Wednesday, November 25, 2009

General Meeting, Monday Dec. 14

Greetings, Mason Mill Civic Association neighbors!

As we promised you last Spring, we will be holding a Fall General Meeting to discuss and act on an important proposal: a Zoning Overlay Plan.  Some other neighborhoods in our district have formally adopted such a plan, which preserves the look-and-feel of a neighborhood by limiting the ability of property owners to build much *taller* structures on their lots when they knock down homes.

So please mark your calendars:

Date: Monday, Dec. 14
Time: 7:00-9:00pm
Location: Global Health Action, 1902 Clairmont Rd.

Our Vice President Eric Benjamin, who also Co-Chairs our Zoning & Land Use Committee, is spearheading this initiative for the MMCA. Before the meeting itself, he will distribute some additional information for you to consider, and of course there will be plenty of time to discuss details at the meeting itself before we conduct our vote.

In the mean time, however, let me attempt a very brief summary of the issue, which should help motivate you to attend our December meeting:

  • At the December meeting, we will take a vote on whether to ask Dekalb County to conduct a formal poll of our neighborhood.
  • The County's formal poll would determine whether they would enact a "Zoning Overlay Plan" for our neighborhood.
  • If this Overlay plan were formally adopted, it would change some of the height limits for housing construction.
  • Currently, developers can knock down homes and build new structures up to 36'  tall, measured from the front door stoop, or baseline.
  • Currently, developers also can significantly raise the level of that front door stoop, so as to build much higher structures overall.
  • Under an Overlay plan, the current front door stoop elevation would be locked in, and new construction limited to 28' above that baseline.

In addition to the discussion and voting on this Overlay issue, we will provide some other updates from the Executive Committee and from some of our key Committees, and open things up for discussion of any new business and other issues on your mind.

We do hope to see you on December 14!

Happy Thanksgiving to all,
Patrick Noonan
President, Mason Mill Civic Association

Thursday, November 19, 2009

New neighbor - a six-point buck


This picture was taken yesterday on Mason Woods Drive, near the top of the hill, confirming beautifully the recent reports of a deer sighting on MWD.

Everyone drive carefully thoughout the district - a new road hazard has appeared. But also keep your cameras handy, because it's a beautiful and majestic kind of hazard.