27 Kasım 2012 Salı

City Council approves amended contract with PARKatlanta to address motorist concerns

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The Atlanta CityCouncil Monday approved 13-0 an amended contractual agreement with PARKatlantato address continued concerns from motorists and to improve customer relations.

The legislation wasintroduced by City Council Member H. Lamar Willis.
“I think the passageof this legislation demonstrates that we as a council….hear the voices of ourconstituents, and are taking the right steps to alleviate their concerns withregards to PARKatlanta,” said Councilman At Large H. Lamar Willis whointroduced the legislation.
“I believe that withPARKatlanta having to pay penalties to the city for improper enforcement, wewill see improved signage, a more efficient complaint mediation process, andbetter customer service,” Willis added.
PARKatlanta, asubsidiary of Duncan Solutions, signed a seven-year contract with the city in2009 to, among other things, purchase, install and collect money from newmeters, install parking signs and street markings, and issue parking citations.
Some of the keyprovisions under the new amended PARKatlanta agreement are:
  • PARKatlanta will nowmaintain all parking related signage in right-of-way.
  • PARKatlanta  mustprovide an online process for filing complaints on its website.
  • PARKatlanta mustrespond to all online complaints within 2 days.
  • PARKatlanta must sharewith the city all complaints, as well as PARKatlanta’s responses to thosecomplaints.
  • PARKatlanta must havea specific phone number dedicated solely to questions and complaints.
  • PARKatlanta employee mustreceive improved training that is approved by the city.
“Today’s votesignifies council’s commitment to improving the customer experience withPARKatlanta,” said Council President Mitchell. “I look forward to working withPARKatlanta as we implement these enhancements to the parking program inresponse to the public’s concerns over fees and enforcement.”

Under the amended contract, citations may not be issued:  where meters arenon-functioning;  where unclear, conflicting, or hidden signage is in place; wheresignage needs to be repaired, replaced, or relocated, or  where signage is notinstalled, has been removed, or is otherwise missing from a metered area.
If a ticket is issuedin any of these cases, the ticket shall be promptly voided by PARKatlanta oncethey are made aware.
As a result of theseconcessions, PARKatlanta will pay the city $5.3 million annually instead of$5.5 million.

Buckhead’s Brand Properties planned apartment & townhouse project on Peachtree spurs controversy

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Buckhead-based BrandProperties’ proposed development of 147 apartments along possibly 13townhouses, to be located along Peachtree Road between Club Drive and BellaireDrive, has the surrounding Historic Brookhaven neighborhood a little more thanon edge.

The controversy over thedevelopment was a key reason for a recent discussion by the Commission onBrookhaven of the urgent need for the new city of Brookhaven to coordinate withDeKalb County over what licenses and permits each entity will handle.
Artist's rendering of the proposed Brand Properties development 
The Commission onBrookhaven is the five-member group that was appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to workthe past few months on developing transition options and recommendations forthe new elected officials of the city of Brookhaven, which begin cityoperations December 17.
Brand Properties, LLCapplied November 2 to DeKalb’s Planning & Development Department for an“Overlay District Certificate of Compliance” for the project which, in additionto eight townhouses fronting on Peachtree Road, includes plans for a U-shapedbuilding with five stories of apartments on top of a two-level parking deck.
Aerial view of the property along Peachtree Road (foreground) between
Club Drive and Bellaire Drive with the Historic Brookhaven neighborhood
behind and on both sides.  View taken Nov. 26. 
The development wouldstretch along Peachtree Road and be surrounded on the back and two sides by theHistoric Brookhaven neighborhood.  
The original plans callfor a Building B that would be within the city limits of Atlanta and wouldinclude five townhouses. That Building B, however, is not part of the presentapplication to DeKalb County and sources report plans for that portion of theproperty may change.
The Historic Brookhavenneighborhood is virtually split in half, including the golf course property,with half being within the Buckhead area of the city of Atlanta and the rest inDeKalb County and the boundaries of the new city of Brookhaven.   Residents along BellaireDrive have been joined by the Historic Brookhaven Neighborhood Association(HBNA) and the Brookhaven Peachtree Community Alliance (BPCA) in voicing theirobjections because they believe the “proposed development was too over-scaledfor the residential area surrounding it,” according to Jack Honderd, a BPCAboard member.
Above graphic from the submission to the DeKalb Planning & Development
Department shows the outline of the property along Peachtree Road with
Club Drive to the left and Bellaire Drive to the right, the U-shaped
building for 147 apartments, 8 townhouses along Peachtree Road and
Building B at left with 5 townhouses in the original plan submitted. 
Frank Clementi,president of HBNA, agrees, stating the neighborhood is “very concerned aboutthe density and the height of the buildings. We are in favor of smartdevelopment that fits in with the surrounding neighborhood,” Clementi added.“But six story buildings and 147 apartment units is not in line with what wewant.”
Honderd said the grouphad met with Brand Properties, the Buckhead-based owner/developer of theproperty, and with the DeKalb Planning Department to discuss the project andtry to work out a compromise that would be better for the surrounding residentialarea and the community.
“We are working with theneighborhoods to work out a plan that is beneficial to all parties,” said R.Brand Morgan, CEO of Brand Properties. He added that the small size of theproperty is somewhat restrictive in providing the opportunity to create enoughunits to make the project economically feasible, suggesting the only way to dothat is to go up.    Asked about plans forthe parcel of the property that falls within the city of Atlanta and Buckhead,Morgan replied, “Right now we are focusing on the DeKalb County part of thedevelopment.” He said his company had not determined what would be done withthe Atlanta portion of the development.
The above sketch shows the positioning of the U-shaped building with
apartments and 8 townhouses along Peachtree Road with entrances
onto both Peachtree Road and Bellaire Drive  from the DeKalb County
portion of the property. Atlanta property is the wedge at left. 
Sally Silver, chair ofthe city of Atlanta’s Neighborhood Planning Unit B in Buckhead, said she knewBrand Properties has been talking to the Atlanta’s Planning Department aboutthe project, but that nothing has been filed yet regarding what the developer plansto do with the small portion of the property that is within the Atlanta citylimits.
Silver said she hadheard there have been discussions of using that part of the property for anamenities area, but said she does not know if that has been decided upon. Shesaid she knows for sure nothing has been scheduled for a discussion of itbefore NPU-B at this time.
From Brookhaven’sperspective, Honderd said he believes the DeKalb Planning Department hasdetermined the project as originally planned does not meet all of therequirements of the “overlay district,” and Honderd added it is hisunderstanding “DeKalb will not be permitting the project as presented.”
Formed in 2004, the BPCAis a group of Brookhaven residents organized around the goal of guidingBrookhaven development along Peachtree Road and Dresden Drive.  The BPCAspurred DeKalb County to apply for the Livable Cities Initiative (LCI) study,which produced a 20-year development plan for Brookhaven.
The BPCA then workedwith DeKalb County Commissioners to codify the study’s recommendations in a newzoning ordinance for Brookhaven, called the “Brookhaven Peachtree OverlayDistrict.” The BPCA’s current role is to promote the LCI study’s goals forBrookhaven by monitoring new development to be sure it complies with the“overlay’s” requirements.
Honderd said he believesthe proposed Brand Properties development does not meet the “overlay”requirements in at least three major ways: required transitional setback, transitionalheight requirements and that the “overlay district” allowed density has beeninterpreted at 18 units per acre and the development is much greater than thatas presented.
The total acreage of theproperty in question is 2.771 acres, but the part in DeKalb that is part of theoverlay district is 2.04 acres, according the Brand Properties application andthe density is listed at 87.25 units per acre.
Brand Properties’ planfor the development calls for 147 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments inthe U-shaped building, ranging in size from 720 to 1,110 square feet insize.  The eight townhomes would be 1440square feet each. 
The plan calls for 278parking spaces in the two-level parking garage and an additional 10 surfaceparking spaces.  That averages to 1.7parking spaces per unit.
Hondred said the DeKalbPlanning Department’s ruling on these points “provides the developers and theneighbors a better idea for working on producing a project that better suitsthe surrounding area.”
Clementi said hisneighborhood “likes the idea of residential—townhomes or luxury high-endapartments—for the site” which is the last piece of property along Peachtreethat backs up to the Historic Brookhaven neighborhood. But they would like tosee something lower than four stories in height.
“It is a valuable pieceof property,” Clementi added. “Something really attractive will be an assetthere and would be welcomed.”

Milton's and Dinner & a Cause

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Welcome to Milton's Cuisine and Cocktails

Have you ever been to a place that while you were still there, you were already excited about your NEXT visit?  That’s how it was for me yesterday when we tried Milton’s Cuisine and Cocktails in Historic Crabapple for the very first time.  When we arrived, we were seated in one of the rooms of this 150 year old farmhouse.  The rich wood that adorned the floors and ceiling was a true testament of what was to come.  The food, like the wood, was a combination of old and new.  It delivered those southern favorite comfort foods, like fried okra, mac and cheese , and fried green tomatoes, yet gave a new twist. 

Pan Seared Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes

Once we were seated at our table, We were greeted by our waiter who not only fulfilled his duty as our server, but did so with pride.  He told us the origin of the Broadwell farmhouse, the history of the chef, Boyd Rose, and the garden in the back which delivered fresh ingredients for each and every dish.  We decided on the fried green tomato stack with goat cheese and tomato puree, as our appetizer.  Since our little one was getting restless, I decided to take her for a walk around the outdoor patio, which would definitely be a great option for your dining experience, weather permitting.  As our waiter opened the door to the patio, he suggested we walk back behind the small, red barn to checkout the garden.  So, that is exactly what we did.  When we got back there, we saw the diagram pointing out where everything had been planted.  There happened to be someone working in the garden, who was happy to point out the squash blossoms, cobs of corn on the stalk, partially grown watermelon, and tomatoes of every variety.  Not only was it a great lesson, it built excitement for our upcoming fair, and was an experience we will not soon forget.

Out Back at Milton's Milton's Acre. A Story in the Making.

We arrived back at our table to tell of our adventure only to notice our tomato stack had arrived (and had been partially eaten thanks to our dining companion who self admittedly had no will power when the dish arrived).  It was a culinary delight.  It had a basil infused olive oil that gave it a flavor that two fried green tomato connoisseurs could only dream of consuming.  Not much later, our entrees arrived, consisting of Grilled Cilantro-Basil Marinated Chicken Breast with roasted garlic spinach, asparagus, and grilled vegetable ratatouille plus the daily pasta feature which was linguine with chicken, andouille sausage, corn, tomatoes, saffron and basil.  The chicken was tender and juicy.  The Cilantro and Basil marinade added the perfect flavor combo.  The vegetables definitely delivered that fresh, local, home-grown taste...you can't beat that!  The pasta was NOT covered with a sauce that took away from the flavor of the vegetables and herbs, but instead was finished with a luster of butter that highlighted their essence.  As I savored every bite, I found myself looking forward to the next visit, wondering what I would order then, and anticipating the reaction of my friends and family as I introduce them to my new favorite.  If you are looking for a meal that is filled with a combination of nutritious vegetables, but that will indulge your cravings for your southern favorites, then head to Milton’s in Historic Crabapple.


To make your visit to Milton’s (or a large variety of other Atlanta area restaurants) a more Knowtable experience, go to the Dinner & a Cause website for more information about purchasing a card that benefits Children of Conservation and gives you a 20% discount for your entire table at over 80 participating restaurants.  Act fast!  Although you can use the card as many times as you would like until August 31, 2011, that is when the offer ends. 


What is "Children of Conservation" Project?

“In 2009, the Children of Conservation project established a scholarship program to help provide an otherwise unattainable education to the children of wildlife sanctuary workers in Africa.  Since public funding for schooling in many third world countries ends at the 2nd grade, many bright and intelligent children grow up illiterate and unable to advance their station in life. Our program focuses on educating children who learn the value of conservation every day from their sanctuary employed parents. Another aspect of the project is the benefit provided to the soldiers of conservation (the parents). The end result is better care for the animals and a culture where the future leaders come from a background of conservation.”       - www.StumpeFoundation.org

This is the first year for this fundraiser, so help them spread the word in anyway you can!

*Milton's Photos courtesy of Studio 7 Photography

Can't we all just get along?

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I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Holiday and stuffed themselves! I traveled to NC and was the center of attention at the holiday family gathering. Everyone loved me and said what a great dog I was ... Heck Yeah! :)

I was exhausted after all the travel, and when I got home I was ready to just hang with my buddy Pickles. Here we are on a lazy, dreary Sunday morning. awwwwwww now why can't we all just get along like this... side by side and squishy faced!?

I hope you all are geared up for the holiday season. Please be safe if you are traveling, and enjoy your friends and family! I know I will!!

AND Don't forget to book your holiday pet care needs with Buckhead Pet Pals - the sooner you book the better! :)

Ciao for now!
Rocky

I'm a lucky boy

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Hey Everybody -

  I'm a lucky dog you know.  During the school year and I'm at home during the day without any human company, I have my best buddy Mr. Pickles to hang out and play with.  And we really do play together.  My girls think its really funny to watch us playing, I just know its a ton of fun.  And in the summer time my brother and sister are home to hang with me, which makes me that happiest.

And on the occasion, I tell mom in the morning that I'm coming to the office with her.  That's where I get to see Catherine, Tiffany and play with Mr. Bill and my huge dog bone.  I mean, it really doesn't get any better than that.

Here's a pic of me and Mr. Pickles together.  Somedays when I come back from my midday walk with Laurie, Mr. P is hanging out on my bed waiting for me.  He might pretend like he doesn't enjoy me licking his head, but I know he loves it.

Hope all of you have as many great adventures during your days as I do!  And if you need a midday walk during the day like me, tell your humans to call Buckhead Pet Pals - they can help!

Peace out -
Rocky


26 Kasım 2012 Pazartesi

Volunteer Vets, Amazon CARES & Dancing Dog Blog in Peru

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by Guest Blogger MARY HAIGHT, originally published on DancingDogBlog.com on AUGUST 15, 2012


Imagine rolling around in a covered cart affixed to a motorcycle carrying you, swaying back and forth with the potholes and rain-soaked sandy ground, deeply gouged by the 50 other moto-taxis who had previously negotiated the road, creating constant opportunities for tipping over(and a rather nervous back-seat driver). It’s a talent to stay upright and sometimes it’s a close call – drivers seem to operate well in this chaotic environment of no lanes and following bumper to bumper to jockey for position.



© DancingDogBlog
 At the next turn, the waste from a logging operation covers the streets in timber slivers, slabs and chunks. The shanties built here are what shanties the world over look like, dogs, puppies and children running in the street or lounging at the entrance of a house slapped together with boards. I wondered how surgeries would be done here. [Note the street described could not be photographed for fear of having the camera fly out of my hands.]

We arrived at what was an outdoor government sponsored health fair complete with chiropractor. Since this practitioner was just next to the Amazon CARES area, some vets thought it would be great if they could do so many surgeries followed by some back work (they did not do it in the end). Many people responded and the large open lot was teaming with those ready to help their dogs or themselves.
© DancingDogBlog

There were four operating tables I was told were provided by local folks – well, wooden dining tables actually – that were sterilized and covered with plastic. I felt for the vets who had to bend over that table case after case, or try to do surgery sitting once their backs demanded it. The working conditions make everyone think how lucky we are to have so many conveniences at home. Like running water and refrigeration…oh, and bathrooms.
 Molly Mednikow, Founder and Director of Amazon Cares, gave the children an extemporaneous talk about what is necessary to care for your dog. (A short clip will hopefully be at the end of this post but upload times may make it impossible.) There was someone who represented the Patch Adams group keeping kids amused while their parents attended to business.


© DancingDogBlog

Once again, all cats and dogs that showed up were serviced after 6 hours. There was an emergency case of bleeding, so the vets went back in found a problem and fixed it. That dog came back to clinic for an overnight watch (the dog was fine the next morning).
After work, we were back in the business district having dinner at a place claiming to have “better than Starbuck’s” coffee and frappacinos – that made me laugh – it was so far from what this place is all about. There are some expats living here. Joe from Texas runs a place that is open 24 hours and has what must be a ten page menu. His is one of the few establishments with actual air-conditioning (this is no small thing here)!

It was the end to a productive day, and tomorrow another day in a neighborhood without service. The volunteer vets are working very well together as a team and it’s gratifying to watch. Hope you’ll come along with me for a photo tour of where I am, up next =)

The view from the cafe…

© DancingDogBlog

To further spread awareness about Amazon CARES tremendous work, consider sharing blog posts on Twitter and Facebook by joining their Atomic Tribe at: JoinTri.be/31520 Follow Amazon CARES on Twitter and Like their Facebook Page!

Street Dogs, Marco's Story

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By Guest Blogger Mary Haight originally published on August 16, 2012 at dancingdogblog

by DancingDogBlog.com
The other day, a man named Marco brought a little six week old furry pup to be seen by Amazon CARES volunteer vets at the health fair – he knew the dog was very sick. He looked at me with hope – maybe he was wrong, maybe the dog would be fine. Of course I said nothing, but asked where he learned to speak English and it turned out he had lived in New York for eight years.

We talked about everything but dogs until one of the vets was free to assess health. Marco asked if I knew about Copa Airlines new direct flight from Miami to Iquitos for $500 and I expressed my surprise. Then Dr. Megan was free to take a look – Parvo virus, no hope.

The pup was a stray – what Marco did seemed very different to what I’d seen on the streets and at the health fair. No one brings street dogs to these events, Amazon CARES staff and volunteers take nets and catch them (if you think that big fish you caught put up a fight, try this!)

Street dogs are feared and chased away from family pets with kicks and shouts. The dogs are pretty savvy and have learned to avoid contact. It costs money to keep dogs healthy and people want to keep them safe from health problems.

Cultural differences? Perhaps in the methods. We all protect what we love – I don’t doubt this happens in the US. It’s tough to change cultural habits, as we are very well aware of in the US with spay/neuter, adoption – look how long it took “pets are part of the family” to become a significant part of the culture. This story underscores the importance of education programs for upcoming generations that create a safe place for animals.

I was glad to meet Marco and the puppy he had tried to save – it showed me another side of what might be happening here. People learn from each other and an act of kindness does not go unnoticed. Even if his neighbors all think he is crazy at first, attitudes can and do change.