ECO BRIEFS

By Collin Kelley

Two acres of greenspace around the Atlanta City Water Works’ Hemphill Reservoir will reopen next year offering visitors sweeping views of Buckhead, Midtown, and Downtown.

Fenced off in 1996 due to terrorism concerns during the Summer Olympics, “The Hill” will once again be open to the public. As one of the highest points in the city, the park at the corner of Howell Mill Road and 17th Street will be perfect for picnics and Instagram-worthy moments.

Upper Westside Improvement District (UWID) and Friends of Waterworks have been negotiating with the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management for five years to get the fences pushed back and the park reopened to the public.

“Upper Westside Improvement District has never given up on the effort to open the reservoir grounds,” said UWID Executive Director Elizabeth Hollister. “The residents and the businesses tell us they want more parks in the Howell Mill – Marietta area, and we have a huge, magnificent space which was once open to everyone and will be again.”

The city determined it could maintain safe water treatment operations while opening some of the former parkland. Atlanta City Councilman Dustin Hillis also voiced his

Minority-owned electric car company, Derek Automotive Technologies, has opened its first Experience Center showroom at Atlantic Station. The 3,000-square-foot space at 232 19th St., Suite 7130, is the first brick-and-mortar location for the automotive company, allowing customers touch the brand and to fully customize available models. At the showroom, guests can purchase and customize various products, including the Avani Pure SUV, the company’s fully electric model, plus electric scooters and bikes, as well as a line of lifestyle products. Founder Derek Bailey said the company is currently developing a new gas-to-electric hybrid model titled ‘Proteus’, which will be available for purchase in late 2022. Find out more at derekautomotive.com.

The Georgia Water Coalition released its Clean 13 report for 2021 highlighting individuals, businesses, industries, non-profit organizations, and governmental agencies whose efforts have led to cleaner rivers. Locally, Georgia Audubon and Southern Conservation Trust were recognized for a joint project at Sams Lake Bird Sanctuary in Fayette County, while Atlanta retailer Patagonia was recognized for its environmental advocacy efforts. To see the full report, visit gawater.org/clean-13.

Atlanta Ballet dancer Keaton Leier has teamed up with other professional ballet dancers to launch the Artists Climate Collective (ACC), a non-profit that unites artists across North America in the fight against climate change. ACC said in a statement that it “hopes to use our tools and abilities to support climate activists pushing this cause forward by donating the profits from our projects to their on the ground, community driven, and socially responsible organizations.” Find out morea at artistsclimatecollective. org.