After a two-week summer recess, the Atlanta City Council reconvened at city hall on Monday, Aug. 4, to pass improvements to senior livelihoods, watershed funding, and housing in Atlanta.
Legislation unanimously passed by the council on Monday included a resolution requesting the Department of City Planning develop a “senior zone” to promote age-friendly infrastructure, accessible housing, and safe communities for seniors in Atlanta. According to the legislation, these senior zones would “serve to identity and support neighborhoods with high concentrations of senior residents or those are high risk of displacement, providing targeted support through zoning policy, city investments, and coordinated services.”
Other housing-related legislation passed included a resolution requesting that Fulton County continue supporting vital affordable housing and community-focused redevelopment efforts through participating in the Westside Tax Allocation District, as well as a resolution donating $150,000 to HouseProud Atlanta, a nonprofit organization providing no-cost home repairs to people in need. The latter was sent to Mayor Andre Dickens post-haste.
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The council also passed a resolution authorizing Mayor Dickens to apply for funding from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority on behalf of the department of watershed management for $37 million. This resolution comes amidst efforts to improve the City’s water infrastructure following last year’s water crisis that left thousands of residents without clean water for nearly a week.
The council further voted to accept $900,000 in grant funding from the Atlanta Regional Commission for preliminary engineering for the PATH Lakewood Trail Phase 1, from the Atlanta Beltline Southside Trail/Carver High School to Pryor road.
The project proposes the construction of a 12-foot-wide concrete trail with lighting, landscaping, and trail amenities; a new pedestrian-activated Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon signal at the Lakewood Avenue crossing; and a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge parallel to Lakewood Avenue near South Bend Park.
Another resolution authorized acceptance of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Livable Cities Initiative study grant to conduct a study in the Ashby MARTA Station Transit Area in order to prepare plans to enhance the area consistent with regional development policies.
The Atlanta City Council will reconvene for its next full council meeting on Aug. 18.
