LET'S THANK OUR FIREFIGHTERS AT Atlanta Fire STATION 29!

During the pandemic, our brave firefighters keep doing what they do best – keeping our neighborhood safe!

Sign up to bring a dish during the Thanksgiving holiday to say thanks!

ActivateATL is the project for the City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation new 10-year Comprehensive Master Plan. Learn more at their project website.

They have officially completed the first phase of public engagement and reviewed all the community input. They have also visited all City of Atlanta parks and recreation centers to collect baseline data about their conditions. This information will be used to develop the existing conditions and priorities assessment. They are now entering the Visioning phase and will come back to the community with this vision for another round of public engagement in early Spring 2021.

They are staying connected with the community via social media, a monthly e-newsletter, and a new app, HappiFeet - Atlanta Parks. There's also a new survey that will provide even more insight into community priorities.

5-Min. Image-Based Survey: Take a short survey to provide more insight into the findings from the first phase of public engagement. There was interest in health & wellness, aquatics, trails, and more - they want to find out more!

Sign Up for the ActivateATL E-Newsletter: Stay updated with all things ActivateATL - sign up for the monthly e-newsletter!

HappiFeet - Atlanta Parks App: Download this app to send feedback, photos, videos, maintenance requests, or any questions directly to Dept. of Parks & Rec.

If you have questions or want to reach out to the ActivateATL team, please contact:

Sabina Kasumova | Park Pride
Public Engagement Specialist
City of Atlanta's ActivateATL: Recreation & Parks for All
Cell: 770-800-3525
sabina@parkpride.org

In the early 1800s, Elijah Paty purchased a tract of land along Clear Creek, which today defines the western boundary of Piedmont Heights. In 1834, Paty sold the land for $450 to Benjamin Walker, who built a grist mill on Clear Creek just south of Plaster’s Bridge Road, today’s Piedmont Avenue. Walker’s mill would have also sold dry goods and other essentials, which would have made it a gathering place for surrounding farmers. Eventually it became the heart of an unincorporated town called Easton, today’s Piedmont Heights.

Walker sold his property in 1857 to his son, Benjamin P. “Doc” Walker, a former Confederate soldier and Fulton County Commissioner, who built a log house on the property up the hill from Clear Creek. The house and the mill were destroyed during the Civil War, and in 1870 Benjamin built a new house on the site and incorporated one of his father’s old millstones in its front facade. In 1887 the Walker home was sold to the Gentlemen’s Driving Club which was then renamed the Piedmont Driving Club. The house was expanded over the following years, but the millstone can still be seen facing Piedmont Avenue.

In 1887, Atlanta held the Piedmont Exposition on the grounds behind the Piedmont Driving Club, dubbed “Piedmont Park” for the occasion, and a second exposition followed in 1889. Then the city’s 1895 great Cotton States and International Exposition on the grounds surpassed them both.

So, what does all this have to do with our neighborhood? Well, the expositions at the end of the 19th century brought streetcar lines almost to Easton, and in 1918 Atlanta expanded across Clear Creek and renamed us “Piedmont Heights.”

--By Bill Seay (Rock Springs Rd.)

If you missed our Annual Neighborhood Meeting last Sunday, no worries!

Watch the recording, and check out the presentation here (PDF). 

Thanks to our special guests and everyone on the board who made this event an engaging, informative experience!

Our longtime resident historian, Bill Seay, talked about the Lindbergh-Armour Master Plan (LAMP) topic a couple of months ago, and we have some small updates from that project team from the City and their consultants from the Sizemore Group.

The overview of this project, as taken from the project website, is:

"Atlanta City Design identifies the Lindbergh-Armour area as an emerging hub in northeast Atlanta with great potential to support a growing, diverse community with housing and infrastructure built for everyone. To ensure the vision for the Lindbergh-Armour area is realized, the City of Atlanta and MARTA have partnered to create a framework master plan that will build a sense of identity and integrate planning for transit, trails, ecology, and housing. This planning process will deliver an equity-focused community plan that strengthens access to jobs, affordable housing, commerce, and services, all while defining who constitutes the Lindbergh-Armour community."

The first Community Voices meeting was held October 21 when they discussed the questions below. See the presentation and meeting minutes on the project website. 

1. What do you love about the study area?
2. What should change, or is not working, in the study area?
3. What do you envision as the future of the study area?
4. What is missing that you'd like to see in the study area?
5. Who makes up the Lindbergh-Armour community, and how do we engage them?

The next Community Voices meeting is anticipated to take place in the first quarter of 2021, with larger public engagement opportunities over the next couple of months. We will keep you apprised of these dates as we learn about them!

The PHCA Board and Planning Committee are involved in these conversations already. We've already noted problems with the single entrance and bottleneck traffic at the Monroe/Armour/I-85 South Access point, as well as the frequent, recurring concrete spillage and flooding that occurs near the Armour-Ottley loop, and other issues; along with the great potential this area holds.

Please share your comments, thoughts, and concerns with the PHCA Board as well as the Lindbergh-Armour project team at: lindbergh-armour@atlantaga.gov

From the AJC: MARTA wants your thoughts on design for station in 'emerging hub' of Atlanta

Welcome to new PiHi Puppy, Aspen. We're delighted to meet this new furry friend. Congrats to Mandy and Neil and your family!

If you have a new or new-ish pet, send us a photo so we can share your adorable fur baby with our pet-loving community!

You’ve spoken, and we’re listening! Many neighbors are wanting opportunities to connect in person while still practicing pandemic safety precautions.

So, we’re looking for neighbors willing to host a very casual BYOB outdoor happy hour in your driveway, front yard, back yard, (or at a local restaurant with outdoor seating, like Atmosphere, Grindhouse, Little Rey, etc!). just for your street (or maybe another 1-2 nearby streets, depending on size) to keep the size at a smaller, safer level. Building community is essential, especially during a pandemic.

Speak up if you’re interested in learning more! 

There's certainly no pressure to participate! We respect everyone's personal decision to stay home, practice more stringent precautions, and other practices to keep you and your family safe and healthy. 

Also, if you're interested in hosting or participating in a virtual happy hour with your PiHi neighbors, let us know.