Downtown Jonesboro Rail Estate

Seeking a builder with experience building historically-styled homes, willing and able to take down 55 lots.

Several acres have been successfully zoned for a 55 lot neo-traditional subdivision which will feature homes reflecting the historic vernacular of downtown Jonesboro including rear-loading, alley-fed garages. The city has awarded the effort with an H2, live/work zoning. The homes, when constructed, will be within walking distance of the proposed Commuter Rail Station. Jonesboro is an LCI grant recipient and has begun downtown revitalization. This project will flow seamlessly with those efforts.

The project has been named "The Grove" in homage to the old pecan grove which will serve as the primary entrance/exit to the subdivision. Great care is being taken to construct the roads in the rows between trees creating a dramatic entrance statement.

A tree survey was done, identifying the older trees on the property. These trees will be preserved in a park encompassing approximately 20% of the property.

In short, the project has the potential for a trend-setting,"forward to the past" direction for the city.

Interested parties please email Burke Sisco of MainStreet Realty at burke@burkesisco.com.

A-Bike for A-to-B on Atlanta Beltline

As those who live along the BeltLine become more transit-oriented in their lifestyles, we will see the steady emergence of creative transportation solutions to the "first mile" and "last mile."

The A-Bike is one example. It's a fully functional bicycle that can be folded down to roughly the size of an umbrella and carried on a trolley...

Will living on the BeltLine have a positive impact on your belt line?

Obesity is at an all-time high in the United States. Asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure plague an increasing number of Americans. These health problems have been tied, in part, to the very fabric of the places where we live and work. The relationship between health and the built environment is clear, yet little has been done to take a prospective look at the health-related impacts of proposed projects and policies, at least in the United States.

This gap is being filled by a Health Impact Assessment, or HIA, of the proposed Atlanta BeltLine that is being conducted by Georgia Tech’s Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD), with assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The BeltLine project would convert a partly abandoned railroad that circles downtown Atlanta into a transit corridor and multi-use trail connected to an expanded city park system and targeted areas for redevelopment.

CQGRD and CDC are using HIA tools — techniques applied in many European countries — to ascertain the potential health impacts of the BeltLine project. The HIA will identify both positive and negative impacts, paying special attention to the distribution of effects to determine if at-risk populations are subject to particular negative impacts.

“The BeltLine assessment is an opportunity to place health considerations at the forefront of the policy and project decision-making process,” said Catherine L. Ross, Harry West Professor and Director of CQGRD.

The BeltLine HIA will be completed by the end of 2006 and the findings will be disseminated to local officials and the public."

For more information on the CQGRD HIA click here.

Source: Karen Leone de Nie, research scientist, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta

PRO-COMMUTER RAIL GROUP CALLS AUDIT REQUEST "CYNICAL"

July 14, 2006

An audit request by a Georgia legislator is another blatant attempt by the highway lobby to block commuter rail, says a pro-train group.

The Georgia Association of Railroad Passengers blasted House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin (R-Evans) for demanding an audit of the state's commuter rail program, calling the move a cynical attempt to stifle growing demands for train service.

"Rep. Harbin's request had nothing to do with protecting the public," said GARP President Steve Vogel. "It has everything to do with his virulent opposition to commuter rail.

"Harbin has already admitted responsibility for the Georgia Train Robbery," said Vogel, referring to an unpublicized 11th-hour alteration of budget legislation that prompted the State Transportation Board to suspend activity on the Atlanta-Lovejoy line.

"Harbin's audit request is just the latest evidence he'll stop at nothing to deny Atlanta-area commuters the option of riding trains," said Vogel.

In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Harbin suggested an audit would shed light on why no trains are running, despite ten years of studies.

"If Rep. Harbin really wants to know why nothing's happening, all he has to do is look in the mirror," suggested Vogel. "Harbin and people like Harbin have blocked commuter rail at every turn."

GARP is an independent grassroots citizens organization that advocates rail service as part of a balanced transportation system for Georgia.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
STEVE VOGEL, GARP PRESIDENT: 404-373-7530
JIM DEXTER, GARP VICE PRESIDENT: 404-687-8753
garprail@bellsouth.net