Dec. - North Buckhead Civic Association

December 2015
North Buckhead Newsletter
Page 1
NORTH BUCKHEAD
Civic Association Newsletter
www.nbca.org - [email protected]
December 2015
Mailed four times each year to about 4,300 North Buckhead homes
NBCA’s newsletter archive is online with color photos at www.nbca.org/newsletters.htm
Wieuca/Phipps Roundabout
Repaving & Roadway Plans
Traffic congestion has gradually grown during
morning and evening rush hour at the Wieuca/
Phipps Boulevard intersection. It is not uncommon for southbound Wieuca Road to back up to
North Ivy Road, about a half a mile away. During the Christmas shopping season, it’s worse.
That’s today. But about a thousand apartments
and a hotel are under construction near that intersection. Clearly, action is needed! Fortunately, hope is on the way.
City Council District 7 Office Representative Sally Silver provided this information about Infrastructure Bond spending approved by voters in
March 2015. That bond issue set aside funds to
begin addressing deteriorating pavement
throughout the city. It also provided money to
each Council District to address other problems.
In March, realizing that the bad situation was
going to get worse fast, NBCA contacted the
(Continued on page 8)
As part of this program, Councilmember Howard
Shook developed a list of streets needing repair
is his district. The following list includes North
Buckhead streets slated for repaving:

Wieuca Road - Peachtree to Roswell Road

Old Ivy Road - Wieuca to Roswell Road
(Continued, See Repaving Plans, page 6)
Annual Holiday Tree Sale
NBCA is conducting its annual Christmas Tree
Sale. Tree orders may be placed using the coupon on the back cover or on our web site at
www.nbca.org/treesale. Even though our supplier increased the prices we pay, NBCA will
continue to use the same price list as last year.
Tree pickup is inside the neighborhood (Sarah
Smith Elementary Primary Campus, 370 Old Ivy
Road), on the first weekend in December, the
5th and 6th. Order in advance — items will not
be available for walk-up sale on Saturday. We
need volunteer help and will reward helpers with
extensions to their NBCA membership.
Inside this Newsletter
Conceptual plan: a roundabout at the
Wieuca Road/Phipps Boulevard intersection.
But Did It Rain Here? …………………………………. 2
NBCA Record Membership …………………………. 3
Education Events at Blue Heron ……………….. 4
Blue Heron Nature Master Plan …………………. 5
APD & Fire/Rescue Lunch ………………………….. 6
NBCA’s Facebook Page ………………………………. 6
NBCA Volunteer Night ……………………………….. 6
Neighborhood Planning Unit B …………………… 7
Land Use and Zoning …………………………………. 10
Code Enforcement ………………………………………. 11
Bird Award Helps Neighborhood ……………….. 12
Sarah Smith Walk to School Day ………………. 13
New Business Members …….………………………. 14
NBCA Business Members …………………………… 15
2015 NBCA Tree Sale Order Form …………….. 16
Page 2
North Buckhead Newsletter
December 2015
But Did It Rain Here?
By Sue Certain, Associate Editor
This is an updated version of a story that first
appeared in the Newsletter in July, 2007. For
homeowners who have yards and gardens, this
Internet option can be valuable.
years of data for several water-related statistics,
two of which are very useful to residents: precipitation and gage height.
In spring and summer, if it doesn’t rain, we
need to water our yards and gardens: but rainfall matters in the fall, too. Many of us put in
grass seed then, as well as fall crops like carrots, collards, and kale. All these things need
water, especially new plants and seeded lawns.
We can look out the window in the morning and
see that it rained. But was it a trace amount?
Was it a gully washer that washed all the seeds
away and caused flooding? What happened?
We know it rained at the airport; we learned
about that on TV. But how much did it rain in
our neighborhood?
We have a way to find out. North Buckhead has
its own mini-weather station, accessible from
the Internet. The weather station is located in
the Blue Heron Nature Preserve by Nancy Creek,
near the Rickenbacker Drive bridge. It’s run by
the US Geological Service and is funded by the
City. We link to it from our web site at
www.nbca.org. Just go to the site and click on
“Weather” on the right-hand side.
The site is updated every hour or so and retains
On our web page, the default display is the last
eight days of precipitation as shown above in a
sample graph from the web site. The reports on
the web site can be adjusted to show a day or
more, up to 365 days. We can see from this
graph that there was an inch of rain over the
eight-day period. On October 10, during the
early-morning hours, there was almost an inch
of rain. On October 13, again in the early
morning, there was about a tenth of an inch of
rain, raising the total to an inch.
The other valuable statistic is “Gage height,
feet”, which in plain English means, “How high
did Nancy Creek get?” There is a point at which
Nancy Creek reaches flood stage. This is useful
information.
We think many will find this site interesting and
valuable. We suggest that you add NBCA’s
weather page to your browser’s bookmarks
(favorites) list. Then you will quickly be able to
find out the answer to the questions, “But did it
rain here? And how much?”
NBCA Standing Meetings
(NBCA meetings are open to the public)
Board — 7:00 pm, 4th Monday of month except March, Nov., and Dec., Room S-103,
Wieuca Road Baptist Church. March meeting:
the Annual Meeting. Joint Nov./Dec.: Dec. 7,
2015.
Land Use/Zoning — 7:00 pm, 3rd Monday,
Room S-103, Wieuca Road Baptist Church.
December 2015
North Buckhead Newsletter
Page 3
NBCA Hits Record Membership High—Needed: 163 More
By Gordon Certain, NBCA President
A year ago, in an article entitled “401 More
Members Needed”, NBCA Member Marianna Lee
wrote, “North Buckhead has about 4,300 homeowner families, of which 674 pay the annual $35
fee for NBCA dues. Many Buckhead neighborhood associations have a majority of their
homeowners as members. Some have far
more.” She outlined our hope of reaching a
goal of having 1075 of our households as NBCA
members. Why 1075? It’s 25% of 4,300.
This December I am delighted to say we’ve
made a heck of a lot of progress, and last week
our membership hit 912 members, which means
we have picked up 238 households, almost 60%
of last year’s goal in just one year.
Why the surge? There are a couple of reasons.
First, and this is not remotely what your intuition would lead you to expect, we raised our
dues from $35 a year to $50, for reasons we will
explain shortly. Many residents, knowing the
value NBCA brings to the neighborhood, decided
now was the time to show their support for their
neighborhood association. Others, expecting to
to be NBCA members for a long time, paid dues
several years into the future. In fact, two members, one a business and one a household, ex-
North Buckhead Area Map
North Buckhead and surrounding areas.
tended their membership for ten additional
years — those are the kind of people we call
true supporters.
The second reason many joined/rejoined was
that the North Buckhead Neighborhood Master
Plan, initiated and largely paid for by NBCA, had
been approved by the Atlanta City Council in
July. That master plan should help protect our
neighborhood from high-density mixed-use encroachment from the south, and should have a
good shot at updating and improving the aesthetics of the developments along our Roswell
Road border. No, the Master Plan won’t protect
us from every problem and threat. But we’ll
certainly be better off. The Master Plan effort
did something else for North Buckhead: leaders
in city government are now more aware of the
strengths and weaknesses of our neighborhood
and have a better understanding of what we
need and don’t need.
For those who have join us since Marianna’s last
article, we are very grateful and committed not
to disappoint you. But for the rest of you, we
want to reach at least 163 of you during the
next year and make you part of our membership. Even with the dues increase, what else
can give you more value for less than a dollar a
week? It’s an investment in your neighborhood. Join us.
Page 4
North Buckhead Newsletter
December 2015
Education Events at Blue Heron Nature Preserve
By Amy Zvonar
Education Director, Blue Heron Nature Preserve
Growing Up Wild - A new series for young
children and adults at Blue Heron Nature Preserve. Join Blue Heron educators for a relaxed
walk at the Preserve, focused on sharing nature
with children ages 0-5. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Wednesdays, November 11, and December 9, 10-11 am. $5 per
adult, children free.
Living with Beavers - Take a guided walk at
Blue Heron with a Blue Heron Educator to see
how beavers have impacted the landscape. Saturday, November 14, 3-5 pm at Blue Heron
Nature Preserve Entrance on Emma Lane. $10
per person.
November 23, 1‐3 pm. $40, all supplies included. All ages welcome with children under 5 accompanied by a caregiver.
Thanksgiving Break at Blue Heron Nature
Preserve - Explore the bounty of nature this
Thanksgiving break! Each day, your children will
explore our woods, creek, and wetlands with an
experienced environmental educator. Go birdwatching, track mammals, make a seed collection, build forts, and more. November 23-25,
9 am-noon, for children 4-10 years old. Cost:
$40/day, $110 all three days. Also, save the
dates for our December Camp, December 28-31.
Art with Christy Knight at Blue Heron Nature Preserve - Elementary and middle school
students learn steps in creating the forms of animals and plants and then embellish their drawings with a variety of vibrant mediums like colored pencil, watercolor, oil, pastel and collage.
Wednesdays, 5‐6 pm starting November 4
through December 16 (no class Thanksgiving
week). $210 tuition for the six week session.
Thanksgiving Break Workshop - Incorporate
found natural objects to make placeholders and
autumn art for the Thanksgiving table. Monday,
RSVP to 678-315-0836, Mon-Fri. More information or register online at www.bhnp.org.
December 2015
North Buckhead Newsletter
Page 5
Blue Heron Nature Preserve’s Master Plan Completed
By Kevin McCauley
Project Director, Blue Heron Nature Preserve
Every once in a while it pays to pause and
spend some time to think about the future.
Well, the Blue Heron Nature Preserve has done
just that. Over the past seven months, our staff
has worked with our volunteers and the community to determine how to improve on our mission of helping visitors establish their own personal experience with nature. The results of
that thought process have been captured in Blue
Heron’s updated Master Plan.
Leveraging last year’s master planning work
done by NBCA for the North Buckhead neighborhood, we set out to update the Preserve’s Master Plan originally created in 2008. A lot has
happened since then which has shaped our
thinking and provided new opportunities which
we want incorporated into the Master Plan.
Jackie Goodman
With help from TSW (the same firm that helped
with the North Buckhead Neighborhood Master
Plan), we invited key stakeholders from the
neighborhood, City of Atlanta Parks and Watershed Management Departments, our programming partners, volunteers and other people with
a vested interest in what we are doing. Their
ideas and input were captured in the Master
Plan, which sets a course for what we want to
accomplish over the coming years. It includes
expanding our trail connections within as well as
outside the Preserve, activating the park in innovative ways and providing dedicated outdoor
field education and interpretive opportunities.
Thanks to everyone who participated in our
stakeholder sessions providing input and ideas
for the Master Plan. The Master Plan is a living
document. We welcome any of your ideas for
ways to better serve our community while fulfilling our mission. Please send your ideas to
[email protected]. To see the Master Plan for
yourself, check out
www.bhnp.org/masterplan.html.
[email protected]
Associate Broker
404-844-4977 (office)
404-966-9220 (cell)
Native Atlantan, 4th Generation
Resident of Loridans Drive since 1980
Office address: 1801 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta 30309
“Let my energy, enthusiasm, and
love of North Buckhead work for you!”
-- Representing Buyers and Sellers since 1994 --
Page 6
North Buckhead Newsletter
Repaving Plans — cont.
(Continued from page 1)

North Ivy Road - Wieuca to North Stratford

Loridans Drive - Wieuca to Peachtree Dunwoody Road

West Wieuca Road - Wieuca to Roswell
Road (West Wieuca will be paved west of
Roswell Road to Lake Forrest Drive.)

Peachtree Dunwoody Road - Peachtree
Road to City Limits

Mountain Way - Wieuca Road to the Little
Nancy Creek bridge
These additional projects will also receive funds,
all in association with the Buckhead CID:
 Phipps/Wieuca roundabout planning
 Piedmont widening (Peachtree Road to
Lenox Road)
 Roswell/Piedmont/Habersham intersection analysis
Schedule: Not yet known for repaving or other
projects.
NBCA’s Facebook Page
NBCA membership has reached new heights, as
reported on page 3. Our Facebook page has
more “likes” than ever, too. As this newsletter
goes to press, we have 349 “likes”. Follow us
on Facebook. You could be #350!
December 2015
NBCA Volunteer Night
Ever wanted to learn what NBCA’s volunteer
staff does? Ever think, “Why doesn’t someone
do this or that?” Or, ever wondered what the
people at NBCA are actually like or is there anything I can do to help? Now is your chance.
Actually, not now, but on Tuesday, January 19
at 7 pm. We will meet at Wieuca Road Baptist
Church, on Wieuca Road near Phipps Boulevard.
The meeting is in the Heritage Room, just inside
the door to the church’s offices.
We will talk about what each unit of NBCA does.
This includes our Land Use and Zoning Committee, our new neighbor greeting unit, our membership unit, traffic, sidewalks, our various web
sites (yes, sites, we have three), and much
more.
We will meet at 7 pm and have a casual evening, 60 to 90 minutes, with snacks and just get
to know each other. This is a learning opportunity — if you attend and don’t see a fit for
your skills and interests, there won’t be any
pressure.
Some of the things NBCA needs help with require time-availability and appropriate background skills — see “Note” at the bottom of the
Land Use and Zoning article, page 10. We also
would like someone to maintain a neighborhood
events calendar, based on events announced in
our North Buckhead Update emails. Other roles
are simple and take little time. You might have
an idea for something needed — join us and
let’s get to know each other.
NBCA and Wing Factory Serve APD & Fire/Rescue Lunch
Twice a year, NBCA volunteers (meaning NBCA
board member Rita Christopher, assisted sometimes by other volunteers) deliver baskets of
Trader Joes’ “goodies” to the police and fire stations serving North Buckhead. This includes the
APD Zone 2 Precinct on Maple Drive, the fire
station on Phipps Boulevard, and the Sandy
Springs fire station at the end of Wieuca Road,
west of Roswell Road. (The Sandy Springs unit,
which is actually inside Atlanta, handles calls in
North Buckhead in a mutual service agreement
with Atlanta.)
As much as those public servants have appreciated the baskets, Rita thought they might be
tired of Trader Joes’ stuff and ready for a
change. So she negotiated a deal with the
Wing Factory, 4279 Roswell Road, at Chastain
Square. Working together, they provided lunch
one late September afternoon for the officers at
these three stations. Rita used the money we
normally spend on the baskets to help pay for
the lunch, which included wings, salads, French
fries, etc. Publix contributed cookies for dessert. They served 40 to 50 policemen and about
six firemen at each station, all of whom were
most appreciative.
Thanks, Wing Factory, Publix, and Rita.
December 2015
North Buckhead Newsletter
Page 7
Report from Neighborhood Planning Unit B
By Andrea Bennett, NPU-B Chair
The past two months have been busy ones for
NPU-B, involving a variety of legislative, zoning,
land use and public safety matters.
Complete Streets In August we addressed
several important pieces of legislation proposed
by the city. The first of these was CDP-15-010,
an ordinance to adopt a “Complete Streets” design manual. This was presented as a guide to
make city streets so that they are not entirely
automobile-focused, with the goal that they
should also take into account pedestrians and
cyclists as well as improved lighting and
streetscapes. NPU-B recommended denial.
Development near MARTA Stations We also
considered CDP-15-011, which dealt with transit
-oriented development in areas near transit stations. All such areas in Buckhead are already
governed by SPI (Special Public Interest) districts. Hence this proposed legislation would not
have directly affected NPU-B, and the text of the
amendment and the accompanying maps were
amended to confirm that. With those clarifications, we recommended approval.
Bicycle Infrastructure CDP-15-012 is an ordinance to adopt the Cycle Atlanta Phase 1.0
Study. This proposes to create a connected network of high-quality bicycle infrastructure in the
core of the city, including five cycling corridors
extending from the Atlanta Beltline into the center of the city. These bicycle corridors are not
proposed to extend into NPU-B at the present
time. The NPU recommended denial.
Peachtree Road Restriping Although the restriping of Peachtree Road is not within the purview of NPU-B, we had a number of residents
show up to comment on plans proposed by the
Georgia Department of Transportation. A GDOT
open house was scheduled for October 29,
2015, in the Calloway Auditorium at the Shepherd Center.
Peachtree Transformation Project Livable
Buckhead reported that public input meetings
are not yet set for Phases III and IV of the
Peachtree Transformation Project. Construction
at Charlie Loudermilk Park is scheduled for completion in November. Grant funds are being
sought to develop an updated master plan for
the Buckhead Village area.
Trauma Kits for APD Garth Peters of the Buckhead Coalition discussed a program to provide
trauma kits to Atlanta police officers. These kits
are used to stop bleeding in the event an officer
is shot or injured. Garth can be reached by tel-
ephone at 404-233-2228 or via email at
[email protected].
Code Enforcement We also heard from Lt. Joe
Cummings, Assistant Commander for Code Enforcement. He can be reached 404-274-9022 or
[email protected].
Zoning and Land Use Applications NPU-B
also processed many zoning and land use applications. Most concerned relatively straightforward residential modifications and additions.
We also approved CDP-15-02, an application to
change land use for 16 Wieuca Road lots from
Single Family Residential to Low Density Residential. This was accompanied by zoning application Z-14-75, to rezone from the existing R-3
and O-I-C classifications to MR-2. These properties are on Wieuca west of Roswell Road, just
beyond the fire station. All of the exiting property owners approve these changes. The new
development will include 38 detached single
family homes, priced at around $1 million each.
Appropriate buffers are included. A large wooded area at the street’s end will not be disturbed.
Alcohol Permit Applications NPU-B heard and
approved a number of alcohol permit applications, including Le Bilboquet, a new French
restaurant in the Buckhead Atlanta development; The Establishment, a new bar and restaurant located at 3167 Peachtree; Renaissance residential tower at 3755 Peachtree;
Naan Stop, a casual Indian restaurant located
at 3420 Piedmont; Cacao, a chocolate and wine
bar at 3035 Peachtree Road; The Palm Restaurant at 3391 Peachtree Road; Tin Lizzy,
3639 Piedmont Road; and Superica Buckhead,
a new Tex Mex restaurant by Ford Fry at 3850
Roswell Road. The NPU also approved the Macy’s Great Tree Lighting and Parade at Lenox
Square Mall on November 27.
Conclusion/Meeting Schedule It is my honor
and privilege to serve as chair of NPU-B and I
hope that you will join us whenever you can.
Our Board meetings take place at 7 pm on the
first Tuesday of each month, preceded by our
Public Safety Committee Meetings at 6 pm. Our
Zoning Committee and our Development and
Transportation Committee meet at 7 pm on the
last Tuesday each month. All meetings take
place at the Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744
Peachtree Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305 and are
open to the public. For agendas and other details, please visit www.npu-b.com. And of
course feel free to contact me at [email protected] or at 404-231-4130.
Page 8
North Buckhead Newsletter
December 2015
Wieuca Road/Phipps Boulevard Roundabout —continued









Neighborhood Planning Unit B
Noble Investment
Park Avenue Condominiums
Parsons Brinkerhoff consultants
Post Properties (Post Alexander apartments)
Simon Properties (Phipps Plaza)
Tishman Speyer (One Alliance Center)
Transwestern
Wieuca Road Baptist Church
From a road design perspective, there were no
great solutions. We weren’t dealing with a
blank slate. The available right-of-way was narrow, and acquiring added right-of-way would be
time-consuming, expensive and likely to lead to
legal actions that might take years. We didn’t
have years.
In the initial meeting several options were proposed, from simple, low-cost signal changes; to
the more expensive option of more lanes and
better signals; and most expensive of all, a
complete replacement of the intersection with a
roundabout. None of the solutions were problem free, but the second was quickly discarded.
Both surviving options appeared to offer relief.
(Continued on page 9)
Closer view of roundabout lane arrangement.
Note the dedicated right turn lane from southbound
Wieuca Road onto westbound Phipps Boulevard — it
skips the roundabout entirely, avoiding merging
traffic.
(Continued from page 1)
Buckhead Community Improvement District to
see what could be done. The BCID is a quasigovernmental non-profit association made up of
area businesses which voluntarily tax themselves to address community concerns, particularly traffic issues. They may only spend money
within their territory. Fortunately, the Wieuca/
Phipps intersection is inside their territory. Representatives of NBCA met with Jim Durrett,
BCID Executive Director, and Brian McHugh,
BCID Director of Transportation and Planning,
and outlined our concerns. BCID responded by
engaging a traffic consulting firm, Parsons
Brinkerhoff, to analyze the problem.
After several months needed for the traffic experts to analyze the situation, BCID set up sessions to present alternative solutions proposed
by the consultants. Attendees included a slate
of neighborhood and business stakeholders from
the following organizations:



Buckhead CID
City Council District 7 representative
North Buckhead Civic Association
This diagram isolates the lane arrangement and
exit destinations.
(Details in the final plan may differ.)
December 2015
North Buckhead Newsletter
Page 9
Wieuca Road/Phipps Boulevard Roundabout —continued
(Continued from page 8)
The question then was, could a roundabout actually function better? We viewed videos comparing the alternatives. These videos were generated by traffic simulation software which revealed the roundabout would work far better
that the signalized alternative. At times, heavy
congestion was unavoidable for either option,
given the amount of traffic the area gets and
the lack of resources (land and money) available
to deal with it. At Christmas shopping time, as
has been the case for years, major congestion
was unavoidable no matter what was done.
A very close-up view of the lane arrangement.
Note: Details in the church parking lot are the consultants’
proposal to avoid reducing available church parking space.
The map images used in this article were provided by the
Buckhead CID in a 11”x17” image which was far too detailed to reproduce here. Instead, several enlargements
were prepared by NBCA for this article. The enlargements
were recolored and annotated to make them clearer.
How does a roundabout work its magic? In conventional signalized intersections, each side gets
dedicated green light time so they can move,
and once they start moving, speeds can be fairly
fast. An important feature of roundabouts is
that traffic moves more slowly, but the action
never stops, with each side getting a balanced
and simultaneous opportunity to get through the
intersection. There’s no wasted time while everyone waits for the green light allocated to possible traffic on an empty street.
Many roundabouts are designed with a simple
one-lane ring. An example is the one on North
Decatur Road at the entrance to Emory University. Those accommodate simple situations with
(Continued on page 10)
Page 10
North Buckhead Newsletter
December 2015
Wieuca Road/Phipps Boulevard Roundabout —continued
(Continued from page 9)
relatively low traffic volumes. The Wieuca/
Phipps intersection presents more complex issues. Accordingly, the proposed Parsons Brinkerhoff roundabout solution provides double
lanes on parts of the circle and a dedicated lane
from southbound Wieuca to westbound Phipps
which skips the roundabout entirely. It should
work far better than signalized alternatives. Not
all the issues have been worked out, particularly
how well pedestrians will be able to thread
through the roundabout and what measures
might be needed to assist them. Signage needed to help first-time and infrequent drivers navigate it needs to be considered.
For the roundabout to function well, traffic flow
into the roundabout area must be controlled by
traffic signals at nearby intersections, particularly the Peachtree/Wieuca intersection and the
Phipps Boulevard intersections at Lenox and Alexander Drive. It remains to be seen if a signal
will be required on Wieuca at Old Ivy Road or to
the north along Wieuca.
The roundabout plan has not reached the stage
yet that we know where its exact footprint will
be. That remains to be seen. NBCA will fight
for one that works well, while not taking land
from the adjacent North Buckhead Park. The
Wieuca Road Baptist church also will fight for
one that works well and doesn’t take their land.
The same for the Park Avenue Condominiums
and every other interested party. Achieving the
roundabout will take some complex planning.
Ultimately, using the roundabout will be a comfortable fact of life for North Buckhead residents
and workers. But using it will be a learning experience. Once we have the final design, it
would be an excellent idea to review its layout
at your home or office to understand the best
lane selection to reach your destination and perhaps take a trial run when traffic isn’t busy.
That, however, is likely a year or two in the future. First, we need a final design. See
“Repaving & Roadway Plans”, page 1, for information about action taken to fund the roundabout’s design.
Land Use and Zoning
By Walda Lavroff
Chair, NBCA Land Use and Zoning Committee
After a down cycle of several months (we received no applications for review during June or
August), building activity in our neighborhood
appears to be picking up, with one application
received in September and two in October.
The September meeting considered SD-15-022
(Subdivision), a request by the owners of 4009
Wieuca Road to divide their property into two
R-3 single-family lots. After a site visit and
presentation to the committee, we recommended approval, subject to confirmation from the
City that the new lots comply with requirements
of Code Section “15-08-005 – Lots” (footage
angle of the line dividing the two lots (Code
Section 15-08-005 – Lots). The technical issue
here involves the size of the lots and the angle
that the dividing line between the two lots
makes at the street.
We are in the process of reviewing two applications for our October meeting. One of these applications involves a large parcel on Herrington
Drive. These applications will still be under review when this newsletter goes to press.
NOTE: Following moves and retirement by
some Committee members, the NBCA L/Z Committee seeks one or two new members. They
must be members of NBCA; have task-related
skills; be able and willing to work with our group
on applications which come to us from the Department of City Planning by way of NPU-B.
More about our process and requirements may
be found at www.northbuckheadzoning.com.
December 2015
North Buckhead Newsletter
Page 11
Code Enforcement—What To Do When There’s a Problem
Why is this article here once again?
We want to give you tools you need to help
North Buckhead. We have a few neighbors
who don’t take care of their property. That
affects everyone. You can help.
What is Code Enforcement?
The Bureau of Code Compliance process is a
system for constituents to file complaints regarding violations of the Atlanta Housing Code,
the Graffiti Ordinance, and/or the Commercial
Maintenance and Industrial Code.
What are some types of Code Violations?
See Code Enforcement under Public Safety at
www.atl311.com for detailed definitions. The
following are examples of code violations:
 Dilapidated structures
 Poorly maintained open/vacant lots
 Junk vehicles (tires removed or inoperable)
 Excessive rubbish or trash
 Fire hazards
 Excessive overgrowth
 Flaking/peeling paint
 Exterior walls in bad state of repair
 Defective plumbing
 Exposed wiring/fixtures
How do I report a code complaint?
In the City of Atlanta, there are several ways to
submit a code violation. They are as follows:
 Telephone: Contact the Bureau of Code
Compliance at 404-330-6190, Monday
through Friday between the hours of 8:15
am and 5:00 pm, to speak with a customer
service representative. After normal business hours, all phone calls will be routed to
the voice message system. You don’t need
to talk to any specific officer — just state
your complaint to whoever answers.

Print and Fax: Print the form at
www.nbca.org/Fax-code-complaint.pdf and
fax it to the office of Code Enforcement
at 404-658-7084.

Area Survey by Code Enforcement Officers: During an inspection of a specific property, Code Enforcement Officers may also
conduct an area survey for additional code
violations that exist on adjacent properties.

Email: Send an email to:
[email protected].

Via the Internet: Go to http://
web.atlantaga.gov/ocf/violationform.aspx
and you will get a form to complete online
and submit electronically.
Can I report a violation anonymously?
Yes, you may choose to report the violation
anonymously.
What happens if I report a code violation?
Once the complaint is received, the following
steps occur:
 The complaint is entered, printed, and assigned to an inspector.
 The inspector then inspects the property
thoroughly for the violations reported, as
well as any other violations seen. If the
property is non-compliant and the owner is
present, the notice of non-compliance is
hand delivered at that time. If the property
is open and vacant or unfit for human habitation, an automatic criminal citation is issued, and the court process begins.
 Owner research is conducted and a notice of
non-compliance is mailed to that owner.
 Upon receipt of the notice, the owner will
have a certain number of days to comply.
 For follow-up, the property is re-inspected,
or the owner is given an extension.
 If the property is in compliance, the process
is finished. If the property is not in compliance, a citation is issued; or if a citation was
issued due to a property being open and vacant or uninhabitable, the case is prepared
for court.
 If the City is unable to locate a responsible
party, other actions can be taken.
Page 12
North Buckhead Newsletter
December 2015
USFWS Urban Bird Treaty City Award Helps Neighborhood
By Dottie Head
Membership Development Manager
Atlanta Audubon Society
Atlanta was recently named a U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) Urban Bird Treaty City.
As part of the designation, the USFWS Migratory
Bird Program has awarded a $25,000 Five Star
Grant to Atlanta Audubon Society (AAS) for a
joint project called Creating Bird-friendly Communities along Atlanta’s Urban Tributaries.
The project goal is to enhance and restore sections of Emma Wetlands at Blue Heron Nature
Preserve and the confluence of the north and
south branches of Peachtree Creek to make
them more bird friendly and to provide educational outreach in the community.
Adam Betuel, Atlanta Audubon’s Conservation Director, at Emma Wetlands in the Blue Heron Nature Preserve, near Emma Lane in North Buckhead.
Adam Betuel, AAS Conservation Director, has
already begun scouting project areas to identify
birds that are currently using the areas. Invasive plant removal and native plantings are
planned for the area. AAS will continue to monitor Emma Wetlands and the Peachtree Creek
Confluence to further understand what bird species visit these urban green spaces and how
they utilize these improved habitats. Early surveys have already found beautiful birds like the
American Redstart and Hooded Warbler, Swainson's Thrush, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
which are long-distance migrants. The surveys
have also found birds of conservation concern in
the southeastern United States, like the Redheaded Woodpecker and even the flagship species of AAS, the Brown-headed Nuthatch.
“Atlanta Audubon Society is excited to bring a
bird perspective to regional habitat restoration
efforts,” says Nikki Belmonte, Executive Director
of AAS. “We are working with partners to conserve migratory birds through education, hazard
reductions, citizen science, and habitat improvement strategies in metro Atlanta. We are absolutely thrilled to be recognized as an Urban Bird
Treaty City — and I bet the birds who navigate
through our city are, too.”
Partners on this project include Blue Heron Nature Preserve, South Fork Conservancy, National
Audubon Society, Greening Youth Foundation
(Atlanta Youth Corps), and Georgia Native Plant
Society, as well as minor contributions by Trees
Atlanta and the Georgia Young Birders Club.
The grant proposal, Creating Bird-friendly Communities in Atlanta’s Urban Tributaries, received
funding from the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation (NFWF) Five Star and Urban Waters
Restoration Grant. The program is administered
by NFWF and financially supported by the
Southern Company in the southeastern United
States. The goal of the grant program is to develop nation-wide community stewardship of
local natural resources, preserve these resources for future generations, and enhance
habitat for local wildlife.
Funded projects address water quality issues in
priority watersheds, and focus on the stewardship and restoration of coastal, wetland and riparian ecosystems across the country. The goal
is to meet the conservation needs of important
species and habitats, providing measurable and
meaningful conservation and educational outcomes. The program requires a minimum of five
diverse partnerships and an education/outreach
component that will help shape and sustain behavior to achieve conservation goals.
Additionally, AAS is partnering on another Five
Star project awarded in Georgia this year with
Conservation Legacy and Chattahoochee Bend
State Park to provide birding opportunities, volunteer support, and educational print resources.
The mission of Atlanta Audubon Society is to
protect Georgia’s birds and their habitats
through education, conservation, and advocacy.
Atlanta Audubon Society’s offices are in North
Buckhead’s Blue Heron Nature Preserve, 4055
Roswell Road. Atlanta Audubon serves its membership in the 20-county larger metro Atlanta
area. See www.atlantaaudubon.org.
December 2015
North Buckhead Newsletter
Sarah Smith Walk to School Day a Big Success
By Robert Sarkissian
NBCA Vice President & Traffic Liaison
These are three of many pictures I took on
Wednesday, October 7, International Walk to
School Day. They were taken at the Sarah
Smith Elementary School on Old Ivy Road, a
Primary Campus which serves students in kindergarten through the second grade. I counted
nearly 500 students, parents, and pets walking
to school this year. It was a picture-perfect day
compared to some other years. It is safe to say
that we had greater than 70% participation as
noted by the lack of car pool activity.
Page 13
Page 14
North Buckhead Newsletter
December 2015
North Buckhead Update Provides Timely Information
This newsletter is published only four times a
year, but neighborhood news happens more often, sometimes so fast we can’t cover it here.
(Why not more than 55%? Many residents have
two addresses on our list.)
Each NBCA email’s subject line lists the contents
so recipients can (and we hope, do) skip emails
about topics they don’t care about.
Join our list at www.tinyurl.com/NBCAEmail or
send an email to [email protected].
Neither NBCA membership nor North Buckhead
residency is required. It’s free to everyone.
NBCA has 2,000+ addresses on its email list.
Our typical 55% “open rate” means that NBCA
emails do get read and are not mostly ignored.
Still not convinced? Check out a sampling of
recent emails so you can see the kind of information you missed. See www.nbca.org/update.
New Business Members
We reserve this space for new NBCA business
members. A full listing of NBCA business members is at the top of page 15. Joining us this
issue are:

Peachtree Mosquito Control - Grant Norwood, [email protected], 404-4476607. Owner Grant Norwood is a North
Buckhead resident on Glengary Drive.

Rand Fisher, Realtor - ENGEL & VÖLKERS,
Buckhead Atlanta, [email protected],
3490 Piedmont Road, Suite 1000, 770-8330230, www.buckheadatlanta.evusa.com.


Park Regency Condominium Association
– A luxury high-rise condominium located in
North Buckhead behind Phipps Plaza. Amenities include: 24/7 on-site security, gated
entry, valet parking, lobby concierge, 24th
floor rooftop terrace with gas fireplace and
breath-taking views, two newly renovated
guest suites and Club Room, wine cellar,
swimming pool, spa, fitness center, and sauna. Individual units have private balconies
with skyline views.
Laura Dew, Realtor - Atlanta Fine Homes
Sotheby's International Realty,
[email protected], 3290
Northside Parkway NW, Suite 200,c 404-822
-8316, o 404-974-4372,
www.atlantafinehomes.com. Laura Dew is a
North Buckhead resident on Wieuca
Terrrace.
Lost Cats and Dogs
If you lose a pet or find one, send an email to
[email protected]. Please include
your contact information and a description of
the pet. Include a photo if possible.
Please do not use [email protected] for lost/
found pet reports (or anything else) — that
email account has been deactivated.
NBCA Officers, Board, Committee Chairs and Liaisons
NBCA Board
Andrea Bennett
Carolyn Brown
Michelle Carver
Gordon Certain
Rita Christopher
Dieter Franz
Waldtraut Lavroff
Adam Pollock
Pete Rogers
Robert Sarkissian
Bob Young
Online services
NBCA
NBCA Zoning
Facebook
[email protected]
404-231-4130
[email protected] 4/405-7603
[email protected]
404-579-7127
404-231-1192
[email protected]
404-237-5878
[email protected]
[email protected]
404-261-8697
678-686-4575
[email protected]
[email protected]
404-233-1706
[email protected]
404-239-9004
404-504-9444
[email protected]
[email protected]
404-255-1315
www.nbca.org
www.northbuckheadzoning.com
facebook.com/NorthBuckheadCivicAssociation
NBCA Officers
President Gordon Certain
Vice Pres. Robert Sarkissian
Secretary Bob Young
Treasurer Dieter Franz
Beautification
Liaison
Rita Christopher
Kevin McCauley
Kim McCauley
Land Use and Zoning
Chair
Walda Lavroff
Vice Chair Andrea Bennett
Membership
Liaison Gordon Certain
Carolyn Brown
Neighborhood Markers
Liaison
Open
Christmas Tree Sale
Liaison Robert Sarkissian
New Neighbor Greeting
Liaison
Rita Christopher
Code Enforcement
Liaison
Michelle Carver
Crime Reporting
Liaison
Peter Rogers
Newsletter
Editor
Gordon Certain
Assoc. Ed. Sue Certain
Proofreader Jackie Goodman
Greenspace & Environment
Liaison
Open
NPU-B Representative
Andrea Bennett
Pedestrian (Sidewalk)
Liaison
Peter Rogers
Social/Special Events
Liaison
Adam Pollock
Sustainability & Recycling
Liaison Open
Traffic
Liaison
Robert Sarkissian
Volunteer Coordinator
Liaison
Open
Online Services
NBCA
Gordon Certain
Zoning
Andrea Bennett
Facebook Sue Certain
Tessa Turner
North Buckhead Newsletter
December 2015
Page 15
Area Businesses Support NBCA
These businesses support your neighborhood association with their
NBCA business memberships. Please support them.
Atlanta Audubon Society ww.atlantaaudubon.org
Blue Heron Nature Preserve
www.bhnp.org
Buckhead Coalition
3340 Peachtree Road#560
Buckhead-Midtown Vacuum
3872 Roswell Road
Buckhead Realty-Jim Cosgrove, Broker 404-841-9000
Chapter Two
www.chaptertwo.net
Crème de la Crème Buckhead4669 Roswell Road
Diazo Specialty Printing
4285 Roswell Road
Laura Dew, Realtor-Atl. Fine Homes 404-974-4372
DWH Interiors
DWHInteriors.com
Rand Fisher, Realtor
[email protected]
Eclipse Fitness Studio
295 W Wieuca Road
Goodyear of Buckhead
3830 Roswell Road
Jones & Kolb, CPAs
404-262-7920
Kazoo Toys
3718 Roswell Road
Nan T Moore Interiors [email protected]
Park Avenue Condo Association 750 Park Ave
Park Regency Condo Assn. 700 Park Regency Pl
Peachtree Mosquito Control
404-447-6607
Piccadilly Puppets
404-636-0022
Private Bank of Buckhead 3565 Piedmont Rd#210
Realtors, *The Hinsons *
404-231-1113
Regent Partners
www.regentpartners.com
Remarkable Real Estate Services 404-233-MARC
ScotlandWright Associates www.scotlandwright.com
Selig Enterprises, Inc.
seligenterprises.com
Jennifer Sherrouse, Realtor www.jennifersherrouse.com
St. James United Methodist Church www.stjamesatlanta.org
Stellar Bodies
3872 Roswell Road # A1
Suzy Smith, Realtor
404-307-0347
Tuxedo Pharmacy
164 W Wieuca Road
William Word Antiques
707-709 Miami Circle
Can you think of another way to get visibility for your area business for so little cash? Businesses, join
NBCA and get listed here. Send $100 (non-profits, $50) with the coupon below or join online.
NORTH BUCKHEAD CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP
 Join
 Renew
Pay Online at www.nbca.org/dues.htm
Or Mail to: NBCA, PO Box 420391, Atlanta, GA 30342
Name(s) _______________________________________________________________
Date ____________________
Please print carefully
Address ____________________________________________________
Email #1 ______________________________________
Year you came to North Buckhead _________
Email #2 _______________________________________
Join our email list. Please print very carefully so you will received NBCA’s Emails Updates.
Phone (Home) _______________________
Cell #1 ______________________
Able to Help North Buckhead?
 Christmas Tree Sale
 Parks / Playgrounds
 Code Enforcement
 Security
(Eyesore Resolution)
 Landscaping / Streetscape
Cell #2 ______________________
Pay By Mail
Dues: $50/year—Business $100
One year Two years $100/ Bus $200
$______
Optional donations:
 Sidewalks / Crosswalks
Park Landscaping
$______
 Stuff Envelopes
Legal Fund
$______
 Neighborhood Cleanup Projects
 Traffic
Greenspace
$______
 Neighborhood History and Art
 Web site / Facebook
Master Plan / General Fund
$______
 New Neighbor Greeting
 Zoning/Land Use
 One-time, quick volunteer jobs
 Other ________________
 Legal/Professional Services
 Membership

(for NBCA)
Houses  Condos  Business
 Social Events
(Fall Fling & etc.)
Total Check Amount
$______
Make check payable to NBCA
Comments, skills, interests, questions:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NBCA is a 501(C)(4) Georgia Non-profit Corporation.
Page 16
North Buckhead Newsletter
December 2015
North Buckhead
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE PAID
MARIETTA GA
PERMIT NO. 774
Civic Association
PO Box 420391
Atlanta, GA 30342
Please Deliver
By November 5
2015 NBCA Tree Sale Order Form
(Complete price list and on-line ordering are available at www.nbca.org/TreeSale)
Name:___________________________ Address:_______________________________
Phone: ___________ E-mail: ______________________________________
(print carefully)
IMPORTANT: ORDER ONLY BY MAIL OR ON-LINE!
Order pick-up: Saturday, Dec. 5, 8:30AM-1PM; Sunday, Dec. 6, 1PM-3PM
Quantity Amount
Item
Price
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
$______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
Trees: 10’ – 13’
See web site
9’ – 10’
$100
8’ – 9’
$75
7’ – 8’
$50
6’ – 7’
$40
5’ – 6’
$35
Large Wreaths
$25 (Other sizes on web site)
Small Wreaths
$15
Garland (75-foot roll of white pine)
$30 (Fir garland on web site)
NBCA Dues
$50 (See mailing label for your exp. date)
Total
$______
Checks: NBCA, PO Box 420391, Atlanta, GA 30342
Your order must be received by Dec. 1, 2015.
Questions? Email [email protected]