Sample DeKalb Primary Ballots and Lack of House Seat Choice

Sample DeKalb County primary ballots are available for purview:

DeKalb Democratic Sample Ballot

DeKalb GOP Sample Ballot

It’s discouraging that there’s virtually no DeKalb House seat competition in either the July 20 primary or the November general election. Once in office in Georgia, state representation pretty much serves as long as it wants.

There are 11 House seats wholly within DeKalb, and another 8 partially (generally mostly at least population-wise) within DeKalb. Thirteen incumbents have zero, nada, zip, nothing in the way of either primary or general election opposition. (I include District 82 among the 13, where Democratic incumbent Kevin Levitas withdrew after qualifying. With no one from the GOP qualifying for the seat, there’s no one on either primary ballot!) A 14th seat, District 60, is without Democratic incumbent Georganna Sinkfeld on the ballot because she is running for Secretary of State. Only one person in either party is running for District 60, an even worse situation than an incumbent running without opposition in the primary or General.

That leaves only 5 of 19, less than one-third, DeKalb House seats with any competition at all. Two of those seats, Districts 79 and 94, are being contested without incumbents because incumbents Republican Fran Millar and Democrat Randall Mangham, are running for Senate District 40 and Governor respectively. [Good riddance from public life concerning Mangham too, who doesn’t have a chance. He was one of only (I think) two African American Democrats to support a Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriage in Georgia, that passed the House by only (I think) one or two votes.]

That leaves only three seats where there is competition involving an incumbent officeholder:

Our own District 81, where Republican incumbent Jill Chambers will face Democratic challenger Elena Parent;

Adjacent District 80, where Republican incumbent Mike Jacobs will face the winner of the Democratic primary, Keith Gross or Sandy Murray. District 80, where Representative Jacobs switched parties immediately after being elected in 2006, is the only seat with an opposing party primary contest facing an incumbent in the General Election; and

District 85, where Democratic incumbent Stephanie Benfield will face Republican Kenneth Brett Quarterman.

The DeKalb County electorate perhaps is well satisfied with state government. Citizens statewide may well be too, because only about one-half of the General Assembly seats (both houses) have any competition.

The distribution of party support, Democrats in urban areas, particularly in urban metro Atlanta, and GOP most elsewhere, is a factor in the lack of substantive choice. Voting Rights Act requirements no doubt contribute too. There’s a third factor is at work, and that is the General Assembly creating its own districts. Legislators creating their own district create safe seats. Safe seats in turn lead to representation both more influenced by special interests and more extreme than competitive districts.

I’d like to see a different less partisan mechanism to establish legislative (including US Congress) districts in Georgia. I say “less partisan” because truly non-partisan is unrealistic.

As an aside, I think the Democratic re-apportionment of 2000 contributed to the complete and relatively quick changeover from Democratic to GOP control of state government from 2002 to 2004. The Democrats were sure to lose their dominion over state government during the last decade, but disreputable multi-member districts and the abominable 2002 13th Congressional District that only the most partisan could stomach in my opinion hastened the loss of control.

June 12, 2010 | Dave Bearse | Comments Closed

Reviewing Tuesday’s Meeting (Roche vs. Maxwell)

I was unable to attend Tuesday night’s meeting, but I read with interest the postings about how Bob Roche provoked Mr. Maxwell, so I watched the DVD from that night. I was fully prepared to corroborate what I’d read, but I’ve got to say, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Mr. Maxwell was highly unprofessional, appeared to not have the answers to basic questions about the city’s finances (like how much money do we have?) constantly interrupted city council members, and was, in my opinion, combative and a little out of control. I feel like the kid pointing out the emperor’s nudity, but what are we thinking? As residents we need to know our finances are in capable hands and that our accountant is approachable and competent. This is important stuff. I am NOT a Priscilla advocate. I didn’t even know her, but neither can I support this character who, at least at that meeting, conveyed pretty clearly his inability or unwillingness – I don’t know which – to provide monetary information necessary to keep department heads apprised of their budgetary constraints and the city finances in order.

Eager to attribute his belligerence to Mr. Roche’s provocation, I watched for that too, but I didn’t see it. I thought he (Roche) was dogged in his pursuit of answers that are germane to the city’s finances, but I did not find his questions to be anything more than that. I urge everyone to watch the DVD from that evening. I realize this is an unpopular position, but, personalities aside, facts are facts.

Update from Joseph Geierman on Nov 2, 2009:When I got home from work this evening, someone had dropped off a copy of the video Susan mentions in the post above. I’d forgotten what a pain it is to transfer these videos to the web! Anyway, because there has been a lot of discussion about it, I am putting the video online below, so you can judge for yourself what happened.


November 1, 2009 | Susan Crawford | 3 Comments »

GA Gang Says Doraville City Council is Squandering its Chances on the GM Deal

It was not a big surprise, and reported widely elsewhere, so I hadn’t bothered writing about it here, but on October 20, the City Council put out a press release stating that they were all 100% against the Falcons stadium moving to the city.

This story has gotten fairly wide coverage for something that was just “in the early negotiation stage,” although the actual reaction has been somewhat muted. On today’s Georgia Gang, however, there were a couple of segments where the panelists said that the council members are making a big mistake and squandering an opportunity because of petty politics. Jeff Dickerson even made the Doraville City Council his losers of the week for putting out this press release! Of course, none of them would have to live within a mile of a monster football stadium. A clip of the show is below:


October 25, 2009 | Joseph Geierman | 6 Comments »

Candidate Questionnaires

During the last election, I sent out a questionnaire to candidates running for city council, and asked them to write short answers to their stands on various issues. I thought it worked well & was a good chance for them to distribute their views on issues that were specific to Doraville. We had a pretty good participation rate.

This year, I wanted to do the same thing & sent out a questionnaire to all of the candidates for city council. I heard back initially from Stuart Anderson, Karen Pachuta, Ginny Calvert, Brian Bates & Donna Pittman. All said they were going to answer the survey, but the only ones who have gotten it back to me so far have been Karen Pachuta & Donna Pittman.

I am extremely busy both at work and school this month, and do not have time to do a lot of follow-up with the candidates, so Ms Pachuta & Council Member Pittman’s responses may be all I get. You can check out the AJC’s candidate response forms at the links below:

District 1
District 2
District 3

Any responses I get to the survey will be listed below.

Update (October 25, 2009): Brian Bates sent in his response and it can be viewed below.

Donna Pittman, District 1

First, please tell the voters about yourself and why you think you deserve a city council seat.

I have lived in Doraville for 29 years and I am a native of DeKalb county. I am married to a former Marine and we have 4 great children. I was a former Officer of the DeKalb County Sheriffs Office one of my last assignments I served as a Community Relations Officer. I currently serve as liaison between the city and Sheriffs Office and do part time security details. I am actively involved with community activities that help enhance our city I serve on the DeKalb County Fire and Rescue Emergency Planning Board developing emergency plans for the county and cities and my main focus is on Doraville. I work closely with the Tank Farm Co-op and participate in emergency drills for our city also recently completing Terrorist Awareness Training. I also sit on the DeKalb County Board of Education Parent advisory Board also serve as liaison between several schools very actively involved in the school reading volunteer programs. I am also the Library commissioner and currently serve as Mayor Pro-Tem. I implemented many programs for our city such as Movies Under The Stars, Cell Phones for Soldiers, Becoming a Tree City USA, Planting trees and flowers at the Hugo Arango bridge on Winters Chapel in Detective Arangos honor also planting trees and flowers at City Hall and the library, Started Doravilles first ever annual clean up day, and our Christmas tree lighting event. My commitment, involvement and great passion for this community is why I would like to continue serving on City Council.

What do you feel is the single most important issue facing our city? How would you handle it on the city council?

The re-gearing of city government to accommodate potential GM redevelopment. As a city Council member I am going to continue supporting re-writes of our planning and zoning documents and staffing of essential functions.

What would you like to see done with the General Motors property? Also do you support redeveloping that property into a sports stadium?

Supporting city documents for a mixed use development live, work, and play; support green space a fire station and possibly a pavilion for community activities. But not to rule out other possibilities something that’s going to enhance the quality of life for years to come for our citizens. The majority of the citizens did not support a sports stadium so no I would not be in support of a stadium.

Are you willing to communicate by phone, email, in person, or in print with residents of your district to ask for their input or to explain why you support or oppose items voted on at city council meetings?

Absolutely! would love to hear from the citizens in any way they feel comfortable communicating in fact would encourage them to communicate with council members

How would you raise Doraville property values.

Keeping our neighborhoods clean and safe actively support revitalization of our parks and supporting continued improvement of our schools.

How should the city be meeting the challenge of declining tax revenue?

Good budget discipline, look for other ideas to bring additional money into our city, Seeking out grants, Collecting pass due taxes surveying our city properties and putting them to good use.

What is your vision for Doraville in four years (at the end of this term)?

By the end of this term the city council will have made a marked impact on the vision of the city with the work that has been done and still to be done such as the zoning ordinance re-writes, architectural standards, marketing plans to encourage new businesses, revitalization of our parks and main entry ways my vision is to see the value of our homes going up and new citizens moving into the city. Good things the council puts into place now will have a positive impact for years to come.

Karen Pachuta – District 3

First, please tell the voters about yourself and why you think you deserve a city council seat.

I am a 10-year resident of Doraville, having bought my home in Oakcliff Estates in August 1999. I graduated from North Carolina State University in 1992 with a degree in Sociology. After college, I worked for both non-profits and corporate organization, gaining experience in legislative and regulatory affairs, marketing and human resources. In 2002, I returned to school full-time at Emory School of Law and I’ve now been a licensed practicing attorney for the past four years. I am dedicated to this City as I have made it my home. Doraville has a lot to offer the community and there are also great opportunities available to enhance the City. I’ve been active in the neighborhoods and in supporting the police department and I would like to utilize my experience and commitment to continue working with residents and the City of Doraville as we move towards the future.

What do you feel is the single most important issue facing our city? How would you handle it on the city council?

One of the biggest issues and of great concern to many residents is the GM plant and its potential redevelopment. The GM plant helped define the City for more than 60 years. Its sheer size and proximity to downtown and major transportation hubs are indicative of its potential to define the future for Doraville for the next 60-plus years. The City needs to be proactive in its vision, set rules and guidelines for zoning and redevelopment standards, and encourage smart and sustainable growth so that the area benefits residents and the City of Doraville.

How would you raise Doraville property values?

Doraville needs to actively market itself. Our real estate is undervalued despite its proximity to major interstates, downtown Atlanta, and other vital areas of metro-Atlanta. Time and again, when I tell folks that I live in Doraville, they comment “Where?” I think an active marketing campaign can help bring new residents to the City. With new residents and homeowners, retail establishments and other economic development will follow. Additionally, creating architectural and construction standards for new development will help improve overall real estate values.

What would you like to see done with the General Motors property; Also – do you support redeveloping that property into a sports stadium?

I don’t believe a full-scale sports stadium is the best use for the property. Also, the area is so large that it does not need to be confined to one use. I believe there should be a mix of residential, commercial, and retail. In addition, the area may also be attractive to educational institutions and, with its proximity to the CDC, research facilities. We need to have strong guidelines in place before any redevelopment begins, such as architectural standards, and also encourage greenspace and streetscapes. I would also like the City to be able to use part of the property, perhaps creating an “amphitheatre” type environment for community events.

How should the city be meeting the challenge of declining tax revenue?

The City should be proactive in seeking out potential new sources of revenue, such as the recent decision to begin processing passport applications. In addition, there should be a comprehensive audit to ensure that our tax digest is correct and that homestead and sanitation exemptions are being properly applied. Furthermore, the City should actively market itself for new residents, which will in turn bring additional retail and commercial development.

Are you willing to communicate by phone, email, in person, or in print with residents of your district to ask for their input or to explain why you support or oppose items voted on at city council meetings?

Yes. I’ve always been a proponent of open government and am easy to reach via phone or email and am always willing to sit down with residents and discuss any issues or concerns.

What is your vision for Doraville in four years (at the end of this term)?

I love Doraville’s diversity, location, and its “small-town” feel. In four years, I expect we will have the building blocks in place for attractive and responsible new development that will enhance our current neighborhoods. I believe we will be well on our way with strong development plans at the former GM plant, which will be a new destination point for metro-Atlanta and will benefit Doraville residents. In addition, I would like to see new economic development in the New Peachtree and other major corridors and more greenspace incorporated into the City. I plan for Doraville to attract more residents to our beautiful tree-lined neighborhoods. I also anticipate that our police department will remain strong with continued council support. Finally, I believe that Doraville can do all of the above while continuing to remain financially sound. Doraville is a great place to live and with everyone working together – residents, businesses and the City – we can only enhance all that Doraville has to offer.

Brian Bates – District 2

First, please tell the voters about yourself and why you think you deserve a city council seat.

My name is Brian Bates. Originally from Denver, Colorado, I went to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and moved to Atlanta in 1997 and Doraville in 2001. I co-own a small business that specializes in fraternity and sorority alumni communication programs as well as major capital campaigns. It was my pleasure to be elected in 2007 to fill an un-expired term of office. Over the last 2 years I have learned a tremendous amount and we have accomplished a great deal. Some of those accomplishments include:

  • Updating of our zoning ordinances
  • Hiring full-time city planner
  • Establishing a wide array of community events such as Doraville Days, return of the 5k Road Race, and Movies Under the Stars
  • Complete renovation of English Oak Park and restoration of Autumn Park stream bank
  • Launching of new city website and city e-newsletter
  • Assisted in the establishment of a new Doraville Business Association
  • Establishing an officers on bicycle patrol program

These are not the result of one person, but many people working together to make Doraville a great place to live. I am proud to have played an important role in either helping to craft legislation or policy to implement or serving as a volunteer to help make sure the event was a success. My record over the last two years is one of community building and I hope to be re-elected and continue those efforts.

What do you feel is the single most important issue facing our city? How would you handle it on the city council?

There are several pretty important factors including GM redevelopment and city finances. I think of the most important pieces is actually two-fold. Marketing and Economic Development. We must continue to shape the public image of our city and establish a comprehensive plan to actively promote the city as a great place to live, work, and play. That leads into economic development. With the loss of our single largest employer in the city, the city has a great opportunity to re-brand ourselves and encourage new types of companies to invest in our city and provide a new economic base. It is imperative that we promote the city far and wide and help businesses and residents understand that Doraville is located in a prime area and encourage them to take advantage of the many resources we have to offer.

How would you raise Doraville property values?

Assuming this is in reference to residential property values, we must increase home-ownership. This is no slight against renters, but typically, home-owners take better care of their property and are typically more involved and vested in their community. In order to increase home-ownership, we must do a couple of things. 1. Enhance our public amenities, mainly our parks. These should be our pride and joy, encouraging public gatherings and making sure we have safe and enjoyable facilities for children of all ages. These become a symbol of the neighborhood and we want residents to take pride and encourage people to use our public spaces. 2. Create a balanced shopping and work environment. Back to the previous question, we need a balance in work and retail options. With new professional offices comes new and greater demand on homes that are relatively close to work. Having a wider assortment of retail and restaurant options creates an environment that encourages people to spend more time and invest in the community. 3. Schools. While we don’t have any direct impact on the schools within and around Doraville, we must take greater interest and have more involvement. Celebrate the successes of schools such as Oakcliff and their $100,000 grant that they recently received for their excellence in math and science. But we must also challenge the school board to do better. As an example, 2/3 of Doraville students will eventually go to Cross Keys Highschool. Nothing wrong with Cross Keys, but they are over 6 miles away from Sequoyah Middle School when Chamblee High School is just over 3 miles, Lakeside just over 4 miles away and Dunwoody and Tucker High Schools are both just over 5 miles away. There are 4 high schools closer to Doraville and yet we have most of our children travel well over 6 miles to attend high school. Something just doesn’t seem right about that.

What would you like to see done with the General Motors property; Also – do you support redeveloping that property into a sports stadium?

I think the Comprehensive Land Use Plan as well as the Georgia Tech proposed design are highly desirable suggestions. Recent discussions about bio-tech research, life sciences, and other medical or technological research facilities should be considered, especially considering our proximity to the Chamblee CDC center. What I truly want to see is a facility that provides a balance of activities throughout the day. We need to ensure that we have a strong professional office (including any research facilities) environment during the day and events, activities, and restaurants to draw people to our city at night. Of course a strong residential component is necessary and required to ensure that we can attract those strong restaurant and retail components and provide employees with close living spaces to help encourage a walkable and bikable environment.

With regards to a stadium, I have not and do not support a large sports stadium. I do however, believe that a small multi-purpose arena that could be used for concerts, basketball, hockey, etc. would be a valuable addition and create that environment to attract people from inside and outside of our city. Additionally I believe some consideration should be made about putting a softball/soccer/flag football complex for local athletic teams to use. The region is hard pressed to find facilities that can accommodate local, regional, and national amateur tournaments. These types of activity centers will also help encourage a great mix of restaurant and retail centers.

There are many options to consider, the challenge is creating the right mix and balance that creates a vibrant center and encourages growth and redevelopment beyond that site.

How should the city be meeting the challenge of declining tax revenue?

We need to be as frugal as we possibly can, tightening our belt and looking for cost saving options without cutting services or jeopardizing our growth. New revenue streams should be evaluated such as the proposed passport center as well as looking at some of our existing services for opportunities to reduce cost and improve efficiencies. Additionally we need to follow-through with audits on several services to ensure that records are being properly sent to the city and we are accurately collecting the taxes and fees that are appropriately due.

The recent permit audit should have some positive impact on the tax base and then returning to question 2, marketing our city as a great place to live, work, and play, encouraging new businesses to open up here and residents to make Doraville their home will also positively impact the tax base and digest.

Are you willing to communicate by phone, email, in person, or in print with residents of your district to ask for their input or to explain why you support or oppose items voted on at city council meetings?

Absolutely. My phone number and email is on all my correspondences.

What is your vision for Doraville in four years (at the end of this term)?

That Doraville becomes a destination for people and not just a MARTA stop or using “Buford Highway” as a place to get from point A to B. I want people to want to come to Doraville for a wide variety of reasons and not just for our great ethnic restaurants. We have tremendous opportunity with a terrific professional staff, engaged community, and active business partners to make a statement. I have said that I want Doraville to be not just a good place to live, but a GREAT place to live, work, and play.

I want our government facilities, public spaces and parks, our business centers, and our neighborhoods to be areas that we can all be proud of. Where they are clean and inviting and encourages, through effective marketing and promotions, people to move to our city and set up shop as a great place to do business. We can do this by working together, holding each other accountable, and using our energies to promote the positive aspects of our city versus dwelling on the negative or the past.

October 21, 2009 | Joseph Geierman | Comments Closed

Mayor Jenkins Comments on the GM Plant & Dekalb County

Luke Howe sent me this statement from the mayor on the GM Plant, asking me to post it here:

    Dear Residents,

    I understand the stories surrounding the GM property have caused some concern, so I would like to take this opportunity to address those concerns. First of all, don’t mistake our silence for complacency or inaction, and please don’t buy into the distorted facts and the over-dramatized interaction with the county.

    I have met with the CEO five times on the plant redevelopment. Twice with my staff present then three more with the council. Mr. Ellis never threatened nor did he try to shove ideas down our throat. These meetings were more like brainstorming sessions. Ideas were purely hypothetical, so certainly nothing was officially proposed or agreed upon. Did he have his own opinions? Sure, but one sentence he repeated over and over was “if Doraville isn’t on board then it won’t work.”

    As far as the County purchasing the property, let’s keep a few other facts in mind. On Monday, September, 28, the Georgia Supreme Court nixed the County’s sale of bonds without prior voter approval, and according to DeKalb County’s spokeswoman, “we are not in the position to buy anything” (North DeKalb Neighbor, 10/14/09). The current economic climate and recent articles in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the County’s financial situation seem to reinforce this statement.

    Make no mistakes. We realize the importance of this redevelopment and what it means to the future of our town. We have and will continue to chart a course based on the comprehensive plan, LCI and Georgia Tech study. In that pursuit, we will not waiver. These studies, as you know, call for a mixed-use development, including green space, retail, entertainment, residential, office and institutional and civic uses for possibly new facilities or even a fire station.

    Planning also highlights voids in our local economy such as the lack of professional jobs particularly in the health, scientific and technology fields, so it would be beneficial to include a light industrial use in order to accommodate an innovation incubator. Life sciences and other innovation-based industries would attract major incentives from the state; generate high paying jobs and a greater demand for the other components.

    These types of jobs must be created to strike a more equitable balance between rentership and ownership. Another important residential need is senior housing, which would follow the “Aging in Place” model set forth by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), allowing aging residents to stay in town rather than leave.

    Since we are the only DeKalb city that doesn’t have its own high school, I, along with our education officials and state legislators, would like to see a charter middle/ high school that would focus on math and science. If we relocate our town center a school could occupy our current civic area. If not it could be a civic use within the new development.

    In any event, a school would serve as a fitting legacy for General Motors and compliment the outstanding work that Oakcliff Elementary is doing in these subjects. It would also dovetail nicely with development’s innovation component.

    All these things I have discussed are fundamentals needed to sustain and strengthen a local economy, one that can not only weather economic storms but support the retail establishments we all want.

    Lastly, I would like you all to know that we will be working to obtain pieces of the plant, machinery parts and other artifacts before demolition concludes. These pieces of our past could be use for a future history museum or converted into industrial art.

    In sum, we will warmly welcome elected officials and other entities who wish to help further our goals. After all, these needs and wants are not only good for us but our neighboring communities, the county, metro area and state as well. Any challenges to those goals, however unlikely, will be met with all the resistance we can muster. But rest assured, as long as we holdfast to our sound planning there’s no need to worry.

    We have been through a lot, but we have a bright future. We will continue to work hard and do everything possible to realize our ultimate goal of renewal and revitalization.

    Finally, let me leave you with this promise: However benign these meetings with the county were, we will conduct future meetings between the county and council in public to ensure greater transparency and citizen interaction. I hope this message eases anxieties and clears up the rampant rumors and innuendo. Thank you for support, and as always please don’t hesitate to call on me for any assistance or further clarity.

    Sincerely,

    Mayor Jenkins

October 15, 2009 | Joseph Geierman | 1 Comment »

Doraville Candidate Forum – Tuesday, October 13

The Doraville Business Association is sponsoring this year’s candidate forum. It’s being held at the Civic Center this Tuesday at 6:30pm. It’s unclear from the notice below whether they will turn people away who don’t register, so you may want to RSVP to Kristina@doravillebusiness.org if you plan to attend. I spoke with a representative of the Doraville Business Association on Friday, and he told me that no one will be turned away.

The Doraville Business Association Event is pleased to sponsor:

The Doraville City Council Candidate Forum

Tuesday, October 13,2009

We are excited to announce the event will be moderated by Thornton Kennedy with the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The event will be held at Doraville Civic Center.

The doors will open at 6:00 PM, with the program beginning at 6:30 PM.

You may submit your questions for the candidates in writing at the Doraville Civic Center beginning at 6:00 PM. This forum is open to the public so please feel free to pass on this invitation to all businesses and residences of Doraville. This is an exciting event for Doraville and the Doraville Business Association, so please join us to hear all the candidate’s views on how to make Doraville a better place to live, shop, work, and play!

Location: Doraville Civic Center
3770 Central Avenue
Doraville, GA 30340

Please RSVP to Kristina@doravillebusiness.org

October 7, 2009 | Joseph Geierman | 12 Comments »

DeKalb Pondering a Purchase of GM Site

Big news about the GM plant site — councilman Bob Roche just confirmed for me a rumor that I heard earlier this weekend that Dekalb county is considering a purchase of the site in partnership with a developer.

The implications of the development deal are big. According to councilman Roche, the city will no longer have any zoning power over the former GM property, and will lose tax revenue from it (several hundred thousand a year). It will be effectively de-annexed from the city (although Doraville will still set closing times and other similar ordinances). The county has suggested that they can patrol the site using Dekalb PD, therefore not taxing our current police forces.

The developer is New Broadstreet, based out of Orlando. The company’s president, David Pace, helped develop Disney’s Celebration USA outside Disney World. The company’s website says it is committed to New Urbanist principles — which include walkable neighborhoods, and mixed-use developments that adhere to the work-live-play philosophy.

I’ll be honest – as things stand right now, I think the prospect of getting New Broadstreet involved in Doraville is a potentially very good thing for city, and could help us achieve some quality development that we have been missing for a long time. My main concern is that the county has not yet announced its intentions and as Bob Roche said: Once they own the property, they could put a smelting plant there if they wanted. For now, though, I am cautiously optimistic.

[EDIT 9/21/2009] Bob Roche just wrote me to say that DeKalb’s main plan for the space would be a Falcon’s stadium, with mixed use as a “Plan-B.” Obviously, a stadium would have major implications for all residents of Doraville in regards to traffic, property-value, and the quality of future developments in the city.

September 20, 2009 | Joseph Geierman | 16 Comments »

Follow-Up: Falcons Stadium at GM Plant Site

In December, I wrote about the Sembler Company’s desire to purchase Doraville’s shuttered GM plant and build a new football stadium for the Atlanta Falcons. It seemed like a long-shot idea at the time, and frankly still does. Even so, it has cropped up again, with Sembler bidding $45 million for the GM site in May (I’m not sure why something that happened in May is suddenly newsworthy in September). According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle:

Sembler, based in St. Petersburg, and an undisclosed equity partner placed a nearly $45 million bid to secure the plant in May, but GM thought the price was too low, according to sources with knowledge of the process. GM is seeking closer to $70 million for the 165-acre site at Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Interstate 285.

The article goes on to say that other developers are now considering their own bids to build a new Falcons stadium in Doraville.

As a resident of the city, I think this is a horrible idea. Back in December, the two main factions of the city’s political establishment seemed to be aligning behind this idea – which is disturbing. Susan Crawford sent an e-mail out yesterday to several residents, which sums up many of my own feelings:

People, please don’t underestimate the impact a new Falcons stadium coming in to the GM property will have on your lives, your families, your schools, your neighborhoods, and your property values, not to mention peace and quiet. Doraville will be nothing but a blighted area. Do a little research and see for yourselves what sorts of areas surround sports arenas in large cities. Think of Boston, New York, Chicago, Miami, and even where our Falcons stadium is now. Think of the effect a stadium on the GM property would have on surrounding areas as well – Chamblee, Dunwoody, Brookhaven. Everyone in the area will suffer because of Doraville’s failure to zone that property, something many residents have been insisting on for some time now. If the zoning is changed to something more resident-friendly (and we still have time!) a stadium cannot come in. For me, the candidate’s positions on this issue alone will determine who I vote for. Anyone willing to sell me out for a stadium will never get my backing. This may be the single most important issue we’ve come up against as a city. I urge you to give some thought to a united effort to block this from happening.

The GM land is the key to Doraville’s future. I think that the failure to zone the GM property in a way that would prohibit this type of development is a huge failure on the part of our city government. I am very interested to hear the opinion of all the city council candidates on this issue.

September 11, 2009 | Joseph Geierman | 16 Comments »

New Doraville Business Associaton

City council recently passed an ordinance that would ban any new wholesale businesses from establishing themselves along Buford Highway. My understanding is that wholesale businesses were never supposed to be on Buford Highway in the first place, but somehow were able to get permission to establish themselves there over the past 20-30 years.

The zoning changes, which will only affect new businesses that come to Doraville (not existing ones), have fired up the local commercial real estate owners. Jack Halpern of Halpern Enterprises – and owner of most of the strip malls along Buford Highway – has been very vocal in his opposition to the change. Some residents have stated they have received phone calls from a telemarketing firm (speculation suggests the calls are being funded by Halpern) pointing out that the city already has a budget deficit and that this change could make the situation worse by making it harder for commercial property owners to lease space.

Many residents are tired of stores in the city that they can’t shop at and tired of the strip-mall mentality of the current developers. They want to see an improvement in the quality of the businesses here and in the types of developments which get created. Some of this goes back to better city planning and the finalization of a comprehensive city plan – which is seriously overdue. A major failure of our city council and mayor.

It appears that Halpern has upped the ante in this battle, launching a “Doraville Business Association” that will “serve as advocates for the business interests in the city.” They are holding their first meeting this Wednesday at Pung Mei. Whatever your feelings about the wholesale issue, a cohesive Doraville business communitycan only be a positive addition to the fabric of our city life – and is probably overdue. Hopefully that is what this organization will become – expanding to include views that represent a wide range of local businesses – not just the views of Halpern Enterprises. Their press release is below:

Contact: Melissa Mullinax
(404) 825-2430

DIVERSE GROUP OF BUSINESS LEADERS LAUNCH NEW DORAVILLE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

The Doraville Business Association is a membership organization representing businesses, professionals, financial institutions, associated agencies and organizations, and private individuals who share an interest in promoting and doing business in the City of Doraville. Our primary goals are to serve as advocates for the business interests in the city and to promote Doraville as a unique, vibrant destination in the Southeast.

Founded by a diverse group of business leaders, the Doraville Business Association welcomes businesses of all sizes. Building on the strengths of our vibrant, international character, we will champion a pro-business environment that fosters economic development and supports existing businesses.

The association plans to hold a regular schedule of networking events, an annual Celebrate Doraville event that draws local residents and visitors and create a shopping and dining guide for visitors in its first year.

What: Press Conference and Reception to launch the newly formed Doraville Business Association

Who: Founding Members of the Doraville Business Association

o Harold Shinn, Buford Highway Farmer’s Market
o Jack Halpern, Halpern Enterprises
o Larry Levine, BrandsMart
o Charlene Fang, Touchmark National Bank
o Franklin Ly, Franklin Accounting & Tax LLC
o Jack Hamilton, Hamilton Realty
o Dan Cowart, The Cowart Companies
o Peter Hennessy, Hennessy Lexus

State, County and Local Elected Officials invited

When: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
4:30 pm – Press Conference
5:00 pm – Reception

Where: Pung Mie Restaurant
5145 Buford Highway, Doraville

April 15, 2009 | Joseph Geierman | 16 Comments »

progress was made

We are deleting the definition of ‘family’ from the zoning ordinance. This will close a loophole and doraville won’t be in the business of defining families.

Also, we are deleting the rental provisions, so having roomates won’t be illegal.

The proposed ordinance is based on square footage, but it also includes definitions of bedrooms. We still need to sort that out.

Thanks for your comments,

Bob Roche

April 6, 2009 | Bob Roche | 6 Comments »
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