Spring is finally upon us. Given how long we had to wait for it, I hope it doesn't rush right on into summer.
Thanks to everyone who attended the winter General Meeting in February. Minutes to that Feb. 21 meeting are attached; they also are posted on our new MMCA blog: http://masonmill.blogspot.com/
Our Spring Picnic will be taking place on Sunday, April 18, from 2-5pm. Of course once again we are inviting our friends and neighbors in Victoria Estates to join us. Thanks in advance to Ann Hudson and Suzanne Phillips, who will be returning to the Thompson Park grill as our "Executive Chefs." Please RSVP soon, either using the attached flyer or via email [to: MasonMillCA@gmail.com] We hope to see you all there in 2 weeks!
If you haven't already done so, it's time to send in your dues for 2010. Please support the work of the Association (still the best deal in town, at $10/year) by sending your check, payable to Mason Mill Civic Association, to our Treasurer, Pat Brittain (856 Vistavia Circle, 30033).
****** SPRING PICNIC ******
****** Sunday, April 18, 2-5pm ******
****** See attached flyer for RSVP details ******
****** COMING IN MAY ******
****** Spring General Meeting (including annual election of Association officers) ******
****** date: [mid- to late-May, tba] ******
Some additional short reminders, calendar and news items appear below. As always, thanks to all the volunteers who make our Association work possible!
Patrick Noonan
1129 Mason Woods Dr.
MMCA President
mobile phone/text: 678-358-5961
mobile phone/email: pat208@me.com
Updates by Committee area:
**Health & Safety**
Unfortunately, it has been a relatively busy time in this department. Thanks to Co-Chairs Jesse & Deborah Gould and their street captains for spreading the word about the rash of reports in and near our neighborhood. They remind us all to lock our garages and cars, collect our mail every day, and report *anything* suspicious to the police (911) and our local Street Captains.
David M. reports the theft of scrap copper from his carport on Vistavia Circle. Robin P. reports an unsuccessful attempt to "dismantle one of the garage door handles" at her McConnell home.
Auto theft alert! The automatic online service, CrimeMapping.com, has reported several crimes in our vicinity that we should be aware of. In the past few days, several automobiles have been stolen from some locations *very* close to us: Ranier Falls Dr., Castle Falls Dr., Council Bluff Dr., Leafmore Dr., and Clairmont Rd. http://www.crimemapping.com/map/ga/dekalbcounty
Valerie Z. passes along a report from a friend in the Rock Springs Rd./Briarcliff area, that mail thieves have been going through mailboxes at night in that area, opening all financial-looking envelopes and throwing everything into the street.
Andrew B. reports that the coyotes we have been reporting on since December appear to be spending more time in our area once again. A neighbor's goat was attacked by what was reported to be "a large dog." However, Andrew himself has positively identified a coyote three or more times over a short period of weeks, in the McConnell area, so it may actually have been a coyote, not a dog. Andrew also reminds us that this time of year, female coyotes will be giving birth and will have hungry pups to feed. Take special care of your outdoor pets! [For examples of the kinds of coyote sounds we have heard in the Park, click on #3, "coyote vocalizations," at: http://www.soundboard.com/sb/Wild_Coyote_sounds.aspx]
The annoying night-time alarm sounds that many of you reported several times early in March were traced to alarm testing at a new CDC building. That testing is now complete, so we should not be hearing that anymore except, well, when there's a reason for alarm. Thanks to Jay R. of Houston Mill Road and Betty Willis of Emory University for helping us solve this mystery and report our consternation to the proper party at the CDC.
Speaking of alarms... Emory reminds us that their monthly test of their emergency siren system (usually a warning of severe weather) will take place at noon on Wednesday, April 7.
**Zoning & Land Use**
On the issue of creating a Residential Infill Overlay District (RIOD) for our neighborhood, Eric Benjamin reports back from his meeting with the County: The RIOD is dead! Long live the RIOD!
At the Spring General Meeting (in May, date tba), Eric will address this in more detail (and with more accuracy than I probably can muster). Here's my imperfect summary: Dekalb County no longer will accept applications from neighborhoods to create a special overlay that restricts changes in lot elevation (the so-called "threshold height" of the front door stoop being the standard measure of this) or building height. The process was too cumbersome and troublesome... but also there was a common thread in the wave of applications and inquiries they had been receiving. So the County simply changed the residential zoning standard to automatically take care of the central concerns of many neighborhoods: From now on, threshold height cannot be changed by more than 2 feet without a special permission and cause (e.g. flooding, drainage), and building height is restricted to 35 feet above threshold (measured to top pitch of the roof).
**Social & Special Events**
The Chair of this committee is currently vacant, so the work of organizing our Spring and Fall picnics is falling on the Executive Committee. It's a pretty smoothly-running process, but it would be great to have someone else step up to take the lead on these events, plus any others the neighborhood is interested in having. Volunteer? Anyone?
**Traffic & Transit**
Last month, Mary Hinkel and a group of MM neighbors met at her home with a traffic engineer who works for Dekalb County, in order to discuss a list of concerns and requests she and her committee had forwarded to the County a few months back. Mary reports that it was a very informative meeting, and that the County is trying to be responsive (given their constraints). She will report in more detail at the Spring General Meeting in May.
**Park, Public Space & Environment**
The Mason Mill Civic Association has officially adopted W. D. Thompson Park. This means we have a special standing - but additional responsibility - for the care and feeding of this beautiful gem of a park. Watch for flyers and emails about monthly volunteer days to tackle invasive plants, cleanup, new plantings around the picnic area, trail maintenance, erosion control, new/improved signage, etc.
Note that we will be starting an informational campaign soon to let park users know that County ordinance requires dogs to be on a leash.
**Executive Committee**
The Executive Committee of the MMCA (we, your elected officers) meet for coffee once per month, every month, to review neighborhood issues and to make plans for the Association. Please let us know what's on your mind, so we can better serve you and all our Mason Mill neighbors!
**Other News**
- Don't forget to bookmark and keep up with the monthly updates from the Clifton Community Partnership: http://cliftoncommunitypartnership.org/
- Commissioner Rader offers a regular email update on County activities. You can sign up on the Contact page at his site: http://www.commissionerrader.com/
- Farewell to Penny McCroan, a resident of Mason Woods Dr. for 40 of her 93 years. In late March she moved to Marietta to be closer to her family.
- Welcome to April & Matt H., who recently moved into 1112 Mason Woods Dr!
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