CHCA news & updates
December 29, 2022
Intersection Planning Meeting for Clairmont Heights
Got Ideas? Help craft our neighborhood proposals
The CHCA Board at its December meeting created a special committee to spur neighborhood input for City of Decatur's survey about intersection improvements. Ideally, we can identify several proposals with broad support for a coordinated response. We invite you to join us via Zoom next week:

Wednesday, January 3, 2023, 6:30-8 PM

Complete this short registration survey to receive the Zoom link:


Our discussion will begin with several proposals based on previous input:

  • Designation of North Decatur as a "No Truck" zone
  • Modern signal lights with improved placement
  • Full cross walks on all sides of intersection with uniform "No Turn on Red"
  • Improved signal control with dedicated walking period
  • Enlarged corner pad to facilitate enforcement of downhill speeding

Do you have other ideas? Register using the survey to join our neighborhood conversation. We hope to see all interested neighbors on January 3rd.

NOTE: You may also provide your ideas directly to the City of Decatur staff coordinating this process using the mechanism described in the next section of this email.
Decatur Seeks Input on Intersection
Decatur has included the intersection of North Decatur Road and Superior Avenue as a component of its "Street Smarts" program to improve safety and walkability around the city. In response to longstanding neighbor concerns, city staff included this intersection in their 2018 Transportation Plan Update and the City's 2020 Strategic Plan that governs their efforts over the decade spanning 2020 to 2030. This is a key opportunity to provide your input about how to improve this intersection.
Independent of the coordinated response described above, all residents may offer suggestions directly to the City of Decatur staff and AECOM, the company hired by Decatur to organize the design process, provide engineering oversight, and draw up plans.
Information about input process: Decatur Next page on Input Survey
As the image above shows, our neighborhood entrance on North Decatur is in Segment 2. This is the only portion of this street within the City limits. Even within this segment, Decatur shares responsibility with DeKalb County for maintenance and technical support for things like traffic signals, drainage, and traffic engineering.
The survey allows you to make comments about any of the segments, and City of Decatur is working with DeKalb officials to make improvements along the entire stretch. You can mention potholes, crumbled sidewalks, narrow lanes, poor visibility - anything you know about that we would like to fix!

To help you gather your thoughts, CHCA has provided a copy of the survey text. Download by clicking link or image:


Here is a direct link:


Deadline for input is FEBRUARY 15, 2023.
TAD promises PATH Connection to Druid Hills MS and Mall
The DeKalb County Commissioners approved a new Tax Allocation District (TAD) to upgrade public infrastructure like sidewalks, roads, traffic signals, and crosswalks around the new EDENS project replacing North DeKalb Mall. Extensions to the PATH connections for pedestrians and cyclists will be a key feature of this program.

As the planning map above indicates, important segments of a county-wide greenway and multi-use trail, the South Peachtree Creek trail, will extend from the current terminus in Medlock Park through the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve and link to the proposed EDENS development (former North DeKalb Mall). A connection under Lawrenceville Highway will extend over to the Little Creek Horse Park and a broader regional trail network. Eventually, this pedestrian pathway is proposed to go all the way up to Druid Hills Middle School. This pedestrian connection was a key goal of neighborhood groups that worked with EDENS as they created their proposed redevelopment plan for North DeKalb Mall. The passage of the TAD to fund improvements like this was a huge achievement for retiring County Commissioner Jeff Rader, who has been a vital proponent for smarter development (and redevelopment) of areas around Clairmont Heights throughout his tenure in office. Commissioner Ted Terry was instrumental in its passage as well.

Want to see larger views? Follow these links to full-page versions you can print:



Read the fine print about what the TAD brings to DeKalb and see the planning document for the South Peachtree Creek PATH here:



The stated goal of DeKalb County Tax Allocation District #4: Market Square TAD is to upgrade and enhance the North DeKalb Mall area and its adjacent commercial corridors and to encourage the private redevelopment of outmoded, suburban mall and highway-oriented commercial land uses into modern development patterns to achieve the vision set forth the 2050 DeKalb Unified Plan, and the Edens North DeKalb Mall redevelopment vision.

Proposed Public Investments:

Improvements to DeKalb County infrastructure and other eligible redevelopment costs will be necessary to support the community’s vision of redevelopment for the area and to support the growth and development envisioned in this Redevelopment Plan and the DeKalb 2050 Unified and Comprehensive Land Use Plans. Having a Tax Allocation District in place will help fund the infrastructure improvements necessary to support this vision.
The purpose of the proposed infrastructure improvements funded by the TAD would be:

• Transportation and mobility enhancements
• Site-specific development programs
• Area-wide infrastructure improvements
• Affordable housing and related programs
• Public space, landscaping, lighting, and other improvements
• Parks and recreation facilities
• Other Uses and land acquisition
The Table to the right indicates that extensions to the South Peachtree Creek Trail (our local PATH route) are among the earliest benefits that will flow from these specially allocated tax dollars.

The turn lanes at Birch and North Druid Hills will also include improvements to sidewalks and crosswalks. Residents of the Laurel Ridge and North Druid Valley neighborhoods sought these during discussions about EDENS' redevelopment plan for the former mall.
The region covered by this special tax district is depicted in the map to the right.

Proceeds must be spent on projects within this zone. Since the extensions to the South Peachtree Creek Trail are major aspects of this, public properties that do not generate tax income to the county are included such as Medlock Park,cDeKalb School District properties at ICS and Druid Hills MS, Clyde Shepherd, and Little Creek Horse Park.
TAD proceeds will roll in to county coffers over a 25-year period. Meanwhile, construction of the EDENS project at the former mall location is currently projected to take place over the next 6 years. The image below shows their stated schedule for the construction of various portions of this property. (You can find a more complete description in the TAD document linked above.)
First Day Hike - January 1, 2023!
Join Ranger Jonah!
Resolved to spend more time in nature this year? Kick off 2023 with a hike.

This moderate 2-3 hour hike will cover between 4 to 5 miles on PATH and soft-surface hiking trails. This program will provide exercise and connection with nature and will take you to parts of Mason Mill Park you may not have seen.

Date: SUN January 1, 2023
Time: 10AM – 1PM

Place: Mason Mill Park
South Peachtree Creek PATH Trailhead
1400 McConnell Drive Decatur, GA 30033
Dress for the weather, bring a refillable water bottle, and hiking sticks if you have/need them. All ages are welcome, but be aware that this is a much longer hike than typical programs at Mason Mill Park. Meet at the South Peachtree Creek trailhead near the Mason Mill Tennis Center (McConnell Dr & Mason Mill Rd).
GA Legislature kicks off in January - Town Halls Coming
Learn about Legislative Action and Priorities for 2023
DEKALB TOWN HALL MEETINGS - Members of the DeKalb House Legislative Delegation will host a series of virtual and in-person town hall meetings to hear from DeKalb citizens and to discuss the Legislative Session. There will be two meetings:

  • THU, January 5, 2023, from 6-7:30 PM via Zoom (Register using link below.)

  • SAT, January 7, 2023, from 1-2:30 PM at Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center.
Beginning with this term, Clairmont Heights is represented in the Georgia House by District 82 Representative Mary Margaret Oliver. Ms. Oliver is a long-standing advocate for improvements in the treatment options for mental health and in beneficial reforms for juvenile justice.

In the coming term, Ms. Oliver plans to advance legislation related to the upper age for juvenile offenders. Currently, in the United States, Georgia is one of only three states that consider 17-year-olds as adults rather than juveniles in criminal law.

Oliver hope the “Raise the Age Bill” will move forward in 2023 with heavy bipartisan support. You can here hear discussion of this topic with WSB TV reporters in this video: