By David Pendered Jan. 24 – The federal corruption trial of a former CFO for the City of Atlanta has been postponed again, this time from Feb. 12 to May 15. Defendant Jim Beard requested the 90-day delay. Beard faces an eight-count indictment that a federal grand jury handed down on Sept. 15, 2020 in […]
Affordable Housing
New fed program no remedy for affordabilityBy David Pendered Oct. 22 – More dwellings may be built with funding enabled by a new federal regulation, but there’s no reason to expect any such units built in metro Atlanta to be affordable. The Biden administration has announced a new program that aims to induce construction accessory dwelling units as part of its […]
Environment
Grain of salt for Biden’s climate resiliency planBy David Pendered Oct. 16 – David Kyler suggests a grain of salt to go with the Biden administration’s new strategic plan to adapt to climate change. “We cannot allow adaptation to give the false promise that adaptation will save us,” said Kyler, the cofounder and director of the Center for a Sustainable Coast, on […]
Short Takes
The BeltLine does not need fixed rail to be successfulBy Howard S. Wertheimer Note to readers: Howard S. Wertheimer, FAIA Emeritus, LEED AP, is a lecturer at Georgia Tech’s School of Architecture; former AVP for Capital Planning & Space Management and Institute Architect at Georgia Tech, and former COO at Piedmont Park Conservancy Oct. 6 – There is a fast-growing community of citizens who […]
Affordable Housing
Georgia awards first state grants for affordable housingBy David Pendered Oct. 1 – For the first time, Georgia has awarded state grants to support the development of affordable housing in rural parts of the state. Georgia has awarded a total of $8.37 million to five communities: City of Albany, $923,513; City of Colquitt, $2.4 million; Columbus Consolidated Government, $2.3 million; Douglas Coffee […]
Environment
Feds set the bar for phase-out of single-use plasticsBy David Pendered Sept. 28 – Governments really do have the ability to phase out single-use plastics, the head of Environment Georgia said Thursday as the U.S. Interior Department announced its new final plans. “This announcement is proof positive that phasing out single-use plastics is possible,” said Jennette Gayer, Georgia state director of Environment Georgia, […]
Short Takes
Better Atlanta TransitBy Mike Dobbins Sept. 10 – There is a great need for better Atlanta transit. The current plans are obsolete. There have been no comprehensive transit plan updates since: Before the 2017 transit referendum; Before COVID with its ongoing disruption of settlement patterns, thus shifting the locations of origins and destinations essential to plan transit […]
Environment
200-plus ducks? ‘Creek Rising’ must be upon usBy David Pendered Sept. 5 – Even without the rubber ducks, the Sept. 14 party hosted by the South Fork Conservancy would be a special occasion. But this is the 16th Anniversary Creek Rising party and there will be ducks. More than 200 rubber ducks are to race down the South Fork of Peachtree Creek […]
Environment
Wind farm leases in Gulf of Mexico snubbed by marketBy David Pendered Sept. 2 – The proposed wind farms on three sites in the Gulf of Mexico failed to attract much interest from bidders on Aug. 29, with only one of three lease areas receiving a bid. No bids were received on two sites totaling 199,266 acres off the coast of Galveston, Texas. One […]
Affordable Housing
Georgia’s new regs to induce equity, inclusive housingBy David Pendered Aug. 26 — Georgia has almost completed the proposed update to its plan for spending in 2024 the state’s allocation of the nation’s largest program to subsidize the building and preservation of affordable housing. The proposed plan appears to refine the housing strategic goals in order to raise the bar on issues […]
