DeKalb County Property Tax Increase... Awesome

Own property in DeKalb County? Well it's your lucky day! You're about to get to give the almost broke County a nice big bailout with their proposed increase in millage rate (aka property tax increase). If you would like to voice your opinion on this new increase- DeKalb County is hosting public hearings on Tuesday, July 5 at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and on Tuesday, July 12 at 10 a.m. in the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur.

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners has tentatively adopted millage rates, which will require an increase in property tax rates as listed below (Area, 2011 rate, Rollback Rate, and % Increase):

• Atlanta: 10.39, 8.938, 16.25%
• Avondale Estates: 15.41, 13.464, 14.45%
• Chamblee: 13.71, 12.223, 12.17%
• Clarkston: 15.06, 13.242, 13.73%
• Decatur: 10.82, 10.087, 7.27%
• Doraville: 13.60, 12.607, 7.88%
• Dunwoody: 13.35, 11.357, 17.55%
• Lithonia: 15.33, 13.280, 15.44%
• Pine Lake: 15.61, 13.541, 15.28%
• Stone Mountain: 13.90,  12.980, 7.09%
• Unincorporated: 19.62, 18.017, 8.90%
• Countywide Debt: 1.08, 0.647, 66.92%
• Unincorporated Debt: 0.66, 1.631, -59.53%

This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 21.36 mills in the unincorporated area (goody-this is where we are), an increase of 4.50 mills in the incorporated areas. The large millage rate in the unincorporated areas is due to the fact that these residences and business don't pay the extra city taxes and don't receive city services and must rely solely on county services.

These millage rates are prior to the application of the Homestead Exemptions and credits from the Homestead Option Sales Tax. In 2010, the Board of Commissioners granted a 56.6 percent HOST Credit for County operations and maintenance based upon the use of 97.3 percent of last year’s HOST receipts. In 2011, the Board of Commissioners has voted to use 80 percent for the HOST Credit.

The hearings are open to the public and citizens are encouraged to attend. Whether or not you own property in DeKalb, these tax increases affect everyone including renters, shoppers, and customers!

Brookhaven Farmers Market

This weekend Cory and I attended the first ever Brookhaven Farmers Market! Finally... I mean, if the antique junkees in Chamblee can do it, Brookhaven can do it (no offense Chamblee readers)!!! We were so excited when we heard about it Sunday morning- Cory was checking twitter, and one of our Atlanta favorites King of Pops mentioned that he was at the "Brookhaven Farmers Market" right down the street. So we threw on our walking shoes and headed down Apple Valley to check it out.  

We were a little wary at first, just because we hadn't heard or seen anything about it, but hey- if King of Pops was there, it had to be legit, right? There have been a ton of farmers markets popping up lately and practically every area has one now (or has a CSA or Farm Mobile) so I'm excited that Brookhaven jumped on the bandwagon. I just love the idea of farm to table veggies, cheese, and freshly made food plus we enjoy supporting local farmers.

At first glance, we were a little disappointed in the market (photo above). It was in a decent location, but really tough to see from the main street. The market was in the Parkside complex located right at the intersection of Apple Valley and Dresden (near the Brookhaven MARTA) but behind an office building in the parking lot. There were about 12-15 vendors and being there early in the morning (~10am), we were really craving some fresh baked bread or pastries for breakfast or maybe some grab and go fruit. Instead there was cheese, jelly, soaps, cup cakes, cookies, jewelry, and frozen lemonade. Nothing we were really in the market for this particular Sunday.

We did like seeing some local Brookhaven businesses with the other vendors including the newest Town Brookhaven restaurant The Cup and also the Brookhaven Bistro (which we still need to try). And of course last, but not least, King of Pops! Since he was the one that advertised the market, we made sure to pick up an Arnold Palmer (sweet tea and lemonade) pop as we walked the pup home.

Overall we were a little disappointed at the lack of assortment, but I can only hope there will be more for their next try. We appreciate the fact that it's on Sunday and not competing with other farmers markets in the area, but I think a little more outreach and marketing needs to be done to get more people to come (we didn't even hear about it until the day of... shame on us!). Of course we will continue to support it and look forward to the vendors they have next month.  If you didn't make it this weekend- you can check it out July 31st and August 28 from 9:00am to 1:00pm. On their flyer I picked up, they also advertised chef demonstrations and bluegrass music, but I'm not sure what time that starts. Even though vendors may have been a bit lacking, this is great for our neighborhood and were excited to see a push for more local in Brookhaven.

Hastings- Moving!

UPDATE #2: Cory and I are pretty sure we spotted the new location of Hastings in Peachtree Corners. No signs have been posted, but the building is almost complete and there looks to be a lot of landscaping equipment outside PLUS we recognized the hastings shopping carts. The new location is at the intersection of Woodhill Drive and Ryan Road, behind the Chick-fil-A off Peachtree Parkway: 3240 Woodhill Drive.

UPDATE: Hastings is moving to a location in Peachtree Corners (Norcross). Not quite "North Atlanta"... We will keep you posted when we figure out the actual address- I'm guessing PIB.

Hastings Nature and Garden Center is moving to a new "secret" location! Our neighborhood nursery is leaving its Peachtree Street home in Brookhaven to an undisclosed new site somewhere in North Atlanta (per their newsletter & facebook page). It's a little scary to see an Everything Must Go sign, but word is that they really are moving (not closing their doors) so it only makes me even more curious as to where they are going, and why it has to be so secretive. I can only speculate on the many places they might end up...

I have enjoyed having Hastings just a walk away. Their staff has always been helpful and knowledgeable, and I really just enjoy strolling around their space.  Hastings boasts (or boasted I guess) talking parrots (photo below), a koi pond, and beautiful garden paths (photo above) all right off of Peachtree (across from the Cherokee Plaza Kroger) sandwiched in between a tire place and an auto parts store.

I'm sad to see them leave, but I can only hope that means something awesome is going to replace it. Perhaps that's why they are leaving? Maybe a developer picked up that whole parcel + tire place + Brookhaven Plaza (with the seemingly only surviving Blockbuster left, the old empty Wilson & Sons, etc.) and something spectacular is going to bridge the gap from our side of Peachtree all the way to Dresden. So exciting! No word yet, though.  But we will keep you posted when we hear of Hasting's Grand Opening announcement (no date set) and when we hear what's going to replace it. We reccommend you stop by and check them out before they leave the neighborhood and take advantage of their 25%-70% off deals- but stop by soon, their inventory is definitely dwindling.

HOV to HOT Conversion Project

Traffic. It's everywhere in Atlanta- pretty much any time, any day- it flows through our city like a living river. At it's widest, the Downtown Connector (I-75/I-85) gets up to 16 lanes (8 per direction-one of the widest in the world) and can carry over 270,000 cars per day.

In 1994 the federal government financed 18 miles of HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes for part of the busiest section of the highway. In 1996, and then again in 2001, 83 additional miles were opened to make the HOV lanes what they are today. HOV lanes (in Atlanta) are only for carpool, van-pool, bus, low emissions vehicle, and motorcycle use, and the purpose is to keep vehicles traveling at speeds no less than 40mph during rush hour (what a joke!). If you've ever ridden in the HOV lane anytime near rush hour, you are pretty much guaranteed to travel pretty much the exact same speed as the rest of traffic. This is a huge problem for the City, not only for just traffic, but for the environment, maintenance, and your sanity/road rage. The government gives the state of Georgia funds for the maintenance and future development of interstates, and the fact that Atlanta cannot maintain the "required" 40mph at all times in the HOV lanes, some serious measures need to be taken. 

This issue has been looked at for many years as the traffic in Atlanta only continues to get worse. A few of the major reasons for this issue are enforcement of classified users and just the general amount of cars traveling on the interstate. With everything considered, the USDOT granted 110 million dollars to implement in Atlanta a new concept called HOT (High Occupancy Toll) for the Atlanta Congestion Reduction Demonstration (CRD) Grant project. HOT lanes have only recently come on the scene, the majority of which are in Maryland and Virginia. The idea is that a vehicle will pay a toll for using what was the HOV lane, and that vehicle will pay some rate per mile driven in that lane, by how many people are riding in the car (3+ is free), and the number of cars currently using the lane (higher rates for rush hour). 

The goal of this project is to provide commuters with a "reliable" travel option in the I-85 corridor, including peak hour speeds averaging greater than 45 mph in the I-85 Express Lanes. The estimated average trip length is 6 – 7 miles, with typical toll prices ranging from $0.60 to $6.00 (!) depending on congestion. It is estimated that over 90 percent of customers will pay less than $5.00 for their trip, including 25 percent of customers who will not pay any toll. 

Vehicles will be monitored by sensors called a Peach Pass (think GA 400 cruise card) for when they enter the HOT lane and then exit. The HOT lane will have restricted access and egress points along with cameras, sensors, and enforcers. You will not be able to cross the "solid double white line" whenever you want, which is also a major cause of HOV lane traffic delay. Designated entry points will still be marked with a dashed white line, but fines will be given to those who exit at undesignated points. 

I've been to a couple of discussions/presentations on this HOV to HOT conversion project- mainly as it pertains to Gwinnett County, since that's the first section of HOT lanes that will open. The first section will be 15 miles on I-85 from Chamblee Tucker Road north to Old Peachtree Road. This section is already under construction (see new signs below) and is planned to open on July 31, 2011 (weather permitting). 

I know this is a lot of information, especially if you're not familiar with this project, but it's important for the future of Atlanta traffic. This is a big, expensive undertaking that seems very complicated, especially from the driver's perspective. You'll have to "figure" out how much it will cost you, how far you will go, where you can enter/exit, and either pre-pay or load your Peach Pass with enough funds. I know that congestion has been researched quite a lot in Atlanta, and one of the ideas that I was supporting was the HOV3 concept which would increase the HOV lane to 3+ people only. The research "showed" that the usage would decrease by 70% and then the HOV lane would be vastly under utilized. My thought, which I think is the direction we should be trying to go, is that the attitude and behavior of the users would change with the HOV3, and more people would carpool, and put less drivers and vehicles out on the road, which would decrease traffic everywhere. Anyway, I guess we will find out how this all will work out pretty soon! Were excited that this will alleviate some traffic especially for those of us in Brookhaven that might commute up and down the I-85 corridor.  Let us know your thoughts.

Weekend Events!

Now that summer has kicked off and the weather is nice and hot, all the weekend festivals, activities, events, and fun begins!

Brookhaven Beer Fest: The festival will be held Saturday, June 11, 2011 from 3:00 - 8:00p.m. behind the Brookhaven Marta Station (on Apple Valley Road, like the Brookhaven Arts Festival). There will be over 150 beers to taste from, along with food, music, games, beer, and more beer. Get your $35 tickets today! ($5 off with promo code BAA) Ticket price increases to $45 at the event. Check us out- we will be there volunteering (pouring beer)! There will also be an after party at Hudson Grille/Mellow Mushroom immediately after the event until 2am.

Atlanta Streets Alive!: Saturday, June 11 10:00am - 2:00pm AND Saturday June 25 4:00pm - 8:00pm. A great event that many west coast cities have been doing for years- closing off main downtown streets to cars and allowing pedestrians and bikers only. You can go play in the street and walk (safely) to all your favorite spots! I love this idea. Atlanta Streets Alive will be closing off the 36 blocks (~3 miles, See MAP) which is the route of the proposed Atlanta Streetcar downtown. Find out more information on their website.

If you're interested in learning more about the summer events and festivities in and around your area (not just Brookhaven), check out this great new site we found HugeCity. A website (still in the works) that shows events/concerts/programs/restaurants/etc. by your location on a map. Pretty great idea! Of course we will be posting about local Brookhaven events as well as the summer and fall go on, but go check them out.

Have a great weekend! 

Sushi Mania!!!!

Seriously, though, that's the name of the restaurant... We have been eying this sushi spot ever since we moved in last year and, to be honest, don't really have any excuse why we haven't tried it.  Sushi Mania is located in the Cherokee Plaza Kroger shopping center right off Peachtree and (even better) is within walking distance from our house.  With all this warm weather, we have both have had a craving for some cool, fresh sushi, so we finally decided to walk over and give it a try.

Now I'm not going to pretend that I'm a sushi expert or know much about it other than what I just personally like.  Most food bloggers will focus on the chef: how long he lived in Japan, his style of preparation, where he studied sushi rolling... you get the idea.  I don't know about any of that, or really care to know. I care more about the sushi itself.  What a good Japanese/sushi restaurant comes down to for me is service, price, and how they prepare my faves.

The best part about these restaurants is the fresh dishes and  unique concoctions. We typically always start with a bowl of edamame and a salad, but this time we tried something other than the "house salad" and ordered the Crispy Green Salad (pic above) along with edamame.  The salad had crispy rice noodles, sliced avocados, and tomatoes, and a refreshing miso dressing. It was pretty delicious and very fresh.

Now for some sushi mania!

We ordered our staples- Tuna Roll and Spicy Tuna Roll (above).  Both were done very well (granted, it's tough to do them wrong) and presented beautifully.  The tuna roll was very fresh and the spicy tuna roll had a nice kick to it, and I made sure to add some wasabi to both, which was also quite potent, but unfortunately not super fresh.

In addition, we decided to try one of their House Speciality Rolls and went with the Alaskan Roll (above).  It had spicy tuna, shrimp, avocado, and cucumber wrapped in salmon all topped with a sweet and tangy sesame sauce.  Sushi purists will argue that ordering sushi with more than three ingredients is American "designer" sushi and not really sushi at all but I say... whatever. It tastes good, and I was satisfied.  I mean, look at that picture... how detailed and well put together is that?  Sushi can be such great art.

We were very happy to have such a good experience here at a neighborhood joint, and all for under $40 (appetizers ~ $5 each, rolls ~ $6 each, and specialty roll ~ $11- See entire Menu for additional items/cost).  Sushi can really add up quickly especially when you order specialty rolls, and we feel the sushi was comparably priced here.  We did go on a weeknight when the dining room was pretty quiet and we had excellent service, so we really enjoyed our visit and that makes going back for dining in or take out an easy decision.  We're glad to have found such a good local sushi spot - only wish we went earlier.  Go check it out!