ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Alpharetta City Council approved a unique residential project that will convert aging office buildings into 160 townhomes.
The council unanimously approved zoning and plan amendments to allow Providence Group to construct the high-density homes on about 10 acres at 3750 Brookside Parkway. The homes will replace Class A offices with homes priced in the $400,000-$500,000 range.
City Council members said they expect the project will transform the Brookside area, which contains numerous other offices. The area has been identified as a priority for redevelopment by the Horizon 2040
Roswell explores special tax district on Holcomb Bridge
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — The City of Roswell is planning to create a tax allocation district to spur investment in the Holcomb Bridge Road corridor, an area marked by struggling shopping centers and stagnant growth.
The Roswell East-West Connection Tax Allocation District, or TAD, would work by capturing incremental tax increases from annual property reassessments in the proposed area and setting them aside in a separate fund.
The district spans almost 2,000 acres, or about 1,200 tax parcels that
produce $21 million in tax collections each year for the city, county and school district combined. That shouldn’t change much if the TAD is enacted.
A TAD, in and of itself, is not a tax or a tax increase. It merely redirects
Academy Principal Scott Kent makes a point with students constructing a robot designed to deliver packages throughout the school Nov. 1.
Innovation Academy rethinks transportation
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Innovation Academy students built a delivery robot, Formula 1 prototype, soapbox cars and other projects to study transportation in November.
Students at the Alpharetta STEM magnet high school worked on the hands-on projects Nov. 1, tackling the question “How can we strengthen our society, economy and culture by improving transportation?”
Founded in 2021, the school routinely provides students
opportunities to exercise their creative and problem-solving skills in a variety of studies from biotechnology to computer science to engineering.
In a first-floor laboratory, the group worked with a Georgia Tech student
See TRANSPORT, Page 14
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POLICE BLOTTER
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Woman reports fraud in transaction with teens
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Police investigated the report of a theft by deception Nov. 9.
A Dawsonville woman said she and a family member were approached at North Point Mall by two teens selling an Apple Watch, according to an Alpharetta police report. She said the teens said they needed money for food and would sell the watch for cheap.
The woman said the interaction took place in front of the Forever 21 store, and the teens offered to give her two pairs of Apple AirPods for free with the purchase.
The woman purchased two watches for a total of $360.
When the woman took the watches to the Apple store, employees informed her the watches were not authentic.
Jon Wilcox
Restaurant reports theft from outdoor refrigerator
ROSWELL, Ga. — Police are investigating the second burglary this year at Vin25, a downtown Roswell restaurant, after the owner reported a $2,000 theft from an exterior fridge Nov. 16.
The restaurant’s general manager said she closed shop around 11:15 p.m. Nov. 15.
When an employee came to open shop around 8 a.m. the next morning, she said the exterior walk-in fridge had been forced open.
The stolen merchandise, totaling more than $2,000, included champagne and wine, hanger steaks,
ribs, chicken and other miscellaneous foods.
The general manager said the same fridge was burglarized earlier this year.
Officers said they were working to gather security footage from the restaurant and surrounding businesses.
Hayden Sumlin
Woman found with drugs during jail processing
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 25-year-old Midway, Georgia, woman was arrested on drug charges Nov. 9.
Police stopped a southbound Chevrolet Cruze about 11:30 p.m. on Ga. 400 at Old Milton Parkway, according to an Alpharetta police report. Officers checked the tag and found it had a wanted notification from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers detained the driver because she had a warrant for violating probation in a possession of a dangerous drug case.
While admitting the woman into the jail, officers discovered a glass smoking device with residue, various pills. Officers determined the pills contained a narcotic painkiller and ecstasy.
The woman was charged with going inside a guardline with a drug, possession and use of a drug-related object and possession of a Schedule I controlled substance.
Jon Wilcox
Officers seek suspect in overnight burglary
ROSWELL, Ga. — Police are investigating a burglary at the Dunkin’ off Alpharetta Highway after the owner alleged a former employee stole about $600 Nov. 13.
Officers said the business owner and an employee showed them security footage of the incident at the coffee shop the following day.
They said footage shows a man wearing a hoodie and gloves entered the rear of the building around 10:45 p.m. and take around $150 in cash and another $400 check.
The owner said he suspects a former employee. The owner said the suspect’s frame matched the former employee who was fired two months ago for harassment.
Officers said they saw no signs of forced entry.
The owner said the former employee should not have a key to the building but may have accessed a lock box.
Officers said the security footage shows the man moving through the building with familiarity of the layout.
After a search of regional crime databases, officers said the suspect has an active warrant out of the Cobb County for first-degree burglary.
The case remains active.
— Hayden Sumlin
Police investigate gunfire at apartment complex
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Police investigated a reported shooting at an apartment complex Nov. 10.
Officers were dispatched to an apartment unit on Mid Broadwell Road about 8 p.m. after gunshots were reported, according to an Alpharetta police report. A caller told police a person had shot at a man.
Police searched the area but found no suspect.
A woman told officers her son had been shot at by a boy outside their residence. She said she and her family saw a group of boys standing near an apartment building, and her son left to investigate.
Officers found a 9mm bullet casing near a retaining wall. Police checked with local hospitals, but none reported admitting a gunshot wound victim.
Jon Wilcox
mat replacements. Expires 11/30/24.
Roswell assumes $2 million rise in parking fees for 2025 budget
Council gets first look at new spending plan
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — Concerns are swirling over the City of Roswell’s proposed $197 million fiscal year 2025 budget.
They include unclear revenue streams and budget cuts to the arts. Time constraints also posed issues in this budget cycle, leading to a difference in how the budget was presented to the public and how much time residents had to review it.
Before Budget Manager Lynn Williams jumped into the details, City Administrator Randy Knighton provided an overview of the budget at the first public hearing Nov. 18.
He mentioned, twice, that the budget adheres to an “aggressive” economic development strategy. Knighton also said it maintains top tier police pay; the transition of a part-time to a full-time fire department; employee pay raises; a new customer service center within City Hall and five new positions for a concrete and traffic calming crew.
The crew, he said, will construct
Roswell City Administrator Randy Knighton answers questions regarding the city’s proposed $197 million fiscal year 2025 budget during the first public hearing Nov. 18.
sidewalks and traffic calming devices throughout the city, fostering safe residential streets.
“It also will allow the city to be very mobile in terms of completing sidewalk gaps, which certainly enhances connectivity,” he said.
Unlike previous budget cycles, City Councilwoman Sarah Beeson said the proposed spending plan excludes a budget summary schedule and a section that shows a revenue analysis
and personnel information.
In response, Williams said, “There was a lot of movement with this budget. So, we were not able to complete some of those sections, but we would expect to have those in the approved [budget]...”
The city is switching to a new fiscal year that runs from January through December. For at least a decade, the city’s fiscal year ran from July 1 through the following June.
Parking revenue, costs
While the budget is balanced, it assumes $2.2 million in revenue based on a new parking business model that hasn’t been presented to the public or adopted. Seer World, the city’s economic development consultant, is leading the effort.
“I think we're assuming a lot here, not just in dollars and cents, but we're assuming a lot in terms of policy,” Beeson said. She initially questioned the issue at the budget presentation Nov. 14.
Last month, during a council committee meeting, city officials said the study would be sent over to the City Council before the Nov. 1 deadline. Appen Media submitted an open records request for the study Nov. 14, but it had not been filled as of press time.
Monday evening, Deputy City Administrator Jeff Leatherman said the council would get the draft the next day, pending some adjustments.
Roswell resident Cat Plant called attention to the major difference in parking revenue collections from fiscal year 2024 at around $44,000 to the $2.2 million assumption in fiscal year 2025.
“That's a lot of parking fees,” Plant
See RISE, Page 16
SCREENSHOT
City continue upgrades to East Roswell Park
Council raises budget for historic parks work
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — East Roswell Park will be getting another facelift early next year.
At its Nov. 12 meeting, the Roswell City Council approved $2.5 million worth of construction work for a series of improvements to the 40-acre space, including the dog park.
Last May, city leaders unveiled new turf fields there, one of Roswell’s first bond projects.
The newest renovations will also be funded by the 2022 bond, though more than $330,000 will come through the city’s Capital Projects Fund and Tree Bank Fund.
Other improvements include adding a turnaround and dropoff area at the Art Center, trail connectivity down Fouts Road, ADA ingress and egress at two pavilions and a new playground. The city will also add ADA parking at the soccer fields.
Recreation, Parks, Historic &
Cultural Affairs Director Steven Malone said project designs will be posted on the city’s website.
City Councilwoman Lee Hills jumped at the opportunity to voice her support.
“This is such a feel-good project for me,” Hill said, adding that it was a key issue in her campaign. “...So many things there, I felt like, had just
been left untouched for years and years and years, and that's a bigger conversation to unpack tonight, but neglect would be the word I would use for that.”
In other action, the council elected to use its balance of American Plan Rescue Act funds for a project outlined in the city’s working Historic Parks Comprehensive Plan, bumping the overall cost to $5.7 million.
The blueprint has not been posted online yet. Malone said the public could reach out to him directly to discuss the multimillion-dollar plan and that residents could find details online under the Sept. 23 City Council meeting where the original contract had been approved.
Mayor Kurt Wilson asked that it be posted on the city’s website.
DECEMBER 7
9AM - 4PM
INNOVATION ACADEMY
On Sept. 23, the City Council approved a $460,420 contract with Reeves Young to continue work on Mimosa Hall with improvements to the pond, an event pavilion and event space, parking with a drop-off area, vendor parking and restoration of the flagstone driveway.
That contract also included an additional 4.5 percent of the construction costs, estimated to amount up to $3 million, also funded through ARPA — COVID-19 relief money that must be encumbered by the end of the year.
Malone cited “scope and requirements adjustments” as reasons for the increase.
City Councilwoman Sarah Beeson prefaced the council’s unanimous approval with her personal reservations on whether the upgrades to Mimosa Hall were the best use of the federal funds.
But, Beeson said, after speaking with staff, she found that the project was “one of the only uses” that ARPA could fund, considering the condensed timeline.
“While normally, I would probably balk at spending this amount of money, or doubling a budget as it relates to something like an events facility within a park, I would much rather have that at our discretion, as opposed to not having the funds at all or losing them entirely,” Beeson said.
PHOTOS BY: AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA
Roswell Recreation, Parks, Historic & Cultural Affairs Director Steven Malone presents a construction contract for improvements to East Roswell Park at the Nov. 12 City Council meeting. The $2.5 million project includes updating the dog park.
Roswell City Councilwoman Lee Hills voices her support for the upgrades to East Roswell Park at the Nov. 12 City Council meeting.
DOJ blasts Fulton County Jail for violations
By PATRICK FOX pat@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — The U.S. Department of Justice announced Nov. 14 it has determined that conditions of confinement at the Fulton County Jail violate the 8th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, the Americans with Disabilities Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
The department’s report details findings from a comprehensive investigation of the jail, which is funded and operated by Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation included the main jail on Rice Street in Atlanta and three annex facilities: the Marietta Annex in Atlanta, the North Annex in Alpharetta and the South Annex in Union City.
The Rice Street jail currently houses around 2,000 people and in recent years has surpassed 3,000 people.
In its long list of findings of abuse or neglect, the DOJ report does not specify which of the four jails the incidents occurred. But, based on descriptions in the document and from news accounts of the incidents, most appear to have been referring to the main jail in Atlanta. Inquiries to the DOJ for clarification
had not been answered by press time.
“In Fulton County, people in custody awaiting formal charges or trials frequently must protect themselves from brutal physical attacks, endure frequent excessive force, manage their wellbeing with inadequate food and unsanitary living conditions, and hope they can find access to a strained medical and mental health care program. This is unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia.
Over the past two years, the report says six incarcerated people have died in violent attacks at the jail.
According to Sheriff’s Office reports, in 2023 there were 1,054 assaults on incarcerated people and 314 stabbings in the jail.
In September 2022, Lashawn Thompson died alone in a filthy cell in the mental health unit of the Fulton County Jail. Thompson, who had a history of mental illness and was unhoused, was accused of spitting at a Georgia Tech police officer and arrested on a simple battery charge, then held on an old warrant. Three months after his arrest, Thompson was found in his cell, slumped over with his head on his toilet. A medical examiner reported that
The Fulton County Jail on Rice Street has recorded hundreds of assaults and several deaths over the past two years.
his malnourished body was infested with an “enormous presence of body lice,” and concluded that he was “neglected to death.”
Most municipal police agencies in North Fulton use the Alpharetta Annex to process and hold prisoners, especially those involved in non-violent crimes. The facility has 50 beds and as of midAugust 2024, held 27 people, the DOJ stated. The North Annex has an intake and reception center, and separate housing areas for men and women. Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office house detainees there, particularly people who need separation from the jail population because of the nature of their charges or conflicts in the
main jail.
Calls to Fulton County for a response to the report were not returned by press deadline.
According to Atlanta News First, Fulton County officials are taking the matter seriously.
“We share the concerns that were outlined and we’re going to be working jointly, cooperatively to address them,” Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts said, according to ANF.
Sandy Springs Police contracts, in most cases, with private providers and local governments. The City Council approved an agreement with Lumpkin County last June to house some adult inmates at its detention center. Those arrested for city ordinance violations, traffic offenses are booked at the Smyrna Jail.
Felony offenders out of Sandy Springs are booked at the Atlanta Rice Street Jail.
Sandy Springs Police Sgt. Leon Millholland said if the city court sentences an individual to one year or less, they are housed at the Lumpkin County Jail in Dahlonega.
Editor Dan Whisenhunt contributed to this story.
FILE PHOTO
PHOTOS BY: AFREEN KHUNDMIRI/PROVIDED Fulton County Arts and Culture Director David Manuel, Fulton County Commissioner Natalie Hall, event organizer Afreen Khundmiri, center, and artists gather on stage Nov. 8 during “Unity in Diversity,” a reception for a two-month exhibition at the Fulton County Government Center featuring work from 15 South Asian artists, including Khundmiri.
Johns Creek artist helps launch 2-month South Asian exhibition
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — The art and culture reception “Unity in Diversity” on Nov. 8 marked the start of a two-month art exhibition featuring the work of 15 South Asian artists from Metro Atlanta.
Afreen Khundmiri, a Johns Creekbased artist and vice president of The Art Center Artist Guild, organized the sold-out event at the Fulton County Government Center. It drew 300 people, including Fulton County Commissioner Natalie Hall and Fulton County Arts and Culture Director David Manuel.
The event was historic in scale, bringing together 15 visual artists, 40 models showcasing the fashion collection of four local designers, and 10 cultural performances.
In another groundbreaking achievement, Afreen’s clothing line
Roya’Elle made its debut in September at the prestigious Atlanta Fashion Week’s “Faces of Fashion” opening reception, where she became the first woman of Indian descent to present her line at the annual event.
Roya’Elle is more than just a brand. Khundmiri says it’s a tribute to her heritage, blending traditional South Asian artistry with modern design to celebrate both her Asian roots and her journey in the United States.
Through initiatives like Roya’Elle and “Unity in Diversity,” Khundmiri says she continues to inspire audiences, breaking cultural barriers and setting new standards for inclusivity in the arts.
Amber Perry
Event sponsor Shahid Rafique, organizer Afreen Khundmiri, Fulton County Arts and Culture Director David Manuel and artist Sohail Ilyas gather Nov. 8 at “Unity in Diversity,” a reception for a two-month exhibition at the Fulton County Government Center.
The Korean culture is very inviting, very welcoming. We have a lot to offer.
ALICE LEE, co-founder, Kimchi Red
8 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | November 21, 2024
Patrons flock to Korean eatery for award-winning chicken
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alice Lee was confused by the line wrapping around Kimchi Red.
On July 6, 2023, the Korean restaurant was suddenly inundated with customers. When Lee asked those in line what brought them there, they said they were eager to try the best fried chicken in the country.
“I thought they were really being sarcastic,” Lee said, smiling. “And I was like, ‘Well, you know, I never said we were No. 1, but our chicken is good.’”
Lee’s customers informed her that Yelp, the ubiquitous online business review site, had just awarded her Alpharetta restaurant the top spot in the nation for fried chicken. News outlets in Atlanta, the nation and even Korea followed suit.
“It was unbelievable,” Lee said.
The Yelp award and sudden attention that followed recognized something Lee already knew, she said. For the past two years, Kimchi Red had quietly earned fame among locals with its delectable fried chicken and other mouth-watering Korean-inspired dishes.
Lee and her husband Joey W. Lee opened the first Kimchi Red in Alpharetta in 2021, Alice Lee said. They opened the restaurant because their wholesale business was busy only half the year.
Lee’s husband had often cooked Korean and American food for church and charity events and was eager to try his hand with a business.
But they quickly realized just how hard the culinary industry could be.
“We were closed more than we were open for the first six months,” Lee said.
During that time, the Lees found help from their faith in God and within their own family. Their daughter Madison, now 20, helped them establish a presence on social media. Their son Joshua, now 14, occasionally pitched in with extra work.
Lee said she and her husband depended on God during the difficult time and sought divine guidance in every business decision.
“Honestly, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for God’s
direction and planning,” she said.
For example, the Lees decided their menu item should be cooked only with the best and freshest ingredients. Name brand products are selected over generics, and the fried chicken is made only with fresh chicken, which is marinated for 24 hours. They replace their frying oil every day.
“If by chance, we receive a box of frozen chicken, we send it back,” Lee said. “We’re very meticulous.”
Before long, the food began to speak for itself, and word spread, Lee said. Sometimes, the Lees would accidentally leave the lights on at the restaurant after closing, attracting customers eager to get inside.
“They loved the food. They said, ‘It’s so flavorful. It’s so good,’” she said. “They loved the chicken. They loved the beef, and they just loved the food in general, and that was very humbling.”
See KIMCHI, Page 9
Alpharetta: 3630 Old Milton Parkway Johns Creek: 3651-D Peachtree Parkway
A third location is expected in February in Peachtree Corners
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
The dining room at Kimchi Red lies waiting for a lunch crowd Nov. 13. The restaurant features Korean favorites like galbi, bulgogi and kimchi soup.
KIMCHI RED/PROVIDED Kimchi Red owners Joey W. Lee and Alice Lee are married with two children.
Kimchi Red locations
Kimchi:
Continued from Page 8
That success led them to open a Johns Creek location with plans to debut a third in Peachtree Corners in February.
Their menu also includes Korean staples like galbi beef short ribs, sweet and savory bulgogi beef, kimchi fried rice, a cheesy and spicy buldak ramen and intensely flavorful kimchi-jjigae soup.
Marietta resident Caryn Hatton and Bryan Pham from Johns Creek said they love the fried chicken, but the other menu items are just as strong.
“We’ve tried pretty much everything,” Hatton said.
The buldak ramen, another favorite with Hatton and Pham, comes in different levels of spiciness. Pham said he prefers the noodles “super
KIMCHI RED/PROVIDED
Korean food is special because of its balance between sweet, savory, spicy and other flavors, Kimchi Red owner Alice Lee said.
spicy,” while Hatton orders it at a more moderate level.
“It really complements it very well with the fried chicken,” Pham said. “They also have the egg on top. It’s a runny egg, and that makes it better, too.”
Korean food is special because it balances so many flavors, and it’s no wonder the cuisine is trending with Americans, Lee said.
“There’s salty and sweet and spicy and savory and rich, and it’s all there with different menu items,” she said. “I think that’s what makes it so attractive.”
Lee said she is proud to see the popularity of Korean culture sweeping through her community, the nation and world. Foods like Kimchi, pop artists like BTS and movies like 2020 Academy Award winner “Parasite” are now mainstream.
“The Korean culture is very inviting, very welcoming,” she said. “We have a lot to offer.”
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
Marietta resident Caryn Hatton and Bryan Pham of Johns Creek enjoy lunch together at Kimchi Red on Nov. 13. The restaurant is expanding to a third location in Peachtree Corners in February.
KIMCHI RED/PROVIDED Kimchi Red offers several varieties of award-winning fried chicken.
ON SALE NOW
CITY OF JOHNS CREEK/PROVIDED A rendering of the north view of Medley, a 42-acre mixed-use development, from McGinnis Ferry Road.
Toro secures financing for $560 million Medley
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Toro Development Company, the real estate firm led by Avalon developer Mark Toro, announced Nov. 6 it has secured financing for the anticipated mixed-use project Medley in Johns Creek.
Groundbreaking for the $560 million, 42-acre development is slated for December, with an anticipated opening in late 2026. Medley will be integral to the city’s 192-acre Town Center, which will weave together housing, restaurants, retail and offices through new public pathways and parks.
The deal includes an equity investment from Ascentris, a Denverbased real estate private equity firm, and a $158 million construction loan from Banco Inbursa, out of Mexico City, for the first phase.
Located at McGinnis Ferry Road and Johns Creek Parkway, Medley will encompass 150,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space, a 175-room boutique hotel, 110,000 square feet of lifestyle office, 750 multifamily residences, 133 townhomes and an activated 25,000-square-foot plaza.
The company purchased the suburban office park for $44 million in March 2024 and has since razed a 350,000-square-foot office building to prepare the site for construction. Toro Development will renovate and incorporate the other existing office building into the master plan to create a workplace.
Announced retailers for Medley include Ford Fry’s Little Rey, CRÚ Food & Wine Bar, Fadó Irish Pub, Summit Coffee, Lily Sushi Bar, Knuckies Hoagies, Cookie Fix, Sugarcoat Beauty, BODY20, AYA Medical Spa, 26 Thai Kitchen and Bar, Five Daughters Bakery, Drybar Shops, Minnie Olivia, Burdlife, Amorino, Pause Studio, Fogón and Lions and Clean Your Dirty Face.
To learn more about the project, visit medleyjohnscreek.com.
Amber Perry
CINEFLIX/PROVIDED
The “American Pickers” television show is asking residents to reach out with their hidden treasures for an upcoming production in Georgia.
‘American Pickers’ program seeks local hidden treasures
ATLANTA — The History Channel’s “American Pickers” television series is asking North Metro Atlanta residents to reach out with their hidden treasures.
The show is asking to connect with residents with unique items, stories, according to Cineflix.
The show does not “pick” stores, flea markets, auction businesses, museums or anything open to the public.
Anyone interested may send your name, phone number, location and a description of the collection with photos to americanpickers@cineflix. com, call 646-493-2184 or message on Facebook to @GotAPick.
“American Pickers” is a documentary series that explores the world of antique “picking.” The show follows skilled pickers in the business as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques.
They are always excited to find historically significant or rare items, in addition to unforgettable characters and their collections.
The pickers are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, they want to meet characters with amazing stories and fun items. They hope to give historically significant objects a new lease on life while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way. The pickers have seen a lot of rusty gold over the years and are always looking to discover something they’ve never seen before. They are ready to find extraordinary items and hear fascinating tales about them.
Jon Wilcox
12 Oaks Parking
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3A Global Solutions
Acton Academy
Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau
Alpharetta Wellness Collective
Anchor Marketing Services
Anchor to Life Pilates and Nutrition
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Appen Media Group
Arbonne
Artifex Coffee LLC
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Atlanta Divorce Law Group
Atlanta Hypnotherapy Clinic
Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta
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Cadence Bank
Carefree Voyages by Dream Vacations
Cheryl Pett Design, Ltd.
Cis Trunk Enterprises
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Comcast Business
Core57
Corporate IT Solutions, Inc
Cristomar Fine Rug Cleaning and Repair
DCS
Design Life’s Journey
designer consigner
DutchCrafters
EcoShredding
Edward Jones
Elevate Physical Therapy
Elite Exteriors
EOS Worldwide
Extra Mile Tire and Service
Fidus Associates, LLC
FLOW Business Solutions
Focal Point Business Coaching
Forward Systems
Fryer, Shuster, Lester & Pollack, P.C.
GanekPC
Genovotechnology
GNFCC
Goggans, Stutzman, Hudson, Wilson & Mize, LLP
Good Friend Mortgage
Healy Wealth Management
Heaven’s Best Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning
HOME Luxury Real Estate
Home Town Mortgage
HOMEWELL CARE SERVICES - GA257
House of Trendz Boutique
https://www.Truist.com/John.Gilmore
IKEA Alpharetta
INDIEHOUSE modern fragrance bar
Inside Edge Consulting
Integrated Insurance Solutions
Integrative Lymphatic Therapy
INTQ Financial
Jackets Contracting LLC
Jang Su Jang
Jazzercise Alpharetta North Point
JMBS Investments
Johns Creek Advisors, Inc.
Joseph’s Junk Removal
Kayler Construction Services Inc.
Keller Williams Realty Consultants
Kennedy Financial, Inc.
Lacy McCaffrey REALTOR®
LaRuche Photo
Latitude 34 PR
LedgerHealth LegalShield
LGE Community Credit Union
Lisa Shippel Law, LLC
Live Well Alpharetta
LNB Candles
Lone Mountain Insurance Group
Mansions at Alpharetta - Senior Independent Living
Marshall Jones
MassMutual/The Piedmont Group
Metro Public Insurance Adjuster
Michael Gordy Financial Services Inc
Milton Mechanical Services
Milton Scalise Allstate Agency
Mutual of Omaha Mortgage
Netcom PaySystem
New Leaf Family Chiropractic
NexSeason Transitions
North Atlanta FitLife
North Fulton Wills
Nothing Bundt Cakes
ONEHOPE Wine
OTP Hair and Make Up Salon LLC
oXYGen Financial, Inc
Pamela Bills, Realtor Payroc
Polaris Senior Solutions
PostNet Johns Creek
Privee Diamonds Direct
Punchline Comedy Club
Raymond James RE/MAX Around Atlanta
RJ Walters & Associates, LLC
ROI Performance Group
Roswell Health & Injury Center
Roswell Home Care
Ruby Veterinary Urgent Care
Samantha Smith Creative LLC
Sandler by All In Selling LLC
Senior Care Authority
Senior Lifestyle
Serendipity Labs
Smokejack Southern Grill & BBQ
Southeast Mortgage
Southern Blue Haven
Squared Training
Steven Stewart LLC
Summerfield Mortgage LLC
Swilling Family Law Firm, LLC
Synovus
Taste of Atlanta
TechNova Solutions LLC
That 1 Painter North Atlanta Metro
The Agency North Atlanta
The Estate Law Center USA
The First Bank
The Ginger Room
The Hill Group - Keller Williams North Atlanta
The Man with the Axe
The MRS
Thrivent
Transworld Business Advisors
Trinity Life at Home
TruGrowth Management LLC
Twenty West Go, LLC
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Vitality Living Milton
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Zamora Design & Build
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Transport:
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to construct a robot that would deliver packages throughout the school.
Like many projects at Innovation Academy, the robot project aims to solve real-world problems. At the front office, a pile of mailed packages lay waiting to be delivered to classrooms.
“We want to make it so that no human attraction is needed, and people can spend more time being efficient, doing other things in their day,” said team member Alexander Rossetti, a junior.
The students took the lead on all aspects of the project and even wrote code for a tracking program.
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They planned to pilot the vehicle through the school using an onboard camera, but the students said it will serve as a prototype. Next, they hope to fully automate the robot, so it can do its work without any human guidance.
“Our goal is to be autonomous,” Rossetti said.
Behind the school, another group of students were creating a Formula 1-inspired car.
The gas-powered, metal-framed vehicle was designed as a proof of concept for a second car that would be built using lightweight materials.
Team members brought various expertise to the project, but they admitted they had learned many skills
on the fly. One lucky student was designated the driver for the car, which they said could attain a speed of more than 40 mph.
Meanwhile, in a school hallway, teacher J.P. Denato was working with students on a project that combined technical education with artistic exploration.
The creative design project tasked student teams with building and racing soapbox cars. Each car featured a creative name and design.
A Mario Kart-themed car toted balloons. Another was based on Bugs Bunny. And, an all-girl team channeled the lightness of clouds with cumulousshaped side panels.
The project’s focus on creativity had real-world applications, Denato said. By allowing the students to take the lead on aesthetic decisions, he hoped they would stretch their artistic skills. “It needs to be attractive,” he said. “If it’s not attractive, people aren’t going to buy it.”
The cars also allowed learning opportunities in the basics of mechanics. The project taught them the basics of steering columns, axles, aerodynamics and other aspects of vehicle transportation.
Perhaps most important, the project was simply fun, which meant students were fully engaging their brains with the lessons, he said.
“If they’re not entertained, if you can’t make it fun and educational, what’s the point?” he said. “You want them to keep learning.”
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
From left, students Lily Vang, Ridhi Sarvaiya, Lucy Lee and Noelle Yoseph crouch by a soapbox car they designed and built. The team, dubbed Cloud 9, chose a cloud theme for their car’s look.
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a share of future tax payments to a separate account.
But, one concern raised during the Nov. 12 council committee meeting related to the district possibly burdening the residential tax base to offset the loss of General Fund dollars over time.
Once established, the district would operate for 25 years.
The set-aside money accumulated from taxes collected above the current level can be used for projects and developments geared for community improvement, like street and pedestrian improvements or even economic enhancements.
The boundary lines for the tax allocation district generally follow a narrow strip on both sides of Holcomb Bridge Road. There are two exceptions. The areas around Ga. 400 and Alpharetta Highway expand the district parameters north and south to include broad swaths of commercial development, including the office and industrial properties east of Alpharetta Highway.
That evening, Economic Development Director Darryl Connelly told the council that TAD funds can be used for things like infrastructure, utilities, parking decks, any site improvement that has a public benefit.
They can also be used on up to 15 percent of the cost of a redevelopment project, he said, which includes assembly in addition to hard and soft costs as well as paying back TAD bond debt service.
“Some of the goals for a tax allocation district include stimulating growth and jobs, wealth, housing opportunities, as well as other economic development goals,” Connelly said.
To implement a tax allocation district, he said the proposed area must meet certain qualifications, guided by state law. The area must either be blighted or distressed; have substandard, obsolete or deteriorating structures; have pervasive poverty; or have inadequate infrastructure, such as roadways.
Geoff Koski, president and owner of KB Advisory Group, the firm responsible for drafting the city’s redevelopment plan, said the proposed area meets multiple requirements.
The median age of the commercial properties in the area is 40 years old, he said, and the proposed district meets the threshold for poverty, census tracts with more than 10 percent of households.
Koski said state law also asks that
Consolidated council committee meetings
Roswell committee meetings are now consolidated under “Committees of Council,” whereas they had been broken up by department. The City Council made the decision in August. The last two regular committee meetings of the year have been scheduled for Nov. 26 and Dec. 10 at 5 p.m.
Next steps:
• City must advertise and hold a public hearing
a redevelopment plan anticipate what kind of development occur within the district.
The document outlines around several projects, including the Roswell Entertainment District, which, alone, would add $350 million in development value. City leaders are currently in the negotiation phase with the United Soccer League for it to house professional teams at a stadium, anchored by a mixed-use development.
The Roswell Entertainment District is slated for the “Ga. 400 North subarea” of the tax district, according to the redevelopment plan.
“There are also plenty of projects over the course of 25 years that will be built in the TAD that we just simply can’t know about as we sit here today,” Koski said.
The plan states that redeveloped parcels in the district, collectively, could be valued at close to $2 billion after redevelopment with an assessed
value of $787.3 million – more than seven times its current assessed value of $119.3 million.
The key for success, Koski said, is buy-in from the county and the school district.
Their affirmative votes, though not required, could mean raking in $757 million over 25 years, rather than $120 million. That’s if the city opts for a pay-as-you-go structure versus a bond issuance.
There are six schools located within the proposed district.
Alpharetta formed a TAD for its beleaguered North Point district in 2020, but, the measure was abandoned when the pandemic fractured the local economy. Neither Fulton County nor the Fulton County School District showed any interest in joining the city’s plan.
Roswell City Councilwoman Sarah Beeson asked about the risk associated with tapping an area that holds most of the city’s commercial
• City must adopt the redevelopment plan and tax allocation district creation, including the designation of a redevelopment agent
• City must obtain state certification of base value of digest and set up a “special fund”
• City to continue conversations with Fulton County and Fulton County Schools
properties, money intended for the city’s General Fund.
“I just want to make sure that we’re not tying our own hands…” Beeson said.
She asked City Administrator Randy Knighton if he was concerned about the district potentially burdening the residential tax base and limiting the city’s abilities, due to the extra tax being taken off the table.
Knighton, standing in for a city finance director not yet hired, said the city would anticipate an increase in property value because of the tax district, offsetting the loss.
City Councilman Allen Sells added that the ad valorem taxes would be the only taxes frozen on the district’s properties.
“Any other taxes that are commercial in nature [would] continue to come to the city’s general fund…” Sells said.
He agreed that there is risk, but that the district is a “hall pass.”
“This is a stream of cash that we are saying, ‘We’re going to use this in this area to borrow against,’ and it doesn’t come out of the general fund, per se,” Sells said. “That’s what we’re doing, so that’s why it’s as big as it is. That’s why you don’t have to borrow all of it at one time. You can borrow specifically on a given project, which would come to us to approve.”
The council unanimously moved the item forward.
PHOTOS BY: AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA
At left, Geoff Koski, president of real estate consultant company KB Advisory Group, presents a redevelopment plan at the Nov. 12 Roswell committee meeting that would establish a tax allocation district surrounding Holcomb Bridge Road.
Roswell City Councilman Allen Sells explains benefits to the proposed tax allocation district at the Nov. 12 Roswell committee meeting.
Projects:
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Comprehensive Plan.
“Tonight is kind of like the pinnacle, the beginning, of what this area can really be,” Councilman Donald Mitchell said.
Located near property owned by Georgia State University, restaurants and park space, the homes could make offices in the Brookside area an attractive destination for workers, Mayor Jim Gilvin said.
The city says offices in the Brookside area are about 33 percent vacant. The office vacancy rate across the entire city is about 23 percent.
Alpharetta’s approximately 21 million square feet of offices once boasted one of the highest occupancy rates in the area at about 90 percent, Gilvin said. But the COVID-19 pandemic and changing attitudes toward workspaces have kept many employees closer to homes, restaurants and shopping opportunities.
“Everything changed with COVID,” Gilvin said.
Likewise, the city has learned the importance of placing residences near workplaces and amenities, he said. Mixed-use developments like Avalon and City Center show the success of positioning offices near homes and amenities.
“We (once thought we) can plop down 300 apartments in this parking lot, and it will be fantastic,” he said. “What we have learned is, look at Avalon. That’s not
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said. “... If we are getting that much money out of parking then people are going to Alpharetta. They've got 800 free parking spots. They're not making $2.2 million. I think this is crazy.”
Across its two municipal parking decks, Alpharetta boasts nearly 640 free spots, and there’s nearly 200 on-street parking spaces in its downtown area. But, the City of Alpharetta has its own longstanding parking issues and is currently working on a new strategy to solve it.
Leatherman said the revenue projection was calculated using the city’s existing inventory of just under 1,000 spaces, excluding parking at City Hall. He said the unconstructed parking deck was not part of the equation.
Part of the new model, Leatherman said, is enforcing existing policies around parking. The city sees about 30-percent compliance of the paid parking downtown, though he said it’s a rare occasion that he gets to park in any of those spaces.
That parking fee schedule was created in 2019.
More than $807,000 was listed as parking expenditures in the fiscal year 2025, including personnel as well as operating and technology costs. Parking personnel is an entirely new piece. Leatherman said that includes a parking manager and part-time staff.
City Councilman Allen Sells said the revenue projection is “emblematic” of what
apartments in a parking lot … Employers have to have an environment that employees want to be in.”
City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom said he thinks the Brookside townhome project represents a unique and exciting opportunity.
He said he expects the project to revitalize the area and entice the university to offer additional course offerings nearby.
The office buildings that are working, he said, are those within a mixed-use area.
“But this old model of go to your area to work and then get in your car and drive home, that model will
change a little bit with this residential being right across the street,” Lagerbloom said.
Providence President Warren Jolly expects demolition to begin in about four months with construction to start in 2026. The project’s location and price point make it a promising investment.
He said he hopes to see other redevelopment projects in the area underway soon.
Alpharetta officials said they are working with another developer for another redevelopment project in the Brookside area. They hope to announce the plan in December.
Roswell resident Cat Plant takes issue with $2.2 million in parking revenue projections cited in the proposed 2025 budget at the first public hearing Nov. 18. The new parking model, a project led by economic development consultant Seer World, has not been presented to the public.
the city is attempting to do.
“This is going to become a very good revenue provider is basically what I would read out of that,” Sells said.
Cuts to arts, culture
Beeson fired more questions at city staff Monday evening, including why there was a cut to the Roswell Arts Fund.
“I thought that that required … a mayor and council vote per their [memorandum of understanding] if we were no longer going to fund them,” Beeson said.
Fiscal year 2023 was the last time the organization received financial support from the city, $365,000, according to the fiscal year 2024 budget book. The 2023 budget document states the fund is “contingent upon updated Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU).”
City Administrator Knighton said he would have to defer to City Attorney David Davidson on the contract.
“With any support organization that is affiliated with the city, obviously, that is dependent upon budget support, and this budget does not contemplate funding for the Arts Fund,” Knighton said, adding that it is a council decision to allocate funding.
“I’d love to entertain some funding,” Beeson said.
Davidson did not add insight on the city’s contract with the Roswell Arts Fund. An open records request was submitted for the document Nov. 19 but was not filled as of press time.
The city’s Día de Muertos festival was also canned. Hispanics make up more
than 16 percent of Roswell’s population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Disappointed in the decision, resident Janet Russell added a comment about the Hispanic workforce around town.
“If they all went on a strike on a Saturday night, we could hang the ‘Closed for business’ sign out on this city,” Russell said.
Another resident made his way to the podium Nov. 18, but to criticize the time that he had been given to review the budget.
The City of Roswell did not advertise the Nov. 14 fiscal year 2025 budget presentation and Nov. 18 and Nov. 26 public hearings with Appen Media, its legal organ that publishes the weekly Alpharetta-Roswell Herald.
State law requires that the hearings be advertised at least once and within the same week.
The city ran an ad in the Nov. 8 edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
This year, other cities advertised their fiscal year 2025 budget hearings further in advance and a greater number of times in their legal organ, Appen Media.
The City of Alpharetta ran an ad for its fiscal year 2025 budget twice. The City of Johns Creek ran a budget notice twice, then a separate advertisement on budget adoption another two times.
“Years before, we knew about it at least three weeks [before] so we can read it,” resident Roman Pyrzak said.
The second public hearing for the fiscal year 2025 budget and adoption is scheduled for Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
PHOTOS BY: ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA Planning and Development Services Manager Michael Woodman reviews plans for redeveloping of a section of a business park into a residential tract at the Nov. 18 Alpharetta City Council meeting.
J. Alexander Brock, attorney for Providence Group, speaks to the Alpharetta City Council about the Brookside development at a meeting Nov. 18.
SCREENSHOT
OPINION
100 most influential people
People and things that have impacted our world, #21-30
APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
Here’s my continuing list of people and things that have impacted our world.
No. 21. CRISPR. In 2020, Jenifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier were awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work on CRISPR technology — essentially technology that facilitates gene editing — something with countless applications in science, medicine, and agriculture, to name just a few. Examples include the creation of disease-resistant and droughtresistant grains; correcting mutations at the DNA level for people with genetic disorders that cause diseases like sickle cell anemia; and potentially the eradication of diseases such as malaria by modifying the genes of malaria-causing mosquitos to make them sterile. Of note, use of CRISPR significantly contributed to the development of the successful vaccines for COVID-1.
No. 22. Moore’s Law (1965-?). In 1965 Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel and Fairchild Semiconductor, observed/predicted that the number of transistors that can fit on a computer chip will double roughly every two years, with a minimal increase in cost. That is, computers will get smaller and process faster without costing significantly more. The smallest transistors currently being manufactured (by IBM) for commercial use are 2 nanometers, about the width of several atoms, a size that facilitates placement of roughly 50 billion transistors on a chip the size of a fingernail. The iPhone you own has more computing power and more storage capacity than main frame computers of the past. Technology drives so much of every aspect of our lives today, and Moore’s Law is why.
No. 23. Archie Bunker. Archie and “All in the Family” creator Norman Lear could make this Top 100 list for multiple reasons. Lear was responsible for wildly popular TV shows that introduced political and social themes to millions. His shows also included “The Jeffersons,” “Maude,” “Sanford and Son,” “One Day at a Time,” Mary
Hartman, Mary Hartman” and “Good Times.” Many themes of the shows have morphed into political footballs in today’s world, sharp-edged political weapons used by politicians to attack, divide and disrupt. Lear made fun of today’s weapons. He served them out to everyone. He made us laugh without getting angry or vindictive. He tried to show us that we could be different and still be civil. How far away that seems now. How short our memories seem to be.
No. 24. Peter, Paul and Mary. “Where have all the Flowers Gone?” Peter, Paul and Mary, right? Nope. Try Pete Seeger; he wrote it. But they first made it a huge hit. Nope, try Marlene Dietrich — in German — in 1962. OK, PP&M did cover the song. Joan Baez, too. Geez. I had no idea. The song was an anti-Viet Nam war protest song of the ’60s, a song about lost innocence, soldiers dying, flowers on graves. It wasn’t the only one. So, Seeger wrote it in 1962, and we’ve been at war ever since. The same thing keeps happening; that’s why PP&M are on the list — to remind us about that. How many young people today have a clue?
the cover, surely is a good list for any Top 100 most important people and events. That being said, here are some fun facts about Time’s list: Person of the Century: Albert Einstein. The only person to be named three times: FDR. Individuals named twice: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, Dwight Eisenhower, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill. Number of times a woman has been named: 9 (out of 97). Last two women named: Greta Thunberg (2019), Taylor Swift (2023).
No. 27. Charles Schulz. Wrote “Peanuts” from 1950 to 2000 and is generally seen as the most influential cartoonist in history.
Total “Peanuts” strips published: 17,897. Who didn’t hold their breath when Lucy would convince Charlie Brown into trying to kick the football one more time? Who didn’t hope, for once, that she wouldn’t pull it away at the last second? We all did.
No. 25. Dr. Seuss. Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904-1991) was a beloved author of children’s books, an illustrator, and (surprise) an advertising professional (prior to his Dr. Seuss career). He is on the list because he represents a time, an attitude, and a sense of possibility that was “ours” before cynicism, snark and animosity took over. His bestselling book: “Green Eggs and Ham.” Total sales of Dr. Seuss: over 600 million worldwide (in more than 50 languages). He taught us much about ourselves: “Today you are you! That is truer than true. There is no one alive who is you-er than you.” Amen.
No. 26. Time’s Person of the Year. This list, which began in 1927 with Charles Lindberg on
No. 28. Conspiracy theories. I hate to add this one to my list because their impact on society is worse than cancer; worse than pandemics; brings out the worst in humanity. Yes, vaccines do work. No, he didn’t win the 2020 election. Yes, there is global warming that is destroying our ecosystem. No, the hurricanes this year were not generated or controlled by the government. Ad nauseum.
No. 29. “The Sound of Music”. I added this to the list because I wanted to end this segment on a positive note. This movie and the soundtrack is generally universally loved and presents to us something that is uniquely “us” — something precious, pure and redeeming.
No. 30. Mary Poppins. See No. 29.
RAY
Doraville’s Carver Hills community weathered development
When plans for a General Motors assembly plant were underway in the early 1940s, a community of Black families, their school and a church were displaced. Homeowners were bought out and offered land for new homes in a nearby Doraville location. General Motors bought 150 acres for the new development. Each undeveloped lot cost $2,000.
The new neighborhood was called Carver Hills, named for George Washington Carver, famous Black scientist and inventor. It was located where Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and I-285 meet.
A Nov. 27, 1949, Atlanta Journal writeup describes a neighborhood of 50 homes. Water, lights, and paved streets were included, but property owners had to find their own builder. Both a Baptist and Methodist Church were part of the new neighborhood.
In the 1960s, the homeowners were encroached upon again, this time by the construction of I-285. The highway divided the neighborhood into two sections.
In the mid-1980s a developer wanted to buy Carver Hills property to build a hotel. Homeowner Fannie Mae Jett fought the effort to build the 145room hotel, which would have blocked the view from the east side of the neighborhood.
DeKalb Superior Court Judge Clarence Seeliger rejected a developer’s claim that Carver Hills was a dying neighborhood and was best suited for commercial development. Fannie Mae Jett said of the ruling, “I don’t think anything in the world could thrill my heart like knowing that the old people will be able to live out their lives here.” (Atlanta Constitution, DeKalb Extra, Oct. 17, 1985, “Old Neighborhood in Doraville Refuses to Die”)
Then, in 1987 a new I-285 entrance ramp cut off another section of the neighborhood. (Photographic Permanent Archival Record, Carver Hills Historic District, copy held by the DeKalb History Center)
The Mt. Carmel African Methodist Episcopal Church still stands on Carver Drive where a few remaining Carver Hills homes still stand. First established in 1879, Mt. Carmel AME is the oldest African American congregation in Georgia.
New homes and townhomes have been built on the former Carver Hills location north of I-285.
In 2023, a historical marker was placed to recognize Carver Hills and the Mt. Carmel AME Church. The marker text begins, “Carver Hills, established in 1947. In the 1940s, when General Motors purchased land to build a new plant, it displaced a school, church and a number of homes belonging to members of Doraville’s African American community.”
Additional land purchased for Black families displaced by General Motors includes the Parsons Village Subdivision, platted in 1953, and the Happy Valley subdivision, platted in 1954. The name Parsons comes from the previous owners of the land. Carver Hills was the only subdivision where only Black individuals could purchase land.
Former Carver Hills residents Patricia Jett Hood and Sarah Rainey Wallace were among the former and current residents who gathered for the
2023 marker dedication to honor historic Carver Hills of Doraville. Hood attended Doraville School and Lynwood Park High School. Sarah Rainey Wallace attended Lynwood Park Elementary and High School. These were segregated DeKalb County schools for Black students. Schools in DeKalb
County were integrated in 1968. (DeKalb History Center Archives, oral history recordings of Patricia Jett Hood and Sarah Rainey Wallace)
Sarah Rainey Wallace’s parents and grandparents talked about their move when the General Motors Plant was built. People in the community planned to work at the plant. Wallace recalled that the former location of Mt. Carmel AME Church was in the middle of the once large community. That location today would be in the middle of I-285.
In a 1999 oral history of Fannie Mae Jett, she recalled that her grandfather, Bartow Langford, owned property that later became part of General Motors. The Greater Mount Carmel Church was built on her ancestor George Washington Gholston’s property. (DeKalb History Center Archives, Fannie Mae Jett)
The historical marker text continues with the history and a description of Carver Hills today, “…all that remains of the original Carver Hills neighborhood are 10 houses on Carver Drive along with Mt. Carmel AME Church and Zion Full Gospel Ministries. This plaque is a reminder of the strength and resilience of Doraville’s African American community in the face of multiple challenges over the decades. Presented by Doraville Celebration Committee 2022.”
Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
BOB KELLEY/PROVIDED
A 1940s photo of a new home in Carver Hills. Photo from "Images of America: Doraville"
DEKALB HISTORY CENTER ARCHIVES. This historical marker honoring Carver Hills and the Mt. Carmel AME Church was dedicated in February of 2023.
OPINION
GET OUTSIDE, GEORGIA!
Hurricane reshapes familiar creek, but fish remain
It has been a busy few weeks, and fishing time has been a little short. That happens sometimes.
But we have plans for making up for lost time… plans for a leisurely day on Blankets Creek. It’s a small little stream we fish from time to time, and it happens to be home to a lot of correspondingly small fish. There’s nothing very big in there, never anything to write home about or even to brag about in an aw-shucks kind of way, usually. But catching something is usually a sure bet and always fun, even though said “something” may only be 3 inches long. It’s a great place for water therapy, and we go there when we can.
This time, the plan is to go there Thursday afternoon.
But then here comes Helene.
Hurricane Helene is in the rearview mirror now, but it left a lot of mayhem in its wake. I hurt for the folks whose lives were turned upside down. The storm’s big impacts were majorly big, and lots of people will need lots of help for a long time to come. Hereabouts, we were lucky and dodged a major bullet. But others were less fortunate. Help them how and where and when you can.
Here, closer to home, there were lesser impacts. One of them happened to affect our chosen creek. It came in the form of unrelenting precipitation, which pushed our little creek to unimaginable levels. The resulting rage of water resculpted the creek bed and reshaped the banks while grabbing up all the fallen trees within reach and sending them roaring as a seething, boiling mass right on down the channel. Some formed what will become new brush piles at intervals along the banks, and some of it piled up against a little bridge that carries one of the area’s bike trails over the creek. It’s a wonder that the bridge survived.
But we didn’t understand that yet, not firsthand anyway.
And then comes the appointed day.
“Let’s go!” she says. “I hear fish calling my name!”
So, we make our way to the creek. We pull off Sixes Road and into the
parking area and then rig up the fly rods and put on the wading shoes. Then we walk down to the trail toward the water, which soon comes into view.
And there we stop. Our creek, familiar as ever, is oddly unfamiliar, too. There’s flowing water more or less where flowing water has always been, but the flow and the contours and the very shape of the landscape is…what?
It is different. Hurricanes turn things upside down, and “different” is what remains.
“Well,” she says at last.
Sure enough. Where once there had been a graveled riffle, there is now a long, slow pool. And yonder, where there had been an undercut bank, there is now a shallow expanse of rocks and pebbles and sand. Once-wadable spots are now deep. Formerly deep spots now barely tickle our ankles. The old order changeth, sure enough, yielding an entirely new landscape that’s as foreign as it is vaguely familiar.
It is disorienting. It’ll take a while to figure this out, I think to myself. It’ll take a minute to internalize what we are seeing.
We stand there for a bit just taking it in.
“I wonder,” I say after a moment, “where are the fish?”
That part, at least, should be easy enough to figure out.
It takes her only a minute to ready her fly rod. She checks the fly, then deftly flicks the small pink foam spider toward a brand-new deep spot near a jumble of stormtossed debris.
Does it hold fish? It does. One of them drifts nonchalantly up from the depths and, without hesitation, takes the fly. A moment later she unhooks the fish and releases it, saying, “Well, that’s one!”
We continue fishing this oncefamiliar creek, finding newness around every bend. And there are lots of fish too. I’m glad they didn’t all wash away. The storm doesn’t seem to have bothered them much at all, though I do wonder what they think about having their collective living rooms completely redone.
We fish into the early evening, finally stopping in time to catch the dollar oysters at the Salty Mule in Canton.
We make our way back upstream, returning at last to the battered bridge.
And that’s when we meet Wendy
and Jennifer.
These ladies, it turns out, are moms of two bike team members who are at that very moment enjoying a ride on the area’s network of bike trails. But rather than simply sitting while their kids are riding, Wendy and Jennifer are instead cleaning up the creek. You see, the same high water that changed everything so thoroughly also washed plastic bottles, old flip-flops, half-deflated basketballs, and goodness knows what else into the creek, distributing it along the creek bed in what can only be described as a riparian rapture of oddly artistic randomness.
But artistic or not, it’s still a mess – and these ladies are doing their part to clean things up. They have already filled a big, white plastic bag with trash. Now Jennifer is knee-deep in the water going for more, this time targeting a foam sandal that bobs gently in the current a yard or two upstream.
While Jennifer looks for a way through the flotsam, we chat for a while, talking about things like kids
and creeks and church and poststorm clean-up. There are times, it occurs to me, when those last two might be pretty much the same thing.
After a while we turn back to the trail – “Now I hear oysters calling my name,” my wife says – for the nowshort walk back to the car.
On the way, we do a little tabulating.
“How did you do?” she asks presently. I knew that was coming.
“Oh, about a dozen,” I say, adding at last, “And you?”
“Twenty-one,” she says.
I knew that was coming, too, and the thought of it all warms my soul.
Steve Hudson is an awardwinning outdoor writer who loves sharing the fun of exploring Georgia’s outdoors. You’ll enjoy his recently published Second Edition of Chattahoochee Trout, which covers all of the trout water of Georgia’s storied Chattahoochee River. It’s available from many outdoor shops or from flybooks.net.
STEVE HUDSON Columnist
CITY OF ALPHARETTA
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The following items will be considered by the City Council on Monday, December 2, 2024 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
a. PH-24-17 Unified Development Code (UDC) Text Amendments – Short Term Rentals
Consideration of text amendments to Section 1.4 Definitions of Article I, Table 2.2 List of Permissible and Conditional Uses of Article II, Section 2.7 Miscellaneous Regulations of Article II, and Section 4.5.5 Exceptions of Article IV of the Unified Development Code (UDC) to add regulations pertaining to Short Term Rentals.
b. Code of Ordinances Text Amendments – Short Term Rentals
Consideration of text amendments to the Alpharetta Code of Ordinances to establish a Short-term Rental Ordinance. The proposed Short-term Rental Ordinance will regulate properties otherwise authorized for short-term rental, to include appointment of a registered agent; to impose certain requirements and restrictions regarding the use of properties for short-term rental; to establish an annual licensing system and a fee for same; to provide for enforcement and penalties for violations; to repeal conflicting ordinances; and for other purposes.
Note: Georgia law requires that all parties who have made campaign contributions to the Mayor or to a Council Member in excess of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) within the past two (2) years must complete a campaign contribution report with the Community Development Department. The complete text of the Georgia law and a disclosure form are available in the office of the City Clerk, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
Solution
CITY OF ALPHARETTA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
During these turbulent times, we would like to highlight the continued courage and commitment of everyone who works in the health care, law enforcement, childcare, food service and utility sectors. We are extremely grateful.
CITY OF ALPHARETTA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The following item will be considered by the Board of Zoning Appeals on Thursday, December 19, 2024 commencing at 5:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
a. PH-24-21 4098 Big Creek Overlook Appeal to Administrative Decision
Consideration of an appeal to an administrative decision related to a fine issued for violations of Unified Development Code (UDC) Subsection 3.1.1(D)(2) working without the required land disturbance permit, UDC Subsection 3.1.1(D) (3) failure to provide minimum erosion and sedimentation control measures, UDC Subsection 3.1.1(C)(3) and UDC Subsection 3.3.2 disturbance of stream buffers along state waters, and UDC Subsection 3.4.4(C) development within regulatory areas of special flood hazard. The property is located at 4098 Big Creek Overlook and is legally described as being located in Land Lots 47 & 86, 1st District, 1st Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
Note: Georgia law requires that all parties who have made campaign contributions to the Mayor or to a Council Member in excess of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) within the past two (2) years must complete a campaign contribution report with the Community Development Department. The complete text of the Georgia law and a disclosure form are available in the office of the City Clerk, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
The following item will be considered by the City Council on Monday, December 16, 2024 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
a. PH-24-16 Road Abandonment – Manning Street
Consideration of a request for road abandonment of Manning Street. The property is located within the Manning Street right-of-way and is legally described as being located in Land Lots 1253 & 1268, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
Note: Georgia law requires that all parties who have made campaign contributions to the Mayor or to a Council Member in excess of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) within the past two (2) years must complete a campaign contribution report with the Community Development Department. The complete text of the Georgia law and a disclosure form are available in the office of the City Clerk, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
Season of Celebration: Alpharetta Tree Lighting Road Closure Details
Sat, November 23 from 6am - 10pm
• North & South Broad Street
• Market Street
• Commerce Street
Sat, November 23 from 8am - 1am
• Park Plaza from Academy Street to the City Hall parking deck
Note: No on-street parking from Nov 23 at 6 am thru Nov 24 at 1 am for ALL roads listed in the Alpharetta Tree Lighting closure
12050 Crabapple Road • Roswell, GA 30075
CITY OF ALPHARETTA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The following items will be heard at a public hearing held by the Planning Commission on Thursday, December 5, 2024 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
Items forwarded by the Planning Commission will be considered by the City Council on Monday, December 16, 2024 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
a. Z-24-15 McManus/350 Brady Place
Consideration of a rezoning to allow an existing commercial building to be re-used for a single-family residence or an office in the future. A rezoning is requested from O-I (Office-Institutional) to DT-MU (Downtown Mixed-Use). The property is located at 350 Brady Place and is legally described as being located in Land Lot 693, 1st District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
b. PH-24-23/Z-24-18 Wexler/172 & 182 Marietta Street
Consideration of a change to conditions of zoning and rezoning to allow a detached garage with accessory dwelling on 0.58 acres in the Downtown. A change to conditions of zoning is requested at 182 Marietta Street and a rezoning is requested from C-2 (General Commercial) to DT-R (Downtown Residential) at 172 Marietta Street. The property is located at 172 & 182 Marietta Street and is legally described as being located in Land Lots 694 & 1270, 1st District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
c. Z-24-16/V-24-25 Hampton Hall/Southvine Homes
Consideration of a rezoning and variance to allow 9 ‘Dwelling, ‘For-Sale’, Detached’ lots on 5.05 acres in the Hampton Hall subdivision. A rezoning is requested from AG (Agriculture) to R-15 (Dwelling, ‘For-Sale’, Residential) and variances are requested to Unified Development Code (UDC) Subsection 2.2.5(D) R-15 District Regulations to reduce lot widths and reduce building setbacks. The property is located at 0 Blake Road and is legally described as being located in Land Lot 917, 1st District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
d. CLUP-24-05/Z-24-17/PH-24-20 Mayfair on Haynes Bridge
Consideration of a comprehensive land use plan amendment, rezoning, change of conditions, and public hearing to allow for a 2 nd phase of a residential development including 10 single-family detached homes on 1.53 acres in the Downtown. A comprehensive land use plan amendment is requested from Medium Density Residential to High Density Residential and a rezoning is requested from O-I (Office-Institutional) to DT-R (Downtown Residential). Changes to conditions of zoning is requested for the adjoining 2.83-acre property (Phase 1) approved for a single-family residential subdivision. A public hearing is requested to bring the subject property into the Downtown Overlay. The property is located at 0 Norcross Street and is legally described as being located in Land Lot 747, 1st District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
e. Z-24-09/E-24-03/V-24-14 Wells Fargo Redevelopment/21 North Main Street
Consideration of a rezoning, parking special exception, exception and variance to allow a 5-story mixed-use building on 1 acre in Downtown. A rezoning is requested from C-2 (General Commercial) to DT-C (Downtown Core) and a parking special exception is requested to allow off-site parking. An exception is requested from Unified Development Code (UDC) Appendix A: Alpharetta Downtown Code Subsection 3.5.5(A) to increase the building height from 4 to 5 stories and variances are requested to UDC Appendix A: Alpharetta Downtown Code Subsection 3.5.5 to increase the maximum building footprint and UDC Subsection 3.2.8(D) Landscape Strips to eliminate the landscape strip on the east and north sides of the property. The property is located at 21 North Main Street and is legally described as being located in Land Lot 1268, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.
f. PH-24-24 Unified Development Code Text Amendments – ‘Recreation Facilities, Indoor’, Historic Preservation Incentive Flag Lots, and Procedures
Consideration of text amendments to Subsection 2.2.14(C) C-1 Neighborhood Commercial, Conditional Uses and Table 2.2 List of Permissible and Conditional Uses of Article II of the Unified Development Code (UDC) to add ‘Recreation Facilities, Indoor’ as a conditional use in the C-1 zoning district. Consideration of text amendments to Subsection 2.3.1(E) General Exemptions, Flag Lots and Subsection 2.9.5 Incentives Available to Historic Properties Following Designation of Article II of the UDC to add regulations allowing flag lots as an incentive for saving a historic structure. Consideration of text amendments to Article IV Procedures of the UDC to amend various fees associated with the public hearing process.
Note: Georgia law requires that all parties who have made campaign contributions to the Mayor or to a Council Member in excess of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) within the past two (2) years must complete a campaign contribution report with the Community Development Department. The complete text of the Georgia law and a disclosure form are available in the office of the City Clerk, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.
CASH ONLY PLEASE 4614 BLAKEDALE CIR NE ROSWELL, GA 30075
NK International Trading LLC, Alpharetta GA: VP International Sales in charge of sales, marketing wood prdcts, pre & post-sale tech spprt, pymnt, & pricing policies. Dvlp Americas & LATAM markets. Source wooden cnstrctn, flooring, packaging, lumber, matches & utensil materials from LATAM. Work w/ suppliers to sell materials in U.S. Rspnsble for operational, commercial, financial rltnshps. Manage goods logistics from S. America. Ensure cmplnce w/ Lacey Act, EUTR requirements. Travel: 20% domestic,10% Canada, LATAM. Reqd: Bach or frgn equiv. in Cnstrctn fields or Bus Admin + 5 yrs exp in job offered or as Export Director for wood prdcts. Reqs exp w/exporting wood prdcts from Latin America to markets in US, negotiating terms w/ spplrs & clnts, w/ export logistics, dvlpng new prdct lines, dvlpng & managing commercial rltnshps in intl mrkts, techncl & production knowledge of wood & forestry industry. Email resume: nk@nktrading.us
Primerica Life Insurance Company seeks Senior Infrastructure Engineer Cloud to design/implement robust and scalable CI/CD pipelines for Primerica’s software projects, manage/optimize cloud-based infrastructure, monitor/maintain performance/security of our application, and evaluate/adopt new technologies. $135k to $185K/year. Job in Duluth, GA and allow remote work from anywhere in the U.S. Health/Dental/Vision/Life/ Disability Ins., 401(k), PTO & etc. Apply at https:// primerica.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PRI. JOB #R586:102024.
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THIS HOLIDAY SEASON TIP YOUR NEWSPAPER DELIVERY PERSON
Your local community newspaper lands in your driveway every week—rain or shine—bringing you the stories, events, and updates that matter most. But did you know that the person delivering it is often a dedicated individual who goes the extra mile (literally) to ensure you stay connected? Why Tip?
• Show Appreciation: Your delivery person is out there early in the morning or late at night, navigating all kinds of weather, so you can enjoy the news with your morning coffee.
• Support Local Efforts: While the paper might be free, the effort behind it isn’t. Tipping helps reward those who keep this vital community service running smoothly.
• Brighten Their Day: A small tip can make a big difference in someone’s day, showing gratitude for their hard work and dedication.
If you enjoy receiving your free community newspaper, consider giving a small token of appreciation to the person who brings it to your driveway. A little kindness can go a long way!
Thank you for supporting your local delivery heroes!
How to give your delivery person a tip:
Give via the online portal at appenmedia.com/deliverytip or scan this QR Code
If you prefer, you can also mail a check made out to Appen Media Group and mail it to Newspaper Delivery Tip C/O Appen Media Group, 319 North Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009
100% of every dollar you contribute will be spread out evenly between the 24 newspaper delivery people that Appen Media employs. Whether you give $5 or $50, they will greatly appreciate it.
