We have a few updates from our last email - it's the Brookhaven City Council meeting that is to happen on the 26th, it's the Oak Groove Festival, and here is a better description of what the County permitting meeting is about, thanks to Martha Gross, who works tirelessly on this. We had very short notice and a very incomplete description of the meeting.
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A big THANK YOU to 50+ neighbors, Sen. Fran Millar, and Rep. Scott Holcomb for attending our community information meeting Sept. 20 at Embry Hills United Methodist Church! It was a great discussion!
We now have Vista Grove yard signs available to help folks spread the word in their neighborhoods. Click here to sign up to get one for your yard.
There are two upcoming community meetings worth your time this week:
- First (and sorry for the late notice, we just found out ourselves), there's a DeKalb PECS meeting Sept. 25 at 3:30 p.m. to discuss a DeKalb Business Ordinance change. Martha Gross sent us a short description - what we put in our email wasn't quite accurate:
The commissioners will be discussing approval of a new Business License ordinance that
will give the Director of Planning and Sustainability full control and discretion over
business licensing. The ordinance as proposed grants only the licensees the right to
appeal a decision of the Director. However, all the nightclubs in our area including:
Ledet restaurant converted to Aroma Nightclub, Buhe Bakery converted to Mint,
Pure Clairmont, Meskerem, Luv, Sheba restaurant converted into CHIC Nightclub,
and Pure Woodcliff were all granted licenses to operate in direct violation of county laws.
Currently, Civic Associations have no right to appeal a license granted in violation of
the law, only the licensees have the right to appeal. We are asking the Commissioners to
grant any civic association with a border that is within 1/2 mile of a restaurant or
nightclub the right to appeal if they were granted a business license in violation of
county law.
We are simply asking three things in regards to restaurants and nightclubs:
1) The County will institute a pre-certification system that will require an applicant to
disclose certain things;
2) False or changing situations from what the applicant stated can be used for automatic
denial, suspension or revocation (that is already in the law, but the legal department
has not been willing to allow it to be enforced and relies solely on the fire department
to issue citations); and
3) that any civic association with a border within 1/2 mile of a restaurant or nightclub
can appeal an illegally granted license to the Certificate Review Board.
Please attend if you can and wear your Vista Grove shirt.
- Second, Brookhaven City Council will be meeting Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. to consider annexation of properties at Briarcliff and Clairmont Roads. While the commission voted to deny zoning changes to the parcels earlier this month, the annexation of the properties into the City of Brookhaven is still pending. Here's our previous blog on this issue. Please attend this meeting with your Vista Grove shirt!
Also, there are a bunch of great community events coming up, including the Greek Festival Sept 27-30 (Drive thru for food opens Thursday 11am and main Festival opens at 5pm Friday) and Oak Groove on Oct. 14 (come visit us at our Vista Grove booth)!
And save the date: Our next Vista Grove community information meeting will be Oct. 18.
How can you help make Vista Grove a reality?
- Donate to help us fund our outreach efforts.
- Encourage your neighbors to sign our petition to let legislators know we want the option to consider cityhood.
- Help represent Vista Grove by attending other key community meetings (please wear your Vista Grove shirt!).
- Volunteer with Vista Grove Initiative.
Andrew, Meg, Lara, John, and Megan
Vista Grove Initiative