Plan your Transit/Bicycle/Walking Trips Online - Citizens for Progressive Transit

Citizens for Progressive Transit is unveiling its latest project, an online trip itinerary planner for the Atlanta region, focusing on transit, bicycle, and walking trips: http://trip.atltransit.com

Since I live only 2.5 miles from Perimeter Mall (as the crow flies) with no direct Marta route I figured I would give it a try. I was impressed with the results though it only highlighted the fact that there is no easy bike or walking path to the location. Maybe someday besides double decking or widening the top end of I-285 transportation planners might think about including walking & bike lanes in the planning process.

Public Transit & Walking

Biking & Walking routes

Bikers may also enjoy this tool in order to plan routes since it also provides the complete topography of the route plotted.

DeKalb Police could learn a lesson from John’s Creek on Recruitment & Retention

Having sat through several sessions with DeKalb Police Department’s top brass whereby they touted the benefits of Chief Bolton’s "Road to Success Action Plan" to recruit & retain police officers. I have questioned some of the policies on this blog and made suggestions to both Chief Bolton, Commissioners Rader & Gannon to improve the plan.

The City of John’s Creek just borrowed my suggestion that DeKalb Officers should be paid a residential stipend for living inside the district they are paid to protect. Currently very few DeKalb officers actually live in DeKalb therefore when the Department finally obtains an adequate number of marked police vehicles and implements the take-home car program, DeKalb will not have the same impact from those vehicles as if they were stationed here in DeKalb. I am told the Department is currently in dire need for police vehicles for patrol, with officers waiting at station houses for vehicles to come off shift.

Chief Bolton’s take home plan also has another major flaw, it calls for officers with the highest seniority (Lieutenants and Sergeants) to get the take home vehicles first, but the problem with retention is not at the supervisory level, it is in the uniform ranks. I have been told that the number of uniform officers has gone down significantly while the number of supervisory officers (Sgt's) has dramatically increased. Since it is these uniform officers who answer the calls, they are where the rubber hits the road and they need to be taken care of first. Management is just overhead to support the patrolman’s needs; unfortunately, it appears that the DeKalb PD has this concept completely backward.

John’s Creek understands that retention of every officer in a competitive market is a long-term savings over the additional costs associated with obtaining & hiring new recruits. DeKalb needs to shift gears to start concentrating on adequately equipping the Department with vehicles, offering residency and other retention benefits to new recruits & uniform officers who have a much higher tendency to leave the department. The DeKalb Police Department cannot do business as it always has because the game has changed and the newer and more nimble municipal departments are at a huge advantage. Without quick action to outmaneuver these new departments by offering competitive compensation packages and quality of work life improvements, it is my fear that DeKalb will have a retention problem for many years to come.

Nava/Breffle youth wresting program of Dunwoody

The Nava/Breffle youth wresting program for 3rd graders to 8th graders starts this Thursday November 29th at Dunwoody High School. It is essentially a feeder/introductory program for Dunwoody HS, but anyone who would like to participate is welcome. Practices will take place Thursday evenings from 6-7:30 and will emphasize the Fun and Fundamentals of the sport.

Depending on the level of participation, the program will integrate matches and maybe even a tournament. For more information contact Mr. Jeff Warshaw 770.335.8500, jwarshaw@tcresidential.com

Dunwoody Cycling group offers Garys Groin Puller - 32 Miles & 1,500 Vertical Feet of enjoyment

If riding your bike for a little exercise sounds like a good idea after the big thanksgiving meal, you might be interested in checking out http://www.dunwoodycycling.com. Then again with route names like Garys Groin puller whereby you ride 32 miles with over 1,500 vertical feet of hills at a strenuous pace of 23 mph; you might need to think twice about joining this group of biking enthusiasts. They have organized riding groups starting from Dunwoody High School at both 5:30 & 7:30 am several days a week whereby you could easily log 75 plus miles before your work day begins. Easier routes are available, check the website for details.

Light Brown Labrator Retriever Found on Holliston

Don't spend Thanksgiving without an important member of the family!

Claim your dog by calling 404-535-0525

Perimeter area's condo boom creates high hopes "& concerns"

By DAVID PENDERED
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/22/07

A new way of life could emerge around Perimeter Mall.

But it's going to take some negotiations with people currently living there.

There are plans for at least 10,000 new residents to move into condo towers under consideration.

That's a best guess of the number of people who would move into a dozen or so proposed huge condos. The high rises are to open in three to 10 years, according to developers who expect to build after the housing market shows signs of a rebound.

The newcomers will have a large impact on the office and retail center that stretches from Sandy Springs to Dunwoody.

They'll add traffic to streets, lines at grocery stores and probably create a busier nightlife in a district that largely shuts down by mid evening.

Area residents have been talking for months about what the planned condo boom could mean. Some say the challenge will be to get it right.

By that, they mean the new developments should not be built as fortresses. Instead, the projects should have synergy so people can walk from one to the next – like a traditional downtown district.

"Think about Georgia cities of 50,000 residents, like Tifton, which is what this area could become," said Bob Dallas, a Dunwoody resident since 1983. He's also vice chairman of DeKalb County's planning commission.

"Cities that size have amenities that everyone needs — groceries, parks, places for kids to play and day care for toddlers," Dallas said. "We need to make sure the developments do several things, with the conclusions being that they help create a family friendly community."

The condo developers already know a lot what the community expects from them. Most have negotiated with neighborhood groups elsewhere in metro Atlanta to get support for other projects.

Novare, for example, worked with neighborhood groups in Midtown and Buckhead. The company expects to have similar conversations about its plans for two condo towers at Perimeter.

Novare's John Long, the chief financial officer, said the company intends for its project to add to the sense of community. He said he thinks the other condo developers will do the same.

"We're trying to bring a more urban feeling to the Perimeter market so people can walk where they want to go, instead of driving everywhere," Long said. "And it's not just us who want to build that type of community. A lot of the developers have the same desire to provide that type of experience."

Dallas said a lot of work has to be done to make certain the emerging town center called Perimeter is a nice place to live.

"We have to plan to make sure it is designed in a way that the folks who are here, and the folks who will come, can say it is sustainable growth."