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Hey, Druid Hills / North Decatur! This week: a Oaxacan restaurant has signed on to anchor a freestanding space at Lulah Hills, and DeKalb Schools are juggling redistricting options and a superintendent vote. Plan around a two-day Clifton Road closure, then set your weekend around Oakhurst Porchfest, Fernbank's new elephant exhibit, and Jazz on the Lawn at Callanwolde.

- News — Clifton Road closes Oct. 5-6 for tree removal, DeKalb Schools reveal three redistricting options that could shift up to 3,184 students, and the $175 million Druid Hills High School modernization tops the ESPLOST VII list.
- Business — Spur Hospitality has signed a lease for a two-story Cuevacía at Lulah Hills, with doors slated to open in late 2027.
- Events — Oakhurst Porchfest turns 200 front porches into stages on Saturday, while Fernbank unveils The Secret World of Elephants and Callanwolde hosts Joe Gransden's Big Band with Maria Howell.
- Government — DeKalb commissioners are weighing data center rules and a $3.2 million design contract for Flat Shoals Parkway sidewalks, and the school board meets Oct. 5 on its superintendent pick.
- Construction — Fire sprinklers have closed out at two new Lulah Ave retail buildings, a sign that storefronts are close, while signal upgrades continue on LaVista Road.

Let's dive in.

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Portion of Clifton Road in DeKalb County to close Oct 5-6
Clifton Road NE between Ponce de Leon Avenue and E. Clifton Road will be closed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 5 and 6 while crews remove a tree at 823 E. Clifton Road NE, just north of the Fernbank Museum. Closure and detour signs will be posted, and questions can go to the county's consulting arborist, Brian Heaney, at 770-820-6123.

Garden-style apartments near Decatur hospital sold to Georgia housing authority
The Housing Authority of DeKalb County has acquired Park Summit, a 148-unit garden-style apartment community near Emory Decatur Hospital. The complex offers studio through three-bedroom floor plans.

Tucker residents share priorities for redevelopment in Northlake
Kimley-Horn and Tucker-Northlake Community Improvement District leaders met with residents at city hall on Oct. 1 to present survey results for the One Northlake plan, a five-year plan for a one-square-mile area spanning Tucker and unincorporated DeKalb County. Top survey priorities included better restaurants and retail, more parks and green space, walkability and trails, reuse of aging commercial properties, and solutions to traffic congestion; a final meeting with draft recommendations is set for Jan. 28, 2027.

Breaking down DeKalb Schools' redistricting options by cluster
The district has proposed three elementary school options and two middle-high school concepts as part of the Student Assignment Project, with estimated student shifts of 1,619 under Option 1, 2,057 under Option 2, and 3,184 under Option 3. This phase focuses on overcrowding in the Lakeside, Cross Keys, Chamblee, Tucker, Dunwoody and Druid Hills clusters, and the board is expected to vote on a plan by the end of the year.

DeKalb Schools to consider hiring Sauce as superintendent
The DeKalb County Board of Education will consider making Norman C. Sauce III its permanent superintendent at its Oct. 5 meeting, which begins at 11:30 a.m. in Stone Mountain, with a community input session at 5:45 p.m. The board approved Sauce as sole finalist on Sept. 14 in a 4-3 vote, and his interim contract expires in November.

What ESPLOST projects are on the ballot for DeKalb voters
ESPLOST VII, on the Nov. 3 ballot, is expected to collect more than $925 million across three school districts by 2032, with DeKalb County School District estimating about $825 million. Proposed projects across the four schedule options include 14 roof replacements, 20 HVAC replacements, and the $175 million Druid Hills High School modernization.

BUSINESS

Oaxacan restaurant Cuevacía signs lease to open at Lulah Hills in North Decatur — Spur Hospitality has signed a lease for a second Cuevacía location, a two-story Oaxacan-inspired restaurant in a freestanding 2,600-square-foot space at the forthcoming Lulah Hills mixed-use development, with opening slated for late 2027.

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Monday, October 5
- Ryan O'Flanagan | Wild Heaven Beer
- StoryWalk® at Mason Mill Park | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- JWJI Colloquium featuring Danielle Wiggins (Georgetown) | Emory Bookstore
- Books and Babies Storytime | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County

Tuesday, October 6
- Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library Book Discussion Group | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Pumpkin Painting | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County

Thursday, October 8
- Jewelry with Gin Live! | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Cookbook Club | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Dino Talk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Startup Pitch & Networking Atlanta | Wild Heaven Beer & Fox Bros. Bar- Q at Toco Hills

Friday, October 9
- Joe Gransden’s Big Band: Jazz on the Lawn | Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
- Friday Movies | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Fernbank After Dark: Nature's Nightmares | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Joe Gransden's Big Band with Maria Howell: 2026 Jazz on the Lawn | Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
- 🎟️ CLAPTON COMES ALIVE * ticketed show | Napoleon's Grill

Saturday, October 10
- The Secret World of Elephants | Fernbank Museum
- Life After Grief Retreat-A Sacred Day of Clarity | Life After Grief Retreat
- Atlanta Pride 2026 | Piedmont Park
- Fall Festival on Ponce | 1451 Ponce de Leon
- Elephant Extravaganza | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- 48th Annual St. Elias Mid-East Festival | St. Elias Orthodox Church
- Oakhurst Porchfest | Oakhurst Neighborhood / Harmony Park
- Candlelight: Vivaldi's Four Seasons | Performing Arts Studio

Sunday, October 11
- Bright Eyes | Variety Playhouse
- 2026 Atlanta Pride Parade | Piedmont Park
- Meet a Ranger | Fernbank Museum of Natural History

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Note: our information comes from posted meetings documents (agendas and minutes when available) — latest source document hyperlinked to each meeting.

Past Week Roundup

DeKalb County School District
The district's Policy Committee met virtually on Oct. 1 and reviewed three policy revisions. One covers solicitations in schools, meaning the commercial, charitable and fundraising pitches that reach students on campus. Another sets guidelines, limits and documentation rules for school board member compensation and expense reimbursements. The third updates the acceptable use rules for student and staff internet access and district technology. The committee took no final votes, so all three policies still need full board approval. They'll keep moving through the reading process, and the committee meets again Oct. 28.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners
Commissioners met on Sept. 29 and Sept. 30, and minutes aren't published yet for either day. The Sept. 29 agenda was packed, and it included a proposed ordinance to define and regulate data centers, which would set rules for where these power- and water-hungry facilities can be built in the county. The board also took up an ordinance targeting street drifting, unauthorized camping and nuisance behavior, though committees have deferred it several times already. On the money side, the agenda featured a $3.2 million design contract for 2.1 miles of new sidewalks along Flat Shoals Parkway and a 10-year capital plan for water and sewer investments. It also included about $640,000 in early design funding for a joint fire and police training facility and a police evidence storage facility, plus a resolution calling for independent civilian oversight of the county's surveillance camera network. The Sept. 30 meeting had no agenda or documents available, so there's nothing to report from that day.

Atlanta Public Schools
The Student Advisory Council held a general body meeting on Sept. 30 at the Center for Learning and Leadership. The agenda centered on the district's "Forward 2040" long-term plan and efforts to strengthen the core instructional curriculum. Members also heard an overview of the student standing committees. The record shows no votes or formal actions, and the council took no steps on rezoning, contracts or spending. If you follow APS, this session offers a look at what student leaders are weighing as the district shapes its long-range goals.

Meetings This Week
- DeKalb County School District — Board of Education | Oct-05 | key topics: $10 million district fuel contract renewal, facility maintenance and roofing agreements, Lakeside High School sports lighting, artificial intelligence policy
- Atlanta Public Schools — Board of Education | Oct-05 | key topics: FY2027 property tax levy adoption, school renovation contracts, former Towns Elementary lease, student screen time policy
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Committee of the Whole | Oct-06, 5:30 PM | key topics: rezonings on Old Briarcliff Road and Briarcliff Road, federal park grants, data center moratorium and regulations, curbside composting pilot

CONSTRUCTION

Permits

- 1525 Clifton Rd NE. A commercial interior renovation is under review for a vacant first-floor space in the six-story medical office building. A new tenant is on the way.
- 1402 Markan Dr NE. A commercial roof replacement is on hold while the city waits on additional materials. Once it's approved, expect some rooftop noise nearby.
- 2701 N Decatur Rd. A $6M commercial permit for low-voltage cabling and communications wiring closed out on 10/02. That's a big-dollar project, and it's now finished.
- N Decatur Rd (no street number listed). A new two-story single-family home with a two-car garage, built on a slab, is permitted at $180K. The permit closed 10/02.
- 2791 Lulah Ave. Fire sprinkler work for a new retail or mercantile building closed on 10/02. Sprinklers go in late in construction, so this building is close to done.
- 2731 Lulah Ave. The same goes for this one. Sprinklers for another new retail building closed on 10/02. Together, these two signal new storefronts coming to Lulah Ave.
- 1784 N Decatur Rd NE. A commercial HVAC permit is issued for a cooling system over 5 tons. Expect equipment installation, and possibly a crane or some noise, on site.

Road Work

Under Construction
- SR 236 / LaVista Rd & Shepherds Ln Signal Upgrade — An ongoing traffic signal upgrade at LaVista Road and Shepherds Lane.

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Until next week,
Druid Hills / North Decatur Busybody

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