Tucker’s Mayor and City Council gathered twice during the month of March, once for a meeting and then later for a work session.
The meeting, which took place on March 8, saw approval of a much talked about ordinance on urban camping. The ordinance, which mirrors similar efforts in Brookhaven, Chamblee, and Dunwoody, will give police officers additional tools to assist homeless citizens and connect them with much needed social services.
Council also held first reads and public hearings on a trio of issues. One hearing dealt with a series of amendments to the Fiscal Year ’21 budget. Another was for discussion of a special land use permit for drive-thru lanes at the soon-to-be constructed CDC Credit Union branch at Northlake Mall. The third was for an amendment to the City Zoning Ordinance. The changes are largely clerical, made to clarify elements of the Zoning Code. All three issues will come back before Council for second reads, public hearings and anticipated votes on April 12.
Earlier in the meeting, they approved a number of measures including:
- a contract to stabilize historic Johns Homestead. The project is being funded completely through money allocated by DeKalb County Commissioner Steve Bradshaw.
- a contract for construction of a trail bridge along the south side of the lake at Kelley Cofer Park.
- a contract for $38,425 to install a UV lighting filtration system inside Tucker Recreation Center.
- a resolution to accept a grant for construction of an outdoor fitness court. The court will be situated at the city-owned site of the old DeKalb County library on Church Street.
- a contract with Pittman Construction not to exceed $4.05 million for resurfacing 62 streets across the City. Of the $4.05 million, $2.16 million will come from SPLOST funds.
- a contract for $63,000 with Southeastern Engineering, Inc. for construction inspection on the road resurfacings.
At the March 22 work session, Council received a presentation on the Chamblee Tucker road safety study that was completed by consultants from VHB. One of the alternatives presented to the current layout of the street is to make improvements to make Chamblee Tucker more like a complete street. That would mean installation of bike lanes, pedestrian activated crosswalks, a potential reduction in speed limit and a reduction from four to three lanes. Council also received a presentation on the Tucker Summit Community Improvement District (CID) Freight Cluster Plan. The plan looks at ways to improve transportation connections, predominantly in the Mountain Industrial area, to better facilitate trucks and vehicle volume in the future. Lastly, they discussed possible text amendments related to auto uses within the City. Staff is looking to balance the needs of the auto oriented businesses in the City, while addressing complaints and concerns. Those concerns include safety, environmental hazards and businesses expanding over time without complying with zoning regulations.
The next meeting of the Mayor and City Council will be on Monday April 12 at 7 p.m. at City Hall (1975 Lakeside Parkway, Suite 350B).
