ReCART Recycling

ReCART Recycling

April 26, 2010

The City of Atlanta’s pilot recycling program has been expanded! Neighbors on the northern end of the neighborhood (Inman Street, Altoona Place, etc) have already enjoyed the big blue recycling bins for a little while now. But as of April a few more streets have been added to the ReCART program. ReCART encourages recycling by giving points for the amount of items you recycle. The more you recycle the more points you receive. Eventually when enough points are collected participating companies give out free goodies – ranging from money off restaurants to free cans of cat food.

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Crippling Rehabs

March 15, 2010

The majority of Westview’s houses are made up of beautiful historic 1910s and 1920s era Arts and Crafts construction. Someone once made the statement that the windows are the eyes of these houses. Which begs the question – why would you want to tear out your houses eyes?

Unfortunately that is precisely what is happening in the neighborhood and around the country. Homeowners, and even more so investors, looking for a quick “improvement”, are tearing out the eyes of these historic homes to replace them with cheap vinyl windows. Just as asbestos was once touted the grand new fad that would eliminate maintenance, vinyl window sales people are now convincing homeowners that their beautiful old wood windows require too much maintenance and are not energy efficient.

So before you tear out your old windows, or if you see that investor next to you getting ready to tear out the windows, remember the following points:

  • Properly maintained wood windows last an average of 200 years! In comparison, studies have shown that vinyl windows last an average of 20 years before they become brittle and crack. You do the math.
  • 20% of energy loss is through the windows – the remaining 80% is through roof, walls, floor and chimneys. Looks like you’re better off getting that attic insulated!
  • In housing trends asbestos has come and gone; aluminum has come and gone; polybutylene water lines have come and gone. Wood has proven itself to humans for thousands of years – why not stick with what we know works?
  • You are visually crippling these historic houses by removing such an aesthetically pleasing and matching look. Remember, the “eyes are the windows to the soul” – or in this case, the “windows are the eyes to the [houses] soul”.

For more information regarding truths and myths about replacing historic windows read The Old House Guy’s article “The Truth about Windows and Storm Windows“.

BeltLine Landscaping

March 10, 2010

The original Westview BeltLine plans included landscaping to be planted along the path. Unfortunately due to the severe drought these plans had been eliminated. With improved weather and rain conditions the PATH Foundation has petitioned to get the landscape plans reinstated – and have received approval this week. Tree plantings will start in approximately two weeks.

Tire Clean-Up

Tire Clean-Up

February 27, 2010

A group of Westview neighbors joined forces with Councilmember Cleta Winslow to clean up illegally dumped tires within the neighborhoods. Winslow sponsored a “tire amnesty” day to enable communities who have fallen victims to illegal tire dumpings to bring the tires to a designated location free of charge.

Illegal tire dumpings have become such a problem that even 11Alive came out to cover the story. Read the story and watch the video: “Neighbor to Dumpers: ‘Shame on You’“

BeltLine Hiking Trail

BeltLine Hiking Trail

February 24, 2010

This past weekend, the first sunny, warm weather day since before Christmas, a few neighbors ventured out to hike down the BeltLine Hiking Trail from Muse Street to Washington Park. The proposed rail corridor has been cleared of overgrowth and has been mulched and seeded along much of the path to allow residents to walk at their own risk.

Illegal Tire Dumping

Illegal Tire Dumping

February 24, 2010

Illegal tire dumping in southwest Atlanta neighborhoods has become such a nuisance that even the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has picked up a story (“Residents, businesses fed up with dumping ground”) about the problems. Thankfully there are two positive notes to add to this otherwise annoying topic:

For the short term: Councilmember Cleta Winslow is sponsoring a tire amnesty day on Saturday, February 27, 2010 from 9:00am to noon. Residents are asked to help pick up tires around the neighborhood and bring them to the drop-off site at the corner of Donnelly Avenue and Peeples Street in the Oakland City neighborhood. Westview residents will meet at 9:30am at Ontario Park to pick up tires in the community. Volunteers are appreciated!

For the long term: The AJC article indicates an illegal dumping hotline has been set up for this problem at 404-546-3867 or e-mail at nodump@atlantaga.gov.

Westview BeltLine Construction

Westview BeltLine Construction

February 8, 2010

Construction of Westview’s $1.8 million BeltLine path is well under way. Work started across from Westview Cemetery’s gates and is progressing along various portions of Langhorn Street and Muse Street. The Westview Community Organization hopes to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony in June when construction of the path is set to be complete.

1) View from Ralph David Abernathy Blvd towards Muse Street. Part of the road on Muse has been torn up to build the path.
2) The meandering path is laid out along Muse Street.
3) A concrete wall is being poured along Langhorn Street near the Fulton County Training Center.
4) The path connecting Langhorn Street and Westview Drive is being poured.

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Decatur Old House Fair

January 25, 2010

With so many historic houses in Westview this fair is a historic homeowner’s dream!

The Decatur Old House Fair – March 6th 

A day long seminar will feature a number of lectures about living in and restoring old houses. Some topics that will be covered:

  • Historic Wood Window Restoration: Did you know that a properly restored historic wood window has higher e-value than most new windows on the market?
  • National Register of Historic Places and Tax Incentives: The National Register of Historic Places is our country’s inventory of the buildings, sites, and cultural landscapes that are historically significant.
  • Researching Your Old House: Ever wanted to know when your house was built and by whom? Who lived in your house and how it has changed over the years?
  • “Greening” Your Old House: The greenest house is the one already built. But, did you know that there is even more you can do to reduce your old home’s carbon footprint?
  • Design Solutions for Additions and New Construction in Historic Neighborhoods: Want to add space to your historic home but don’t want it to look like an addition?
  • How to Hire a Contractor: Interviewing and selecting a contractor is a daunting task and not having all the information can cost you many thousands of dollars.
  • Maintenance Plans for Old Houses: Owning any house means maintenance. Owning a historic home means maintenance and preservation.
  • Historic Landscapes for Old Houses: Historic landscapes tell us so much about lives and interests of previous generations. Each style of home and each time period has its own unique landscape associated with it.

Go to www.decaturoldhousefair.com for more information. Advance tickets are $10.

BeltLine Groundbreaking

Westview BeltLine Groundbreaking

January 11, 2010

Westview’s BeltLine groundbreaking on December 12th, 2009 at Lucile Avenue and Muse Street is featured in this BeltLine video! The video additionally features West End’s trail (Phase I), which is interconnected with Westview’s trail (Phase II).

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