CHARRS and WAWA are hosting, AQEarth Community Conversation, on Saturday, August 17th. This event is a great opportunity for community members to come in and learn about local air quality and its effects on their health. ​

An in rem hearing was held July 25.
'In Rem is a Latin term meaning action “against a property”, not person.  In Rem generally applies to a structure or a building.  When a property has been identified as abandoned, vacant, dilapidated, or unsecured, the City can take action... "
​
"A hearing was held on July 25, 2024 regarding the dwelling at  1809 DeFoor Avenue SW and the In Rem Review Board voted to demolish the home... a copy of the Post In Rem Summary with the results of the hearing. (see attached) 

In addition, the hearings are recorded. Please feel free to share the link below with the neighbors. They may have access to view the hearing that was held.

https://www.atlantaga.gov/government/channel-26/archived-meetings
 
Once clicking on the link. They will need to scroll down and click In Rem Review. There they will be able to select the month & year of the hearing they wish to view."

Kindest regards,
​Caprecid Oliver ¦ Code Enforcement Officer
Atlanta Police Department - Code Enforcement Section 
Cell Phone: (404)670-1457 ¦ Office Phone: (404)546-3872 
email: [email protected] 

​You can keep up to date via the City's Code enforement page; 

At the July 23 NPU-D meeting a majority of attendees voted to adopt a resolution that the City should not allow the conversion of large billboards in Underwood Hills into changing LED signs. An advertising company had proposed legislation to allow them to circumvent the planning process in exchange for removing some smaller signs.
A copy of the resolution is below.
UHNA will report on the outcome when the City considers this matter in August.
You can keep abreast of things like this that affect our area via our website and NPU pages.
​ (UHNA is in NPU-D)

Message from Debra Wathen
Chairman, Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods (UHNA is a member of BCN);
The City is currently in the process of rewriting the Zoning Code, known as Zoning 2.0, and is seeking feedback on the draft. I have previously raised concerns about certain aspects of the code, and we now need your help!
The most concerning zoning classifications are R4 and R5 residential. These concerns are detailed in the attached letter. (Thank you, Kim Shorter and Nancy Bliwise, for putting this together.) Not only are they possibly allowing additional ADUs, but there are concerns that R-4 lots could easily be rezoned with little or no neighborhood involvement due to new compatibility tables.
Since this is all in the draft stage, we have an opportunity to provide feedback now.
I've attached a sample letter that outlines concerns that your neighborhood can send to Commissioner Jahnee Prince and members of City Council. When you send in the letter, kindly personalize it and refrain from simply copying it. The highlighted areas in yellow allow you to address your neighborhood specifically. We greatly appreciate your contribution to this critical issue.
R1, R2, and R3 zones are currently allowed to have carriage houses, but the inclusion of kitchens blurs the distinction, effectively turning them into ADUs. The Code should remove kitchens from the carriage house definition to maintain the original intent. 
Please let me know if you have questions. It is confusing and overwhelming for the experts, so please feel supported if you feel the same way.   I will work to get your questions answered. 

[email protected]
​

The monthly Chemical and Bacterial water quality monitoring takes place at the Underwood Hills Park Stream, 10am-11am. Weather permitting (check calendar for last minute changes)
​
Eligible for community service hours

Trees Atlanta hosts the quarterly Forest Restoration, 9:00am-12:00pm Underwood Hills Park.
​Refreshments provided by UHNA. 
Workshop: learn how to safely identify & remove invasive plants such as English ivy, Chinese privet and bamboo to promote a healthy plant community of natives species for a sustainable forest in this special greenspace.
Sign up at Trees Atlanta  (Search for Underwood Hills)
​Eligible for Community Service Hours 

Underwood Hills residents may have valuable input for the I-285 Express Lanes Transit Study,  a regional collaboration that explores how new express lanes along the I-285 corridor could be used to provide a premium transit service for the Atlanta region.

The study area extends along I-285 between the I-20 east and west interchanges a little south of Underwood Hills, spanning from H.E. Holmes to Indian Creek MARTA stations. By leveraging the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) planned Express Lanes project, this study will explore ways to improve accessibility and on-time performance of transit for residents and commuters.

Please visit our project website at i285ExpressLanesTransit.com to learn more and complete a short survey. Your feedback will demonstrate the needs and preferences of the community, guiding a transit service that best serves you.

Please share this email and the survey link with your networks and communities. The more input  received, the better the study can be tailored to meet the diverse needs of the region.

Several members of UHNA Steering Committee and Executive joined a zoom call Monday evening July 15.
Topics discussed included;

• getting the Howell Mill Rd- ‘don’t block the box’ reinstated, and fixing the grate near Firestone.
• A Spring Social debrief (What did/didn’t work, ideas for next year)

• A report from our NPU-D rep on the July 9 meeting on Zoning 2.0
• A Change of roles/responsibilities among Steering Committee chairs and the need for New Volunteers
• A proposed Billboard ordinance change that would impact residents on Ridgeway Ave
• Plans to do over-seeding of the Park playing field in the fall
• The blighted property at 1809 Defoor
• A request from Buckhead Safety Alliance for funding

UHNA will share more information as it becomes available.
Sign up to the mailing list and keep in the loop, and if you'd like to get involved please reach out to [email protected] We always welcome new volunteers.

Underwood Hills Adopt a Stream conducted the monthly Chemical and Bacterial water quality testing at the stream in Underwood Hills Park Sunday July 14.
pH came in at 6.25, dissolved oxygen at 4.1 mg/l, conductivity 248 uS/cm
E. Coli was high at 2200 cfu/100mL
You can view data trends and learn more about the Underwood Hills Adopt a Stream program at https://aas.gaepd.org/Group.aspx?id=2909
To participate, email [email protected] or look out for community service opportunities for APS students at myvoluntier.com