Below
are minutes for the January 8, 2002, meeting of the Atlanta
Downtown Neighborhood Association. Notes were written by Wendy
Darling.
Introduction
For those of you who missed our monthly meeting and for those of you who attended (we had more than 30 attending!) and want a review or additional follow-up on the things we talked about, here are my notes from our Jan. 8th meeting at the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts.
Presentation & Discussion Notes
Rialto Center for the Performing Arts
This was the first time the DNA has met at the Rialto and it was a good venue.
Raye Varney, Manager of Marketing and Public Relations, promoted
the center's upcoming schedule, which includes flamenco, blues,
classical, and more. Some of the feature acts for the next 3
months includes several plays from Theatrical Outfit, Compañía
Española de Antonio Márquez (Spain's hottest flamenco star),
the Wayne Shorter Quartet, Twyla Tharp Dance, and more. See
the Rialto's online
Calendar of Events.
143 Alabama Street Project
Jeffrey Morrison presented the 143 Alabama Street Project, a public art project proposed for the long-vacant, dilapidated building located adjacent to the Five Points MARTA Station. Visible from points throughout downtown, the building is owned by the City of Atlanta, who will not be doing anything with it because it might be torn down as part of construction of the multi-modal station project. The mission of the project is to transform the building into something other than an eyesore and instead to make it a landmakr that will inspire "pride, delight, and hope." The building will be transformed through the collaboration of local artists and non-profit groups.
Support Needed --> Jeff came to the DNA to present the idea
and find out if we would support it as it has to jump through
various hoops at City Hall and in the upcoming NPU meeting.
Residents were overwhelmingly in support and were urged to
attend the upcoming NPU M meeting, Jan. 28, 6:30 p.m., M.L.K.
Jr. Visitor's Center, 450 Auburn Ave., N.E. (For more information
on NPUs, see
the Citys' NPU's web page.
For more info., on the 143 Alabama Street Project, see http://home.mindspring.com/~jeffreymorrison/,
email jeffreymorrison@mindspring.com or call 404-522-8805,
ext. 247.
Neighborhood Music Schools
Anne Richardson, of GSU's Neighborhood Music Schools, spoke to residents about
the program, which affords not only children but adults to expand
their knowledge and enjoyment of music by learning instruments,
singing, and learning more about music. The program offers a
wide variety of music lessons (individual and group) at VERY
reasonable prices. What makes it even better is that many of
the courses and programs take place in the Haas-Howell building
right in Downtown, next door to the Rialto! How much more convenient
can you get? For more information, visit
the NMS web site or call 404-651-1111. You can download
the whole NMS course listing packet, including the application
form. The next round of courses begins next week -- with classes
starting for Beginning Guitar, Beginning Piano, Singing for
Fun, Langauge of Music, and Drumming Group.
Issues --> Panhandling, Urban Camping & Public Safety
DNA President Erich Starrett presented the results of the issues survey taken at the December meeting and to no one's surprise, panhandling and urban camping (along with "write-in" nomination public safety) came out way ahead as issues Downtown residents would like the DNA to address in the coming year. This announcement is poignant because as it turns out, on Monday Jan. 7, a Downtown resident (who in this forum will remain unnamed, to protect his privacy) was assaulted in broad daylight on Broad Street Plaza. Here is the story, as told by Erich (in an email he sent to new City Council President Cathy Woolard):
"Long story short, one of our residents was assaulted in broad daylight on Broad street - just before 5:00 p.m. a few days ago. He asked a person who was urinating on the wall to cease, and when he wouldn't the resident called 911 on his mobile. The person knocked the phone out of the resident's hand (then someone else stole it), and proceded to throw punches and kicks (in the melee the resident also had his briefcase stolen.) The resident is in fairly good shape all things considered, but the lack of police response (MARTA or City of Atlanta) and the atrocity of being accosted in daylight hours have incited the neighborhood to action."
Based on broad discussion, the unanimous decision of the neighborhood was to focus our efforts on taking back this specific area - Broad Street Plaza, located in front of Five Points MARTA, next to The Metropolitan. This will project will encompass the DNA's already-selected top three issues. It's our hope that the positive results of this effort will spread to other areas of Downtown. A committee is being headed by Cooper Holland and Jodi Mount. They plan to meet at least twice monthly and have regular "events" as well -- geared at "taking back Broad Street" and making a positive neighborhood presence known. The first meeting of this committee has not yet been schedule, but interested residents who want to take an ACTIVE stance in cleaning up Broad Street Plaza are urged to contact: Cooper Holland (cooperholland@mindspring.com) and/or Jodi Mount (jodi46@bellsouth.net). The DNA will keep everyone posted!!!!!
Public Toilets
Often politicians and leaders who come to speak to DNA has talked about the possibility of bringing public toilet to Downtown. Right now City Hall is considering a way to do just that. Rev. Houston Wheeler (Campaign of Necessity Public Toilet Initiative) spoke to the group on legislation going through processes at the City that might bring public toilets to Downtown. Such toilets would be accessable to the homeless, tourists, taxi drivers and just anyone who needs to relieve themselves. Public toilets would be supported by advertising, which presents a stumbling block as such ads are out of compliance with the City's zoning laws on signage.
Below is a memo (dated Dec. 11) from Rev. Wheeler:
Thanks to some of you who have already acted over the last two months to support the resolution for public pay toilets. We need the rest of you to go on record. The following update will give details as to why your support is important before the end of January.
To date we have support resolutions from:
- Medical Association of Georgia
- Medical Association of Atlanta
- Atlanta Medical Association
- Fulton County Department of Health & Wellness
- Concerned Black Clergy of Atlanta
- Christian Council of Metro Atlanta
- Atlanta Presbytery
- Central Presbyterian Church
- Trinity Presbyterian Church
- Columbia Theological Seminary
- Central Congregational Board of Mission & Action
- Druid Hills United Methodist Church
- Trinity United Methodist Church
- Community Concerns, Inc. & Odyssey III
- The Open Door Community
- Chapel of Christian Love Baptist Church
- Crossroads Community Ministries
- Community Housing Resource Center, Inc.
- Southern Ministry Network, Inc.
- Midtown Ministries Network
At a meeting on November 27th in Councilmember Debi Starnes office, City officials indicated they would take steps to draft a request for proposals (RFP) to address the need for a qualified vendor to provide street furniture products. The scope of services will be a long-term contract to provide newspaper boxes, vending stands, trash receptacles, information advertising kiosks, as well as automatic self-cleaning pay toilets. Proposals will be made to amend the City and State sign ordinances to permit advertising within public right of ways with specific controls. The street furniture is paid for through an ongoing stream of revenue from advertising. The RFP and sign ordinance amendments will be drafted during January. There would be committee meetings during February providing a forum for input and public support. We will need persons from all walks of life willing to speak in support of the street furniture and public toilets as "necessary" and a "benefit to everyone."
For more information, contact:
Campaign of Necessity
Public Toilet Initiative
Rev. Houston Wheeler
revhouston4@aol.com
fax: 404/624-5299
phone: 404/624-9079
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