- Legacy Park Voice is using Decatur’s strong tree ordinance to protest the planned pedestrian path along Columbia Drive near the edge of Legacy Park in an attempt to block the development of affordable housing at Legacy Park. You can watch the video here.
The group is planning to attend the 7:30 p.m. Monday, November 18, City Commission Meeting to protest the path and delay its creation. could cause significant construction issues for the affordable housing development extension. We need your help to advocate for the path and affordable housing by:
- Joining us at the commission meeting to support the path and current environmental study used to create it. Sign up here!
- Emailing commissioners stating your support for the path and affordable housing (please copy the Coalition at coalitiondd@gmail.com).
Decatur City Commission Meeting
7:30 p.m. Monday, November 18
Decatur City Hall
509 North McDonough St.
Decatur, GA 30030
Please arrive at City Hall by 7:15 p.m. This is the first agenda item. We want to show commissioners and opposition that we support the current path plan.
Decatur City Commissioners:
- Mayor Patti Garret: Patti.Garrett@decaturga.com, represents District 2
- Mayor Pro Tem Tony Powers: Tony.Powers@decaturga.com, at-large representative
- Kelly Walsh, kelly.walsh@decaturga.com, represents District 1
- Lesa Mayer, lesa.mayer@decaturga.com, represents District 2
- George Dusenbury, George.dusenbury@decaturga.com, represents District 1
Pedestrian Path/Tree Ordinance Talking Points
- Tension between city commitment to environmental protection and affordable housing: The city needs to find best balance between these 2 principles, and the recently approved Tree Ordinance (2022) — one of the most robust in the metro region — is the best mechanism to find that sweet spot.
The proposed path complies with the Tree Ordinance and commits to replacing removed trees with more new trees than is required by the ordinance. - A second environmental study on the path wastes limited public resources and time and would push the project past important milestones, impacting the ability to complete the work on time and on budget. The initial study was performed by a qualified contractor. Its recommendations aligned with the existing Tree Ordinance and proposed a path that is parallel to the East Decatur Greenway on the other side of the site.
Requiring a second environmental study is an unwise use of limited public resources and would compromise the ability of the project to deliver on its commitments on time and on budget. - Using environmental concerns to protest Legacy Park’s affordable housing elements: We disagree with using the tree ordinance to resist increased housing density, More affordable housing has been in the city’s overarching master plan since 2020/2021.
The city engaged in a robust community engagement effort, took input from a range of community and expert stakeholders, and made their decision about how the project was going to look moving forward. Per the Tree Ordinance, all environmental requirements are being met, and these concerns appear to be a screen for a larger resistance to the project as a whole. - We/I encourage the Commission to approve the proposed path and allow construction to move forward in a timely and cost-effective manner.