Friday, April 3, 2015
This is the "Culture of "Fear and Intimidation" that SACS Warned Us About
If you have ever wondered if the schools in DeKalb were really "that bad" that SACS had to be called in, just look at how the adults in DeKalb are behaving right now and what the process for creating cities in the state of Georgia has been turned into. People being pitted against one another and politicians stepping back and waiting for the right moment to offer their own spin, for a price. Savior to one group, demon to another. It keeps them in office and keeps the novices at bay.
There is nothing more precious to a parent than his / her child. And they had to mess around with education, didn't they? There is no single more important investment one makes in a lifetime than his / her home. They have to mess with that now, too, don't they? The only one service that everyone agreed was working just fine was garbage collection, so they had to go and mess with that, too?
There is very little that can be said that has not already been said. If they do not know how we feel about what they are doing by now, then they never will.
The only thing that could make any of this even more costly and embarrassing to our entire county is to see it all replayed in court. The only people who might be able to take more of our tax dollars than the politicians themselves are the lawyers they need to keep them out of trouble.
All we can say is that November is a LOOOOONG time from now. So, since voters have a short attention span, we can all take a break before we have to show up to vote and, once again, reject the hostile forces at work in our own county, in our own public institutions and neighborhoods.
Good will always prevail. The truth always comes out. And, by moving ahead, we may be able to move forward more easily than if we had tried to fight this one inevitable stage of the process. There was going to be a referendum one way or another. Now, all we have to do is show up and vote No.
Somehow the showing up part seems to be the most difficult for many voters in our county, but we are holding out hope that it is not impossible.
LaVista Hills (The View) Finds an Audience for Season One!
"We just got together at a dining room table and decided we needed to start a city!"
That's all it took. Plus, a few years, dozens of maps, multiple name changes, tens of thousands of dollars and land grabbing from our neighbors to satisfy our own political agendas, and wa la! Look at us now! It's official.
We're LaVista (The View). Hills, That is.
And, if you don't like us; we don't care!
For details, see today's AJC: HERE
or Decaturish story: HERE
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Save the Doctors of Tucker's "Lavista Office Park"
It's hard to believe it, but it appears that now the "Lakeside" group is trying to drive doctors away from Tucker, which will be a big blow to our retirees and senior citizens. Many residents enjoy the convenient access to "Lavista Office Park," because they can see all their doctors in one place without multiple car rides or having to get on busy interstates and freeways in our area.
A recent rezone request made at the March county commissioners meeting was made by a person we believe is known online as "Randy Rand." The public hearing takes place April 28. We believe he is the owner of the office park and reportedly gave his tenants until May 1 to vacate the building. Some of these doctors have been in business more than 15 years in this one location. The short notice will not allow them to move as a group and makes it very unlikely the will all be able to remain in the Tucker area. The rezone will not be voted on for at least 30 days. Below is our objection, emailed today to all commissioners:
Save Tucker! If you wish to also write to the commissioners on this subject, here are the emails:
njester@dekalbcountyga.gov; jrader@dekalbcountyga.gov; larryjohnson@dekalbcountyga.gov; sbsutton@dekalbcountyga.gov; lmay@dekalbcountyga.gov; kgannon@dekalbcountyga.gov; stanwatson@dekalbcountyga.gov.
Dear CEO May and County Commissioners,
We, as the group known as “Save Tucker,” are writing to express objections
to the rezoning that was presented as a new application at your March
meeting:
Application of LaVista Office Park, Llc to rezone property within the Northlake Overlay District (Tier 2) from O-I (Office Institutional) (conditional) and R-85 (Single Family Residential) (conditional) to O-I (Office-Institutional) to allow the entire property to be redeveloped as a retail shopping center. The property is located on the east side of Northlake Parkway and the north side of LaVista Road at 2163 Northlake Parkway in Tucker, Georgia. The property has approximately 864 feet of frontage on Northlake Parkway, and approximately 353 feet of frontage on LaVista Road and contains 21.16 acres.
Our objections center around these issues:
1.) This application will take away a very necessary purpose that this land currently holds in our community. It is not simply an “office park” that is requesting rezoning. This particular parcel is used a major medical hub and the physicians and specialists who are located in these offices have all been there for at least 15 years, probably more.2.) This application will harm the medical practices already located in these buildings. They often refer patients to one another for treatment and therefore many of their practices rely on being located near one another. The timing of this request does not allow them to relocate to a similar location where they can continue to utilize their own referral network.3.) This application will bring immediate and direct harm to the many retirees, senior citizens and other residents who count on conveniently located medical offices being very near their homes. Please recall that Tucker serves more seniors than the average DeKalb County city or unincorporated community. And, you just approved a new multi family facility for adults 55+. The location to doctors is seen as a huge benefit to seniors looking to move. So, changing this zoning will also harm the developer you already approved for a senior living area. We have nearly twice as many in our Tucker zip code compared to the DeKalb County average overall.4.) A school was allowed to open its doors in this complex a few years ago. Where will this school relocate so that it can continue to serve the families of our community?5.) City feasibility studies have been conducted using this tax base in their estimates. A change this big could have an impact on city viability.6.) Retail areas usually increase the crime rate. Since the future of our local police precinct is not known, it is the wrong time to be approving something for this area without knowing which city will be paying to police it, or if it will be policed by the county.Please, deny this rezone application unless the owner, or the county, is willing to do the legwork and negotiating necessary to secure a similar location in TUCKER, or in the Northlake area in general, where these medical doctors can move and still serve their current patients.If not denied outright, then this rezone should be deferred to the appropriate city council, when and if one is established, so that they can determine whether the greater need in their area is for a cluster of medical offices or new retail shopping.
Tucker has always tried to do things right without complaint, and look
where that has gotten us. We've helped keep the peace in this county between
warring sides of North and South. You'll notice that the wheels on the cart in
DeKalb have been squeaking for so long that they are now the best looking wheels
money can buy. But, during all that time that the wheels were squeaking, Tucker
has been the reliable engine that moves the cart forward. And no matter how
great the wheels are, no one is going anywhere if you forget to take care of
your engine.
Please have some heart left to look out for the Tucker community. We need
our doctors. We don’t need a duplication of the retail offerings that are
already in this same Northlake area.
Thank you,
XXX XXXX
Save Tucker!
http://savetuckerfromlakesidecity.blogspot.com
N.7 Z‐15‐19671 DEFERRED SUBSTITUTE SUBMITTED FROM THE FLOOR UNTIL APRIL 28, 2015; PUBLIC HEARING; DAY MEETING
Commission District: 1 Super District: 7
Portion of 18‐210‐03‐047, 18‐210‐03‐054 Application of LaVista Office Park, LLC to rezone a portion of property within the Northlake Overlay District (Tier 2) from R‐85 (Single Family Residential) to O‐I (Office‐Institutional) to combine with the adjoining property to be redeveloped as a retail shopping center. The property is located on the north side of LaVista Road, approximately 160 feet west of Winding Way at 2163 Northlake Parkway in Tucker, Georgia. The property has approximately 100 feet of frontage on LaVista Road and contains 2.69 acres.
N.7 Z‐15‐19671 DEFERRED SUBSTITUTE SUBMITTED FROM THE FLOOR UNTIL APRIL 28, 2015; PUBLIC HEARING; DAY MEETING
Commission District: 1 Super District: 7
Portion of 18‐210‐03‐047, 18‐210‐03‐054 Application of LaVista Office Park, LLC to rezone a portion of property within the Northlake Overlay District (Tier 2) from R‐85 (Single Family Residential) to O‐I (Office‐Institutional) to combine with the adjoining property to be redeveloped as a retail shopping center. The property is located on the north side of LaVista Road, approximately 160 feet west of Winding Way at 2163 Northlake Parkway in Tucker, Georgia. The property has approximately 100 feet of frontage on LaVista Road and contains 2.69 acres.
Monday, March 30, 2015
"It's Morally Wrong," Says Smoke Rise Resident
"The city of Tucker is morally wrong," according to Smoke Rise resident Robert Stamper.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Tweak us out of LaVista Hills
This is a letter shared with the "Dekalb Strong" group. You can join the conversation at https://www.facebook.com/groups/DeKalbStrong.
We didn't realize how easy tweaking was. “Tweak” and just like that, 2000 people are moved from one city proposal to another. (“LaVista Hills, Tucker border tweaked in Senate,” News, March 20). Our home is in Toco Hills on the southern edge of the proposed LaVista Hills and we’d like to be tweaked out of it.North and north central DeKalb County residents have become pawns in the misguided ambitions of a few. With all the changes made by the Senate and House, it’s vital the feasibility of these proposals be revisited. The LaVista Hills boundaries have bled commercial property to the Tucker proposal and Brookhaven’s annexation of Executive Park.
As reconfigured, LaVista Hills is almost entirely residential. Even including Toco Hills shopping center and Northlake mall, there appears to be insufficient commercial or industrial property to support the tax base to start a city, provide services and maintain the quality of life for 67,000 residents without raising residential property taxes.
LaVista Hills fails to measure up as a city.
XXXXXXXX
ATLANTA
Tucker's City Bill Updated in the Senate
NOTE: Special called meeting of the DeKalb Delegation will take place in the Coverdell Administration Building starting at 8 a.m., on Wed. March 25.
We are relieved to see that the latest version of the Tucker bill has updates to the city council voting process. Here is the new language:
Read the bill here.
... But Is It Feasible??
We have seen very little evidence that the proposed city of Tucker, which is comprised mostly of Smoke Rise residents, Stone Mountain businesses and a few Stone Mountain schools, will be feasible. With just Tucker residents and Tucker businesses, we may have had a shot, but the Tucker-Northlake CID is making sure they don't let that happen. They have been busy including all kinds of businesses since they first started two years ago. Only problem is that they keep adding ones that are in the "Lakeside" area and making the ones in Tucker so mad that they are leaving.
So far, we've noticed some big changes, like these relocations or closures:
* Toys R Us
* The Big Green Egg
* Bikeways of Tucker
* Dee's Cupcakes
* The Roxx
* Dr. Honda
and now ....
The entire professional complex on Northlake Parkway, where many Tucker residents go to see their physicians and specialists, is telling their tenants that they have to vacate by May 1.
There has been talk about what will be built there instead, but nothing can be substantiated. So, not only are cities and annexations destructive to our county and our local economy, but in Tucker, just the TALK about these things is tearing apart what has been more than a century in the making.
That's why we are ready to see the Lavista Hills bill go before the voters because we are confident it can and will be defeated at the ballot box. Sometimes the only way to move forward is to go straight through and that's what has to happen here.
Tucker residents who were added to the Lavista Hills map will not vote in favor of these tactics and we know plenty of people inside the perimeter in the Lavista Hills boundaries who will vote no as well.
People are waking up in DeKalb County and starting to see the light. We don't have to let these things consume our time or attention any longer. We just have to all agree to vote NO.
We are relieved to see that the latest version of the Tucker bill has updates to the city council voting process. Here is the new language:
(3) Two councilmembers shall be elected from each of the three council districts and shall hold Council District 1, Post 1; Council District 1, Post 2; Council District 2, Post 1; Council District 2, Post 2; Council District 3, Post 1; and Council District 3, Post 2, respectively. Each person desiring to offer as a candidate for councilmember for such posts shall designate the council post for which he or she is offering. Councilmembers shall be elected by a majority vote of the qualified electors of the respective council districts voting at the elections of the city. In the event that no candidate for a council post obtains a majority vote of the qualified electors of the council district voting in the election, then a run-off election shall be held. The candidates receiving the two highest numbers of votes in the election for such council post shall be included in the run-off election. The person receiving the highest number of votes of the qualified electors of the council district voting at such run-off election shall be elected. Each candidate for election to the city council shall reside in the district which he or she seeks to represent.This is an improvement, but there is still the question of how a candidate would determine which of the two posts for the identical area he / she should run for. And, there is still the issue of constituents having to get their point made in front of two councilmen or women instead of having just one to worry about. But, it is a far better election process than what was previously included in the bill from the House, so we hope this is the version that will prevail, if there must be one.
Read the bill here.
... But Is It Feasible??
We have seen very little evidence that the proposed city of Tucker, which is comprised mostly of Smoke Rise residents, Stone Mountain businesses and a few Stone Mountain schools, will be feasible. With just Tucker residents and Tucker businesses, we may have had a shot, but the Tucker-Northlake CID is making sure they don't let that happen. They have been busy including all kinds of businesses since they first started two years ago. Only problem is that they keep adding ones that are in the "Lakeside" area and making the ones in Tucker so mad that they are leaving.
So far, we've noticed some big changes, like these relocations or closures:
* Toys R Us
* The Big Green Egg
* Bikeways of Tucker
* Dee's Cupcakes
* The Roxx
* Dr. Honda
and now ....
The entire professional complex on Northlake Parkway, where many Tucker residents go to see their physicians and specialists, is telling their tenants that they have to vacate by May 1.
There has been talk about what will be built there instead, but nothing can be substantiated. So, not only are cities and annexations destructive to our county and our local economy, but in Tucker, just the TALK about these things is tearing apart what has been more than a century in the making.
Tucker residents who were added to the Lavista Hills map will not vote in favor of these tactics and we know plenty of people inside the perimeter in the Lavista Hills boundaries who will vote no as well.
People are waking up in DeKalb County and starting to see the light. We don't have to let these things consume our time or attention any longer. We just have to all agree to vote NO.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Petition Signers Say They Were Tricked by "Neighbors for Lakeside City"
 |
| Sen. Millar |
In short, they were sold a bill of goods by some people whom they can never actually hold accountable and might not ever even see again. Some of the petition signers spoke limited English and later said they signed just to stop the person from returning to their home every day to ask if they had changed their minds and were ready to sign.
High pressure, low morals. Great combination for disaster.
And, this "Neighbors for Lakeside" group that was taking names was spear-headed by none other than another member of the Tucker Parent Council. Why does this one particular attendance zone have such strong advocates on BOTH sides of the argument? Good question. Since they won't tell us, we'll have to guess that perhaps there are some political stink tanks lurking around these parts and they are running a big game on all of us. Controlling both sides of the city debate allows them to push forth an appearance of a real conflict with lots of community input on both sides, ending with a compromise both sides say they can live with. But, all along, our voices ... the real people who live here ... are the ones being ignored and pushed aside. And our tax dollars will fund more of their games if we let them get away with it.
Here's an email that we were carbon copied on last year. It was written by a Tucker resident who encountered the petition takers for Lakeside City:
Dear State Legislators,
As you consider the merits of a Lakeside City bill this year for DeKalb County, GA, please keep the following in mind: I live in the area that was added to Sen. Fran Millar’s bill at the last moment because someone who came to my neighborhood on three separate occasions was successful in convincing many of my neighbors that they had to sign her petition if they wanted any chance to vote whatsoever, even though they had all told her they did not want to be any part of a city of Lakeside. She told them that a city of Tucker was not going to be voted on this year and that there was no chance that we could remain unincorporated unless we had a chance to vote no.
I graduated from Tucker High School proudly and my sisters will go there one day as well. We live only a block away from the back of the school and I cannot imagine how these LCA individuals could be so bold as to try and tell you and the rest of Georgia that we would want to be in a city that operates in this deceptive manner.
Lakeside is a rival school, but even the students I know who have gone there would never want to be so rude and insulting to us as this “Neighbors for Lakeside” petition taker was. I believe many people were tricked into signing and they will be very upset when they learn what has happened. We will all vote no and I am sure most others throughout Tucker and even Lakeside feel the same.
I would question the validity of the names you received, especially if they are in a computer format because what we were given was a hand printed form to fill out ourselves. Anything else is not a valid representation of how we feel or what we were told.
Thank you,
XXXXX (name withheld for privacy)
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