Atlanta Mayor Pulls the Plug on Infill!

Wow! How to believe, but Atlanta’s Mayor, Shirley Franklin, has put a moratorium on infill housing permits in several Atlanta neighborhoods. This is until February 6th when the city council will vote on a 120 day ban. Here are the details at the AJC site. Who knows what will happen, but at least it’s a step. Thank you City Councilwoman Mary Norwood for sticking to it!

The Truth About truthaboutinfill.com

Saw this sign for Truth About Infill the in Morningside the other day. This “group” has been around fighting infill legislation in Dekalb county. Clearly seems to be a group of real estate agents and developers, but today when I saw the signs, in the same color as Mary Norwood’s signs posted in our neighborhood in Fulton county urging people to oppose Mary’s proposed infill legislation and to visit www.truthaboutinfil.com. Well a fairly easy search led me to the whois lookup at http://domainhelp.tucows.com/.

The truth is that this domain is owned by Holly Berry of Berry Realty. Here is the registration info in case anyone wants to ask her how she represents the residents of Morningside:

Registrant:
Berry Realty
XXXXXXX
XXXXX
US

Domain name: TRUTHABOUTINFILL.COM

Administrative Contact:
Berry, Holly holly@XXXXXXX.com
XXXXXXXXX
XXX XXXX
US
XXXXXXX
Technical Contact:
Administrator, Domain domreg@bizland-inc.com
70 Blanchard Road
Burlington, MA 01803
US
+1.8665999964 Fax: +1.7819988586

Registration Service Provider:
AccountSupport, support@accountsupport.com
This company may be contacted for domain login/passwords,
DNS/Nameserver changes, and general domain support questions.

Registrar of Record: TUCOWS, INC.
Record last updated on 15-Sep-2005.
Record expires on 15-Sep-2006.
Record created on 15-Sep-2005.

Please don’t be fooled by these people. Infill is not bad in itself. Bad infill is bad. These people are using the restrictive historic standards of Druid Hills to paint horror stories about citizens gone bad in controlling renovation and infill. I’d be glad to point out examples of infill and renovation that are ruining our neighborhood as well as infill and renovation that enhance it.

As with Travis Reed of Northside Realty, please consider carefully before giving Berry Realty your business. In my opinion, hiding virtually anonymously behind a mysterious organization to further their economic redevelopment interests is shameful. There is no mention of Berry Realty on the truthaboutinfill.com website. I think this is deceitful and misleading. It says “This site is supported by a grassroots organization of concerned citizens,” but no citizens are mentioned. Donations go to an anonymous PO Box at the UPS Store at North Decatur and Clairmont. You can also donate via PayPay at truthaboutinfil@yahoo.com. If there is any disclosure to be had it is not apparent on their site. The only group mentioned is the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association which is apparently providing signs for this “shadow” organization.

Stop the shameful shadiness and come clean with full disclosure of who you really are on your signs, website, and other propaganda. Stop trying to fool the citizens of Fulton County and Atlanta, we’re way to smart for that. Prove to all of us that you care about our neighborhoods and that you’re not just an angry real estate agency with a vendetta against those of use that want to have intelligent redevelopment of our neighborhoods.

UPDATE 11/08/2005 – Please note that Holly Berry has responded to this post and clarified her position in regards to Truth About Infill. With respect to her response I have removed the email, address, zip and phone number listed in the domain registry listed above. To their credit Berry Realty has also clarified their relationship with Truth About Infill on the truthaboutinfill.com website.

The View Lately

The view hasn’t been all that great lately. Imagine waking up this view from your kitchen window for three weeks straight (so far). You might be able to make out the McMansion in the background of the image on the top. Note our house in the background in the second image. Think that tree in the center will survive? Guess that’s an easy way to get around the tree ordinance.

Actually we have it better than others. The builder is nice so far and the plans are for the house to be compatible with the neighborhood. What kind of people will pay just inder $1,000,000 for a 4/3 house is beyond me.

In other news, the house behind us, a beautiful home from the 20’s or 30’s in fine condition and ripe for expansion recently sold for $420,000 and was promptly leveled. It used to look just like the house next to it pictured in the second image below. We await a 6 bedroom, 5 1/2 bath monstrosity that will be available for $1,250,000. Please note that the agent is Travis Reed from Harry Norman Realtors. Travis is representing a number of horrific new “projects” in our neighborhood and probably does not live anywhere near Morningside and likely does not have a care about the character of our surroundings. I believe that neither do his developer cronies, in this case Suzanne Lamb of Lamb Properties. If you get a chance to contact him, please let him know what you think and please give someone else your business.

With this alarming action it is clear that any house in Morningside valued at $500,000 or under, no matter the condition is at risk.

We actually met with some neighbors this week to see what we can do about the careless development that is happening. Please note that I am not against development. The house that formerly stood on the site next to us in the pictures was beyond saving. I just find the imagery ironic and timely.

Today I also received this link from CNN/Money from a friend about the backlash against what is happening to urban neighborhood. It isn’t just in Atlanta folks.

Anyway more to come in the next Intown Atlantacast lined up for this weekend.