About Sandy Springs reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 2024)
City of Tucker DECEMBER HAPPENINGS Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are held at Tucker City Hall, 1975 Lakeside Pkwy., Ste. 350B, Tucker, GA 30084 • DECEMBER 2, 6:30 P.M. Downtown Development Authority • DECEMBER 3 Zoning Board of Appeals • DECEMBER 7, 4-7 P.M. North Pole at Tucker Church Street Greenspace 4316 Church Street DECEMBER 9 City Council Meeting DECEMBER 19 Planning Commission DECEMBER 24-25 City Buildings Closed in Observance of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day HOWEVER YOU CELEBRATE THIS SEASON, WE WISH YOU PEACE AND JOY! tuckerga.gov TUCKER Controversial pickleball court project on hold for now By Cathy Cobbs Despite assurances that Tucker’s controversial proposed pickleball court construction project is on hold for now, residents voiced their opposition to it at the November city council meeting. During public comment on Nov. 12, residents who live near the Tucker Recreation Center cited issues with potential flooding, property values, noise, and dissatisfaction about the lack of public input regarding its construction. Before the meeting, Council member Cara Schroeder, standing in for Mayor Frank Auman, who was attending remotely, thanked people for attending a Nov. 7 informational meeting regarding a proposal to construct the 12-court pickleball court and said that the plan was not on that night’s agenda. “The project is on pause right now,” Schroeder said. FFowever, a half-dozen people continued to voice their opposition to the project, saying that “on hold” doesn’t mean the plan is dead. They urged city officials to consider the $3.25 million price tag, the effect of getting rid of one of the few remaining green spaces in the city, and the negative impact existing pickleball courts are having on surrounding neighbors. In other action, Tucker City Engineer Ken FFildebrandt and city officials discussed a mandate made by Gwinnett County that DeKalb County reverse any sewer flows that are currently flowing into Gwinnett County and their treatment facilities. “This requires DeKalb Watershed to construct sewer lift stations, force mains, and gravity sewer lines,” a memo regarding the project said. The reversal process will impact some areas of FFenderson Park, officials said, and require temporary and permanent easements. The process will use “jack-and-bore” methods, which is a trenchless method of sewer construction that is suitable for installing short pipe runs. The cost of the reversal will result in no financial impact to the city. DeKalb has offered $7,800 for an easement running through FFenderson Park. City staff said the project is in the design phase now with construction slated to start in 2026 and expected to take one to two years to complete. The council also recognized the Friends of Tucker Parks, who received the Georgia Park and Recreation Association State Volunteer of the Year award. “The relationship with the FOTP has grown into a flourishing collaboration between the [parks] department and this vital volunteer network,” a commentary about the award said. “They meet regularly to discuss the big picture along with bimonthly park clean ups, plantings, educational opportunities and volunteer in park planned events. The contributions are numerous and encompass many years of sweat, tears, and possibly a bit of blood at times.” 14 | DECEMBER 2024 ROUGHDRAFTATLANTA.COM
