Author Archives: Center Hill Neighborhood Association

   Meeting called to order at 6:31 PM by President Rolanda Powell

    II.          Agenda approved by majority vote

  III.        Minutes approved and read

IV.        President’s Report was given by Ms. Powell

A.  In light of current events, Ms. Powell encouraged all Center Hill residents to keep open lines of communication with each other, find productive outlets for channeling emotions and aim to simply be “good neighbors” to one another.

B.   Ms. Powell encouraged discussion around increasing community engagement on social media platforms. It was suggested that we create a poll to gain feedback on slogans for the forthcoming CHNA t-shirts as well as creating weekly or monthly FB opportunities for giveaways.

C.  Ms. Powell shared updates regarding three Center Hill households who have volunteered to post a book exchange box in their yard. Details to come regarding how this will be implemented.

          V.            Report of the Committees:

At this time, we are still in need of leadership for various committees. President Powell provided an overview of the committees as well as which ones have a vacant chair position.

A.      Beautification- No report

B.      Communications- If you have stories, old photographs or other info to share that provides some historical context on our neighborhood, please share with Jason so that we can find the proper space for it on our website https://centerhillatl.com/. Additoinally, community member Mike Abebe has offered to purchase 100 t-shirts and donate them to CHNA. It was suggested that all current members receive one t-shirt for free and moving forward, be included with 1 year payment of dues. Final t-shirt design and color to be determined.

C.       Entertainment-  No report

D.      Environmental- Ben Norman (chair), provided notes regarding the most recent Center Hill park walkthrough and much-needed improvements (bike rack, torn banner, drainage problems, repaired lights, better access between zones, etc.) Residents are encouraged to document our requests via the appropriate city channels in hopes of getting funds to rehabilitate the park grounds. It was also suggested that we explore working in conjunction with neighborhood businesses with interest in contributing to the overhaul and upkeep.

E.      Public Safety- no report

F.    Zoning- No report

G.   Finance- Balance to date of CHNA treasury is $382. Erin (treasurer) provided a reminder of the due amount per household and encouraged support.

        VI.            Announcements-

A.     NPU-J will resume monthly meetings this week. Regarding CHNA, Rolanda suggested creating a survey to gauge residents thoughts on hosting in-person meetings at Salem Bible Church, or outdoors in a public park space while observing social distancing practices.

B.      Residents were encouraged to complete the U.S. Census, participate in voting at their designated polling place and save the date for the July 26th drive-in movie at Salem Bible Church hosted by Rolanda Powell and Councilmen Dustin Hillis.

Meeting adjourned at 7:29 PM

Submitted by Erin Nickson

Treasurer

1. Meeting called to order at 6:31 PM by President Rolanda Powell
2. Agenda approved by majority vote
3. Minutes approved and read
4. President’s Report was given by Ms. Powell 
   1. Ms. Powell requested household participation in supporting multiple neighborhood library boxes. These boxes would be placed in the yard of participating neighbors and stocked with books offered up by community residents. Three neighbors have expressed interest thus far (Antonio, Tre’Chic and Timaley).
   2. The official Center Hill Neighborhood Association website is live and available at centerhillatl.com. Thank you to committee chair Jason for seeing this project through completion.
   3. Special Guest, Councilmember Dustin Hillis: Councilmember Hillis thanked Center Hill residents for their support of efforts to bring crosswalks to DLH and participating in the pedestrian count months ago. Councilmember Hillis plans to reach out to GDOT for an updated timeline for completion since the original February 2021 date might have changed in light of recent events. Crosswalks were slated to be installed at Woods Drive, Center Hill Ave and S. Eugenia. Councilmember Hillis is also working to get a MARTA shelter stop at DLH and Cedar, but this would require the consent of the property owner. The roadwork on Baker Rd should be wrapping up soon; the next phase will see road interruptions along Commodore. Georgia Power will begin infrastructure upgrades to include placement of new power grids that will reduce the number of outages experienced in our community. Fire station 22 needs a projected $1 million in upgrades; a new location is being proposed at Hollywood and N. Eugenia. Councilmember Hillis can be reached at drhillis@atlga.gov or 404-623-4903
   4. Special Guest, Councilmember Antonio Brown: Councilmember Brown’s office was represented by Perrin Bostic. Councilmember Brown secured a deal with gourmet meals to supply 15,000 meals to 27 senior facilities and worked to ensure students in his district have access to wifi during the pandemic. Superintendent. Carstarphen and APS provided a chromebook to each student that reached out with a demonstrated need. Councilmember Brown hosted a Taco Tuesday food event where attendees also received detergent and PPE gear. Two mobile COVID-19 testing events are confirmed in the general area: Vine City and Dixie Hills. Registration is preferred over walk-ups and they’re working with MARTA to reassess cut bus routes so that district 3 residents can get to work safely. Councilmember Brown is also working to provide rental assistance to those in need and supporting legislation that would make that loans granted from the business continuity fund forgivable.
5. Report of the Committees:
   At this time, we are still in need of leadership for various committees. President Powell provided an overview of the committees as well as which ones have a vacant chair position.
   1. Beautification- No report
   2. Communications- If you have stories, old photographs or other info to share that provides some historical context on our neighborhood, please share with Jason so that we can find the proper space for it on our website.
   3. Entertainment- Antonio Rolle has volunteered to host a Netflix watch party for residents of Center Hill. Details will be shared via FB and email once confirmed.
   4. Environmental- Ben Norman (chair) has established the Friends of Center Hill Park and scheduled a neighborhood walk through the park this Saturday. Time and meeting spot to be determined.
   5. Public Safety- Special Guest, Uzma Khan. In light of COVID-19 concerns Ms. Khan shared info regarding reputable resources for information such as cdc.gov and dph.ga.gov. Good Samaritan health clinic has a free COVID-19 help line, while the Pink Coat Coalition offers free COVID-19 counseling every Thursday evening via their FB page. In light of Georgia’s partial opening, frequent hand washing and the use of face coverings is encouraged. For additional questions, Ms. Khan can be reached at 678-779-3912.
   6. Zoning- No report
   7. Finance- Balance to date of CHNA treasury is $382. Erin (treasurer) provided a reminder of the due amount per household and encouraged support.

6. Announcements- 
   1. NPU-J will meet at Anderson Park ballpark on May 26^th at 7:00 PM. This general body, socially distant meeting will allow for revision of the bylaws to allow virtual meetings.
   2. Presidential primary and MOST tax moved to June 9^th. Early voting: May 18^th – June 5^th. MOST: 1 cent sale tax meant to fund capital projects like the sewer line/EPA mandated updated for dept. of watershed. If MOST passes, the costs associated with these updates are spread across everyone that spends money within the boundaries of the city of Atlanta. 

Adjourned 7:26 PM

Submitted by Erin Nickson
Treasurer

1. Meeting called to order at 6:30 PM by President Rolanda Powell
2. Agenda approved by majority vote
3. Minutes approved and read
4. President’s Report was given by Ms. Powell 
   1. By a general body vote, the leadership of the various NPU-J neighborhoods agreed to allocate $3,000 for reflective neighborhood house number signs for seniors (62 yrs). Each neighborhood will get an equal number of signs. Each sign will be personalized to neighborhood and neighborhood will be responsible for distribution.
5. Report of the Committees:
   At this time, we are still in need of leadership for various committees. President Powell provided an overview of the committees as well as which ones have a vacant chair position.
   1. Beautification- No report
   2. Communications- Jason Davis (chair) provided screenshots and overview of neighborhood website tabs. The agreed upon domain name will be centerhillatl.com and should be on-line by next meeting. The association will look into partnering with real estate agents  selling homes in the area to pre-pay the association dues for their client or buy them a CH swag kit to include t shirts, yard signs and two year membership. Neighborhood business owner Mike Abebe agreed to sponsor 100 CHNA t-shirts w/ logo. 
   3. Entertainment- No report
   4. Environmental- Ben Norman (chair) has established the Friends of Center Hill Park. Ben suggested CHNA residents work in conjunction with Park Pride, whose aim is to help communities activate their park via fundraising activities, providing access to grants, training/resources, tool rental and ability to work under their 501c3 umbrella to accept charitable giving. Ben donated the $50 to officially create a Friends of Center Hill Park and needs support from neighbors. Center Hill park is 46 acres and ripe for development (dog parks, senior exercise machines, walking trails, connection to baseball park in Center Hill. Ben suggested that this committee work with designated city designer to draw up architectural sketch of wish list, understanding that sometimes the Path Foundation will absorb the cost for a redesign.

5. Zoning-

2481 DLH- Mike Abebe- variance has already been approved w/ contingencies. Mr. Abebe presented his plan for a 100% affordable, 108 unit, 5 story senior residence. Parking is usually underutilized, so the variance request is to remove 5 parking spaces and increase more green space. Ground breaking should take place in May. The 30 million project should take 15 months to complete. The project will include 103 1 bedroom units and 5 2 bedroom units with the 1 bedroom projected to rent at $700/month. Mr. Abebe has already requested an extension to update the property in 15 years so that it will stay affordable for 30 years. 

The plan received Center Hill approval by majority vote.

1576 DLH- Grove Theater- Plans are in place to rezone in order to add an additional building to the footprint. The 300-500 occupant performance space will be built with support and partnership from the Fox Theatre. Grove Theatre received a $100,000 grant for a new roof, but plans also include retail options such as a coffee shop. Performances will be cost appropriate for the respective neighborhood in order to encourage attendance and support accessibility. 

6. Finance- Balance to date of CHNA treasury is $379. Erin (treasurer) provided a reminder of the due amount per household and encouraged support.

6. Announcements- 
   1. NPU-J mtg March 24^th @ Frederick Douglas High School
   2. NPU Co-ed Kickball League- Deadline to sign up is March 27^th. Contact Jennifer McIntosh chair@npuatlanta.org to register. No cost. 18 years or older.
   3. CHNA committee and exec board mtg- March 18^th– Time TBD

Adjourned 7:21 PM

Submitted by Erin Nickson
Treasurer

1. Meeting Called to Order by Vice President, Ms. Addie Calhoun at 6:35 PM. 
2. Agenda approved by majority vote. 
3. Minutes approved as read by Consultant Chris Bartlett. 
4. Consultant Chris Bartlett oversaw report of committees:
   1. Beautifcation: Discussion was held around the aims of the beautification committee. Tre’Chic Graham volunteered to oversee this committee and will begin soliciting support of neighbors to join her already established neighborhood clean-up efforts. During discussion, Ms. Graham also made note of safety concerns due to increased gunshots in our area. NPU J President Keona Jones advised residents of the new major at APD and suggested each neighborhood send a representative to meet with him and discuss their specific concerns.
   2. Communication: Communications Chair, Jason Davis, shared updates on website progress. Jason requested participation from neighbors by providing history/stories of their Center Hill experience. Jason also plans to update the website to include info regarding strategic partners and things to do. The goal is to have the website up and running within 1-2 months.
   3. Vacant Committees: Chris Bartlett provided general overview of the education, entertainment/events, environmental and public safety committees and asked all neighbors in attendance to consider volunteering their time to lead a committee.
   4. Zoning: Chris Bartlett provided update on the importance of active participation in the zoning committee. As it relates, Chris shared updates on the development of Bankhead Seafood which includes plans to include patio seating and the need for a zoning variance to address parking concerns. To reintroduce Bankhead Seafood to the community, a food truck event is planned for next month. Chris also shared info regarding the “Old Citgo” located at the Hollywood/DLH split. This property has changed hands recently, and the new ownership has signed the “Community Benefits Business Agreement’ with NPU J- committing them to becoming involved in the respective neighborhood associations, PTAs, etc and proactively hire/train from within.
   5. Misc: Residents expressed concern over blight/old food at the corner store located at DLH and James Jackson. Residents were encouraged to document obvious hazards with the appropriate regulatory agencies (Code Enforecement, Dept. of Health)
5. New Business: 
   1. Allen Holmes, of Councilman Dustin Hillis’ office, was in attendance and shared information regarding the DEV (Disabled, elderly, veterans) Legislation program aimed at stopping predatory reporting of homes that seniors refuse to sell for code violations. Their office is aiming to connect residents with resources to assist with lawn care, painting, etc via a grant of $250K. Allen Holmes shared info regarding the Georgia HOPE grant which enables non-degree holders to get a free certification in skilled trades (HVAC, plumbing, computer programming) via training at Atlanta Technical College. Residents encouraged the office to be conscious of barriers residents may find to completing the application (internet access, computer literacy, etc.) and asked their office to consider hosting computer literacy classes for seniors as well. Regarding Code Enforcement, Councillman Hillis’ office is pushing for an increase in pay for building inspectors. Demolition of blighted properties can’t begin without a proper inspection, but the city of Atlanta is losing qualified inspectors for higher paying markets. 
   2. Treasurer, Erin Nickson, provided an overview of the account to date. The balance in the CHNA treasury was $379, which included $34 collected at the February meeting.  
   3. Voting was held for all officers within CHNA. Results: Rolanda Powell (President), Addie Calhoun (Vice President), Erin Nickson (Treasurer), Secretary (VACANT), Historian (VACANT), Consultant (Chris Bartlett). 
   4. Chris Bartlett introduced the CHNA volunteer form once again. This form is to be used when identifying neighbors interested in serving in some capacity without chairing an committee. Chris Bartlett provided detailed review of the CHNA neighborhood development plan. This report included detailed information regarding parcels of land that should be of interest to CHNA as they are ripe for development, as well as information regarding our major revenue producers located with CHNA boundaries. Mr. Bartlett will continue to fine tune this plan and keep members of CHNA apprised of his findings and solicit feedback when needed. Thomas Nickson volunteered to work alongside Chris on this project.
   5. Misc: Residents expressed concern over blight/old food at the corner store located at DLH and James Jackson. Residents were encouraged to document obvious hazards with the appropriate regulatory agencies (Code Enforecement, Dept. of Health)
6. New Business: 
   1. Allen Holmes, of Councilman Dustin Hillis’ office, was in attendance and shared information regarding the DEV (Disabled, elderly, veterans) Legislation program aimed at stopping predatory reporting of homes that seniors refuse to sell for code violations. Their office is aiming to connect residents with resources to assist with lawn care, painting, etc via a grant of $250K. Allen Holmes shared info regarding the Georgia HOPE grant which enables non-degree holders to get a free certification in skilled trades (HVAC, plumbing, computer programming) via training at Atlanta Technical College. Residents encouraged the office to be conscious of barriers residents may find to completing the application (internet access, computer literacy, etc.) and asked their office to consider hosting computer literacy classes for seniors as well. Regarding Code Enforcement, Councillman Hillis’ office is pushing for an increase in pay for building inspectors. Demolition of blighted properties can’t begin without a proper inspection, but the city of Atlanta is losing qualified inspectors for higher paying markets. 
   2. Treasurer, Erin Nickson, provided an overview of the account to date. The balance in the CHNA treasury was $379, which included $34 collected at the February meeting.  
   3. Voting was held for all officers within CHNA. Results: Rolanda Powell (President), Addie Calhoun (Vice President), Erin Nickson (Treasurer), Secretary (VACANT), Historian (VACANT), Consultant (Chris Bartlett). 
   4. Chris Bartlett introduced the CHNA volunteer form once again. This form is to be used when identifying neighbors interested in serving in some capacity without chairing an committee. Chris Bartlett provided detailed review of the CHNA neighborhood development plan. This report included detailed information regarding parcels of land that should be of interest to CHNA as they are ripe for development, as well as information regarding our major revenue producers located with CHNA boundaries. Mr. Bartlett will continue to fine tune this plan and keep members of CHNA apprised of his findings and solicit feedback when needed. Thomas Nickson volunteered to work alongside Chris on this project.
7. Announcements: 
   1. Rhoda Brawner shared info regarding available grants to fund various initiatives. Rhoda shared this information with the respective members of the CHNA executive board for review/consideration.

Adjournment: 7:35 PM

Submitted by Erin Nickson
Treasurer

1. Meeting Called to Order by President, Ms. Rolanda Powell at 6:38 PM. 
2. Purpose and mission statement read by President Powell
3. Reading of October meeting minutes by President Powell
4. Minutes approved as read by President. 
5. President’s Report was given by Ms. Powell 
   1. President Powell shared info about the “Fireside Chat” with Clifford “T.I.” Harris at Georgia Tech. Questions from the general audience were not allowed, as they were predetermined from APS school students. CHNA membership will continue exploring alternative ways to engage Mr. Harris in the development of Center Hill.
   2. President Powell shared an update to the October 15^th meeting focused on addressing the DLH corridor and safety concerns as they relate to all communities along the route in advance of the November 19^th meeting. The DLH Transportation Safety Pre-Community meeting was attended by residents from 6 NPU’s, Andre Dickinson, Sheila Jones and Senator Horacina Tate among others. A request was made during this meeting to have access to the data/reports in advance of GDOT/MARTA townhall scheduled for Nov 19th. During this update, several JBM Tower residents stated that Ms. Williams confirmed for them that a request for a traffic calming light had been approved, but the date of installation was unknown. CHNA leadership will work to get additional information regarding GDOT timeline and official results of pedestrian study.
6. Report of the Committees:
   At this time, we are still in need of leadership for various committees. President Powell provided an overview of the committees as well as which ones have a vacant chair position.
   1. Zoning Committee
   2. Communications Committee
      1. The Center Hill Neighborhood Association logo, designed by our communications committee chair, was revealed to the general body. A brief explanation of the characteristics in the design were provided as context as well as news regarding the creation of a CHNA website.
   3. Education Committee
   4. Environmental Committee
   5. Public Safety Committee
   6. Finance Committee
      1. Treasurer, Erin Nickson, shared the status of the CHNA bank account. Balance to date after funds collected during November meeting is $345.
   7. Entertainment/Events Committee
   8. Beautification Committee
   9. New Business: 
      1. Due to the attendance at the November meeting, a motion was made and carried to postpone election of officers until the next general body meeting.
      2. Rolanda provided an introduction of the volunteer form as well as well as voting ballot  and how it will be used when appointing committee chairs.   
7. Announcements: 
   1. President Powell made a plea for CHNA members to begin attending the NPU-J meetings. NPU-J Meeting: Fourth Tuesday of each month- 7:00 PM at Frederick Douglas High School
   2. Consultant, Chris Bartlett provided extensive information regarding the work he’s conducting on developing the CHNA business plan. This report included detailed information regarding parcels of land that should be of interest to CHNA as they are ripe for development, as well as information regarding our major revenue producers located with CHNA boundaries. Mr. Bartlett will continue to fine tune this plan and keep members of CHNA apprised of his findings and solicit feedback when needed.

Adjournment: 7:35 PM

Submitted by Erin Nickson
Treasurer

1. Meeting Called to Order by President, Ms. Rolanda Powell at 6:33 PM. 
2. Purpose and mission statement read by President Powell
3. Reading of September meeting minutes by President Powell
4. Minutes approved as read by President. 
5. President’s Report was given by Ms. Powell 
   1. Public Safety: Discussion was had regarding the participation of Ms. Powell in a meeting with Atlanta Bicycle Coalition Executive Director, Rebecca Sema regarding mirroring their Memorial Drive efforts to spur change along DLH. Rolanda attempted to play video from the meeting, but due to sound distortion, a link will be shared on CHNA social media outlets. Rolanda, as a representative for CHNA, will continue engaging other community partners to find viable solutions for DLH.
   2. Upcoming meeting with key community stake-holders on October 15^th to address the DLH corridor and safety concerns as they relate to all communities along the route in advance of a November meeting.
   3. President Powell shared info about the upcoming “Fireside Chat” with Clifford “T.I.” Harris at Georgia Tech and her interest in speaking with him about future involvement in CHNA activities/discussion.
6. Report of the Committees:
   As no committees have been formalized at this time, no official reports have been submitted for the record. Miscellaneous items were addressed in the President’s report in the interim.
   1. Zoning Committee
   2. Communications Committee
      1. Rolanda introduced newly appointed Communications Committee chair, Jason Davis, to the general body. Jason brings a wealth of experience in web design and will continue work to build a CHNA website as well as craft an official logo. Jason also volunteered to cover the website domain hosting fees for two years via a donation of $150 to the CHNA treasury. Due to the amount, a vote was required to accept the donation. By vote, the donation was accepted.
   3. Education Committee
   4. Environmental Committee
   5. Public Safety Committee
      1. Update provided regarding the efforts made on behalf of Councilman Dustin Hillis in partnership with GDOT to track pedestrian traffic on DLH this morning in front of Johnnie B Moore Tower. Preliminary reports were that the outing was effective in arguing our case for increased traffic calming measures.
      2. Continued discussions were had around how neighbors can become active in reporting illegal dumping and other nuisance activities within CHNA boundaries.
7. Finance Committee
   1. Treasurer, Erin Nickson, shared the status of the CHNA bank account. Balance to date after funds collected during October meeting is $339.
8. Entertainment/Events Committee
   1. Erin Nickson shared a neighborhood Halloween activity in efforts to engage the adult residents during this season. Discussion was also had around compiling addresses of attendees who planned to participate in trick or treating. Suggestions were made to update home information on Nextdoor to indicate this in order for non-attendees to be kept in the loop as well.
9. Beautification Committee
   1. New Business: 
      1. Elections for CHNA executive board positions will take place at the next general body meeting (Thursday, November 7^th). All interested individuals are encouraged to review the bylaws for detailed explanation of duties and responsibilities.
      2. Rolanda provided an introduction of the volunteer form and how it will be used when appointing committee chairs.   
10. Announcements: 
    1. October Neighborhood Canvassing: Saturday, October 26^th. All interested neighbors should plan to meet at Johnnie B Moore tower at 10:00 AM. 
    2. NPU-J Meeting: Fourth Tuesday of each month- 7:00 PM at Frederick Douglas High School
    3. One-Corridor D.L. Hollowell Community Open House- Tuesday, November 18^th from 6-9. Location TBD

Adjournment: 7:38 PM

Submitted by Erin Nickson
Treasurer