Edgewood / Kirkwood / East Lake: A New Commissioner and a School Funding Fumble

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 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:

Hey Edgewood, Kirkwood, and East Lake! It was a consequential week in local politics, with a DeKalb commissioner runoff producing an upset and a bureaucratic paperwork error leaving Atlanta and Decatur schools short on capital funds they were counting on while overfunding DeKalb Schools. Stick around — there's plenty more this week, from a packed stretch of summer events to some construction projects along familiar corridors that are worth knowing about now.

- News — An incumbent DeKalb commissioner got voted out, Atlanta and Decatur schools are owed millions they didn't receive due to a paperwork error, and DeKalb is launching an affordable housing bond program worth watching.
- Events — Southern Fried Queer Pride runs all week, and The War and Treaty headlines Downtown Decatur Square on Thursday,
- Government — A 14-acre mixed-use rezoning on Sylvan Road went before full City Council despite staff opposition, and DeKalb commissioners are set to vote this week on millage rates, a data center moratorium, and a $233.8 million water treatment overhaul.
- Construction — Two roundabouts are planned for the Ponce de Leon corridor, new pedestrian flashers are going in at four SR-260 crossings, and a 4-unit townhome building was permitted on Memorial Drive.

Let's dive in.

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NEWS

Juneteenth represents legacy, promise to uphold it for East Lake Foundation
The East Lake Foundation used this Juneteenth to reaffirm what the holiday means in practice: not just reflection, but action. The foundation's work connecting neighborhood youth to financial opportunity and golf isn't incidental to the legacy of the holiday; they're arguing it's the point.

Atlanta, Decatur schools owed millions in sales tax funds after paperwork error
A paperwork error — the bureaucratic kind that sounds minor until you see the dollar figure — has left Atlanta Public Schools and City Schools of Decatur short on E-SPLOST funds paid instead to DeKalb Schools. Keep an eye on how long it takes to untangle this one, because capital projects and school operations don't wait on administrative fixes.

DeKalb County to launch affordable housing investment bond
DeKalb County is moving to tackle its housing crunch with a new affordable housing investment bond program that would funnel money directly into new development. For neighborhoods like ours already feeling the pressure of rising costs and rapid change, this is worth watching closely.

Incumbent DeKalb commissioner defeated in runoff election, and DeKalb School board member chosen
Keyanna Jones Moore ousted incumbent Nicole Massiah in the District 3 commissioner runoff, a result that signals voters were ready for new direction in county leadership. Over in school board District 4, Tracy Brisson claimed the open seat over Sonja Szubski in a race where neither candidate was an incumbent.

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Southern Fried Queer Pride kicks off today and runs through the week, bringing one of the South's most beloved LGBTQ+ celebrations right to our corner of Atlanta.

Monday, June 22
- Southern Fried Queer Pride
- Toddler Storytime | Decatur Library
- Preschool Storytime | Decatur Library
- Monday FUNday - Half-Priced Cocktails | Wild Heaven Beer
- Eddie's Attic Songwriters Open Mic Night | Eddie's Attic

Tuesday, June 23
- SKATE NIGHT: With Chris Daresta of DKA records | Genes
- Widowspeak | The Earl
- Decatur FC VS. Chattanooga FC | Decatur High School
- $5 Beer Trivia Tuesdays in Avondale | Wild Heaven Beer
- Lorenzo & Co | 529 Bar

Wednesday, June 24
- Volunteer Project | Woodlands Garden
- SPAGHETTI DINNER & BINGO: A Queer Intergenerational Kiki | Little Five Points Community Center

Thursday, June 25
- The War and Treaty | Downtown Decatur Square
- Pours for the Park Benefiting the Grant Park Conservancy | Oakland Cemetery
- Evening Hike | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Singing Workshop in the Pavilion – June | Woodlands Garden
- Sustainable Landscaping Volunteer Day | Legacy Park
- Classical Remix Gala Concert: America's 250th | Trolley Barn
- Drunk High Sober Comedy Show | Argosy

Friday, June 26
- Volunteer Meadow Planting | Legacy Park
- Michelle Malone | Eddie's Attic

Saturday, June 27
- Our Copa x ATL: Ghana v Croatia & Panama v Eng | Jolene Jolene
- Pollinator Festival | Harmony Park
- Oakhurst Family Games | 450 E Lake Dr.
- AFROXFEST (The African Experience Festival) | Candler Park
- Marcus Bar & Grille x Bomb Biscuit Brunch Collaboration with Erika Council | Marcus Bar & Grille
- Sensory Morning | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Woodland Explorers | Woodlands Garden
- 23rd Anniversary of The Room on 35mm w/Greg Sestero LIVE | Plaza Atlanta
- Bits and Bots | Decatur Library
- Tai Chi/Qigong 4 Beginners | Legacy Park

GOVERNMENT

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 along with the accompanying ad valorem property tax rates — the annual vote that sets what city residents owe across general operations, debt service, parks, education, and special districts including the Atlanta Beltline and the Stitch. The council also took up a proposed ordinance that would require the Atlanta Department of Transportation to establish mandatory, safe pedestrian detour routes whenever sidewalks are closed for construction, a straightforward change that would have real daily impact for anyone navigating active worksites on foot. On the land use front, a large mixed-use rezoning request covering nearly 14 acres along Sylvan Road and Cox Avenue — supported by the local neighborhood planning unit but recommended for denial by city planning staff and the Zoning Review Board — was among the contested items before the council. The council also considered acquiring nearly 30 acres on Randall Mill Road for permanent forest preservation using the city's Tree Trust Fund, and weighed a proposed blight tax penalty targeting a long-neglected Midtown property. Earlier the same morning, the Committee on Council took up several governance items, including a proposed ordinance that would change how residents sign up to deliver public comments at council meetings, a resolution requesting certified law enforcement officers be stationed at recreation centers used as polling places during major elections, and a pending charter amendment that would require all proposed city legislation to carry a designated councilmember as primary sponsor of record.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners – Committee of the Whole

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners was scheduled to meet June 18 to take up a packed agenda — though since no minutes are posted, note that any item could be tabled, deferred, or withdrawn before action is taken. The biggest-ticket item was a proposed $233.8 million design-build contract with Ruby-Collins, Inc. to demolish and rebuild major infrastructure at the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant, the facility that serves much of the county's drinking water supply; a separate $325.5 million multi-year contract for on-call water and sewer repairs was also on the table. Residents who walk or bike local trails will want to watch two proposed design contracts — a $3.12 million agreement to plan Phase VI of the South River Trail and a $998,946 contract to design a North Fork Peachtree Creek Trail segment toward Chamblee Tucker Road — which would advance two of the county's most anticipated greenway extensions. Public hearings on the 2026 property tax millage rates were also scheduled, giving residents a formal opportunity to weigh in before the county sets how much homeowners will owe. Rounding out the agenda are proposals to establish strict new zoning standards for data centers, add $1.48 million to the county's ambulance services contract with AMR to improve emergency response times, and allocate $500,000 in SPLOST II funding for a new bicycle and multi-use trail facility along Laredo Drive.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee — Monday, June 22 at 11:00 AM
A packed agenda includes a proposed city-wide 180-day moratorium on new self-storage facilities, rezoning of large industrial sites along the Beltline for mixed-use apartment development, and multiple requests to convert single-family lots to duplexes across Atlanta neighborhoods. A Special Use Permit for a nearly 60-acre truck terminal on Jonesboro Road and a proposed Peachtree Circle Historic District overlay designation are also on the docket.

- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee — Monday, June 22 at 1:00 PM
The committee will take up a proposed $3.39 million land purchase from MARTA to build a new EMS and fire station at Lindbergh City Center, a proposed ordinance allowing forensic audits of alcohol-licensed businesses under police investigation, and a continued review of a 180-day moratorium on new alcohol license applications along the Edgewood Corridor. A lease for the APD Zone 6 Main Precinct at 2025 Hosea Williams Drive SE is also scheduled for review.

- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Board of Commissioners — Tuesday, June 23 at 9:00 AM
Commissioners are scheduled to vote on the 2026 property tax millage rates, proposed fee increases for stormwater and residential sanitation services, and a potential moratorium on land disturbance permits for new data centers pending a health and environmental impact assessment. Also on the agenda: a $233.8 million design-build contract for upgrades at the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant and over $4 million in trail design contracts, including Phase VI of the South River Trail.

- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Committee of the Whole — Tuesday, June 23 at 9:00 AM
No agenda is currently available.

- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee — Tuesday, June 23 at 10:00 AM
The committee is scheduled to consider changes to solid waste fees and backyard trash collection eligibility, a $2 million transfer to fund stream stabilization at Chastain Park Golf Course, and a $1.88 million acquisition of 12 parcels for a constructed wetlands stormwater project. More than $36 million in emergency water and sewer repair contract renewals and a proposed ordinance establishing when property owners must connect to the public sewer system are also on the agenda.

- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee — Tuesday, June 23 at 1:30 PM
The committee will consider an ordinance to codify free admission at all city pools and indoor natatoria, a 20-year agreement with L.E.A.D., Inc. to build and operate a new community center near Center Hill Park, and a $250,000 Livable Centers Initiative study for the Ashby MARTA Station area. A proposal to establish a formal Office of Short-Term Rentals with a city-wide registry is also scheduled to be heard.

- Atlanta NPU — NPU-O — Tuesday, June 23 at 6:30 PM (Virtual Only)
No agenda is currently available.

- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee — Wednesday, June 24 at 10:00 AM
The committee is scheduled to consider new consumer protection rules for private parking lots, a permanent closure of a portion of Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SE near Grady Hospital to create a pedestrian plaza, 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. A temporary construction easement at 0 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE is scheduled for a vote in connection with the Lullwater Creek Bridge Rehabilitation Project; an encroachment agreement for an overhead canopy at 331 Elizabeth Street NE is also up for consideration.

- Atlanta City Council — Wednesday, June 24 at 12:30 PM
No agenda is currently available.

- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee — Wednesday, June 24 at 1:30 PM
The committee is scheduled to consider a resolution requesting Fulton County to commit $200 million toward hospital and healthcare expansion on Atlanta's Southside and Westside, an ordinance to set FY2027 property tax rates, and a measure authorizing surcharges on electronic payments to the city. Also on the agenda: free summer camp programming for city youth, a $75,000 donation to HouseProud Atlanta for senior home repairs, and a $63 million agreement with Delta Air Lines for enabling work on a new lounge at Hartsfield-Jackson. The committee is also scheduled to examine why a stalled construction site at 1155 Peachtree Street is receiving a property tax break.

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Permits
- 2015 Memorial Dr SE — New 4-unit, 3-story townhome building with attached garages and balconies permitted. Two applications filed for the same project, suggesting it's moving through final review stages. More infill density coming to the Memorial Drive corridor.
- 1550 Hosea L Williams Dr SE — Atlanta Public Schools filed to expand parking at the Coan Building, with plans to mill and overlay existing pavement. Under review.
- 1450 La France St NE — Commercial pool remodel in the works: new custom grill area, pavers, landscaping, lighting, railing, and an outdoor fireplace. Waiting on additional materials before it moves forward.
- 2646 Alston Dr SE — Permit filed for a 68,000-watt diesel generator. That's a serious backup power installation — likely a commercial or institutional property preparing for outages.

On the quieter side, 43 residential permits rounded out the week — mostly electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work, plus six arborist permits for dead or hazardous trees. Total estimated value on those: just under $40K, nothing dramatic.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-20 Lighting Upgrade (DeKalb & Fulton Counties) — GDOT is swapping out old high-pressure sodium lights for LED fixtures along I-20 between Capitol Ave and Flat Shoals Road. Expect intermittent lane activity along this corridor; the work spans both Fulton and DeKalb counties.
- I-20 Concrete Rehab (DeKalb & Fulton Counties) — Resurfacing work is underway on I-20 (SR-402) from west of Hill St/Fulton to west of Columbia Dr/DeKalb. This stretch has a low pavement condition score, so GDOT is doing a full concrete rehabilitation — not just a patch job. If I-20 is part of your daily commute, give yourself extra time and watch for lane shifts.
- SR-260 Pedestrian Safety Improvements (DeKalb County) — Multiple Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon (RRFB) crosswalk signals are going in along SR-260 at four locations: Haas Ave, Eastside Ave, Brownwood Ave, and Joseph Ave. These are pedestrian-activated flashing signals designed to improve crossing safety. Expect some temporary disruption at each intersection while work is completed.

Pre-Construction
- SR 154 / Memorial Drive Sidewalk Improvements (DeKalb County) — New and rebuilt sidewalks along Memorial Drive between Moreland Avenue and Candler Road. This is a bike/ped project that will eventually make the corridor more walkable, but expect some pedestrian detours once work gets underway.
- Atlanta Traffic Signal Enhancements – Phase II (DeKalb & Fulton Counties) — Signal upgrades, improved detection, pavement markings, ADA ramp work, and signal timing optimization at intersections spanning both counties. When this one kicks off, expect intermittent intersection disruptions — the upside is better signal timing on the other side of it.
- SR 8 / Ponce De Leon Ave Drainage Improvements (DeKalb County) — Drainage work along the Ponce De Leon corridor, classified as a principal urban arterial and part of the Atlanta MPO network. Not glamorous, but necessary — and this stretch gets messy when it floods, so the fix is overdue.
- SR 8 Roundabouts at East Lake & North Ponce (DeKalb County) — Two roundabouts are planned along the Ponce de Leon corridor: one at SR 8 and East Lake, and one at SR 8 at North Ponce/West Parkwood/East Parkwood. This will meaningfully reshape traffic flow near East Lake once construction begins — worth keeping on your radar now.

Service Requests

Residents flagged a cluster of traffic signal issues along Hosea L. Williams Dr. at both Mayson Ave. and Woodbine Ave., with repairs in progress. A pothole on Lakeview Dr. NE is also being addressed. On the maintenance front, overgrowth and visibility concerns were reported on Hosea L. Williams Dr. SE and at Wade Ave. and Rogers St., along with litter removal requests at the Doyle St./Hosea L. Williams Dr. intersection and along Hosea L. Williams Dr. SE. Three downed tree reports near Candler Rd. and Hosea Williams Dr. were filed mid-month, though those appear to have been resolved or consolidated.