Connect the Big Creek Greenway

This is the 18th post in a series of posts this December that will chronicle the 25 things we would most like to see in Roswell. None of these are actually happening... at least in the way we'd like them to. Please enjoy and have a happy holidays!

We really need to get on the ball here.  This greenway should be contiguous from Forsyth to SandySave & Close Springs.  The Forsyth section is well under way and we have completed the greenway just about down to Holcomb Bridge Rd.  As you can see from the map above, there is a conceptual piece of the greenway that is planned all the way down to the southwestern edge of Roswell where it would connect into Cobb county.

What are we waiting on here?  This one is a no brianer.. plus, I could then commute by bike all the way from the mill to Windward Parkway... well, that might be a bit much.

image: City of Alpharetta

A Canopy Tour

This is the tenth post in a series of posts this December that will chronicle the 25 things we would most like to see in Roswell. None of these are actually happening... at least in the way we'd like them to. Please enjoy and have a happy holidays!

This is kind of a dream item on my wishlist that I'm sure a ton of people would hate to see here in Roswell.  However, it is my wishlist and this is what I want.  I'm convinced that a canopy/zip-line tour of the national recreation area and Vickery Creek from the Mill down to Riverside Park would be a big success.  The other location that I can think of would be at the Chattahoochee Nature Center but I think the Mill location would be a bigger draw and tie in more business and recreation into the historic district.  

Here's how I can see it operating.  Ticket booths at both locations.. the Mill and Riverside park and run a shuttle back and forth.  There would be a guided zip line, canopy tour and hike from the Mill all the way down to Riverside Park (I have a better less realistic location but that's for another post).  If done right, it could expose people to a number of Roswell's lesser known gems (Mill Park, Mill Village, Vickery Creek, rock climbing at Allenbrook and the beautiful national recreation area) all on the way down the zip line..  This could be a regional draw if done right and increase tax revenue while having a synergistic effect on local restaurants, retail and cultural sites.  

I'm sure the permitting, insurance, and other processes would be brutal and I'm not signing up for them but if someone likes this idea, I'd be more than happy to give my $0.02.

image: baxterclaus @ flickr

New Urban Roswell Update

We found more than a few news items of note over the past couple of weeks from Roswell, around town and even outside the country.

Roswell

Roswell to Begin State Road 9 Improvements - AJC

The project has begun. We noticed the big orange barrels on our commute to work yesterday and we are excited to see the work begin. The work will progress in quarter mile increments and will begin at Norcross Street. This will really help change the face of the Roswell midtown area.

Legislature Passes Transportation Bill - ABC

This wasn't my favorite solution but it is a step in the right direction. MARTA will probably still have to make cuts this summer and we won't see any actual projects completed using the potential penny sales tax until 2014.

Sales of Foreclosures in North Fulton Increase: So What? - Live in Alpharetta

I'm not sure that I wholly agree with this post but I do agree that home prices in North Fulton are unlikely to see a wholesale decrease in values. The data is still deeply concerning and does not give any indication to me at least that the credit crisis is letting up. As the stimulus money begins to run out this quarter, I expect to see a dip back into recession territory. Also, the fact that Georgia was the sixth worst state came as no surprise but is disconcerting nonetheless.

Harry's Finds More Fresh Produce - NorthFulton.com

Harry's is now the drop off point for the Dunwoody Green Market CSA. We now have two CSA dropoffs here in Roswell with the other being the Local Food Stop dropoff at Market Street Antiques and Unitarian Universalist Church on Wed and Thurs respectively.

Roswell, Alpharetta Going Green - NorthFulton.com

This is a great article on Roswell and Alpharetta's green efforts. With Roswell being the only city in the state (to date) to achieve a Silver rating for the ARC's Green Communities initiative, it is obvious that the city is doing many things right. From parks, trails, water management, community outreach, tree protection and recycling, the city has really done a lot of good.

Metro

Big Creek Greenway Gets $1.5M Extension

This is great news for the big creek greenway. It will be incredible when it connects to the Forsyth portion. Now, let's see what the plan is for Roswell to extend the greenway further south.

Atlanta Receives Earth Day Brownfields Award from EPA to Support Beltline in Atlanta - EPA

This was a great announcement. Especially given the lack of funds that Atlanta or the state received from the stimulus package. There are 950 brownfield properties within Atlanta and 136 of those are along the Beltline.

Transit Cuts are Protested in Atlanta - NY Times

I thought it would be nice to get a little outside perspective on this. A third of the MARTA of buses and trains have had big red X's painted over them to signify that those are buses or trains that will be cut soon. We can only hope that cuts can be avoided. Unfortunately, it doesn't look that way. This article is rather pointed and doesn't mince words.

Reporter Asks "What Crosswalk?" - PEDS

I couldn't agree more with PEDS on this one. They wanted to point out that all too often, pedestrians are found at fault in traffic incidents while the bigger question of why did the pedestrian feel that they needed to act in an unsafe manner goes unanswered. Kudos to this reporter and to PEDS for posting this.

City Hall East Property Has New Suitor - ABC

Now that the beltline park in the fourth ward is underway, this purchase was bound to happen. The building should make an awesome mixed use office/residential complex if done right. There is a lot of potential here and I'm excited to see what it will become.

Compost Bins, Rain Barrels to be Distributed in Alpharetta - AJC

Unfortunately, I don't need these right now. The city will be selling Earth Machine backyard compost bins. Bins and rain barrels will be sold for $45 and $55 on a first-come-first-served basis.

Beyond

Would Streetcars in DC Spoil the City's Vistas - Washington Post

I completely agree that overhead wires look bad. I hate utility wires of all kinds. The technology does exist to make streetcars run without those ugly overhead wires. I just hope they aren't making perfect the enemy of good here. Streetcars definitely have a place and serve a great purpose.

New CDC Report Tells How to Design Communities to Support Good Health - PR-USA.net

The report in discussion works to illustrate the need to consider physical activity, respiratory and mental health, water quality, social equity and healthy aging when designing communities and the built environment. The CDC is looking to bring different diciplines together to work together to design the built environment in a more effective manner.

Upcoming Events

Congress for the New Urbanism - 5.19 - 5.22 - The most influential minds in the new urbanist movement will be here in Atlanta for the 18th congress. The theme this year is Rx for Healthy Places and is a joint effort with the CDC.

Go Wild in Roswell - 5.20 - 6.6 - This is a citywide celebration of nature that will feature different events on different days. Check out the link for details.

Atlanta Streets Alive - 5.23 - This one is still a little while away but it is a really interesting concept.

Sites You Should Know - Get Outdoors Georgia

The Get Outdoors Georgia website is a useful tool to find ways to get you and your family and friends outside for some fun here in Georgia. The site is run by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. It has good info on events that are held in the State parks as well as clubs and groups that you can join. The handy 'find a park' feature is already pre-set on Atlanta and you can see eleven parks in the metro area. Some of the activities you can find information on include biking, boating, fishing, camping & hiking. You can also find locations for golfing, disc golf and tennis.

If you're looking for a way to plan a quick outdoor adventure, check it out.

Peach Bites

One Of Most Endangered Rivers In Georgia
from GPB News by Edgar Treiguts

The conservation group American Rivers released their report on the 10 most endangered waterways in the U.S. There is some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the Chattahoochee River is not on the list. The bad news is that the Flint River is on the list. It is actually the #2 most endangered river according to their report.


Georgia ranks No. 25 in nation for energy costs
Atlanta Business Chronicle

We're right smack in the middle of the pack. Unfortunately, we don't have more renewable energy.Georgia’s energy cost ranks in the middle of the country, according to a new study released by The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council. The lowest cost states are 1) Wyoming; 2) Idaho; 3) Utah; 4) Kentucky; and 5) West Virginia. The highest cost states are 46) Massachusetts; 47) Rhode Island; 48) Alaska; 49) Connecticut — tied with New York — and 50) Hawaii.


Adult workshops in Atlanta - an engaging and educational schedule for spring
from Atlanta Green Parenting Examiner

The Chattahoochee Nature Center is a great place to visit and learn about wildlife and environmental issues in our area. They are offering adult classes on topics including birding, rafting, photography and fishing. Additionally, the new Chatthoochee Nature Center Discovery Center and pavilion is scheduled to open in June.

Study: Spammers scourge to inbox and environment
from AP

A study was released today detailing the overall impacts of Spam email. Unfortunately, the impact is not limited to cyberspace. McAfee Inc's study estimates that the total amount of power wasted each year that can be attributed to Spam email is enough to power 2.4 million US homes for a year. WOW! Spam has one heck of a carbon footprint.

This Week in Atlanta

This week is going to be a really busy week for green events here in Atlanta. Many Earth Day celebrations will be held on Saturday the 18th. Here's a preview of what is going on this week:

April 13 (Monday)

630pm - 830pm - Beltline Public Workshop - Southeast Study Group

April 14 (Tuesday)

7pm - 10pm - Sierra Club - Metro Atlanta Chapter Monthly Meeting

April 16 (Thursday)

530pm - 7pm - Andres Duany, Free Talk on Smart Growth Principles in Decatur

April 17 (Friday)

730am - 9am - Central Atlanta Progress/ADID Town Hall Meeting - The Ritz Carlton Atlanta
All Day - Georgia Tech Earth Day Celebration

April 17 - 19 (Fri-Sat)

Dogwood Festival at Piedmont Park

April 18 (Saturday)

City of Alpharetta Bulky Trash & Electronics Recycling Day \

Earth Share of Georgia Corporate Green Day Challenge

8am - 12pm - Beltline Earthday Cleanup

9am - 12pm - Trees Atlanta Planting, Location Varies
10am - 3pm - 7th Annual Earth Day Kids Fest - Chattahoochee Nature Center
8am - 5pm - Earth Day at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center

April 18 - 19 (Sat-Sun)

Sweetwater 420 Fest, Historic Candler Park

Peach Bites

Mother Nature becomes a dot-com
Atlanta Journal Constitution

We have a new big-time entrant into the green themed website arena. The Atlanta based Mother Nature Network (www.mnn.com) launched recently and it is a very robust offering. The website has eight main sections ranging from business to lifestyle and each section comes complete with its own blogger. The site also has a number of green themed videos and infographics that ou will find interesting.

Atlanta's Greenspaces Inadequate for a Growing Population | Planetizen
Planetizen.com

Not that we didn't already know this but Atlanta has the lowest percentage of green space amongst major American cities. The median amount for the nation's largest cities is 13.6 acres of parks for every 1000 residents. Atlanta is at 7.7. We are working on increasing that with the Beltline. The article also points to Gwinnett as a great example. Since 1997, Gwinnett has raised over half a billion dollars for parks and greenspace development.

Georgia K-12 Schools, Apply to Win a Free Energy Audit
MarketWatch (press release) - USA

Southeast Rebuild Collaborative, a five state energy office initiative to improve energy efficiency by at least 10% in the upcoming year, Southface Energy Institute and the Division of Energy Resources of the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) are offering a free energy audit to one K-12 school in Georgia. Anything that our schools can do to save money that doesn't need to be spend is fine with me. We look forward to seeing what school wins.

Serenbe in the News Again
Chicago Tribune

We recently highlighted an article from the NY Times that featured Serenbe and it's local, sustainable living model. It looks like the community is making news again but this time in Chicago which is home to the community that inspired Serenbe, Prairie Crossing in Grayslake.

Fees to Rise at Georgia State Parks
Peach Pundit

Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources is suggesting state park fees be raised from $3 to $5. Additionally, they are planning to raise the fees for annual passes to $50 from $30. I'm just curious whether they are raising the fee out of necessity or out of opportunity. It is no secret that during recessions, families look for cheaper alternatives to entertainment and the parks have historically been one of those cheaper forms.

Sustainable Atlanta Releases its First Sustainability Report

Last month, Sustainable Atlanta released its first report on the state of sustainability in the city of Atlanta. The mission of Sustainable Atlanta is the following; "Sustainable Atlanta leads Atlanta's quest toward sustainability by developing strategies and policy recommendations with partners from Atlanta's business, non-profit, academic, community and government leadership. I would highly suggest downloading and reading the .pdf. It is very insightful and will give you hope that the city is moving in the right direction. The report is broken up into 5 categories and each is broken down by statistics with briefs on partnerships and what is planned for the future. Below are the areas that Sustainable Atlanta is focusing on along witha notable quote from each:

• Water -"Atlanta - Which depends on the Chattahoochee River as its water source - is the buggest U.S. city not built on a large body of water."
• Energy & Climate Change - "For nearly 10 percent of all the days in 2008, our air reached unhealthy levels."
• Parks & Green Space - "Among the nation's 25 largest cities, Atlanta has the least amount of land dedicated to parks."
• Recycling & Materials Management - "Together, paper and pastic account for over half the materials that go into our waste stream. But organic material makes up almost a quarter."
• Leadership - "It's about changing the way we behave. It's about choosing to preserve more and throw away less. It's about finding healthier ways to commute. It's about designing and building better so that we live and work in more efficient and healthier buildings. it's about changing what you do - and convincing your colleagues and neighbors to do the same"

The city is ranked 19 out of the top 50 most populous metro areas in the U.S. We currently lead the southeast and are number three nationally in the number of environmentally friendly buildings. You can find more rankings broken out by category at SustainLane.

Getting to Know.. Kennesaw National Battlefield Park

image courtesy of terra2055

We recently had a chance to head out to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park and hit the trails for a hike. The park is actually part of the U.S. National Park Service.  The day was sunny but a little bit chilly. We took the big dog with us to get him a little bit of exercise. I had read from 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles that the Burnt Hickory Loop trail was actually the toughest in the book so I was ready for a long hike. The book was correct that it was a tough trail, about 5.5 miles total with a lot of up and down. We came across a lot of serious hikers and day hikers and a good amount of dogs. You can't ask for better views. When you reach the top, you can look out to the east and see the entire city of Atlanta all the way up to Alpharetta and over to Stone Mountain. Looking west and north will give you a view all the way up to the north Georgia mountains. It's a great reward for the steep hike that you just took. You get all of this within about 1 to 1.25 miles. If you continue

The mountain is rich in history. It is where the Atlanta Campaign began on June 19, 1864. It was a bloody battle that lasted about two weeks taking the lives of over 5.300 soldiers. You can see many civil war relics while hiking through the park. The park is well maintained with a very nice visitors center. If you are looking for a quick place to get outdoors, this park is a great idea. It does get crowded so be prepared to see people (and dogs).


Check out the offical site here
If you are interested in the hiking trails GeorgiaTrails.com has a good roundup here

Peach Bites

Atlanta has been busy since our last readings post. Catch up with some of the more notable stories below.


Overbuilt? (AJC) - Metro Atlanta ranks third worst in the nation in empty homes. Wow! Only Las Vegas and Detroit rank higher in the numbers of vacant rental properties and single family homes on the market currently. Notable Quote: "Intown Atlanta had more than 6,000 new unsold condo units at the end of 2008, and only 645 new units sold the entire year, Haddow & Co. says."

Stimulus Package Breakdown (AJC) - Info below taken directly from the AJC:

• Transit - More than $1.01 billion for highways and bridges; $168 million for transit capital grants
• Energy - Will be determined by legislative action and efforts by private companies and homeowners to apply for credits and grants, but $97.8 million is included for weatherization.
• Education - $420 million for Title I schools; $333 million for special education; some of the $1.28 billion the state will receive in fiscal stabilization funds will also go to education, specifically for modernization and renovation.
• Unemployed & Poor - Estimated $220 million in additional unemployment insurance trust fund dollars.

Atlanta Receives Poor Marks for Park Space (AJC) - Atlanta is still one of the worst cities in the nation when it comes to parks. The report indicates that the main cause is lack of spending on parks. While surrounding counties' citizens have taken it upon themselves to pay taxes, $264M in Cherokee, Cobb & Gwinnett, the City of Atlanta has been mired in infrastructure issues for the better part of the decade. The beltline will go a long way to improve the city's standing but we all know the issues there. Notable Quote: "Apparently, it takes green to be green." State of Atlanta's Parks (Park Pride .pdf)