cannot solely be met by freeways.  We must build population centers and transportation access that can address their needs.

 I like underground transportation tunnels for commuters and above ground streets for residents who want parks and greenspace, sidewalks, transit and safe cities in our wonderful climate.

 CLAIR MULLER, Transportation Chair of Atlanta City Council and Member of Atlanta Regional Commission

 SUSTAINABILITY –“progress that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

 This year National League of Cities officers identified “sustainability” as an ongoing priority for the organization.  Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee (EENR) has been talking about sustainability issues for many years.  I chaired this NLC committee in 2004, and never left the committee after chairing for another position because we all learn so much every year and this topic is growing annually.  While EENR has always been focused on such issues, it really is an overarching topic for all committees and I believe that NLC is positioned to be a leader in providing targeted information and recommendations to local elected officials—key actors in making significant societal changes. Cities are not waiting for the federal government and many cities are actively pursuing their own initiatives.

 In Minneapolis , the Sustainability Office presents to the Council suggested goals for each term.  The Council there chooses to delete some and add some goals.  Their goals are in three different categories 1) community health –healthy infants and lead testing for example 2) clean environment –water quality and renewable energy, for example 3) community vitality—affordable housing and lower crime rate, for example.

 As a practical matter, sustainability involves a wide array of issue areas, including land use, transportation, energy efficiency and environment.  Few would argue that most of the goals listed above for Minneapolis we might adopt for ourselves in Atlanta .  In fact we are already talking about housing and health and crime lowering goals in Atlanta .

 While we discussed in our EENR committee mostly the environmental goals, all of us were impressed by how the definition goes so much farther.  Some of the issues we discussed were stormwater management such as green roofs and increasing permeable surfaces, low impact development (“costs increase proportionally to the degree that natural resources have bee modified”) and watershed-based water districts. 

 I returned from this committee meeting inspired and wanted to report to you what some other cities are doing.  The week that I returned, my Atlanta Regional Commission committee (ELUC—Environment and Land Use), albeit a little reluctantly, also moved in the direction of getting a website together to help showcase what local governments are doing in the “green” arena.  

City of Atlanta Watering Restrictions

 The City of Atlanta is currently under Level 4 drought restrictions. Under these restrictions, most outdoor watering is prohibited. The three primary exceptions are:

• new landscaping installed by a licensed landscaper

• any use that is necessary for the conduct of business; i.e., car washes, pressure-washing companies, landscapers.

• any watering done at the site of new construction.

 Penalties for violation are:

1^st violation – Notice of Violation

2^nd violation - $100 penalty on water/sewer bill

3^rd violation - $500 penalty on water/sewer bill

4^th violation - $1,000 penalty on water/sewer bill and possible disconnection of service

 Attached is a detailed list of exemptions and rules, as well as a Q&A about the drought. Further information is available at www.atlantawatershed.org.

City stops selling irrigation meters and warns against their use October 25, 2007 

 Commissioner Rob Hunter announced today that the Department has stopped selling irrigation meters and notified all irrigation customers that further watering without proof of an exemption will be considered illegal. Irrigation meters are sold specifically for outdoor watering. They are billed only for water usage not for sewer usage, which constitutes the largest part of the typical water/sewer bill, because the output does not go into the sewer system. 
“The difference between large urban areas like Metro Atlanta and some rural areas is that the water we take out of the river is mostly returned to the river in the form of highly treated wastewater,” noted Hunter. “That is not true of the water from irrigation meters, and, since most outdoor watering is banned under the current drought restrictions, the use of irrigation meters is generally subject to the restrictions.” 
A list of exemptions to the watering ban can be found at www.atlantawatershed.org. Exceptions fall into two primary categories: new landscaping installed by a professional landscaper and watering that is an essential activity of a business, such as car washes and pressure-washing companies. 
 The City has mailed letters to its irrigation customers explaining the Level 4 drought restrictions and noting that customers with exemptions should provide the information to the City. If no exemption information is on file, customers will be penalized if their irrigation meter bills show usage after September 28 when the restrictions went into effect. “We are well aware of the seriousness of the situation, and we are taking all appropriate steps to ensure that we conserve water whenever and wherever possible,” Hunter said. www.atlantawatershed.org

   Great information about recycling and water conservation below at the following links:   
              http://citycouncil.atlantaga.gov/members/muller/recycleflyer_finalsws.pdf

http://citycouncil.atlantaga.gov/members/muller/waterconservation.pdf

District 8 Sewer Rehab Projects

As a part of the Federally ordered consent decree, the City of Atlanta 's Department of Watershed Management (DWM) recently completed the Sewer System Evaluation Survey (SSES) for the City's priority sewers. As part of the survey, the City investigated miles of sewer lines and divided the sewers into six "sewer groups" to determine which sewer pipes could be repaired and which would have to be replaced. Sewer Group 1, which include many sewer pipes in the Northern portion of the City, were designated to be surveyed and repaired first. Last fall, the City began the rehabilitation work identified as necessary by the SSES. The repair work will be accomplished using a combination of trenchless methods, localized point repairs and some open-cut pipe replacement.  The City will be repairing/replacing more than 59,581 linear feet of sewer pipe during Phase I of this project, which began last fall. Phase II will begin during the third quarter of 2007. The trenchless methods, cured-in-place pipelining (CIPP) and pipe bursting, allow the City to rehab or replace some sewers with minimal disruption to the community, while helping to preserve trees. CIPP involves the installation of a lining that reinforces the existing pipe. Pipe bursting involves pipe replacement using a hydraulic "bursting head" to expand the existing pipe while pulling the new pipe along behind it. The pipe bursting method is trenchless, but it does require excavation to allow for entrance and exit pits, as well as, sewer service reinstatement pits. The work is all part of the $3.9 billion Clean Water Atlanta (CWA) program to overhaul the City's aging water and sewer infrastructure. "We are fond of saying that clean water is dirty work," says DWM Commissioner Rob Hunter. "We know this work inconveniences our customers, and we ask for their patience and understanding. The results will be worth the hassle." Residents in the affected neighborhoods can expect traffic disruptions and noise, and crews may need to access sewer lines on private property. Any access to private property will be fully coordinated with the affected property owner. Some of the major streets in District 8 that will be impacted between now and 2008 are as follows: Northside Drive, Howell Mill Road, West Paces Ferry Road, Pine Meadow Road, Pine Stream Road, Roberta Drive, Paces Forest Road, Wieuca Road, Peachtree Dunwoody Road, Peachtree Road, Peachtree Battle Avenue, Habersham Road, West Wesley Road, Manor Ridge Drive, Dellwood Drive, Brookdale Drive, Kingswood Lane, Roswell Road, Woodward Way, and Rivers Road  For more information about the SSES/Sewer Improvement Program or other CWA projects, please visit our website at www.atlantaga.gov/watershed or call the Project Helpline at (404) 529-9211. Road Closures, lane closures, traffic detours and work locations can be viewed at www.atlantawatershed.org/traffic . If you have additional questions related to the Sewer Rehab Projects in your neighborhood or would like to receive fact sheets on the various rehabilitation methods, please contact Diane Badger at dbadger@atlantaga.gov or (404) 979-6999, ext. 7339.

Clair Muller discusses the fallout of rising foreclosures and sub-prime lending in metro Atlanta at a recent Atlanta Regional Housing Forum.  Thank you to the Atlanta Regional Commission for the photo.