NEW ZONING PLAN ON AGENDA -- BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING THIS TUESDAY, JUNE 25 10 AM

Protect the Interests of Communities v. Developer

(Original content by Good Growth DeKalb, edited in part by Get the Cell Out - ATL for accuracy.)

Last Tuesday, 30+ Good Growth DeKalb supporters -- and about 200 other concerned DeKalb residents -- attended the public forum on the new zoning plan. They were joined at our press conference by No Briarlake Tower, which has been fighting a cell phone tower at Briarlake Elementary for the last 2 years.

While the meeting did not allow for public comment, they had a chance to speak with staff, who wrote down some of their concerns.  But at the Board of Commissioners meeting this Tuesday, public comment will be allowed -- please come if you can! 

The Zoning Plan is the first item on the agenda. If you can't attend, please email your concerns to Zoning Administrator Marian Eisenberg or Director of Planning Andrew Baker.

Board of Commissioners Meeting
Tuesday, June 25, 10 a.m.
Maloof Auditorium
1300 Commerce Dr., Decatur 30030
($6 parking at DeKalb County Parking deck on W. Trinity Place near Commerce) 

When you come in, fill out a card at the table at the back if you want to speak

In his opening remarks last week, Planning and Sustainability Director Andrew Baker seemed to be feeling the heat of residents' concerns about the new plan. He stated that the section on cell phone towers would be re-written -- not barring them in residential areas, but simply allowing appeal rights to the BOC. 

Two cell phone towers near Clarkston, GA

In one of the small group meetings last Tuesday, Zoning Administrator Marian Eisenberg said she "didn't know" if cell towers are currently allowed in residential areas or not.  (They are allowed, but only if there is a proven need and only if the tower company can prove that all other options have been considered first.)  

Whether you can attend Tuesday's meeting or not, please email Marian Eisenberg your concerns. You may mention:

-- Communities need more rights than they do now, not fewer
-- Communities and individuals must have appeal rights
-- No cell towers in neighborhoods -- at all or only as a last resort, as it is currently written
-- Do not limit decision-making to a single administrator (this sets up the opportunity for a payoff / corruption)
-- We need a red-lined version to compare the new plan with the old
-- Before a vote, the plan must be re-written to be clearly understood

Good Growth DeKalb is calling for a 90-day moratorium on voting on the new plan. The plan will affect all commercial and residential matters in the county for years to come, and is far too important to be rushed through. 

You can see the plan at http://planningdekalb.net/?page_id=756. Note, the cell tower issue is addressed in Article 4; decision-making in Article 7.

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