Southwest Trail

Tiger V Grant to Construct Southwest Trail

The Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail in northeast Atlanta has already proven to be a great success since its opening in October 2012. The trail is very actively used by walkers, joggers, and bikers; connects various parks and amenities sought by city dwellers; and is reported to already have spawned some $775 million in private development within a half mile radius over the last several years.

Now the southwest has an opportunity for positive development thanks in part to an $18 million TIGER V grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Southwest Trail will run from Allene Street in Adair Park up to Washington Park. Like the Eastside Trail it will run within the BeltLine corridor and will feature additional security thanks to security cameras and lighting. The total projected cost for purchasing the right-of-way, design, demolition and construction is estimated at $43 million. Thanks to the TIGER V grant the project will be able to proceed ahead of schedule, with earth possibly moving as early as fall 2014.

To learn more about the Atlanta BeltLine Southwest Trail read the Atlanta BeltLine’s press release.

Enota Park Parcel Acquisition

Enota Park PetitionThanks to the wide support and strong voices of Westview residents, neighboring communities, political figures and others we are pleased to announce that the Atlanta City Council passed ordinances to acquire the land to create Enota Park!

Atlanta City Council came together for a Special Called Meeting on Monday, August 19, 2013 to review ordinances to acquire parcels using eminent domain for the expansion of Enota Park. The Atlanta BeltLine has spent the last several years negotiating with land owners to acquire land surrounding the current Enota Playlot. While many parcels had been bought through normal means there were some parcels that proved to be challenging to acquire. All those remaining parcels are made up of vacant, overgrown land without any structural improvements. The unanimous votes by City Council will allow progress to be made on this vital park development.

Thank you to all the residents who signed the online petition, raised awareness through door-to-door canvassing, and appeared at the meeting to let their voices be heard.

Download: City Council meeting minutes

Enota Park Parcel Acquisition

Enota Park – Call for Action

CALL FOR ACTION:

WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO
Do some or all, just make sure to do at least one!

1. COME TO THE MEETING
Most Important: Come to the August 19th meeting at 6:00pm at Atlanta City Hall. We all need to be there and bring someone with us. Please sign-up to speak. If for some reason you can’t make it, make sure someone goes in your place.

2. SIGN THE PETITION
Sign the online petition, and ask your friends to do the same. They don’t have to live in Westview to support us. If they live in the city, make sure they include their address and district when signing the petition so their City Council representative knows they support this vote.

3. WRITE A EMAIL/LETTER
Write a letter of support for the ordinance and send it to the Atlanta City Council by Friday.

City Council addresses:
ccmitchell@atlantaga.gov
csmith@atlantaga.gov
khall@atlantaga.gov
ilyoung@atlantaga.gov
cwinslow@atlantaga.gov
narchibong@atlantaga.gov
awan@atlantaga.gov
hshook@atlantaga.gov
yadrean@atlantaga.gov
fmoore@atlantaga.gov
cmartin@atlantaga.gov
kbottoms@atlantaga.gov
jmsheperd@atlantaga.gov
mbond@atlantaga.gov
aaronwatson@atlantaga.gov
hlwillis@atlantaga.gov

4. CIRCULATE PETITION
Circulate the paper petition on your street. Give all petitions to Ayana by Sunday, August 18, 2013.

5. CALL
Call 1) your City Council Member and 2) the City Council members on the Community Development & Human Resources Committee. This is the committee who introduced the legislation. Ask for a “Yes” vote on this ordinance. Ask for their support in getting it passed. I.e. – we are asking them to do work behind the scenes to get their legislation passed.

City Council Members on the committee:
Joyce Sheperd (Chair, Comm Dev. & HR Committee Member) Phone: 404-330-6053
Cleta Winslow (Comm Dev. & HR Committee Member) 404-330-6047
Ivory Young (Comm Dev. & HR Committee Member) – 404-330-6046
Kwanzaa Hall (Comm Dev. & HR Committee Member) 404-330-6038
Lamar Willis (Comm Dev. & HR Committee Member) 404-333-6041

BASIC DETAILS

  • Enota Park is the only new construction BeltLine park in our area. It was slated to be one of the first BeltLine parks built, but hasn’t in part because the City of Atlanta cannot acquire the property for various reasons including absentee property owners.
  • The particular parcels impacted by this ordinance have no houses. It is vacant land adjacent to the Atlanta BeltLine corridor near Langhorn and I-20.
  • The seven ordinances up for vote on Monday, August 19, will allow the city to acquire seven parcels by condemnation. The above map shows the parcels in burgundy.
  • Enota Park is part of the Subarea 1 Atlanta BeltLine Master Plan created with the input of many district residents and community stakeholders. It is also part of the Westview Master Plan developed by community residents and approved by the city.
  • The City of Atlanta and the Atlanta BeltLine have been working for a number of years to secure the land needed to build Enota Park.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

BeltLine Southwest Connector Trail

BeltLine Southwest Connector Trail

On August 10, 2013 the official dedication ceremony for the Atlanta BeltLine Southwest Connector Trail took place.

The Southwest Connector Trail is just a few blocks west of the Westview neighborhood and features beautiful meandering walking paths along Utoy creek amidst tree canopy. The trail, which is most conveniently accessed by Westview residents via the dead ends at Westwood Avenue or Rogers Avenue, connects to the Lionel Hampton Trail.

To view photos of the dedication ceremony please visit the Atlanta BeltLine website: http://beltline.org/explore/photos/?setId=72157635047435936

Community Work Day

Westview Clean-Up

Time: 9:30am – 12:30pm
Location: Meet at Ralph D. Abernathy Blvd. & South Gordon St., Atlanta, GA 30310
Details: Join the Westview Community Organization for the community work day to pick up trash and collect tires from the community and work in the community pocket park. Bring cleaning tools (e.g. rakes, gloves, etc.) if possible.

Neighbors Fall Hike

Date: Sunday, November 11, 2012
Time: 1:30pm
Location: 1471 Ralph David Abernathy, Atlanta, GA 30310

The Westview Community Organization is planning a hike on Sunday, November 11, 2012. We will be hiking at Sweet Water Creek State Park, which is west on I-20 in Douglasville. Meet at Calvary United Methodist Church at 1:30pm and leave from there to the park. We will try and hike about 4-miles on the trails (2.0 up and 2.0 back-or less) and then return back to the church.

When hiking :
– wear comfortable strong shoes
– dress for the weather
– bring WATER-WATER
– bring a light snack

Members of the community and their family are welcome to come. Westview Community Organization will not provide transportation to or from the hike. If you would like more details please email me back at kenscarey@yahoo.com

Hands On Atlanta Day at Stokes Avenue Pocket Park

Hands On Atlanta Day

On October 6th the Westview Community Organization participated in “Hands On Atlanta Day.” Thanks to an initial grant received through Hands On Atlanta for the Stokes Avenue Park in the spring, the WCO was eligible for a follow-up grant if participating on “Hands On Atlanta Day.” The grant purchased additional landscaping to be planted in the park. Neighbors and the “Youth of Westview” program came together to first clean up the pocket park and then plant peach trees, camellia and rose bushes, chrysanthemums, hostas, pansies, and a variety of other plants. The last task was spreading grass seed. Little by little the Stokes Avenue Pocket Park is developing into a little neighborhood oasis.

To view more photos of “Hands On Atlanta Day” please visit our Westview Facebook page.

Stokes Avenue Community Pocket Park

Park Taking Shape

Work on the Stokes Avenue Community Pocket Park continued on Saturday, June 16th, 2012. The park is starting to take shape – the picket fence is now complete, mulch was spread, additional landscaping was planted, and two raised beds were planted for a community herb garden. The work was rounded off with a picnic in the new park!

To view more photos of the Stokes Park work day please visit our Westview Facebook page.

Sad House Turns Community Park

Stokes Avenue Park Before

Sometimes progress appears slow, but patience and hard work show that good things come to those who wait.

A property at 1556 Stokes Avenue, commonly referred to by neighbors as “the blue box,” was an eyesore for years. The 1980s infill construction was a bland looking two story box with a faux roof, siding falling off the walls, and overgrown grass. As with many code enforcement issues, the owner of the property was hard to track down, but was eventually found and a court date was set for March 2010.

The story turns out to be quite a bizarre one. When members of the community showed up in court to fight against the owner it became known that the property, among others, had been left in the woman’s name by her estranged husband. Only recently being made aware of the properties she was quick to come to an agreement of signing the property over to the community so the house could be torn down and turned into a pocket park.

With the help of the University Community Development Corporation (UCDC) the property was demolished in October 2011 and turned over to the community. And thanks to two grants, the “NPU-T” grant and the “Love Your Block” grant, the land will be turned into a pocket park for neighbors to enjoy!

Stay tuned for updates on how this sad house will be turned into a community spot.