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Buckhead cityhood study group launches; to hold Jan. 20 town hall

by John Ruch | Jan 17, 2021 | Buckhead Reporter, Politics, Top Stories | 0

Proponents of Buckhead leaving Atlanta to become its own city or join another existing one have organized as a nonprofit and will debut with a Jan. 20 virtual town hall. The group, called the Buckhead Exploratory Committee, aims to study the costs and benefits of various forms of local government. When the committee first began forming last year, it was blasted by the Mayor’s Office — which operates on a unity slogan of “One Atlanta” — and several major local organizations as divisive and impractical. Now the committee has launched a website at becnow.com, where it is seeking donations...

General Muir restaurant opens Sandy Springs location

by Kevin C. Madigan | Jan 17, 2021 | Food & Drink, Perimeter Business, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

The General Muir restaurant has made its awaited debut at City Springs. The modern American restaurant inspired by classic New York delis opened Jan. 13 in the Sandy Springs civic center. It rounds out a slate of restaurants planned for City Springs since its 2018 opening. The City Springs location is the second outpost for the General Muir. The original location operates in Emory Point, a shopping center off Clifton Road near Emory University. “The menus are the same, but I think we’re going to be selling a lot more bagels, pastrami and corned beef than at the other...

Dunwoody considers tax and fee incentives to attract big businesses

by Reporter Newspapers | Jan 17, 2021 | Dunwoody Reporter, Perimeter Business, Top Stories | 0

The city of Dunwoody is considering a system of tax and fee waivers and other incentives for businesses to come to town. The plan would be a first for the city, hoping to draw in large-office users. Michael Starling, the city’s economic development director, presented the incentive plan at a Jan. 11 City Council meeting. The system would be separate from the Dunwoody Development Authority, which offers tax abatements for developments through a different mechanism of tax-free bonds. And it would be a change in long-standing policy. “Since Dunwoody was created, we made a conscious decision not to offer...

Fulton County Schools plans to allow courses in Black and women’s studies

by Bob Pepalis | Jan 17, 2021 | Education, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

The Fulton County School System proposed allowing high schools to introduce courses in Black and women’s studies intended to address diversity and inclusion. The classes, named “Introduction to African-American/Black Studies” and “Introduction to U.S Women’s Studies,” were discussed in a Jan. 12 Fulton Board of Education work session. Per policy, the proposal must be considered for a month. The courses will return to the board’s work session agenda on Feb. 9, Brian Noyes, FCS spokesperson said. If no changes or other issues arise, the board will put the proposal on its regular meeting on Feb. 18 for a vote....

Jan. 15 Atlanta/Sandy Springs COVID-19 report: 852 more diagnoses; 14-day trend rises

by John Ruch | Jan 15, 2021 | Buckhead Reporter, Coronavirus, Public Safety, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

The cities of Atlanta and Sandy Springs together saw 852 new COVID-19 diagnoses between Jan. 12 and Jan. 15 update reports from the Fulton County Board of Health. The number of cases increased in all of the main local ZIP codes. The 14-day trend rose in both cities and in all but one of the ZIP codes. As of Jan. 15, the part of Atlanta within Fulton County had 25,399 COVID-19 diagnoses, up from 24,696 on Jan. 12. Sandy Springs had 6,116 diagnoses, up from 5,967. Atlanta remained the number one city in the county for COVID-19 diagnoses at...

Local cities on alert for political violence leading up to Inauguration Day

by John Ruch | Jan 15, 2021 | Brookhaven Reporter, Buckhead Reporter, Dunwoody Reporter, Politics, Public Safety, Sandy Springs Reporter, Slideshow, Top Stories | 0

Officials in local cities are on alert for possible political violence leading up to Joe Biden’s presidential Inauguration Day Jan. 20. The concerns follow the deadly Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by President Trump supporters attempting to halt the certification of Biden’s winning Electoral College votes, and the U.S. House of Representatives’ impeachment of Trump on a charge of inciting the attack. The FBI, according to national media reports, has warned law enforcement agencies about possible protests or attacks by armed right-wing groups in every state capital this weekend and related dangers to any government facility. Some...

MARTA track work to replace trains with shuttle buses at Buckhead stations Feb. 16-22

by John Ruch | Jan 14, 2021 | Brookhaven Reporter, Buckhead Reporter, Dunwoody Reporter, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

A MARTA rail replacement project will halt train service at Buckhead’s three stations and replace it with shuttle buses Feb. 16-22. The work will affect the Gold Line and Red Line service to the Buckhead, Lindbergh Center and Lenox stations. The work will begin Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. and end Feb. 22 at 4 a.m. The shuttle buses will run from the start of construction to end of service on Feb. 21 and will be free. A MARTA map of the shuttle services shows the buses will run between Lenox and Buckhead stations, and between Buckhead and Lindbergh...

Brookhaven begins public input on tree ordinance rewrite

by John Ruch | Jan 14, 2021 | Brookhaven Reporter, Top Stories | 0

The city of Brookhaven is launching a public input process for a long-awaited rewrite of its tree ordinance. The ordinance, which aims to preserve the city’s tree canopy from development and other removals, was last updated in 2015. Many tree-cutting controversies have followed, leading to momentum for a complete remake. Originally slated for review in 2020, the rewrite was delayed by the pandemic. The city has launched a website, available here, with an interactive presentation and comment mechanism. The site includes links to the current ordinance and other information. Public comments will be accepted via the site through March...

Brookhaven Councilmember Gebbia will not seek re-election; Park to run again

by John Ruch | Jan 14, 2021 | Brookhaven Reporter, Politics, Top Stories | 0

Brookhaven’s District 4 City Councilmember Joe Gebbia will not run for re-election this fall, while fellow Councilmember John Park will seek to retain his District 2 seat. The announcements come as the City Council recently set candidate qualifying fees and dates for the Nov. 2 election. The council’s four seats are on the ballot in staggered terms, so that two seats are on the ballot every two years. Gebbia, a health-food entrepreneur, was a member of the city’s founding City Council in 2012. He won a full term in 2013 and a second term in 2017. “I announced when...

Dunwoody City Council expresses skepticism about new 84 Perimeter Center East plan

by Reporter Newspapers | Jan 14, 2021 | Dunwoody Reporter, Top Stories | 0

The Dunwoody City Council met with skepticism the first presentation of a reworked development plan for 84 Perimeter Center East. The property is situated at the corner of Ashford-Dunwoody Road and Perimeter Center East on about 2.86 acres. The development, which was first approved as a 12-story hotel by the council back in 2019, is now being submitted as an age-restricted, multi-family apartment complex. Plans for the hotel were scrapped due to the effect the pandemic has had on the hospitality industry. Councilmembers said at their Jan. 11 meeting that plans for the new structure were more different from...

Jan. 12 Atlanta/Sandy Springs COVID-19 report: 1,482 more diagnoses; 14-day trend rises

by John Ruch | Jan 14, 2021 | Buckhead Reporter, Coronavirus, Public Safety, Sandy Springs Reporter, Top Stories | 0

The cities of Atlanta and Sandy Springs together saw 1,482 new COVID-19 diagnoses between Jan. 8 and Jan. 12 update reports from the Fulton County Board of Health. The number of cases increased in all of the main local ZIP codes. The 14-day trend rose in both cities and in all but one of the ZIP codes. As of Jan. 12, the part of Atlanta within Fulton County had 24,696 COVID-19 diagnoses, up from 23,547 on Jan. 6. Sandy Springs had 5,634 diagnoses, up from 5,634. Atlanta remained the number one city in the county for COVID-19 diagnoses at...

Brookhaven cancels Cherry Blossom Festival due to pandemic

by Bob Pepalis | Jan 14, 2021 | Arts & Entertainment, Brookhaven Reporter, Coronavirus, Top Stories | 0

The city of Brookhaven cancelled the annual Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival planned in April for a second year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival is a music and arts festival that had been scheduled for April 17-18 this year. The Cherry Blossom Festival 5K road race also fell victim to the cancellation, the city said in a news release. “When we cancelled last year’s Cherry Blossom Festival, it was our sincere hope that COVID-19 would be eradicated in time for a successful event this year,” said Mayor John Ernst. “As that is clearly not the...