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Winter 2007 Battle Cry
The Battle Cry - Winter 2007 The granite monument without
a bronze plaque on the grounds of E. Rivers School located under the magnolias bordering
"Unveiled in impressive ceremonies,
a bronze tablet mounted on granite and inscribed with the historical account of the origin of 'Peachtree' as a name for - Judy Tindel
Block Captains Parks Committee
The past six months have been busy ones for the neighborhood. Valley Crest continues to help maintain our green space. This fall, pine straw mulch was applied in the Peachtree Battle islands. In October, a park grade grass seed was spread both in the islands and on Thanks to the foresight of the PBA board, Michael Shadrick was hired to water the trees planted by Trees Atlanta and volunteers last fall. Due to his diligence, we have not lost any trees to the drought. The new large Overcup Oak at Rivers and Peachtree Battle became very stressed despite the watering. We are hopeful that it will continue to survive. Chris Hastings of ArborMedics, who has adopted and cares for the Gingko trees in the E. Rivers island, is working closely with us and with the new Georgia Power forester, Trudy Brandau, to ensure that both the Gingkoes and the other large trees are not harmed in the pruning process. Bill Earnest has been a big help in this effort as well.
A special thank you goes to Will O’Connor, who for his Eagle Scout project used 152 man hours and 27 volunteers
to improve drainage, reestablish a portion of the original path and restore the stone seating area at the ravine in the island
at At our request, the City has removed the broken bollards and chains on the south side of the island near E. Rivers. We requested removal of all of the bollards and will continue to try to get that completed. Both E. Rivers and Peachtree Road United Methodist (who runs the weekend sports activities at the Field of Dreams) have worked hard to persuade folks to park at the curbs and not on the islands. Many thanks to all involved in that effort!
Lots of kudos to go around in the beautification department! Many thanks
go to the Meyer family for watering the new landscaping at the AT&T boxes at
Thanks go to the Atlanta Gas Light folks for being so considerate of our neighbors’ yards while putting in new
gas lines this summer. They did a nice job of cleaning their staging area at
Roxanne Smith has started a Litter Patrol to help keep the neighborhood clean. You may have noticed a lot less litter since they started a few weeks ago. If you are interested in helping, either take a Publix bag with you on your walk or email Roxanne at rgsassoc@bellsouth.net to sign up. The Haynes Manor Garden Club continues to improve the E. Rivers
and Dellwood islands, which they adopted in 2004. This year, they made a generous
donation of $2,500 to the Peachtree Battle Neighborhood Improvement fund and have plans to replace the dead hedge on the The Habersham Garden Club continues to plant native, drought resistant plants in the memorial garden in the island at Habersham, which they have maintained continuously since 1932. They will be exploring options for replacing several dying magnolias. If you haven’t noticed the gorgeous iron railings on each of the side steps into that island, please do so. Their long-term goal is to put similar railings at the front stairs and to add a set of stairs at the rear. This island is now frequently used by E. Rivers scouts for meetings. Rebecca O’Connor has agreed to form a sub-committee to begin to address the neighborhood tree canopy. She and her group will look into the health of the existing trees and the options available to maintain and enhance the tree canopy, which is such an important part of the neighborhood. The Parks Committee continues to maintain good communication and co-ordination with E. Rivers School with the help of Margaret Long, Sandy Wagner, the management of Bobby Jones Golf Club, Bruce Dutcher, Gary Martin and the Traffic Committee.
There are a number of major centennial anniversaries coming up for the Peachtree Battle Alliance in the next few years. Judy Tindel has spent the past year diligently researching the history of Last but not least, the PBA Parks Committee completed its updated Vision for the neighborhood this spring. The Vision set the goals and priorities for our green spaces, entrances and park land for the next few years. We are in the process of determining the action steps necessary to begin implementation of that vision. These will include a list of standards for materials, the identification of beautification projects, and exploring ways to fund the plan. All will be done, as it has in the past, with an eye toward fiscal responsibility. All work is funded either by donations from interested parties or PBA membership dues. As always, we welcome your input, suggestions and help.
We also want to thank everyone in the neighborhood who has joined in the effort to keep our beautiful landscape litter free. Please continue to help us as you jog or walk daily. We would like to remind everyone that baggies from your dogs should not be placed in yard or leaf bags. The city will remove them from the bags and leave them on the curb. Please use the black trashcans located in several locations along the parkway on Peachtree Battle. Thanks again for all of your efforts as everything is looking great! New Members Welcome to the following new neighbors:
If you have a new neighbor, please let me know! We want to make sure they know of all the great things happening in our neighborhood! Questions? Contact Margaret Long (404) 350-9548 or long9548@bellsouth.net Variance / Zoning Committee
The Variance/Zoning Committee of the Peachtree Battle Alliance
was called into action this summer! As normal procedure calls for, the committee
was notified that a variance had been requested for The developer was requesting a zoning change for a property that is slightly less than two acres. With only a quarter of the lot useable due to challenging topography and a creek that bisects the lot, the intent was to build two houses on a lot that is currently occupied by one home. The only way this could be accomplished at a reasonable cost was to provide a shared driveway and shared pool. The developer also proposed a homeowner’s association for the two houses. Because the lot was not sub-dividable under normal zoning requirements for R3 (the zoning class of most of our neighborhood) the developer requested a zoning change to Planned Density Housing (PDH) which was created for multiple housing units in an attempt by the City to provide more workforce style housing inside the City limits. This zoning change would have set a precedent in our neighborhood, opening the door for the sub-division of any lot for multiple housing through this same zoning change. The Variance Committee, consisting of Susan Dickerson and Roxanne Smith, along with neighbors Rebecca O’Conner, Susan Lipsitch, Bill Hays, Council members Clair Muller and Mary Norwood, Sherry Cohen and the Peachtree Battle Alliance Board, and countless others organized an effort to protect the neighborhood from this zoning change. Multiple meetings with the developer, presentations to the Peachtree Battle Alliance, NPU-C, the Zoning Review Board, and finally the City Council resulted in a defeat of this variance request. Thanks to everyone who worked on the effort and/or voted against the zoning change. Our beautiful, historic neighborhood will remain so if the current zoning status is maintained. Please look for e-mail updates from the Variance Committee on current and upcoming projects. -Susan Dickerson, Roxanne Smith Bobby Jones Golf Course Everyone is more than welcome to stop by to express concerns. The golf course wishes to maintain a good working relationship with the
Crime Committee The holiday season always brings a spike in criminal activity. Always remove valuables from your cars every night. Also, it's a good idea to check your outside lighting and test your security alarms. Perhaps Santa left a dog under your tree this year - they are excellent deterrents to crime.
Remember, if you travel, please do not let your newspapers pile up in your driveway. Ask a neighbor to pick them up with your mail every day. Put your lights and television on timers, and do not leave valuables in sight from windows and doors.
As for crime statistics, the Atlanta Police Department's Zone 2, which includes the Peachtree Battle Alliance, has seen a decrease in all crimes in 2007 (auto theft, aggravated assault, robbery, etc.) except for burglary, which as of July, had increased by 50%. This is the kind of thing we see in our neighborhood, too. Finally, the effort to hire an off-duty police car to patrol our
neighborhood is on hold. We were only able to get 120 households to sign up, and we needed 300. The Board will reconsider the effort in 2008. If you are interested
in helping with the initiative, please contact crime@peachtreebattlealliance.org. Julia Smith, Chair Traffic Calming Committee The Traffic Committee continues its work to improve traffic in our neighborhood. Here is an update on our Phase One projects:
The Committee is pleased
to report that the City has reduced the speed limit on Funding is important to implementing any improvements. The Committee has secured some funding from the city’s Quality Of Life bond offering with Clair Muller’s help. We continue to seek funding from other stakeholders, especially those that have interests in our neighborhood or impact it. The Committee wants to assure all residents that the We will continue to communicate
with you every step of the way and encourage you to contact us at traffic@peachtreebattlealliance.org. - Gary
Martin, Chair PBA Online Communications/Web The Peachtree Battle
Alliance Online Communications Program is used by the PBA Board and Committees of the Board to send e-mails on important
topics including crime, issues impacting our quality of life, and announcements of neighborhood meetings / events. Multiple
members of Haynes Manor households can participate in the PBA Online Communications Program by
enrolling separately with each individual's preferred e-mail address. To enroll please visit the following
website http://www.peachtreebattlealliance.org/id25.html There are currently 301
individuals signed up for the PBA Online Communications Program. If you are a member of the PBA and have not signed up for
the PBA Online Communications Program, please do because you are missing out and your dues pay for this service! The PBA Board
is planning to increase the use of email for neighborhood communications and hopes to soon distribute the PBA Battle Cry only
via email. If you have any comments or questions, please contact me at pbaonlinecommuncationschair@peachtreebattlealliance.org The Peachtree Battle
Alliance website www.peachtreebattlealliance.org is a great way to stay informed on the neighborhood. The website provides an easy and convenient way to get
the most up to date information about Haynes Manor and the surrounding community. It has information on the following topics:
Make sure to visit the
website frequently to find out what is going on in the neighborhood. If you have any suggestions for additional information
you would like to see on the website, please email me at webmaster@peachtreebattlealliance.org - Susie Cogan PBA Webmaster and Online
Communications Program PBA Membership Our 2008 Membership has gotten off
to a great start! We started the drive on October 1, 2007 and since that time have received dues from 238 neighbors, which
represents approximately 40% of the neighborhood. We work on a calendar year (January
– December) but start collecting dues before the end of the year so we can hit the ground running in January. Thank
you to everyone who has already paid your dues! For those who haven’t had a chance, please send in your check for $100.00
made payable to Peachtree Battle Alliance. For $100 you help support:
First Name __________________________________________________ Last Name __________________________________________________ Home Phone ________________________________________________ Email ____________________________________________________* Mailing Address ______________________________________________ * By including your email
address, you will be automatically enrolled in the PBA Online Communications Email List
Please include the above information,
along with a check payable to Peachtree Battle Alliance in the amount of $100.00 to: PBA Treasurer Thank you for your continued support, Susie Cogan PBA Membership Chair The Lodge at E. On November 1, Junior Girl Scout Troop 25340 welcomed the community to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the newly renovated Lodge at E. Rivers School. Under the leadership of Pamela Watson, PTA President and Troop Leader, and co-leader Liz Jacobs, a crowd of approximately 40 people applauded the troop’s Bronze Award Service Project. The award is the highest level that a Junior Girl Scout can earn, designed to show that a scout has made a promise to help others, improve her community and become the best she can be. Since November 2006, each of the troop’s seventeen members has spent 30 hours of work with an additional 40 hours contributed by parent volunteers. $5000 has been spent on the project to date. The scouts cleaned, renovated, and beautified the Lodge, transforming it into a useable meeting space for E. Rivers students, teachers, PTA and after school programs, as well as other Girl Scout troops. The Traffic Committee of the Peachtree Battle Alliance, a community neighborhood association, recently utilized the new meeting space created by the troop.
Scouts honored include: Morgan Watson, Annie Jacobs, Margot Palmer, Claudia Ziegler, Emma Hare, Hannah McCarty, Eva Herron, Kellyann Malone, Emma Morris, Natalie Hill, Maryellen Malone, Kobe Lawson, Elisabeth McGhee, Jalisa Holloway, Maya Bowles, and Sofia Broffman. Community organizations recognized for support of the project include: Mr. J. Lewis Glenn, President Harry Norman Realtors for exterior painting; Flooring Design Group for carpet; and cash donations from Karen Cunliffe, Girl Scout Buckhead Service Unit; Stanley Casadonte, Troop leader; Sandy Wagner, E. Rivers Media Specialist, E. Rivers; Brownie Troops 27320 and 3178; E. Rivers PTS. The Lodge, the oldest commercial
building in the Peachtree Battle Alliance community, was designed by famed
Built in 1911, the Lodge was
described in several Atlanta Constitution articles: “The entrance
to Habersham road will be at ‘The Lodge’, the attractive office building of the Peachtree Heights Park Company,
right in the center of the abutment of Battle avenue on Peachtree road…At the Lodge, the company will maintain its principal
office, where its representative will have plans of the property on exhibition at all times and be ready to show to visitors
and prospective purchasers any lot of lots in which they may manifest an interest…The Lodge, too, will make a comfortable
and delightful retreat and resting place for visitors, open to them as it will be at all times during the day…The Lodge
will be completed in about ten days when a formal opening will be held, due announcement of which will be given through the
press. It is the purpose of the company to make this as beautiful and attractive
a site as possible, and no expense will be spared to carry out this purpose.”(Atlanta Constitution, April 16,
1911, p. 8). “…Later on I [Eretus Rivers, E. Rivers Realty Co., developer
of
In the early1920’s, E.
Rivers followed through on his stated intention to transfer the building to the community.
The Lodge became a kindergarten, operated under the auspices of the PTA at
The old building was utilized
as the Office of Internal Resolution by Atlanta Public Schools but in recent years has been vacant. The Girl Scout Bronze Award Event, held outdoors on a beautiful fall afternoon under towering pines was
a pleasant reminder of - Judy Tindel |
