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Vote
“YES” FOR PBA NEIGHBORHOOD SECURITY PATROL
The Peachtree Battle Alliance is the only neighborhood in the vicinity without a private security patrol.
Alliance neighbors have made it clear to the PBA Board of Directors that they want and would support a patrol in the community.
They are looking for the security afforded by uniformed patrols driving our streets and off duty officers checking
our properties when we are out of town. The PBA Crime Watch Committee has worked very hard to develop a
plan to present to you and is ready to implement by the fall with the full support of the PBA Board if the neighborhood supports
the plan.
About the Proposed Security Patrol
The PBA Crime Watch
Committee has been in contact with Barry Miller, a 32-year veteran of the Atlanta Police force, who is now retired from APD
and organizes and manages private security patrols for North Atlanta neighborhoods. For all of his patrols,
Officer Miller employs only current, trained members of the Atlanta Police Department. These policemen
patrol in their own cars – marked with a patrol sign – or on motorcycles. Officer Miller has
patrols in Brookwood Hills, Collier Hills, Chastain Park, Memorial Park, and Castlewood, among others. Officer
Miller has agreed to staff a patrol for the Peachtree Battle Alliance, and the PBA Board will be able to implement our patrol
plan if – and only if – 300 PBA households participate in the patrol. 300 is the number of
residents required to make the program financially feasible for the PBA to fund.
Patrol Services
An armed, uniformed,
off-duty Atlanta Police officer driving the streets of the Peachtree Battle Alliance for five hours a day, five days
a week. The patrol will vary the hours, night and day, weekday
and weekend, so that some days and some nights are covered. The randomness of the schedule
should serve as a deterrent to criminals who won't be able to plan around the patrol car's presence. This is roughly the same time commitment utilized by other Buckhead neighborhoods and, by all accounts,
this amount of time makes a huge impact and significantly reduces crime
House-checks when neighbors are out of town. We will
have a number you can call if you’re leaving town. The officers would drive into your driveway and
inspect the perimeter of your home. They would pick up flyers, newspapers, and check for anything out of
the ordinary. They cannot, however, pick up your mail.
Our officers would patrol in their own cars or motorcycles.
Their cars will be marked with signs indicating they are patrolling the neighborhood. Our officers
would be full-fledged members of the police force, certified on firearms and trained by APD.
Our officers would have police radios
with access to 911 dispatchers. So, our own officers would respond to our 911 calls when they are patrolling
– and they would be that much closer to us in the event of an emergency. Neighbors will have a number to call in the
event that they wish to communicate with our Security Patrol.
Costs Charges
to support the Security Patrol will be incorporated with annual PBA dues and total $255 per year. Security patrol services, as described above, will provide an extra level of protection to residents
of the Peachtree Battle Alliance. Annual dues will continue to fund neighborhood social events, traffic
calming studies, landscape maintenance supplementing City work on community green spaces, PBA communications such as the Battle
Cry and flyers, www.peachtreebattlealliance.org web site, zoning and variance efforts. For 2009, the
$255 fee will also include a newly published updated Peachtree Battle Alliance Neighborhood Directory. Your
PBA Board is so committed to this plan that if 300 households agree to participate in the patrol by returning the enclosed
Preliminary Registration Form by July 1, the Board will fund the patrol during the high-crime months of November and December
2008 out of budget reserves. Then, your 2009 dues would start paying for the patrol beginning on January
1, 2009. Dues invoices for 2009 will be mailed in the fall. Though all residents will
accrue some benefit from the presence of a neighborhood Security Patrol, only paying clients will be elegible to utilize the
specialized property and communication services of the patrol. Return the Form by July 1 Enclosed is a yellow PRELIMINARY REGISTRATION FORM indicating your intention to enroll
in the Security Patrol. Return the form by July 1 to: Julia Smith, Chair, Crime Watch Committee
at 2333 Dellwood Drive. You may also email the committee at crime@peachtreebattlealliance.org with all information requested on the enclosed form. All interested neighbors must return the form or
email by July 1 to be counted. 300 is the number of interested PBA residents required to initiate the neighborhood
Security Patrol. Vote “YES”! Neighbors, your Board of Directors is listening. You said
you wanted a security patrol and we are ready to hire one. Help us get it done by returning your form and
planning to cover costs by paying $255 for your 2009 PBA dues. Julia Smith, Crime Watch Committee crime@peachtreebattlealliance.org Recent Crime Alerts taken from peachtreebattlealliance.org… September 17…armed
robbery…landscapers robbed of a lawn aerator at gunpoint near Peachtree Battle October 17…"indecent
exposure" while walking down Woodward Way between Alton and Northside December 1-2…robbery at a home on Peachtree Battle Avenue
between Peachtree and Habersham December
10th…burglars entered a home on Montview near the corner of Manor Ridge March 26…at
least three cars in our neighborhood were entered and "rifled through March 28…a home on Red Valley was burglarized April 5…we
had many cars broken into April 15…a neighbor on Woodward Way -- between Dellwood and Peachtree Battle -- drove up to her house
around 4 pm to find a couple sitting in a car going through her mailbox HELP FIGHT BACK!
VOTE YES FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD SECURITY PATROL!
WILD NEIGHBORS Known for peaceful gardens
and towering trees, the neighborhoods of the Peachtree Battle Alliance attract residents who enjoy the pastoral green setting
tucked between busy Peachtree Road and Northside Drive. The waters of Peachtree Creek and its tributaries
flow through the leafy neighborhoods and attract another population to the area, wild residents which share the land making
the neighborhoods of the Alliance veritable wildlife habitats. Peachtree Battle neighbors view a variety
of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, insects, and aquatic life forms in their gardens or along their walks.
White squirrels on Whitmore, soaring hawks, owls, chipmunks, raccoon, possum, fox, rabbits, snakes, and even playful
otters have all been spotted. Water, along with food, shelter and nesting cover
are components necessary to support life. The Peachtree Creek corridor, adjacent park lands of Bobby Jones
Golf Course and Atlanta Memorial Park, and stream buffers lining small water ways within the neighborhoods in Sibley Park
and along the PATH trail afford wildlife species avenues for safe movement and hiding places away from the density of human
habitation. Bottomlands supporting dense thickets, established gardens with their rich array of plant materials,
and mature trees offering tall vertical layers of canopy create a complex ecosystem supporting many forms of life.
Predator and prey species thrive. Food sources include nectar, berries, nuts, seeds, acorns, fungi,
garden plants, insects and a diversity of small animals for predator species. Shelter is found in dens, burrows, rocky ledges,
tree cavities, woodpiles, ivy beds, crawl spaces and attics. Wildlife species adapt to the opportunities
that exist within our neighborhoods and make themselves at home. The cacophony of birdsong on a spring
morning and scampering squirrels racing along the roof are evidence of how closely we live to our wild neighbors.
The gleam of reflected headlights in the eyes of a wild animal or loud animal calls in the night remind us that many
creatures are nocturnal and roam our neighborhood streets after dark. From
the smallest mouse or vole to the scavenger coyote, wild creatures have carved out a community within our green neighborhoods
because the elements to support life are readily at hand. In other areas of Buckhead, habitats are shrinking
as urban development encroaches upon natural spaces, trees give way to high rises, and creeks are piped. Within
Alliance neighborhoods, living together in harmony with wildlife offers lessons in the complexity of nature, the cycles of
the natural world, and interdependence of species. Co-habitation also introduces the challenge of sharing
space and resources with wild creatures, animal life which can become nuisance, pest, or even hazardous to homeowners.
PBA residents are encouraged to secure garbage, close openings in attics and basements, protect small domestic animals
and exercise caution around wild creatures. Georgia law restricts nuisance wildlife control and trapping to licensed permit-holders. Conducting
control activities without a permit would be a violation of Georgia law and could result in a citation. For
more information, go to the Georgia DNR, Wildlife Resources Division at http://www.georgiawildlife.org/services.aspx. Judy Tindel judytindel@aol.com WILD NEIGHBORS Known for peaceful gardens and towering trees, the neighborhoods of the Peachtree Battle Alliance
attract residents who enjoy the pastoral green setting tucked between busy Peachtree Road and Northside Drive.
The waters of Peachtree Creek and its tributaries flow through the leafy neighborhoods and attract another population
to the area, wild residents which share the land making the neighborhoods of the Alliance veritable wildlife habitats.
Peachtree Battle neighbors view a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, insects, and aquatic life forms
in their gardens or along their walks. White squirrels on Whitmore, soaring hawks, owls, chipmunks, raccoon,
possum, fox, rabbits, snakes, and even playful otters have all been spotted. Water,
along with food, shelter and nesting cover are components necessary to support life. The Peachtree Creek
corridor, adjacent park lands of Bobby Jones Golf Course and Atlanta Memorial Park, and stream buffers lining small water
ways within the neighborhoods in Sibley Park and along the PATH trail afford wildlife species avenues for safe movement and
hiding places away from the density of human habitation. Bottomlands supporting dense thickets, established
gardens with their rich array of plant materials, and mature trees offering tall vertical layers of canopy create a complex
ecosystem supporting many forms of life. Predator and prey species thrive. Food sources
include nectar, berries, nuts, seeds, acorns, fungi, garden plants, insects and a diversity of small animals for predator
species. Shelter is found in dens, burrows, rocky ledges, tree cavities, woodpiles, ivy beds, crawl spaces and attics.
Wildlife species adapt to the opportunities that exist within our neighborhoods and make themselves at home.
The cacophony of birdsong on a spring morning and scampering squirrels racing along the roof are evidence of how closely
we live to our wild neighbors. The gleam of reflected headlights in the eyes of a wild animal or loud animal
calls in the night remind us that many creatures are nocturnal and roam our neighborhood streets after dark. From the smallest mouse or vole to the scavenger coyote, wild creatures have
carved out a community within our green neighborhoods because the elements to support life are readily at hand.
In other areas of Buckhead, habitats are shrinking as urban development encroaches upon natural spaces, trees give
way to high rises, and creeks are piped. Within Alliance neighborhoods, living together in harmony with
wildlife offers lessons in the complexity of nature, the cycles of the natural world, and interdependence of species.
Co-habitation also introduces the challenge of sharing space and resources with wild creatures, animal life which can
become nuisance, pest, or even hazardous to homeowners. PBA residents are encouraged to secure garbage,
close openings in attics and basements, protect small domestic animals and exercise caution around wild creatures. Georgia law restricts nuisance wildlife
control and trapping to licensed permit-holders. Conducting control activities without a permit would be
a violation of Georgia law and could result in a citation. For more information, go to the Georgia DNR,
Wildlife Resources Division at http://www.georgiawildlife.org/services.aspx. Judy Tindel judytindel@aol.com
PEACHTREE
BATTLE ALLIANCE PRESIDENT’S REPORT
New neighbors, new activities, new volunteers on the PBA...as we approach the end of the school year and look ahead
to summer, the neighborhood remains active with the efforts of a busy board and committees working hard to support the goals
and objectives of the Alliance. This issue of the Battle Cry will update you on many activities within our community.
From Peachtree Creek to Wesley Road, Peachtree and Habersham to Northside Drive, the concerns of all our 600- plus households
are of importance to our Board and we encourage you to keep in touch and let us know what is going on in your area. Our Block
Captains are gathering news for our new Town Cryer column to help neighbors know neighbors throughout the three historic
neighborhoods of the Alliance-Haynes Manor, Westover, and parts of Peachtree Heights Park. I urge you to read the cover story
on the proposed Security Patrol and return your preliminary registration form by July 1. Sherry Cohen, President, PBA president@peachtreebattlealliance.org CLEAN
WATER ATLANTA UPDATE FOR PBA NEIGHBORHOODS In 2002, recently elected Mayor Shirley Franklin jump-started an ambitious,
comprehensive plan known as Clean Water Atlanta (CWA). CWA's overriding goal is to ensure residents have clean, safe water;
to accomplish this goal, the City is repairing - and in some cases, replacing - water and sewer lines. As a part of the
multi-billion-dollar CWA initiative, the Sewer System Evaluation Survey (SSES) is the first step in the City's overall
sewer system rehab, repair and rebuilding program. The projects currently under way in the Peachtree Battle area
are just one part of the overall SSES/Rehab program, and the neighborhood and surrounding communities stand to reap many benefits
from SSES/Rehab now and in the future. SSES uses field techniques such as smoke testing, dye testing, closed circuit TV (CCTV)
inspection, flow monitoring, rain monitoring, building service connection location/inspection, and flow isolation to determine
the condition of sewer lines. As the data comes in, city engineers determine whether the sewer lines or manholes should be
replaced, repaired or scheduled for future repairs. Once the data is collected, the sewer improvement plan for the area is
developed. Improvement methods include a combination of trenchless methods, localized point repairs and some open-cut pipe
replacement. The trenchless methods -- cured-in-place pipelining (CIPP) and pipe bursting -- allow the city to rehab or replace
some sewers with minimal disruption to the community. CIPP involves the installation of a resin-coated liner that reinforces
the existing pipe. Pipe bursting involves pipe replacement that uses a hydraulic "bursting head" to expand and break
the existing pipe while pulling the new pipe along behind it. Pipe bursting is trenchless, but it does require excavation
of entrance and exit pits, as well as sewer service reinstatement pits. Although residents will be alerted by door hanger or letter prior to
construction, the following streets are tentatively scheduled to be impacted in the Peachtree Battle area: Alton Road (open cut & point repair)
Peachtree Battle Avenue (point repair) Montview Drive (point repair & CIPP)
Woodward Way (point repair, pipe bursting & open cut) Sagamore Drive (CIPP)
Havenridge Drive (CIPP & point repair) Dellwood Drive (open cut)
Peachtree Battle Avenue & Northside Drive (cleaning & SSES activities) Peachtree Battle Avenue & Sagamore
Drive (open cut and pipe bursting) The overall construction will take place through the end of the year with the street schedules
subject to change. For more information about the SSES or other CWA programs, please visit our website
at www.atlantawatershed.org or call the Project Helpline at (404) 529-9211. If you have questions related specifically to
the Peachtree Battle SSES/Rehab projects, please contact Deanne Titus at deanne.titus@awsip.org or 770-809-4387. Clean Water
is Hard Work! Deanne Titus, Public Information Manager, North Area SSES/Rehab Program, Department of Watershed Management
WHAT ABOUT
WESLEY ROAD?…PBA Neighborhood History
The northern boundary of the Peachtree Battle Alliance along West Wesley Road has been described as “the most
beautiful residential section in or near Atlanta” (Atlanta Constitution, 1915). First known
as Wesley Avenue, the street ran through land holdings of Wesley Gray Collier, owner of 500 acres in land lots 111, 112 and
113 of the 17th district of Fulton County. Wesley G. Collier died in March 1906, and his executors,
sons George Washington Collier and John Wesley Collier, filed a plat for subdivision of the Wesley G. Collier estate on June
12, 1907. This 1907 plat, a continuation of a 1904 subdivision of Collier’s land bordering Peachtree
Road south of Peachtree Creek in Land Lot 111, was the first plan to show Wesley Avenue. In addition, the
plan showed a stub road called Lucile Ave.on the site of today’s Muscogee and a road called Franklin Avenue extending
west through the property, the earliest rendering of Peachtree Battle Avenue. In May 1910, Collier’s executors sold
the estate to a syndicate headed by Eretus Rivers and Walter Pemberton Andrews that developed Peachtree Heights Park through
the E. Rivers Realty Company. Road development in
Fulton County in the early twentieth century did not evolve from strategic or long-range planning but from individual petitions
made to the elected officials of the Board of Commissioners of Roads and Revenues. A long-time elected
member of the Commission who served from 1899 to 1915, Clifford LeConte Anderson (1862-1933) chaired both the powerful Public
Works Committee and the full commission at various times during his tenure. Anderson was senior partner of the law firm of
Anderson Felder Rountree & Wilson, one of the city’s largest firms and among the most respected legal institutions
of its day, precursor to Hansell & Post, now Jones Day. First cousin to poet Sidney Lanier, Clifford
L. Anderson was known as “among the most valuable citizens of his native state…useful not in one but in many
directions.” (Men of Mark in Georgia, 1912) He was listed among pallbearers
at the 1906 funeral of Wesley G. Collier and counted among his law clients the E. Rivers Realty Company for which he was also
a founding director. Anderson married his first wife Kittie Van Dyke of Minnesota in 1884 and was divorced
from her around 1909, prior to his second marriage in 1910. Kittie’s father, Wilson James Van Dyke,
described as “a man of considerable property” (Atlanta Constitution, 1894), was a Minnesota financier
and real estate investor who relocated to Atlanta in 1888 and worked with Anderson on a variety of real estate and banking
projects until his death in 1894.
Clifford L. Anderson presented the petition for development of Wesley Avenue to the Board of Commissioners on January
3, 1906 and, following required reviews, the public road was formally declared on June 6, 1906. Road construction
was delayed until 1909, though a 1908 Fulton County road map represented Wesley Avenue with a dotted line, indicating a road
that had been approved by the Board of Commissioners for “immediate attention”. In May 1909,
a resolution was offered by a commissioner resolving to approve the completed work on Wesley Avenue, to continue grading from
Peachtree to Howell Mill, but “requesting” that the Committee on Public Works “see what can be done in changing
the route or grade of the road in order to lessen the cost of the work” (Regular Session, May 5,
1909) When a substitute motion was made to refer the matter to the Committee on Public Works for a report, Commissioner Anderson
and others voted “no” and the motion was lost. The original motion passed and approval was granted to pay for
work completed. By October 1909, Wesley Avenue was prominently drawn as an unpaved road on a map titled “Good Roads
of Atlanta & Vicinity.” In 1907,
Anderson purchased 100 acres of land in the northern half of land lot 144, bordered by Hemphill (today’s Northside Drive),
the Collier estate and the proposed Wesley Avenue. His law partner, Thomas B. Felder, owned the southern
half of the same land lot. In November 1909, Felder was party to a letter petitioning Fulton County commissioners
to develop a road to be called Peachtree Battle Avenue, through his land and that of his co-signers, all the way to Howell
Mill Road. Commissioner Anderson made the motion to refer the petition to the Committee on Roads and Bridges,
which in January 1910 recommended that the road be approved. The recommendation was “made the order of the Board.”
During a heated 1910 Fulton County Commission political contest, Wesley Avenue became a rallying point for Anderson’s
opponents. In a paid political advertisement titled “OH! NO! MR. ANDERSON”, the writer “…challenged
the judgment of the county commissioners in building [Wesley avenue]…Wesley avenue is a street that runs through a
wilderness beyond Peachtree creek. It has cost the taxpayers of Fulton county thousands upon thousands
of dollars. They have cut through hills thirty-three feet high; they have filled hollows twenty-five feet
deep; they have builded culverts at an enormous cost to the taxpayers of Fulton county. It…does
not give relief but to one or two homes…[and] does run along the north line of a hundred-acre tract belonging in the
“Anderson family,” which is being returned for a nominal sum for state and county taxes. Does
this roadway bear silent testimony to your efficiency as an impartial county commissioner? It is a monumental
shame!” Opponent Frank Wilby wrote a political card titled “How About Wesley Ave., Mr. Anderson?”
“General Anderson’s wife owns and pays taxes on 100 acres on Wesley avenue…Felder is Anderson’s
law partner: he not only owns lands abutting the lands of the Andersons on Wesley avenue, but he has deeded
2,285 feet for a roadway on Peachtree Battle avenue, in close proximity to Wesley avenue. Is this not sufficient
to make any one “run” from this sort of expenditures of the County money…Taxpayers, take one look at Wesley
Avenue, and if you ever contemplated voting for the old crowd and you then approve this kind of an expenditure, do so but
if you don’t want the temptation left open to finish up Peachtree Battle Avenue for Felder, vote for me.”
Wilby claimed “…Wesley avenue…had been built at a cost of thousands of dollars to Fulton county,
laying low mountainous hills some 30 to 35 feet high and making level ravines and gorges of extra unusual depths for any road
to traverse…a road of two miles in length through hills and valleys and almost unexplorable except by money from a
public crib, where the sound of the blast of hundreds of kegs of powder and the rumpling of wagons loaded with cement for
expensive culverts, and the music of hundreds of convicts and mules of Fulton…has for months had its domicile on Wesley
avenue…” Anderson responded
with a spirited defense titled the “Grand Jury Officially Approved It”, gave dates and actions of the Commission,
detailed names of his supporters and defended his own character. He wrote in defiant capital letters, “WHEN
THESE ACTIONS WERE TAKEN BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF FULTON COUNTY, NEITHER MY WIFE NOR MYSELF OWNED ONE FOOT
OF PROPERTY ALONG THE PROPOSED ROAD, NOR DID EITHER OF US DREAM THAT WE WOULD EVER OWN ANY PROPERTY ON IT…[This road]
cost the county, not in cash, but in the use of convicts, approximately about ten thousand dollars…I would not have
it understood…that the grading of this road needs any apology. The opening of this road is of the
greatest public benefit to the people in that section of the county. There was a vast territory, bounded
on the north by the Pace’s Ferry Road, on the west by Howell Mill road, on the east by Peachtree road and on the south
by the Collier road, comprising approximately five thousand acres of land, into which and through which there was no public
road of any character whatever.” Anderson won reelection to the commission by a narrow margin of
315 votes. A small social note
in the Atlanta Constitution of 1914 stated: “Mr. and Mrs. John Gelzer Jr. of Birmingham
[Adora Anderson Gelzer, daughter of Clifford and Kittie], will tour to Atlanta in their new car on a visit of several weeks
to [see] Mrs. Kittie Van Dyke Anderson, at her beautiful home, “Griswold” on Wesley avenue.”
In 1915, the newspaper reported that Kittie sold her eleven-room concrete home and garage on ten acres with an additional
90 acres, all on 3,000 feet of frontage on Wesley Avenue, for $70,000 cash to the “Griswold Realty Company, composed
of out-of-town capitalists.” (Atlanta Constitution 1915) A later article reported
sale of Mrs. Kittie V. Anderson’s “handsome colonial home on Wesley Avenue to Dr. and Mrs. Roy Harris, the consideration
being $25,000 cash…a two-story, fourteen-room residence of colonial architecture, on a beautiful ten-acre tract, and
sitting upon a hill, with large frontage on Wesley avenue, beginning 2,000 feet west of Peachtree road. This
home is considered one of the show places in Atlanta…in the midst of a forest of hardwood, crab-apple and dogwood trees,
and a bubbling spring…”(Atlanta Constitution 1917)
Completed by fall 1909, Wesley Avenue ran “straight as a string” (Atlanta Constitution 1917) along
the land lot line between 112 and 113 in Peachtree Heights Park, 144 and 143 at the north boundary of yet-to-be-developed
Westover, and along the line separating land lots 155 and 156 west of Hemphill/Northside. The road extended
from Peachtree Road to Howell Mill Road. At the time, it was the only east-west road between Collier and
West Paces, for Peachtree Battle Avenue was not yet commissioned. It was described as “the best piece
of road work in the state” (Atlanta Constitution, 1917), and “one of Atlanta’s best north side
thoroughfares.”(Atlanta Constitution, 1920)
Judy Tindel judytindel@aol.com
PBA
NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES…information and events of interest to
PBA residents BOBBY JONES GOLF COURSE 384 Woodward Way, Atlanta, GA 30305; Phone: 404.355.1009 http://www.bobbyjones.americangolf.com
The Bobby Jones Golf Course and clubhouse facility on Woodward Way is a familiar amenity to residents of the Peachtree
Battle Alliance. The 18-hole municipal golf course was designed by golf course architects Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek
who designed over 100 courses in 14 states along the east coast and are known as “among the most underrated of the Golden
Age architects” (golf.com). Bobby Jones Golf Course was built with convict labor and opened for play
in 1933. The course and clubhouse were sited on land made famous in the July 1864 Civil War Battle of Peachtree
Creek. One hundred ten acres of the land were owned by the City for the sewage disposal plant on Peachtree
Creek. Additional acreage was donated by Eugene V. Haynes, developer of the adjacent residential community,
Haynes Manor, who gifted the property with a restriction that the land would be utilized in perpetuity as a park.
The golf course was planned as a tribute to famed Atlanta golfer Bobby Jones and envisioned as the centerpiece of a
500-acre memorial park, which was to stretch along both banks of Peachtree Creek from Peachtree Road to the Chattahoochee
River. Architects of the clubhouse were Edwards & Sayward, also known locally for McCain Library and
Buttrick Hall at Agnes Scott College in Decatur and the Girls’ High/Roosevelt High School building.
American Golf Corporation leases Bobby Jones Golf Course from the City of Atlanta and manages it as a public course.
General Manager Justin Bennett reports that the course is open for business at 6:00 a.m. with the first tee time scheduled
around 6:45, depending upon light, with play continuing until dark. The schedule of fees on the website
details discounts for seniors and juniors, daily and weekend rates, and cart rental information. The historic
clubhouse is available to rent for parties and meetings at a cost of $150 per hour and a $200 surcharge for clean up.
David Pearce, Assistant General Manager, reminds neighbors that Bobby Jones Golf Course is not a city park and that
access to the grounds is limited to golfers who have paid fees for access to the course. He stated that
this policy is in place for reasons of safety and security. Pearce said that golfers of all abilities play
the course and errant golf shots are not unusual. A few years ago, a jogger on the course was struck and
injured by a golf ball. The golf course, closed daily at dark, is not open to walkers and joggers as ropes,
stakes, and other hazards could lead to injury with no help within earshot. Neighbors are asked to please refrain from walking
dogs or depositing waste on the golf course, the putting green and on the lawn in front of the clubhouse. American
Golf Corp. tries to keep the grounds clean, litter-free and attractive. Seasonal flowers have been planted
in display beds at the clubhouse and improvements to the course and grounds are underway.
David Pearce indicated that Bobby Jones Golf Course is exempt from noise ordinances in the lease arrangement with the
City, due to the required use of lawn mowers and tractors for early morning maintenance of the grounds. Despite
this exemption, Pearce stated that management takes the neighborhood into consideration. He said that clubhouse rental restricts
music to a moderate level that cannot be heard across the street, requires doors or windows in the clubhouse to be closed,
and shuts down music after midnight. He said that a staff member of American Golf Corporation is required
to be on site during all activities to provide security, monitor noise, clean and lock up the facility. Neighbors
who have questions or concerns are encouraged to contact the General Manager at the number listed above. THE SUZUKI SCHOOL
ANNOUNCES OPENINGS FOR 3-, 4-, 5-YEAR OLDS IN SUZUKI NORTHSIDE PRESCHOOL
The Suzuki School, the only school in the United States authorized to use Dr. Shinichi Suzuki’s name and philosophy
in the context of a comprehensive early childhood education, will open a second location in the Buckhead neighborhood this
fall. The new school will be housed in renovated space in the Ahavath Achim Synagogue at the corner
of Peachtree Battle and Northside Drive.
Demand for spaces in both facilities has been enormous, evidence of a baby boom in Buckhead, according to
Paula Charles, co-director of The Suzuki School and a Peachtree Battle Alliance neighbor herself.
There is still some limited availability in the 3-, 4- and 5-year-old classrooms for the 2008-2009 school year, beginning
September 2.
“The Ahavath Achim Synagogue approached us about opening a new school in their facility, because they knew of
our reputation for excellence in early childhood education.” says Charles. “The synagogue wanted to
find a way to better utilize their space and give back to the community.”
The new Northside facility will follow a curriculum identical to that of the Buckhead facility, says Head of Schools
Debra Markham. Both schools will operate 7 AM until 6 PM year-round, with a September-May school
year and Summer Sessions during the months of June, July and August. Neither school will have a religious orientation, according to Markham.
One of the hallmarks of the Suzuki approach is the use of segmented classrooms staffed with collaborative teaching
teams. Children rotate from pod to pod throughout the day, so that each classroom becomes a “village” of children
and teachers.
“We believe that this approach allows children the most interaction with each other and with their teachers,
and offers the class the autonomy to configure the environment and the day according to the specific needs of each,”
says Markham.
For more information about The Suzuki School, please visit the school website at www.suzukischool.com
or call 404-869-1042. CELEBRATE TENNIS AT BITSY GRANT Bitsy Grant Tennis Center Friends of Bitsy
Grant Tennis 1266 West Paces Ferry Road, Box 113 Atlanta,
GA 30327 www.bitsytennis.com
The Friends of Bitsy Grant Tennis Center are celebrating the kick-off of the USTA Pro League on Sunday, June 8 from
4-7 p.m. Bring your entire family to watch great tennis with local pros at Bitsy Grant Tennis Center at 2125 Northside Drive.
The Bitsyland String Band, a local group of musicians, who perform locally and call Bitsy home, will be playing.
Enjoy old time music including fiddle tunes, folk, gospel and even some country western. Chili dogs, Cokes and onion
rings from The Varsity are available. Children of all ages will enjoy tennis games and drills organized
by volunteers from The Westminster Schools. A tennis racket and other tennis items donated by the USTA will be raffled.
Outstanding local player and collegiate star Marcus Vickers is chairing the event.
The USTA Pro League is an opportunity for professional tennis players to compete locally. The match
at Bitsy Grant is the first of the summer series of eight before they travel to neighboring centers. Watch
players such as Stephen Enochs, Andre Janasik, Paul Mancini, Jonas Jarcholm, Matt Cozad, Maurice Roveri,
Gavin O’Connell,
Horace Reid, Eddie Gonzalez, Julian Raynal and Kip Layman all for free. Call 404-575-0898 with questions
on how to get involved or the Bitsy Grant Tennis Center at 404-609-7193 for more information.
ALLIANCE NOTES…PBA MATTERS! PBA DECAL…In
the early 1990's, the PBA Board of Directors commissioned portrait artist and long-time neighborhood
resident, Comer Jennings, to design an emblem suitable for representing the Peachtree Battle Alliance neighborhoods
on a proposed community flag. The much-loved and frequently photographed gingko trees standing guard on Peachtree Battle
Avenue became the inspiration for Comer Jennings’ representation, two crossed gingko leaves, which have come to symbolize
the gracious, yet sophisticated charm that exemplifies the community. Enthusiasm for the neighborhood flag
waned, but since 2003, members of the Peachtree Battle Alliance have proudly displayed decals bearing the symbol on their
cars. If you are a PBA member in need of a new decal, contact Margaret Long at long9548@bellsouth.net. PBA CALENDAR: Hold the date! Fall street party on
Manor Ridge- September 28, 2008. POST CALENDAR INFORMATION…in
the Battle Cry with dates and events of interest to the community- email battlecry@peachtreebattlealliance.org. BATTLE CRY
NOTES BATTLE CRY WANTS YOU! The Battle Cry is looking for volunteers.
Email battlecry@peachtreebattlealliance.org. Next issue will be in September. CAN YOU HELP US? The PBA Board is looking for old documents, files, and past issues of the Battle
Cry as we organize records of the Peachtree Battle Alliance. Please contact Judy Tindel at 404-351-9656
or judytindel@aol.com if you have any materials to share. FROM THE BATTLE CRY ARCHIVES: from
old issues of the newsletter Fall 1979: “Neighborhood
security was the major area of discussion at the annual meeting of the Peachtree Battle Alliance…The police department
officers gave a detailed overview of law enforcement…in the northside neighborhoods…with special attention to
neighborhood burglary problems…” Fall 1982: “The cluster
home development planned by John Deering and John O. Knox at Nacoochee is progressing smoothly. The bridge
across the small creek at the entrance is hoped to be completed this month so that construction of the traditional two-story
homes can then begin.” Fall 1983: “Driving down Woodward Way
by the Bobby Jones golf course, you cannot help noticing the condition of the clubhouse. The paint is peeling
and the eaves and columns are rotting. Parts of the inside and the back of the clubhouse are in even worse
condition. Several years ago, the city studied the situation to try to decide whether to renovate the building
or to tear it down and replace it with a smaller, more energy efficient pro shop. The decision was made
to renovate, and over $300,000 were appropriated for this purpose in 1980.” Fall 1984: “If you have driven down Woodward Way by the golf course lately, you have no doubt noticed the
renovation work that is in progress. The parks department has contracted with Ferrell & Son Construction
Company to rebuild the clubhouse, and the work is well under way. The scheduled completion date is November
27, 1984. The intent is to bring the clubhouse as close as possible back to its original condition…” UPDATE:
PEACHTREE CREEK GREENSPACE INITIATIVE A huge thank you to all 200 neighbors that participated in the recent
survey for the Peachtree Creek Greenspace Opportunity at 473 Woodward Way. The response was overwhelming
with 195 positive responses. The preferences for a children’s park or a multi-use greenspace and children’s park were
evenly split. Many of you had wonderful suggestions that the steering committee has documented for future
use. Natural settings and low-key colors were a favorite. Currently we are in the funding feasibility
stage of the initiative. We want to again stress that private funding is being pursued for the purchase
of this lot. Peachtree Battle Alliance dues will not be used for this purpose. Our partnership
with Trust for Public Land will ensure that a fair and reasonable price will be negotiated. We expect this process to continue
for the duration of 2008 and we promise to keep all neighbors updated on our progress. So many of you have
offered to volunteer in many different ways and you can be assured we will contact you as efforts progress. Roxanne Smith and
Susan Dickerson, Co-Chairs, Zoning/Variance Committee varianceandzoning@peachtreebattlealliance.org
TREASURER’S
REPORT
The Peachtree Battle Association Board of Directors approved at the May 2008 board meeting an expenditure
budget for calendar year 2008 totaling $35,850. Based on dues collected to date, the PBA is projecting
a budget surplus for 2008 totaling a minimum of $6,350. The Board of Directors will continue to evaluate
neighborhood priorities during the remainder of the budget year to identify potential ways to utilize the budget surplus.
The Profit & Loss statement below shows the following information:
Revenue collected to date of $42,200
Expenses incurred for the period
Jan – May 2008
Budgeted expenses by category Remaining
budget amount for the 2008 budget year
Please feel free to direct your questions or comments on the 2008 budget or expenses to
date to Mark Rainosek at treasurer@peachtreebattlealliance.org.
Peachtree
Battle Association 2008 P&L Statement | Revenue (Through May 2008) | $42,200 |
|
| Expenses | 2008 Approved Budget | Expenses 2008 (Jan-May) | 2008 Budget Remaining | Parks & Landscape | $20,810
| $10,045 | $10,765 | Communications | $3,740 | $734
| $3,006 | Membership | $1,500
| $112 | $1,388 | Traffic | $2,500 | $2,500
| $0 | Social | $4,000
| $0 | $4,000 | Miscellaneous | $3,300 | $292
| $3,008 | Total Expenses | $35,850 | $13,683 | $22,167
| Income | 2008 Budget Income | Interim Income May 08 | Variance | Totals | $6,350 | $28,517 | $22,167 |
TRAFFIC CALMING COMMITTEE
The Traffic Committee continues
its work to improve traffic in our neighborhood. Here are the highlights since our last update.
Connect Atlanta: The existing
traffic calming plans prepared for our neighborhood are being reviewed against the various City wide initiatives, such as
Connect Atlanta and Beltway projects to understand the impact on overall concept and help assess the timing related to these
projects.
Had several meetings with Grice & Associates, the lead consultants on Connect Atlanta,
to review the initial traffic plans. The objective was to assess the alignment and impact of these projects
on each other.
Overall the PBA traffic plan was well received and fits nicely into the overall Connect Atlanta vision.
This vision is to establish long-term traffic plans that incorporate vehicle, bike and pedestrian traffic across the
City of Atlanta. Our neighborhood was one of a few that they had reviewed that had both completed a formal plan and the plan
was holistic in addressing multiple forms of transportation, addressed traffic flow in a positive manner and included beautification
components.
Next steps:
Grice & Associates
have agreed to incorporate the major intersection projects of our PBA traffic plan into their master project list.
This will provide visibility and awareness at a much higher level and facilitate moving these efforts forward. These
major intersections are listed below: Peachtree / Peachtree Battle Ave. / E. Rivers Northside Drive/Peachtree Battle/Manor Ridge
Sagamore/
Woodward Way Intersection at Northside Drive
The remaining projects associated with the Glatting Jackson plan were more beautification
or isolated to a small part of the neighborhood and didn’t meet the threshold of projects that they were documenting.
The recommendation
Grice had for our efforts was to take the overall neighborhood traffic design and combine it with the various traffic engineering
studies being completed. This consolidated plan is required to drive the phase of any of these projects.
The Traffic Committee wants to assure all neighbors that the Alliance is sensitive to concerns that the traffic
calming projects need to be in character with our neighborhood. Our projects will be professionally designed and will improve
our neighborhood both from a safety and an aesthetic perspective.
Peachtree / Peachtree Battle Ave. / E. Rivers Intersection:
We’ve met to
review the traffic data collected by Carter’s traffic engineer. This is the first step in advancing
any project related with this intersection. The intent of the study was to capture a benchmark of traffic
flow at various times so that proposed changes could be modeled to assess what impact they would have. An
initial discussion of the information was reviewed with Clair Muller who is very supportive of making improvements in this
area.
The immediate next step is to review the information with David White, the new Principal at E. Rivers.
The traffic associated with the school has a major impact on the flow in this area and there are a number of suggestions
/ opportunities to make improvements that will be discussed.
Jeff Hehir, Chair, PBA Traffic Calming Committee traffic@peachtreebattlealliance.org
PBA MEMBERSHIP
UPDATE
As of May 12, 2008, we have received dues from 352 neighbors, representing approximately 60% of the neighborhood.
Streets
with the highest participation:
Nacoochee Place 100%
Nacoochee Drive 86%
Manor Ridge 71%
Woodward Way 68%
Westover
67%
Alton
67%
Not sure if you paid your membership dues? Check the latest Paid Members List
at the Peachtree Battle Alliance Website: http://www.peachtreebattlealliance.org/id68.html Thank you for your continued support.
Susie Cogan, Chair, PBA Membership Committee membership@peachtreebattlealliance.org
PBA PARKS COMMITTEE
Landscape Architect-
On the recommendation of the PBA Parks Committee, the PBA Board has named Spencer Tunnell of Tunnell & Tunnell
Landscape Architecture as consulting Landscape Architect for the PBA. Tunnell will be utilized
on an ongoing basis, for as-needed, hourly-based project work impacting the historic neighborhoods of the Alliance.
Current projects underway that will benefit from Tunnell’s involvement include traffic calming, tree canopy,
and signage. The Board determined that utilizing services of an experienced and well-qualified Landscape
Architect would add value to community volunteer efforts and provide consistency in long range planning. Tunnell
has degrees in Landscape Architecture and Architectural History from the University of Virginia, and has broad experience
in institutional, commercial, historic preservation and residential projects including the rehabilitation of the Olmsted Linear
Parks in Druid Hills, Atlanta Botanical Garden initiatives, private estate planning and garden design in several states.
Sewer Progress- Jeff Hehir and Elizabeth Pritchard met
with contractors working on sewer construction in the neighborhood and public information representatives from the City.
Signs, required by law, will go up at the pumping station at the intersection of Northside and Woodward Way and will
remain in place until the work is complete. Sewer repairs along the PATH trail on Northside Drive will
require removal of some three to five trees. Mitigation requires that for any tree removed, the contractor
must plant one hardwood tree per trunk inch of caliper of the removed trees. PBA Parks Committee will work
with PATH and the contractors to identify places in need of trees and appropriate tree species. Maintaining
the tree buffer along Northside will be a priority.
Valley Crest- The
Board voted to renew the Valley Crest contract to supplement City maintenance of the linear parks along Peachtree Battle and
other green space in the neighborhood. A pine straw mulch application was completed in April.
Thanks! -
Haynes Manor Garden Club for their annual Spring Planting and Clean Up Day;
Eli Green and his volunteers for their Peachtree Creek clean-up; and Habersham Garden Club
for continuing work on their memorial garden on Peachtree Battle. Elizabeth Pritchard, Chair, Parks Committee landscaping@peachtreebattlealliance.org
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