Druid Hills Civic Association

May 15

Community Meeting Clifton Ridge Litigation

May 16, 7:30 pm
Emory Presbyterian Church

Late Thursday afternoon (May 9), DeKalb Superior Court Judge Asha Jackson issued her ruling, and the outcome is not good: She dismissed our appeal of the Clifton Ridge subdivision plat approval on the basis of the developer’s challenge to our standing to bring the action. She did not reach the underlying merits of our action. However, standing was one of the most fundamental issues of several legal challenges, so it is a definite setback. We will appeal what we strongly believe is an incorrect ruling. But like so many issues involved in this 10-year fight, the judge’s decision – and its impact – is complex, and is best explained in person.

Please join us for a neighborhood meeting this Thursday, May 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Emory Presbyterian Church, 1886 N. Decatur Rd., where we’ve held our previous Deny Clifton Ridge meetings. We’ll also discuss our strategies moving forward, and we want your input – so it is extremely important you attend.

Thanks for staying involved,

Steering Committee
Deny Clifton Ridge/Preserve Druid Hills

May 5

Clifton Ridge Update

A brief update on the Clifton Ridge Dispute:

We’ve waited to update you on both the legislative and legal fight against the proposed Clifton Ridge subdivision until the pace of events had somewhat settled down.

On the legislative front, the news is all good! Thanks to the efforts of many folks (too many to mention each individually), we successfully stopped the developers’ bill (HB 474) in its tracks. It didn’t even make it out of its original committee hearing and, as we learned when the session ended on March 28, it wasn’t attached as a rider to any other bill. Special thanks to our neighbor Drew Graham of the law firm Hall, Booth & Smith and that firm’s government affairs attorneys Brad Carver and Scott Cole, as well as to our legislators Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, Rep. Howard Mosby, and Sen. Jason Carter.

On the litigation front, as you know we had a hearing before DeKalb Superior Court Judge Asha Jackson on March 18. About 50 dedicated neighbors attended the contentious and complicated seven-hour session. And we’re pleased to report that thus far all rulings have been in our favor — plus, the developers have agreed to leave the Temporary Restraining Order in place until Judge Jackson rules on a number of the issues heard at the March hearing.

Judge Jackson can rule on any or all of the issues heard at any time and we will keep you posted when the Judge rules.

That means things are, as one of our attorneys, Rob Benfield, put it, “mercifully quiet on the litigation battle front” right now. As hard and smart and long as Rob has fought for us, he certainly deserves a breather! We believe our case is as solid and right as it always has been — now we must trust that Judge Jackson will come to that same conclusion.

Thanks for continuing your support and determination to Deny Clifton Ridge/Preserve Druid Hills. We’ll let you know as soon as any rulings are announced

Apr 3

2013 Druid Hills Home and Garden Tour

The Druid Hills Civic Association invites you to attend The Druid Hills Home and Garden Tour, Friday to Sunday, April 19-21. A seasonal favorite in the area, we will celebrate the evolution of the architecture and design of the historic Druid Hills neighborhood. Seven beautiful destinations will be showcased, and for the first time, the tour will feature a classic car show, sponsored by Lambda Car Club of Atlanta. Also included with the tour this year, is an new Speaker Series, featuring five different presentations, scheduled over the course of the weekend in the Auditorium at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Speakers include gardening expert Walter Reeves (Vegetable Gardens for Small Spaces), internationally revered garden designer Ryan Gainey (The Wonders of Landscape Architecture), author and historian Richard Sams (The History of the Druid Hills Neighborhood), naturalist and author Jim Wilson (The Birds of Georgia) and a panel discussion on home restoration with many notable local experts.

“We are delighted to share some of the compelling ways that residents have transformed their homes to accommodate modern use,” says Barbara Vogel, chair of the Druid Hills Homes & Gardens Committee. “By highlighting the adaptive spaces, we hope to inspire visitors to consider new inspirational designs that complement the neighborhood’s historic legacy.”

The event, sponsored by the Druid Hills Civic Association, takes place April 19-20, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and April 21, 1-5 p.m. Tickets may be purchased in advance (insert clickhere button with link to purchase page). Proceeds from the tour and associated events benefit the Druid Hills neighborhood, which the noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed during the late 19th century.

We also need volunteers to serve as docents for the tour. Volunteers receive a free tour ticket, a $30 value, and are invited to the volunteer “Thank You” party after the tour. Visit http://druidhills.org/2013-tour-volunteers-docents/ to signup.

Feb 19

Announcing the 2013 Slate of Officers from the Nominating Committee

President: Justin Critz
1st VP: Christopher Hamilton
Administrative VP: Cathy Vandenberg
Communications VP: Mike Gay
Treasurer: Mike Hellerstein
Secretary: Ken Gibson

Board Members:
Susan Anne McKenna
Becky Evans
Virginia Dupree
Scott Storbeck
Joanna Stroud
Elise Riley
Cynthia Waterbury
TBD

Feb 10

DHCA Annual Meeting

The DHCA Annual Meeting is February 24 at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History from 2pm-4pm (refreshments at 1:30) and the Nominations Committee has been preparing for it.

Nominations for Officers and Board Members of the Civic Association are needed and welcomed. PLEASE think about people who love the neighborhood, care about the future of the neighborhood, and would set aside a little time to do something for the neighborhood. (Yourself included!)

E-mail your nomination (name, address, even if only street, phone number, email, division) to nominating@druidhills.org.

Deadline: February 1

The Nominating Committee is appointed by the DHCA President.

For descriptions of the duties of Board Members, as well as all Officers, go to http://www.druidhills.org and mouse over the “About Us” section of the main navigation then click on “By Laws” or click here.

Thank You,
Justin Critz, Nominations Committee Chairperson