[LCN Newscast] Harold Greenspace Council Vote, Jul 05

[newscast@lists.lakeclaire.org]

Harold Avenue Greenspace Resolution
Atlanta City Council Vote
2005 July 05 Tuesday 1:00 p.m.
City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave.


The Lake Claire Neighbors Executive Committee is asking
supporters of the proposed Harold Avenue Greenspace to attend
today's Atlanta City Council meeting.  Its appeal is at the
bottom of this Newscast.  Here is some background information:

On 2005 April 27, The Conservation Fund purchased 591, 595, and
601 Harold Avenue from Wesley Arch, Inc. for $350,000 in order
to prevent development of the land.  The three lots, zoned R4
(City Residential), totaled approximately 1/2 acre.

Wesley Arch had purchased the lots in 1997 and 2000 for a total
of $185,000, with the intent of building three custom homes on
the undeveloped land.  Depending on the sizes, the three houses
could have generated between $20,000 - $30,000 per year in
property tax revenue, but would have required the removal of
many mature trees and impacted the Fernbank Fork watershed.  For
the past few years, Lake Claire Neighbors has been actively
involved in getting the land conserved.

The Atlanta City Council passed a resolution to purchase the
land from "Conservation, Inc." [sic] for $364,246 and to fund a
greenspace project on the land for $85,000.  Mayor Shirley
Franklin vetoed the proposal.

Text of the vetoed resolution is at:
http://apps.atlantaga.gov/citycoul/2005/images/proposed/05O0895.pdf

The legislation is up for an override vote TODAY at the 1:00
p.m. City Council meeting.

My apologies for the delay in getting this information out.

  -- Webmaster.

-------------------------------------------------


Supporters of Harold Avenue Greenspace,

We need you!
Attend City Council Meeting
Tuesday, July 5, 2005, 1 pm
City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave.
to overturn Mayor's veto

The Council voted unanimously to support the greenspace last
week but the Mayor vetoed it.  Council members must see a large
crowd to have confidence to overturn the veto.  We need 100
people to demonstrate tangible support for overturning the veto.

The reasons for overturning the veto are powerful and
compelling:

- Harold Ave Greenspace contains spring-fed headwaters for
western branch of Fernbank Fork of Peavine Creek.

- Harold Ave Greenspace is adjacent to 33-acre old growth
hardwood Frazer Center Forest, part of the larger Fernank
Forest, Deepdeene Park, and Emory Forest corridor.

- Harold Ave Greenspace is source point for three City of
Atlanta storm water pipes that have severely degraded stream
banks within the Frazer Center Forest destroying many mature
hardwood trees.

- Dekalb County and Lake Claire Neighbors have agreed to help
manage it.

- Harold Ave Greenspace is a unique opportunity for learning
laboratory with native plantings, storm water management
techniques, and tree canopy preservation.

The Council Meeting is at 1 pm at City Hall at 55 Trinity Avenue
in the second floor Council Chambers on Tuesday, July 5, 2005.

BRING THE KIDS - ITS THEIR LEGACY

PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS E-MAIL

Thank you,
Lake Claire Neighbors Executive Committee
2005 June 30

Dan White, President
Kathy Evans, VP Planning
Elizabeth Hamilton, VP Communications
Randy Byrd, VP Safety
Diane Moore, VP Finance
Nabil Hammam NPU-Rep