Eastside Beltline: Mo Ivory Wins Fulton County and Delayed STR Rules

BUSYBODY EASTSIDE BELTLINE

Before we get into it this week, heads up that we’re thinking of making some changes to our neighborhood coverage, and this area is under consideration for changes. We realized that some neighboring areas don’t have enough truly local news on a weekly basis, so we’re looking to address that with some neighborhood combinations. Our commitment is that we will try to keep coverage balanced across neighborhoods in consolidated newsletters so you don’t lose any of the rich local content you’re used to. We’d like your opinion on which neighborhood combinations are most helpful for you, though. Please let us know below:

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Hey Eastside Beltline neighbors! It's a big week for local politics and city policy, and the stakes are real. Mo Ivory just toppled one of the longest-serving figures in Fulton County government, and Atlanta's short-term rental rules — long promised before the World Cup — are still nowhere to be found. There's a lot to dig into this week, from a new restaurant coming to Poncey-Highland to a packed slate of city council committee meetings.

- News — Mo Ivory's stunning upset of Robb Pitts leads a news week that also includes a schools funding gap caused by a paperwork error, stalled STR regulations, and Atlanta's middling bike score despite Beltline growth.
- Business — Chef Joey Ward is expanding his Poncey-Highland footprint with Bar Belle, the latest addition to one of Atlanta's most closely watched dining portfolios.
- Events — Thursday is an absolute jam at The Masquerade with three shows on the same night, and the Beltline Food & Street Art Tour runs Thursday through Saturday for anyone who wants to explore the corridor on foot.
- Government — The full City Council already passed its FY2027 budget and locked in a new pedestrian walkway ordinance; this week, committees take up everything from a Jesse Hill Jr. pedestrian plaza to a citywide moratorium on new self-storage facilities.
- Construction — Ponce de Leon Ave is being actively repaved, an interior buildout appears underway at Ponce City Market, and five intersections across the corridor have traffic signal repairs in progress.

Let's dive in.

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NEWS

Mo Ivory ousts Robb Pitts, Atlanta mandates construction walkways, and STR rules stall ahead of World Cup

Atlanta to require walkways for construction projects
If you've ever been forced into traffic by a construction crew that simply coned off the sidewalk and called it a day, this one's for you. The Atlanta City Council is moving to require developers to maintain safe, temporary pedestrian walkways around active construction sites. This is a common-sense shift that matters most in rapidly developing corridors where building projects seem to multiply by the month.

Atlanta logs so-so score on 2026 PeopleForBikes ranking. What gives?
New bike lanes, a growing Beltline, and yet Atlanta still can't crack the upper tier of national biking evaluations, and the report explains why. For riders in Inman Park, Old Fourth Ward, and Poncey-Highland, the core problem is familiar: the East Side Trail is great (though often crowded), but getting safely from the trail to anywhere else remains an exercise in optimism.

Among the World Cup predictions, efforts to regulate short-term rentals in Atlanta didn't come true
The World Cup is here, the tourists are coming, and Atlanta's short-term rental regulations are exactly as toothless as they were before all the promises were made. For residents in Beltline-adjacent neighborhoods already watching housing affordability erode, the stalling of these policies is less a surprise than a familiar frustration.

Mo Ivory Unseats Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts
In a result that few saw coming, challenger Mo Ivory has toppled Robb Pitts — who has held the Commission Chair seat for nearly two decades — in the Democratic primary runoff. The leadership change carries real weight for county residents: expect scrutiny of everything from property tax policy to how Fulton delivers public services as the transition takes shape.

Atlanta, Decatur schools owed millions in sales tax funds after paperwork error
A bureaucratic paperwork error has left both Atlanta Public Schools and City Schools of Decatur waiting on millions in E-SPLOST funds from DeKalb schools. These are dollars earmarked for capital improvements and school operations, the kind of funding gap that has a way of quietly showing up in classrooms and deferred maintenance long before anyone issues a press release about it.

BUSINESS

Chef Joey Ward adds Bar Belle to his Poncey-Highland portfolio

Bar Belle - opening - Chef Joey Ward is bringing a new concept to Poncey-Highland, adding another chapter to one of Atlanta's most watched dining portfolios.

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Lyle Lovett at City Winery, a Beltline street art tour, and a packed Thursday night at The Masquerade

Monday, June 22
- Atlanta Run Club: Monday Night Runs | Ponce City Market

Tuesday, June 23
- Lyle Lovett | City Winery Atlanta
- TRANSISTANCE! A Trans Cabaret & Open Mic | 7 Stages Theatre

Wednesday, June 24
- Habitat for Humanity - Stand Up for Pride | Dad's Garage
- SPAGHETTI DINNER & BINGO: A Queer Intergenerational Kiki | Little Five Points Community Center

Friday, June 26
- Secret Aisle: A Magic and Comedy Show | The Supermarket
- LOVESONG The Cure Tribute & The Reflex - a tribute to Duran Duran | Variety Playhouse
- Mark Curry | City Winery Atlanta
- Food & Street Art Tour on the Atlanta Beltline | 99 Krog St NE
- Worm - Total Possession of America | The Masquerade
- Gimme Gimme Disco | 18+ | The Masquerade

GOVERNMENT

FY2027 budget passes, 30 acres of forest land preserved, and a contested Sylvan Road rezoning advances

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

Past Week Roundup

Atlanta City Council

The full Atlanta City Council met on June 15 and approved its Fiscal Year 2027 budget alongside the accompanying ad valorem property tax rates, which cover general operations, debt service, parks, and special districts including the Atlanta Beltline and the Stitch — decisions that directly affect what residents pay and what services they receive next year. The council also approved a new ordinance requiring the Atlanta Department of Transportation to establish mandatory, safe pedestrian detours whenever sidewalks are blocked by construction, a quality-of-life protection for walkers citywide. A $7.85 million acquisition of nearly 30 acres on Randall Mill Road was approved to permanently protect forested greenspace, funded largely through the Tree Trust Fund and impact fees. Several rezoning items moved through as well, including proposals to convert industrial land near the Beltline into mixed-use residential development and a controversial 13.87-acre mixed-use rezoning on Sylvan Road where city staff recommended denial but the local NPU recommended approval. The council also considered a blight tax increase targeting a neglected Midtown property and approved a lease to continue programming at Brownwood Park Recreation Center. Separately, the Committee on Council — which met the same morning — approved appointments to the Beltline TAD Advisory Committee and the Atlanta Citizen Review Board, and advanced a resolution requesting certified law enforcement officers be stationed at all city recreation centers used as polling sites during major elections.

Fulton County Board of Commissioners

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners was scheduled to meet on June 17, and several significant items were on the agenda — though note that no minutes are yet available, so none of these outcomes are confirmed and any item may be tabled, deferred, or withdrawn. Commissioners were set to consider grants to convert 66 existing market-rate Downtown Atlanta apartments into affordable housing units and to fund a new 20-unit affordable multifamily development in English Avenue, moves that would add much-needed affordable inventory in a tight housing market. Also on the agenda is funding to restore and preserve the George Towns and Grace Towns Hamilton Homes, two historic properties tied to Atlanta's Civil Rights history. On the technology and infrastructure side, the board was slated to vote on over $5.2 million in contracts covering cybersecurity firewall upgrades and countywide telecommunications services through providers including AT&T and Comcast. A grant for site preparation work at the future Andrew Young International Institute for Peace and Reconciliation in Vine City was also up for consideration, as was a $52,000 contract for mental health and wellness support for the Fulton County Sheriff's Office. Worth noting: a proposed nearly $9 million election staffing contract was removed from the agenda before any vote could be held.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee — Monday, June 22, 2026 at 11:00 AM
A packed zoning agenda includes a proposed Special Use Permit for a nearly 60-acre truck terminal on Jonesboro Road, a city-wide 180-day moratorium on new self-storage facilities, and rezoning requests that would convert industrial land on White Street and Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard into dense mixed-use apartment communities. Several single-family lots across the city are also up for rezoning to allow duplexes, and a new historic district overlay for Peachtree Circle is scheduled to be heard.

- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee — Monday, June 22, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The committee is scheduled to consider a $3.39 million land purchase from MARTA to build a new EMS and fire station at Lindbergh City Center, a lease for the APD Zone 6 Main Precinct at 2025 Hosea Williams Drive SE, and a proposed ordinance that would allow forensic audits of alcohol-licensed businesses under police investigation. A proposed 180-day moratorium on new alcohol license applications along the Edgewood Corridor and more than $500,000 in lawsuit settlements are also on the agenda.

- Atlanta NPU — NPU-M — Monday, June 22, 2026 at 6:15 PM (Virtual Only)
- Atlanta Public Schools — Board of Education — Tuesday, June 23, 2026
The board is scheduled to take up a draft Electronic Payments and Funds Transfer Policy for approval, along with discussions on student technology use and a policy governing how underutilized school facilities are repurposed and managed as community assets.

- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee — Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Proposed changes to solid waste fees and backyard trash collection eligibility are scheduled for consideration, alongside a $2 million transfer to fund stream stabilization at Chastain Park Golf Course and a $1.88 million acquisition of 12 parcels for a new constructed wetland. The committee will also weigh more than $36 million in contract renewals for emergency water and sewer repairs citywide and a proposed ordinance establishing when property owners must connect to the public sewer system.

- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee — Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at 1:30 PM
An ordinance to codify free admission at all city pools and indoor natatoria is on the agenda, along with a proposed 20-year agreement with L.E.A.D., Inc. to build a new community center near Center Hill Park. The committee will also consider a $250,000 transit-oriented redevelopment study for the Ashby MARTA Station area and a $539,850 federal grant to fund Section 8 rental subsidies for 28 families at Vanira Village Apartments.

- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee — Wednesday, June 24, 2026 at 10:00 AM
A proposed permanent street closure on Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SE near Grady Hospital — to be converted into a pedestrian plaza — is scheduled for consideration, along with sweeping new consumer protections for private parking lots and a resolution formally requesting the Mayor to renegotiate the "More MARTA" transit agreement. A $2.63 million safe streets engineering contract for Pryor Street and Central Avenue and a $3.6 million state grant for Peachtree Street improvements are also on the agenda. An encroachment agreement for an overhead canopy at 331 Elizabeth Street NE is scheduled for a vote.

- Atlanta City Council — Wednesday, June 24, 2026 at 12:30 PM
- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee — Wednesday, June 24, 2026 at 1:30 PM
The committee is scheduled to consider a resolution requesting Fulton County commit $200 million toward expanding hospital and healthcare facilities on Atlanta's Southside and Westside, alongside ordinances to set FY2027 property tax rates and authorize a potential surcharge on electronic payments to the city. Also on the agenda: free youth summer camp programming, a $75,000 donation for senior home repair assistance, and a $63 million procurement agreement with Delta Air Lines for a new lounge on Concourse E at Hartsfield-Jackson. The committee is also expected to take up a resolution seeking answers on why a stalled construction site at 1155 Peachtree Street is receiving a property tax break.

- Atlanta NPU — NPU-N — Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 7:00 PM (Virtual Only)

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Ponce City Market buildout underway, the Throne Lab restroom gets power, and Ponce De Leon Ave is being repaved

Permits

- 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE — Multiple permits filed at PCM, including fire sprinkler additions/relocations and selective demolition with new non-structural partitions. The pace of permitting here suggests an interior buildout is underway — likely a new tenant getting space ready.
- 825 N Ave NE — Full gut renovation of a triplex permitted: new flooring, cabinets, countertops, tile, bathroom additions, and wall removals across three floors. A significant residential upgrade in O4W.
- 551 John Wesley Dobbs Ave NE — Turf sports field and retaining wall installation permitted in Sweet Auburn. A small but meaningful addition to the neighborhood's recreational infrastructure.
- 644 N Highland Ave NE — Kitchen exhaust hood installation permitted. A commercial kitchen coming online or getting upgraded on one of Poncey-Highland's main retail corridors.
- 400 Merritts Ave NE — Electrical permit to bring power to a restroom facility at Central Park. The "Throne Lab" restroom project is moving forward — a practical improvement for Beltline users near O4W.
- 83 Fort St NE — New commercial construction permit filed. Details sparse, but worth watching.
- 616 Linwood Ave NE — Plumbing rough-in for three units in Inman Park. Small-scale but signals continued residential turnover in the neighborhood.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-75 Tunnel Lighting Upgrades (Fulton County) — GDOT is swapping out outdated high-pressure sodium lighting for LED fixtures inside the I-75 tunnels at Ralph McGill Blvd and Baker Street, about a mile from the Beltline corridor. Work may also involve conduit and wiring replacements. Expect potential lane restrictions near these tunnel sections.
- SR 8 Resurfacing (Fulton County) — Repaving is underway on SR 8 (Ponce de Leon Ave) between SR 3 and SR 42 — a stretch that runs directly through the heart of Poncey-Highland and O4W Beltline territory. GDOT flagged the roadway's pavement condition score as the trigger for this work. Watch for lane shifts and rough transitions near active paving zones.
- I-75 LED Lighting Upgrade, I-85 to Memorial Drive (Fulton County) — A broader corridor lighting overhaul is active on I-75 from the downtown connector down to Memorial Drive. Pole, conduit, and wiring replacements are part of the scope. If you're commuting in from the south side toward Inman Park or Sweet Auburn, give yourself extra time during work hours.
- SR 154 Pedestrian Crossing Improvements (DeKalb & Fulton Counties) — On Memorial Drive/SR 154, crews are adding a mid-block pedestrian crossing, a right-in/right-out, and a restricted crossing U-turn between Hill Street and Pearl Street. This multi-county project is a meaningful upgrade for pedestrian safety on a notoriously tough stretch, but expect traffic pattern changes near the work zone.
- I-75/I-85 Connector Resurfacing (Fulton County) — The downtown connector between the CSX rail crossing and the Brookwood interchange is being repaved — its first resurfacing since 2016. This is a significant stretch affecting anyone merging toward Midtown or heading into the Beltline area from the north. Plan for lane reductions, especially during off-peak construction windows.
- I-20 LED Lighting Upgrade, Capitol Ave to Flat Shoals Road (DeKalb & Fulton Counties) — Lighting infrastructure along I-20 east of downtown is being converted to LED, spanning from Capitol Ave out to Flat Shoals. Pole and conduit work is included. Drivers cutting south from Sweet Auburn or Old Fourth Ward to I-20 may encounter intermittent lane closures.

Pre-Construction

- SR 10 Resurfacing (Fulton County) — Pavement work on SR 10 between I-75 and Ponce de Leon Ave. A short stretch, but it runs right through a busy gateway into the neighborhood — worth watching once construction dates are confirmed.
- I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector Study — GDOT is scoping a study of the one-mile stretch of the Downtown Connector between the Baker Highland Connector and Decatur Street. No shovels in the ground yet, but this corridor carries serious weight for anyone commuting in or out of O4W and Sweet Auburn.
- The Stitch — Phase I (Fulton County) — The long-anticipated cap over I-75/I-85 is in the funded pipeline. Phase I will begin stitching the interstate back into the street grid with pedestrian-friendly, multimodal infrastructure — a transformative project for the western edge of this corridor.
- SR 8/Ponce de Leon Ave at SR 42 — Intersection Improvements (DeKalb & Fulton) — Turn lane extensions and a new westbound right turn lane are planned at the Ponce de Leon/SR 42 intersection. If you navigate this junction regularly between Poncey-Highland and DeKalb, the finished product should help — but construction will be a squeeze.
- SR 8 Median Work, Peachtree Street to Ponce de Leon Place (Fulton County) — Median improvements flagged for the Peachtree to Ponce de Leon Place segment. Details are limited, but any work on this stretch affects access to one of the neighborhood's busiest corridors.

Service Requests

Five traffic signal repairs are underway across the area, with crews working intersections at Moreland & Euclid (two reports), Edgewood & Randolph, Boulevard & Englewood, and North Ave & Spring St.

Five potholes have been flagged along Moreland & Euclid (two reports), Seminole & Mansfield, and along the Highland Avenue corridor — all currently in progress.

A right-of-way overgrowth issue at Central Park Place & Angier Avenue has been resolved.

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Until next week,
Beltline Busybody

Disclaimer: We use advanced data retrieval and analysis techniques across hundreds of sources, and may be prone to occasional error. Independently verify information with a secondary source, and please let us know if we got anything wrong via the feedback form.