About Sandy Springs reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (May 2, 2019)
16 | Community i Facebook.com/TheReporterNewspapers ■ twitter.com/Reporter_News HN HARRY NORMAN LOOKING FOR AHOMEWITH PERSONALITY? WE CAN HELP YOU FIND IT call us at one of our convenient locations ATLANTA NORTH 770-622-3081 ATLANTA PERIMETER 770-394-2131 BIG CANOE® 770-893-2400 BLAIRSVILLE 706-745-3000 BLUE RIDGE 706-632-7211 BUCKHEAD 404-233-4142 BUCKHEAD NORTH 404-814-9000 BUCKHEAD NORTHWEST404-261-2700 THE COLLECTION AT FORSYTH 770-497-2000 COBB MAR I ETTA 770-422-6005 City and housing nonprofit settle discrimination lawsuit BY EVELYN ANDREWS evelyn@reporternewspajjers.net Sandy Springs has settled with a housing nonprofit that filed a federal discrimina tion lawsuit against the city. The founder of the nonprofit said the agreement won’t change its operations. “It will be business as usual,” said Lucy Hall, the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Mary Hall Freedom House. The city had cited the nonprofit several times over more than a year, alleging it was operating a drug treatment facility out of condos it purchased in 2017, which would vio late zoning rules. MHFH filed a lawsuit in late 2018 claiming the city was trying to push out minorities and disabled people. The city’s citations and MHFH’s lawsuit have been dropped as part of the settlement, which requires the nonprofit get its offices rezoned and not provide any services out of the condos, according to a city-issued statement. “I am proud that we were able to bring this matter to a resolution,” City Attorney Dan Lee said in the statement. “The city’s goal in taking legal action was compliance with the zoning law, which safeguards not only the character of the neighborhood, but the residents who live there, including women enrolled in rehabilitation programming conducted by Mary Hall Freedom House.” Hall said she was glad to end the legal battles and that she is “satisfied” with the agreement. “The bottom line is, I’m just tired. I’m emotionally drained from negotiating with the city that could have just sat down with me from the start,” she said. City officials, who hope to inspire redevelopment of the area, say they received com plaints from residents of MHFH and of the remaining tenant-owned condos at the Re serve of Dunwoody at 9400 Roberts Drive about the services being provided out of the condos. Those “social services” were in conflict with the city’s zoning ordinances, the statement said. Hall maintains that MHFH only allowed its clients to live in the con dos, which are located on the city’s north end, and did not provide any services there. The city wants MHFH to provide services out of its offices at 8595 Roswell Road and not the condos, which the nonprofit has agreed to do, the statement said. The nonprof it also will apply to rezone with the offices Roswell Road to be classified under a zoning district that permits drug treatment, according to the statement. Additionally, none of the MHFH residents had a lease that would allow them rights of occupancy because tenancy was directly connected to the treatment they were receiv ing, according to the statement. MHFH will now provide leases of at least six months to tenants, the statement said. The MHFH board has issued a resolution adopting and agreeing to the settlement, stating its intent to comply with the terms, the statement said. The nonprofit’s strategies to fight the city’s legal challenges have included enlist ing a public relations firm that brought in former Atlanta Mayor, U.S. Representative and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young. It also launched a website, which appears to have been deactivated, directly targeting Mayor Rusty Paul called “ShameOnRustyPaul.com.” EAST COBB 770-977-9500 HIAWASSEE 706-632-7211 INTOWN 404-897-5558 LUXURY LAKE & MOUNTAIN 706-212-0228 NORTH FULTON 678-461-8700 PEACHTREE CITY 770-632-8526 SAVANNAH 912-233-6609 WOODSTOCK 404-495-8331 LONDON +44 2 0 7467 5330 find out more at HarryNorman.com BOARD of REGENTS LUXURY REAL ESTATE LUXURY PORTFOLIO INTERNATIONAL' exclusive affiliate of CHRISTIE’S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE M AY FA IR International Realty Spruill Center THE Arts SUMMER CAMP Bill niiiii ARTS ARTS Join us for an artful adventure! May 28—August 2, 2019 Creative Arts Camps Ages 5-6 Visual Arts Camps Ages 7-10 Performing Arts Camps Ages 7-10 Studio Arts Camps Ages 11-14 Register online at spruillarts.org ss
