This story has been updated. 

By Angela Walker, contributor

Atlanta, GA — During the Kirkwood Neighbors Organization’s monthly meeting on Sept. 10, KNO voted to send a letter to the City of Atlanta Transportation Department requesting the installation of an all-way stop at the corners of Hosea Williams and 1st Ave. KNO also sent a copy of the letter to Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari’s office. 

In the letter, President Megan Owens says, “The intersection of 1st Avenue NE and Hosea Williams Dr. NE has been the scene of several recent crashes. Poor visibility, a significant grade on Hosea Williams, and apparent driver expectation that this is a four-way stop have resulted in dangerous conditions.

“Significant numbers of people walking and biking, a lack of sidewalks, and people driving at unsafe speeds. This intersection is currently unsafe for travelers whether walking, biking, or driving.”

A representative from Bakhtiari’s office, Patrick Husbands, confirmed receipt of the letter and added, “Bakhtiari’s office takes the safety of its citizens very seriously, and this item will be on the next legislation agenda.”

In line with traffic and pedestrian safety, resident Rebecca Davis asked Husbands about installing speed humps on 1st Avenue, citing “persistent speeding over 40 miles per hour and the lack of sidewalks where children and others are walking.”

Husbands said he’ll follow up with Councilmember Bakhtiari and said, “Our office is in favor of speed humps whenever possible, depending on neighborhood support, funding, and wherever they’re most needed.” 

In other KNO business:

— A representative from the Atlanta Board of Education, Jessica Johnson, says that APS is in the process of identifying a search firm for a new superintendent. They have narrowed the search down to the top three firms.

APS will hold community meetings that are open to the public. For more information about the superintendent search, visit the APS website. 

In other business 

— Atlanta Police Sgt. Matthew Stenson said that property and violent crimes are down. He also mentioned that two juveniles were recently apprehended who were trying to break into cars near Kirkwood. 

— During the Treasurer’s report, Josh Woiderski shared updates on KNO’s annual budget. 

They opened the floor and approved the first vote to make the suggested budget adjustments (a second vote to adopt the increases will occur during the October meeting). The budget increases, and other agenda items that passed the first vote for the recommendation, include:

1. The Transportation Committee requested an increase of $3,500 for painting and signage of crosswalks, striping machine for bike lanes, and maintenance and replacement of flex posts.

2. The Education Committee requested an increase of $5,000 for a total of $10,000 for grants and student scholarships. Grants will be awarded for $3,000 each for Toomer Elementary, King Middle School, and Jackson High School, and two student scholarships at $500 each.

3. An increase for the Neighbor in Need grant program for $15,000. This grant funding supports projects such as home repairs for legacy Kirkwood residents. Neighbor in Need has spent over $102,846 on repairs in Kirkwood this year. 

4. An increase to two more projects, Lan Gras by $1,000 and Pet Party in the Park by $500.

— During the Zoning Committee update, Chair Susanne Blam shared a variance request for 21 Rockyford Road to add a second story to an existing detached garage. This request will increase the allowable floor area to 41.5% from a property’s allowed 30% floor area. KNO voted to approve the variance, and the item will go before the Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU-0) for a vote.

— The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) sent a letter to residents about plans to install mid-block pedestrian crossings at several locations on Memorial Drive, between Moreland and Chandler Road. The KNO Transportation committee believes these projects will be beneficial for the community but is suggesting additional requests to submit to GDOT, including:

– Widen sidewalk and install pedestrian scramble at Eva Davis/East Lake Terrace at Memorial Drive to make the crossing safe for people on their way to the YMCA and nearby schools and senior center.

– Remove right-turn-only lane on eastbound Memorial Drive at 2nd Ave to make the intersection safer to cross on foot and more accessible for large vehicles to make the right turn without hopping the curb. Resident Karen Hatcher suggested moving the white line further back from the intersection to increase visibility.

– Repair broken sidewalks, replace missing sidewalks, and ensure ADA compliance.

– Replace the flex post medians with concrete medians.

– Environmental Committee Chair Earl Williamson shared that the Kirkwood Urban Forest Preserve neighbors got together to get ideas for what they want to see in the preserve and what the greenspace may need. Williamson invited people to volunteer with Trees Atlanta on the first Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. near Dixie Street. He also mentioned a larger volunteer project coming in the next two to three weeks to spread wood chips around trees and the newly acquired space to remediate some of the impacts some trees have experienced in the last 20 years. 

Williamson also mentioned that Kirkwood has an extensive and diverse bird population, particularly in Kirkwood Urban Forest Preserve. Residents are invited to learn more about bird watching in Kirkwood at https://birdsofkirkwood.com/. 

— KNO invites the community to attend its upcoming annual Kirkwood Wine Stroll held on Friday, Sept. 15. Tickets are available for purchase at https://www.kirkwoodwinestroll.com/. Anyone can walk around downtown Kirkwood to enjoy the festivities, food bite stations, and local restaurants. 

Correction: An earlier version of this story contained incorrect information about the KNO budget. This story has been updated with the correct information. 

Want Decaturish delivered to your inbox every day? Sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.

If you appreciate our work on this story, please become a paying supporter. For as little as $6 a month, you can help us keep you in the loop about your community.