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LOCAL
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Doraville council
CHAM NON
April 21 - 27, 2016 » Page 9A
quiet in parking dispute
by R. Scott Belzer
sbelzer@dekalbchamp.com
Since mid-March,
residents on and around
Raymond Drive and
Wheeler Drive in Doraville
have voiced concerns
regarding their overcrowded
streets and alleged lack of
accessibility.
Tapestry Public Charter
School, located at 3130
Raymond Drive, according
to residents, has been the
cause of double-parking
in front of houses as well
as both sides of the street,
raising questions regarding
emergency vehicle
accessibility.
Residents approached
city councilmen, the mayor
and other officials to plead
their case in March. Tapestry
Public Charter has also
approached the city for help
in addressing the issue.
On April 11, for the
second consecutive time,
Doraville officials opted to
not make an official ruling.
The item at the
April 11 meeting was
titled “Discussion and
Consideration to approve no
parking ordinance (resident
parking only) on Wheeler
Drive and Raymond Drive
on both sides,” but was not
voted on.
Several people called
for a solution at the April
meeting.
Anne Simonetti, a
Raymond Drive resident,
said street parking along
Raymond Drive had not
been an issue until fall
2015. Simonetti alleged the
issue goes further because
Tapestry Public Charter also
rents its space for events.
“What we have today
is both sides of the street
being used as parking
lots for the Tapestry
School,” Simonetti said.
“[The school] needs to be
accountable for the people
they lease their building to.
It’s not OK for both sides of
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Double-parking issues in a residential neighborhood along Raymond Drive in Doraville has resi
dents requesting action from the city council. Photo by R. Scott Belzer
the street to be blocked. If
there is ever an emergency
at my home, the emergency
vehicle will not be able to
pass.”
Residents Kenneth
Williams, Vicki Grace,
and Tim Snyder echoed
Simonetti’s concerns and
called for action.
“I ask you to enforce the
parking ordinance and stop
people from parking in front
of the school,” Williams
said.
“The school has so
much land,” Grace said.
“There’s more than enough
land to put parking on.
When they bought this
property, they knew the
ordinances requiring them
to have adequate parking.”
“We have a problem,”
Snyder said. “It’s a health
and safety issue. There are
obviously traffic problems
in having cars park on both
side of the street. It’s a
safety and welfare issue.
We have an ordinance
that says businesses must
contain their parking. Your
problem should not have to
be our problem.”
Candice Jordan,
director of development at
Tapestry Public Charter,
was present to speak in
the school’s defense with
Principal Barbara Boone.
Jordan recognized
parking as an issue in
the community but said
“diminishing the ability
to maintain some level
of flexibility” with parking
would harm the school’s
mission. She also said it is
“not fair to urge Tapestry
to purchase parking that
would inconvenience
staff, parents and visitors
to benefit [the school’s]
immediate neighbors.” Still,
Jordan said the school
would support an ordinance
limiting the street’s parking
opportunities to one side.
In addition, Boone said
the school would be open
to having a meeting with
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residents to address the
issue.
Regardless, Doraville’s
city council did not move to
solve the issue other than
suggesting the two parties
meet to discuss the issue.
“My suggestion is that
we continue the discussion
with residents and the
school,” said Councilwoman
Dawn O’Connor. “This
should be the beginning
of a dialogue. We should
set up a meeting where we
can come to an agreement
residents can live with. The
next thing we should do is
have the school get with
residents to see what would
be a workable solution.”
City manager Shawn
Gillen said consideration
should be taken in
eliminating parking on one
side of the street but first
recommended speaking
to more residents and
the school. He also said
a “formal plan” should be
written.
“To me, an easy solution
right away would be to limit
parking to one side where
they aren’t parking in front
of homes,” said Mayor
Donna Pittman.
Pittman also suggested
school staff, parents and
visitors park in the nearby
church parking lot until a
permanent solution could
be found. Councilman
Robert Patrick said the
city should act as an
intermediary between
the two parties while
councilman M.D. Naser
advised the school to
find parking on their own
property.
However, no official
motion was made to further
address the issue.
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