Supportive Housing Ordinance

March 30, 2009

On March 26th, 2009 the Zoning Review Board voted to approve the Supportive Housing Ordinance (Z-08-48). The ordinance basically grants supportive housing operators the ability to operate without a special use permit, and therefore abolishing the vote by the NPU required to open a facility. This ordinance will grant the operators the ability to still operate with special uses – such as higher occupancy rates.

The NPUs have not been engaged in the process, and at the hearing not one resident or homeowner spoke in favor of the ordinance. The proponents were all developers and people who stand to gain financially by easing up the rules.

The ordinance will grant all the power to the Mayor’s office through a certification process. The certification requirements they were presenting at the hearing were less than a page long. It will without a doubt be exploited.

Please take a moment and fill out the form on www.npuvoice.org to contact your councilmember. They need to hear from you on this matter! And please pass this on to anyone else you know that lives in the City of Atlanta.

Also, please note that everybody is in favor of having some type of supportive housing. This isn’t a battle against the homeless. It is a battle to make sure the NPUs and you continue to have a voice.

APS Grants KIPP STRIVE Westview School Building

March 28, 2009

Westview is proud to announce that KIPP STRIVE Academy will officially be opening in the fall of 2009 in the former J.C. Harris Elementary School building at 1444 Lucile Avenue. 85 5th graders will start the 4-year college focused program, which will be a tuition-free public charter school and will expand its grades one year at a time until it reaches 8th grade. For more information visit their website, www.kippstrive.org, and download the enrollment application.

Economy Forces Americans to Rediscover Community

March 27, 2009

One of Westview’s neighbors, Leslie Gage, has been featured in the CNN article “Shaky economy forces Americans to rediscover community”. Although the circumstances were not ideal, Leslie found good use of her spare time after being laid off from her job: To help neighbors in the community through Tool Bank’s HouseProud project!

Read “Shaky economy forces Americans to rediscover community” and find out more information about how HouseProud is active in Westview.

Trees for Westview

March 14, 2009

Despite weather in the low 40s and an uncomfortable drizzle Trees Atlanta, along with their volunteers and Westview neighbors, planted 40 new trees in the neighborhood. Due to the recent sidewalk and street work along East and West Ontario a few of the large trees were removed. The City of Atlanta’s ordinance requires any removed trees to be replaced with an equal number of inches. In place of the old trees American Elms, Winged Elms, Sioux Crepe Myrtles, and Magnolias were planted along West Ontario and Stokes.

Please click on a thumbnail to enlarge:
Trees Atlanta 2009 Trees Atlanta 2009

KIPP STRIVE Academy

February 10, 2009

Westview Community neighbors –

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Ed Chang, and I am the principal of KIPP STRIVE Academy, the newest public charter school that will be opening up this summer to serve the West Atlanta community. Our mission is to provide our students with the tools necessary to excel in competitive high schools, colleges and beyond. We are a tuition free school and welcome students who are eligible to attend an Atlanta Public school.

KIPP STRIVE Academy is seeking current 4th graders to become the first class of 5th grade scholars when we open up in July. Any assistance from the neighborhood would be greatly appreciated. I am attaching a flyer that can be emailed out to friends and colleagues, and posted in stores, businesses, etc. around the area. Also, interested parents can visit our website at www.kippstrive.org to learn more about our school and to download an application form for enrollment.

KIPP STRIVE and KIPP WAYS Academy will be holding a joint Parent Information Session on February 19th at 6:30 (in KIPP WAYS – 80 Joseph E Lowery Blvd NW). All parents of current 4th graders are invited to come and find out more about our program.

Ed Chang
Principal
KIPP STRIVE Academy

BeltLine Master Planning Kick-Off

January 29, 2009

Study group sub area 1 kicked off their official BeltLine master planning process at Hammond’s House. The Westview neighborhood is encompassed in this sub area, which is in the southwest portion of the BeltLine corridor. In recent months small groups of neighbors have met to start the BeltLine planning movement. Today’s meeting was the first official BeltLine meeting and gave an overview of what the planning process will involve. Part of the presentation recommended for neighbors to get familiar with some of the zoning and planning language that will be used. Other parts of the presentation gave explanations of what kind of density would be required to support a light rail. The planning process will continue over a number of sessions throughout 2009 and the final master plan is anticipated to be adopted in early 2010.

Please click on a thumbnail to enlarge:
BeltLine Southwest Master Planning BeltLine Southwest Master Planning

Westview Artist featured in the AJC

January 18, 2009

Local Westview artist Michael David Murphy was featured in the AJC for his coverage of the 2008 election. Michael captured the rise of Obama through a series of photographs. His project, called “So Help Me”, was on display in Little Five Points during election week.

Read the full article.

Annual WCO Holiday Party Photos

December 15, 2008

The annual Westview Community Organization holiday party was held at Fire Station #17 on December 13th. Neighbors donated food items, the fire station donated their space, and everyone got to socialize while eating some delicious home cooked food together.

Please click on a thumbnail to enlarge:

Christmas Party 2008 Christmas Party 2008 Christmas Party 2008 Christmas Party 2008

Neighborhood Seeking Coffee Shop and Pizza Restaurant

November 29, 2008

Westview is currently seeking a coffee shop and/or a pizza restaurant to help anchor our neighborhood commercial district. There are a few commercial spaces available that would be perfect for starting a new business in the neighborhood. The commercial district is easily accessible by neighbors on foot, and the community is eager to support a local coffee shop or pizza restaurant. If you are interested in learning more please contact us.

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