For the Record: Transit, flooding, and food insecurity

Art by Sarah Neuburger.

The ATL Airport Community Improvement Districts have launched Shift, a transit pilot program designed to enhance mobility for the more than 157,000 employees in the airport area and surrounding cities: East Point, College Park, South Fulton, Atlanta, Hapeville, and Forest Park.

The initiative grew from a 2019 transit feasibility study and will address key service gaps, like the lack of 24/7 transportation options for shift workers. Projects include a microtransit service, an automated transit network connecting the Georgia International Convention Center Skytrain to the Gateway Center Arena, and a planned autonomous shuttle route.

The microtransit pilot has been in service for 45 days and has already reached capacity for requests. ATL Airport Community Improvement Districts Executive Director Gerald McDowell said the team is seeking additional funding to expand the program. “The objective of that service is to provide those who work in and around the airport area another option to get to and from work,” he said.

(Documented by Dominique Huff; additional reporting by Ada Wood)

Over the next few weeks, you’ll see new names pop up in the newsletter. That’s because Canopy Atlanta has teamed up with Partnership for Southern Equity—a nonprofit focused on advancing racial equity in the South—to launch When the Creeks Rise, a community journalism project on flooding in Atlanta. As part of this project, we’re welcoming to the team community members trained by PSE’s Development Watch Academy to monitor and influence local development.

PSE’s Development Watchers will work alongside Documenters, attending public meetings on planning, zoning, and utilities to support When the Creeks Rise. Their coverage will focus on decisions that affect flooding, helping you stay informed about the policy conversations that determine which neighborhoods are most vulnerable when it rains.

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West End Neighborhood Development

The Friends of the Parks Committee shared several updates: The placemaking project at Rose Circle Park on White Street will now include painting murals on sidewalks; new playground equipment was recently installed at Howell Park on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard; and WEND will apply for a Park Pride grant to support a master plan design at West End Park on Oak Street. Also discussed at this meeting: • In response to concerns about a 24/7 alcohol license, the owner of the Food-N-Fun Mart on Lee Street agreed to limit the store’s hours. The owner also committed to stocking grocery items, such as eggs and almond milk. • Developers at the West End Mall will hire private security to address crime in the area. (Documented by Natalie Pilgeram)

Atlanta Board of Zoning Adjustments

The board approved a variance to decrease parking and accommodate a second-floor build-out for a wellness center on Euclid Avenue. (Documented by Cozzie Walker)

East Point City Council 

Bobby Wilson, a farmer at Metro Atlanta Urban Farm, wants 250,000 households in the metro to start growing their own food. Wilson’s goal aligns with the average number of households the Atlanta Community Food Bank now serves each month—a 60 percent surge from previous years, driven by inflation and rising food costs. About one in seven Fulton County residents is food insecure. In some Georgia counties, like Hancock, nearly half of all children face food insecurity, according to Feeding America’s latest Map The Meal Gap study. The problem disproportionately affects Black and Latino populations. Documenter’s note: The city council added several agenda items after publishing its initial meeting outline. The meeting lasted six hours. (Documented by Dominique Huff; additional reporting by J.P. Irie)

Specially Called Meeting on Peeples Street

October 22, 7 p.m.

Virtual

Assistant Director of Housing Delivery Carolyn Kovar shared details about an upcoming virtual information session regarding the plan for the site of the former Peeples Street Elementary School. The property would be rezoned from low-density residential to medium-density residential. The current plan proposes a mixture of rented and owned townhomes, duplexes, and detached units. Fifteen percent of units will be owner-occupied. WEND will vote on the plan November 4; NPU-T will vote November 12. (Documented by Natalie Pilgeram)