About Sandy Springs reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 2, 2025)
ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS OCTOBER 2025 | 13 NYO families and alumni as a once-in-a- generation opportunity to leave their legacy at NYO. Hertz is one of those volunteers who keeps putting his hand up. He started working with NYO after college, coaching baseball and basketball. His children were participants, and now he’s coaching and watching his grandchildren in NYO programs. “I think the whole opportunity to participate in team sports, to be exposed to other young people that may come from different backgrounds, different schools, different backgrounds than what some of us have experienced, frankly, I think that’s invaluable,” Hertz said. Fanning, a member of the Georgia Tech athletic board, said students participating at the college level and in NYO programs gain an education that they aren’t taught in school. Sports participation includes lessons on failing and succeeding, the need to be disciplined and work hard, and the importance of making a commitment to the team. “One of the things that we’ve got to come back in touch with is a competitive, positive spirit of unity. We’re so divisive as a society right now, we need things to rally around that are positive and good, and I think sports is one way to help inculcate that into our American culture,” Fanning said. Hertz, the chairman and CEO of United Distributors, a beverage distribution business, also devotes his time to help other nonprofit organizations that are youth- focused, such as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Camp Twin Lakes. Other NYO initiatives: mental health, summer camp assistance Burr said the last few years NYO has focused on its scholarship fund to assure that kids who participate are a better reflection of the population of the city of Atlanta. The scholarship fund will be the third stage in its capital campaign. NYO started summer camps using some grant money from the city of Sandy Springs. Burr said that those camps have grown, but to provide more opportunities for children in the Chastain Park neighborhood and farther out in areas like Sandy Springs and Brookhaven will require more funding. NYO has done a lot of work over the past year focusing on mental health. Burr said it has been working with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta on programming, providing guidance and expertise on youth health and safety. The NYO gym will have space for physical therapy, health clinics, and volunteer training, as well as an opportunity to have an on-site athletic trainer during events. NYO also partners with Hillside, a residency center for kids who struggle with mental health, which helps participants to improve their mental health and well-being to increase self-esteem, creativity, and cognitive performance. Trails boost economic development: PCID director By Bob Pepalis Perimeter Community Improvement District Executive Director Ann Hanlon said during the Sandy Springs Conservancy Thought Leaders Dinner on Sept. 17 that taxes that commercial property owners pay fund trails that boost economic development and increase their property values. The Perimeter CID has initiated public-private partnerships since its founding in 1999. Hanlon said it initially funded big infrastructure projects such as roads. Since COVID, the Perimeter CID board members have become interested in trail projects, investing millions of dollars in them. “Trails are a marketable, tangible amenity that makes their property values higher. And that’s what CIDs are for. At the end of the day, the CID exists because we want our members to experience an increase in their property values over time,” Hanlon said. The existence of trails helps when the city of Sandy Springs tries to recruit companies to relocate to the city or remain in place. Hanlon said having a trail project within walking distance of a property could be the difference between a company choosing Sandy Springs or going somewhere else. Trails have gotten expensive and complicated, requiring more resources than a city can provide. Hanlon COLIN HUBBARD WWW.COLIN4SANDYSPRINGS.ORG COLIN4DISTRICT5@GMAIL.COM Open & Transparent Communication Launch a district-wide newsletter Hold quarterly town hall meetings Be accessible Provide clear, consistent direction to the City Manager, city staff & all departments said groups like the Sandy Springs Conservancy, CIDs, chambers of commerce, and other civic organizations need to participate. Developers, business districts, and individual commercial property owners increasingly seek ways to partner with cities on new trail systems. F47 Jack Misiura and Ann Hanlon (Photo by Bob Pepalis) Public-private partnerships can set the community apart from others by bringing together resources to create a trail system. Hanlon described to attendees current trail projects from the pavilion at Morgan Falls Overlook Park. One of the projects is a trail along Mount Vernon Road. “We are a funding partner with the city, and it will create a new big trail that’s going to run all the way from City Springs over on Roswell Road along Mount Vernon, pretty much all the way to the Sandy Springs MARTA station,” Hanlon said. Fiscal Responsibility Continue strong fiscal discipline Maintain our AAA rating Fully fund public safety, fully support first responders Endorsed by the Atlanta Realtors Association The Perimeter CID contributed $3.5 million to the project. Using federal dollars from the Federal Transit Administration, Sandy Springs has a project to connect the hospital area on Peachtree Dunwoody Road with the MARTA Medical Station. The Perimeter CID added $960,000 to that project. Hanlon said another project is a trail along Peachtree Dunwoody Road from Hammond Drive to Abernathy Road. She said the Perimeter CID sees it as important enough to split its costs evenly with Sandy Springs. The city and the Perimeter CID have each invested approximately $3 million. Hanlon said trail access increasingly shapes the future of cities, communities, and commercial real estate investment. The paths connect neighborhoods, parks, business districts, and transit hubs. For people who doubt this, she pointed to activity along the Beltline in Atlanta. A recent study from the Urban Land Institute showed that walkability and access to open space are now among the top considerations for commercial site selection, Hanlon said. That’s particularly true as employers consider how to attract Gen Z millennials and even Gen Alpha workers. “The trail network is not just a perk; it is a recruitment and retention tool. Trails bring people and people bring spending,” Hanlon said. Development & Re-Development Intentional & balance approach to development & re-development Pragmatic environment that encourages diverse housing options Fully engage in Comprehensive Plan update
