About Sandy Springs reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 2020)
JANUARY 2020 ■ www.ReporterNewspapers.net Community | 15 NORTH END REDEVELOPMENT PURSUED For years, the city has planned to redevelop the North End area, with recommenda tions forming from a Task Force. The findings from the task were presented in Decem ber 2018 and in December 2019, the city took a big step in its plans by hiring an archi tect firm to create designs for four shopping centers in the area. But a lot of questions still remain about the North End, including what role the city will play in the redevelopment, and an advocacy group is continuing its push for afford able housing in the area. CITY GOVERNMENT CHANGES The city shifted away from its “public-private partnership” system of outsourced, privatized government services this year. The move was done in a low-key fashion and presented as a mathematical cost-savings decision. The city had privatized its services since its 2005 founding and drew international attention for being a pioneer in the government model. Oliver Porter, a Sandy Springs engineer and artist who founded the privatization idea, believes the city has already de viated too much from that model and that the current shift is risky. In another big change, the city’s first full-time city manager, John McDonough, left for another job. Andrea Surratt takes over in the new year. INCORRECT SALES TAXES Major retailers, including Home Depot and Pottery Barn, were found incorrectly charging Atlanta’s higher sales tax rate within the city. The problem is rooted in ZIP codes, such as Sandy Springs’ 30328, that the United States Postal Service generically labels as “Atlanta” even though they are entirely out side that city. The problems have compounded in the era of online sales, which are taxed based on the customer’s delivery address, resulting in a complicated sales tax system whose flaws raise the ire of local governments and retailers alike. STORAGE UNIT CONTROVERSY City officials and residents took very different stances on proposals for two self-stor- age facilities proposed this year. The City Council approved one on Northwood Drive for hitting “high points,” but denied another on Roswell Road for doing quite the opposite. The Council approved the proposal for a three-story self-storage facility at 120 North- wood Drive, whose development would involve demolishing the current building and displacing several businesses, a church and three nonprofits. But the site also would provide a new city park and bring back the current nonprofit organizations. MASTER TRAIL PLAN Designs for the city’s master trail plan were approved by the City Council, begin ning a system that will eventually allow bicyclists and pedestrians to travel on 31 miles of paths. The master plan recommends a $33 million implementation plan to span 10 years. The implementation plan would complete some segments of three of the six ma jor projects, which include trails along Roswell Road, a bridge over the Chattahoochee River at Morgan Falls and other connections. A New Year. A Continued Commitment to our Patients and the Community. As we begin 2020, we look forward to continuing our commitment to provide our patients with state-of- the-art comprehensive medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology care. From treating skin cancer to diagnosing common skin conditions and providing proven cosmetic treatments, we're here to help you maintain your healthiest skin at every age. We are also continuing our mission to educate our communities through a variety of skin cancer awareness campaigns. From educational talks and free skin cancer screenings, to sponsorships, we're always happy to promote the importance of healthy skin throughout the communities we serve. 4360 Chamblee Dunwoody Road Suite 260 DERMATOLOGY SPEC I ALISTS of Georgia (770)452-5667 DermatologySpecialistsGA.com Josh A. Hammel, MD Board-Certified Dermatologist & Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon AN IMPORTANT REMINDER Start the new year off right and schedule your annual skin exam today by calling (770) 452-5667 MEDICAL I SURGICAL I COSMETIC ss
