News RoundUp

Absentee ballots for the U.S. Senate runoff between David Perdue (R) and Jon Ossoff (D) and Kelly Loeffler (R) and Raphael Warnock (D) must be received by election offices in Fulton and DeKalb by 7 p.m. on Jan. 5. Officials encourage voters to use officials drop boxes. Locations can be found at fultoncountyga.gov or dekalbcountyga.gov.

Continued from page 6 establishes the most stringent preservation standards on the portion of a lot within 60 feet of a public street. Beyond 60 feet, greater flexibility is allowed. For the most part, this means the forward-facing façades of historically significant buildings will be maintained and protected, but property owners are free to improve and/or expand the rear of their buildings and even add accessory dwelling units in the back. In areas with fewer remaining historic resources, such as along Ponce de Leon Avenue or near the Atlanta Beltline, the new district allows for significant new mid- and high-rise construction, provided all historic buildings are preserved,” Racicot said.

Buckhead’s Lenox Square mall is responding to a year-long string of shootings by adding metal detectors and gun-sniffing dogs. In just the last few months of 2020, a man accidentally fired a gun in the food court, while another was shot inside the new Apple Store, and a man fired a gun inside Neiman Marcus during an alleged robbery attempt.

There were naysayers to the plan, mainly from commercial building owners and residents who believed the designation would cost them money or restrict their rights as property owners. Opposition signs were visible along N. Highland Avenue and it sparked often heated debate in online community forums. The majority of Poncey-Highland’s residents were in favor, McDonald said, due to concerns about the loss of historic homes, buildings, and the threat of “McMansions” encroaching into the community.

McDonald said the city would also be using Poncey-Highland’s new zoning status as a model as it begins to rezone other neighborhoods to allow for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to provide more affordable housing (see the story on page 21).

The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved an ordinance on Dec. 7 permitting restaurants and bars to offer sidewalk seating on city streets during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The city already allows sidewalk dining, but usually requires a permit fee.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has appointed Jon Keen to serve as the City’s Chief Operating Officer. Keen joined the Bottoms Administration in 2018 as Deputy Chief Operating Officer. Before joining the Administration, Keen was a Manager for Deloitte Consulting LLP and IBM Global Services and was a Major in the United States Army.

“We’ve got provisions for getting affordable housing done without having to tear something down,” McDonald said. “We were very appreciative of the City of Atlanta’s willingness to work with us on this process.”

With the heavy lifting complete, both McDonald and Malaney said there is still education to be done to help the community understand what the historic district zoning means to them, including a user-friendly

Malaney hopes Poncey-Highland’s work will be a catalyst for other Intown neighborhoods.

“Once people understand what’s possible, I think other neighborhoods might want to do this too,” Malaney said. “Having zoning that speaks and is tailored to a neighborhood gives the community more agency.”