LEAFMORE CREEK PARK HILLS CIVIC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
www.leafmore-creekpark.org
Leafmore Creek Park Hills Civic Association Year in Review, 2008
The bare trees and brown lawns of winter remind us that another year has come and gone in Leafmore Creek Park Hills. The economy has many of us worried about our financial futures, and the world continues to face many daunting problems. Fortunately, those of us living in LCPH have the support of good neighbors and a quality of life that is the envy of many. We all have our fair share of difficulties; but as we face a New Year, we need to remember that we also have so much to be thankful for!
As homeowners, we’ve survived another year of drought by putting in rain barrels, conserving water and gardening with drought resistant plants. Our very own Grounds Committee has led the way by incorporating such plantings in our entrance flower beds every spring and fall. A special thanks to them and the volunteers!
On a related note, after some years of thoughtful consideration regarding renovating our various entrances, it looks like we are “almost there.” The final design decision will be made at the April 7th, 2009 annual meeting of the Civic Association. The upgrades will be financed through a variety of fundraisers.
There will be a neighborhood-wide cook out on May 9th, sponsored by the LCPHCA and open to all residents. Whether you are an association member, non-member or a renter, you are cordially invited to meet and greet your fellow neighbors and the officers of the Civic Association. We will provide hot dogs, chips, drinks and a dessert from 4 PM to 7 PM at the clubhouse. More details will be announced via broadcast email and the Leafmore Google group. A small model of the new entrance design will be on display.
You have also noticed the wonderful street sign toppers installed this year that identify us as a “neighborhood.” Rodger and Rick put this together.
Along with our neighboring civic and homeowners associations, the LCPHCA has continued to sponsor election year “candidate fairs”. State and local candidates for public office are available for a “meet and greet” with interested residents of central Dekalb. Sue is our liaison for these fairs.
Maintaining and growing our bond with other neighborhood groups is especially important, as banding together is the surest way to protect our quality of life. Numbers do count when it comes to influencing local and state government officials.
One example of the benefits of such a bond is multiple-neighborhood support for the Sagamore Hills Civic Association in its legal actions against Club Pure. This club relocated to the Williamsburg Shopping Center from Buckhead after the Atlanta City Council tightened up on the “last pour” hours for nightclubs. Additionally, the DeKalb Commission has addressed the inherent conflict between the growing influx of nightclubs to our county and the residential areas they impact (Dekalb county now has the most liberal “last pour” schedule in the Metropolitan area). Commissioner Jeff Rader sponsored legislation that beefs up the county zoning code with specific language indicating where nightclubs and late-night establishments may be located.
Another example of that expanding central Dekalb neighborhood bond is the number of civic associations keeping a watchful eye on builder plans to replace the Williamsburg apartment community for seniors with a large mixed use development. We are charter members of a new group called the Toco Hills Area Alliance, formed as a 501-c3 non-profit corporation to become proactively involved in area planning.
You are familiar with the Carey Hansard Park at Clairmont and Lavista. The PARC board is comprised of members from several neighborhoods who have managed this property for the last 12 years without any individual contributions since the initial community funded purchase. We recently contributed to their maintenance overhead and support their efforts to preserve this passive green space. We will also help them with funding in future years.
Another item of local interest is North Dekalb Mall. The owner signed a contract with Costco in June and hopes to have them in by late 2009. The owner is also looking at a major mall redesign that eliminates enclosed areas and creates a central drive arrangement with store fronts.
Back to our own neighborhood issues: the LCPHCA has created a letter that will be sent to all homeowners in our neighborhood who are preparing to move away, asking them if they would like to make a financial gift to the Association. The goal is to raise enough funds to permanently endow the Association with the financial resources to maintain and improve the visual appearance of the neighborhood, the entrances and deal with other quality of life issues. Contributors will be permanently listed on our website in the Hall of Fame.
A school redistricting proposal is up for consideration that would put all of Leafmore into the same high school and middle school district (for HS we are currently split between Lakeside and Druid Hills). Vera Kornylak is working with a non-civic association consortium of parents who are in favor of the reunification of the neighborhood.
We are working with the owners of the Oak Grove shopping center to cut down on littering along Oak Grove Road. We all need to do our part and dispose of trash properly. We do not want trash in our yards, so please don’t throw it on your neighbor’s lawn either.
There is a leash law in DeKalb. A loose dog tipped over a stroller with a baby in it! Fortunately no one was hurt. On a related note, we continue to hear many complaints about failures to ‘scoop the poop.’
The DOT will begin working on straightening the Lavista/Oak Grove intersection in the near future. This will make the intersection more pedestrian safe and friendly, and improve the traffic flow along Lavista. We have also been told that the Clairmont/N. Druid Hills intersection improvements are finally in the works. With the county’s budget issues, we’ll have to wait and see.
We are working with the county on a new ‘master plan’ for Mason Mill Park. They are looking at renovating the tennis complex, improving the trails, and building a new senior facility on the present site of the Mack Love center. We have requested that a boardwalk be constructed that will allow pedestrian and bike access from our entrance at Spring Creek Road that will tie into the trails at Mason Mill. This recommendation is now on the master plan drawings, and will give our residents easy access to this beautiful green space.
Save your LCPHCA newsletters! Real estate agents have pointed out that living in a neighborhood with an active association is a plus. Informing potential buyers about the issues facing the neighborhood and the association’s actions can make a difference and help you sell your house. We only focus on projects and issues that will improve our neighborhood.
Our next biannual membership drive for 2010-2011 will officially kick off in the Fall of 2009. The 2008-2009 drive was very successful, and dues and member donations paid for the many accomplishments listed above.
A note to all who have not joined the LCPH Civic Association, or would like to be more involved. Everyone who lives here has ideas, talents and abilities that would benefit all of us! As members we are united by our common interests in protecting and improving our neighborhood. This has led to new friendships among the members that will last a lifetime. Your financial support is also appreciated and essential. Your inclusion in our membership gives us a louder voice in our never ending conversations with county officials. BEING A MEMBER MAKES A DIFFERENCE, and can lead to great personal rewards as well!
Lastly, we want to thank some of those who should be recognized: Alison and Lee for their work on Grounds and new entrances, Kerry and Tom for their entrance design concepts, Vera for her involvement in school issues and zoning/land use, Pete and Angie for serving with PARC and on our board with sage advice, Rodger for his tireless support on every project (fairs, sign toppers, entrances, Mason Mill, zoning, and countless meetings), Sue for the Candidates’ Fairs and being the Association Secretary, Rick as Treasurer (can’t do it without him), Aryeh, Kurt, Reid, Rob, Mickel, the Zoning Committee, and the many others that space prevents us from mentioning.
Best Wishes to all for a safe and prosperous New Year!
LCPHCA Officers and Board of Directors