VaHi / Morningside: Piedmont's Big Plan and a School Board Scandal

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Hey, neighbors — big week in and around VaHi and Morningside. Piedmont Park just unveiled its next-generation master plan, and if you treat that green space like your own backyard (you do), you'll want to know what's coming. Also worth your attention: a troubling governance scandal at Midtown International School that has local families demanding answers. Lots to dig into below.

- News — Piedmont Park reveals its vision for the next generation, while a Midtown school board member's quiet purchase of the school's own building — amid a financial crisis — has parents furious and looking for exits.
- Events — It's a busy week ahead: the Atlanta Film Festival is lighting up the Tara, free jazz is coming to the parks, and the weekend closes out with Tacos and Tequila in Piedmont and the Midtown Mutt Gala.
- Government — City Council greenlit a FIFA World Cup entertainment zone Downtown, short-term rental rules are still in limbo with a key public input deadline Monday, and a busy week of committee meetings could shape the FY2027 budget and Peachtree Park's master plan.
- Construction — Peachtree Road is finally getting repaved for the first time since 2012, a demolition permit just dropped on Cheshire Bridge Road, two Plaster Avenue spaces are being prepped for new tenants, and pothole and signal complaints are stacking up on Amsterdam and Monroe.

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Let’s dive in:

NEWS

Piedmont Park Conservancy announces master plan update at annual luncheon
The Piedmont Park Conservancy has unveiled the next phase of its comprehensive master plan, laying out a vision for how Atlanta's most beloved green space will look and function for the next generation. Think expanded greenery, better pedestrian flow, and a serious reckoning with what it means to steward a park that draws thousands every single weekend. For VaHi and Morningside residents who treat Piedmont like a second backyard, this plan is worth your attention.

Atlanta Film Festival
The historic Tara Theatre on Cheshire Bridge Road is the center of the local cinema universe right now, hosting the landmark 50th anniversary edition of the city's premier film festival. World premieres like the Atlanta-produced relationship drama Third are drawing crowds to a venue that's practically our neighborhood's own. If you haven't grabbed tickets yet, now's the time.

Amid financial crisis, Midtown International School parents discover building purchased by board member
Parents at Midtown International School are demanding answers after learning a board member quietly purchased the school's building while the institution teeters on the edge of financial collapse. It's exactly the kind of governance breakdown that sends families scrambling for alternatives — and a cautionary tale for anyone who assumed the adults in charge had everything under control.

Atlanta Jazz Festival announces free concert series at local parks this May
The Atlanta Jazz Festival is bringing free sets to neighborhood parks throughout May, giving locals a warm-up act well before the main event takes over Piedmont at the end of the month. Grab a blanket, stake your spot, and consider it your civic duty to show up.

Night of Ideas returns to Atlanta on April 29
This Wednesday, the free "Night of Ideas" returns to Atlanta for an evening of debate, civic inquiry, and the kind of conversation that doesn't require a committee vote to get interesting. It's a rare opportunity to engage with the policymakers and cultural leaders actually shaping this city — salon atmosphere included, city council procedural drama not.

EVENTS

-Agriculture— Mon Apr 27 — The Drunken Unicorn
-Intermediate Drawing in Colored Pencil— Tue Apr 28 — Atlanta Botanical Garden
-Garden Playtime— Tue Apr 28 — Atlanta Botanical Garden
-Weekly Walking Club— Tue Apr 28 — Piedmont Park
-Yoga in the Park— Tue Apr 28 — Piedmont Park
-Alston Lecture: Garden for Wildlife— Tue Apr 28 — Atlanta Botanical Garden
-Retro Premiere of Oscar-Nominated "Building Bombs"— Tue Apr 28 — Tara Atlanta
-Sun Child & Virginia Man— Tue Apr 28 — MJQ Concourse
-Acid Jazz Revival with Live Music By O4W Boogie Band— Tue Apr 28 — Smith's Olde Bar
-Atlanta Film Premiere "Baristas vs. Billionaires"— Tue Apr 28 — Tara Atlanta
-ATLFF Creative Conference Panel: How Sound Elevates Storytelling— Wed Apr 29 — Tara Atlanta - Jack Auditorium
-Terrarium Workshop— Wed Apr 29 — Piedmont Park
-The Convenience— Wed Apr 29 — MJQ Concourse
-Octave Cat— Wed Apr 29 — Smith's Olde Bar
-LOCALS ONLY— Wed Apr 29 — MJQ
-Lights, Camera, Marketing: Building Buzz and Momentum for Your Indie Film— Thu Apr 30 — Tara Theatre
-Garden Grooves— Thu Apr 30 — Atlanta Botanical Garden
-Mudcat Dance Party— Thu Apr 30 — Blind Willie's Blues Club
-Block Printing: Tote Bags— Thu Apr 30 — Piedmont Park
-Aubrie Sellers + Jade Jackson— Thu Apr 30 — Smith's Olde Bar
-The Maple Street Band— Thu Apr 30 — Smith's Olde Bar
-MJQ JAMS— Thu Apr 30 — MJQ
-Shows for Seedlings: Interactive Songs and Stories with Michael Levine— Fri May 1 — Atlanta Botanical Garden
-Drop-In Kids Gardening Activity— Fri May 1 — Atlanta Botanical Garden
-Cinco De Mayo— Fri May 1 — Neighbor's
-KAP G 10 Year Anniversary— Fri May 1 — Knock Music House
-Disclosure & Stefan Ringer— Fri May 1 — District Atlanta
-past self— Fri May 1 — MJQ Concourse
-Ben Strong, bass baritone— Fri May 1 — Morningside Presbyterian Church
-Green Market— Sat May 2 — Piedmont Park
-🌿🧘‍♀️Yoga in the Park— Sat May 2 — Virginia Highland District Association
-Whine Walk Run 5K & International Food Festival 2026— Sat May 2 - Piedmont Park
-John Nemeth— Sat May 2 — Blind Willie's Blues Club
-Machinedrum— Sat May 2 — MJQ
-Tacos and Tequila Festival— Sun May 3 — Piedmont Park
-Midtown Mutt Gala 2026— Sun May 3 — 10th Street Park

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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 Council and its Committee on Council both met on April 20, with minutes confirmed for both sessions. The headline item from the full Council meeting was a 10-2 vote approving a temporary "Public Entertainment District" Downtown to manage crowds during the 2026 FIFA World Cup (June 11–July 19). The ordinance bans the distribution of free commercial products and "cruising" in the designated zone — practical crowd-control measures as the city prepares for one of the largest sporting events it has ever hosted. Councilmembers Kelsea Bond and Antonio Lewis voted no.

On development, the Council approved several rezonings that increase residential density on the city's Westside and in East Lake — converting single-family-zoned parcels to Planned Development-Housing or smaller-lot single-family classifications. These decisions reflect a broader citywide push to add housing supply. A Special Use Permit was also approved for a large alcohol-serving establishment (over 7,500 sq. ft.) in West Midtown, and a Day Care Center received approval to operate within a Southwest Atlanta apartment complex.

In a 11-0 vote, the "Midwest Cascade" neighborhood was officially renamed West Cascade on all city maps. A separate 11-0 vote renamed a stretch of Fulton Street SW to J. Lowell Ware Boulevard. Republic Services of Georgia received a solid waste contract extension through August 2026 at $52.57 per ton, and the Council authorized a $12,000 donation to Propel ATL for youth cycling education. If you've been watching the short-term rental debate, those ordinances — including a proposed Short-Term Rental Registry — were kept "Held" in committee; the next opportunity for public input is April 28. Several major neighborhood master plans, including Peachtree Park and Beltline Subarea 8, were referred to committee for a final vote also on April 28.

Meanwhile, the Committee on Council worked through several governance-focused items. Members voted on a proposed ordinance that would allow a council committee to step in and nominate appointees to city boards if a Councilmember leaves a seat vacant for more than 60 days — a direct response to boards stalling due to unfilled positions. A resolution calling for an independent outside-counsel investigation into city contracts and administrative actions involving Foris Webb III, which had previously been held, came back before the committee. The panel also took up a proposed Charter amendment requiring every piece of legislation to have a named Councilmember listed as primary sponsor — a transparency measure aimed at making it clearer who is behind proposed city laws. Two Council members were slated for appointment to the FY 2027 Budget Commission, and a separate Charter amendment clarified that mandatory training requirements apply to newly elected officials, not to those returning after re-election.

Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education

The Board Development Committee met April 21 for a procedural session focused squarely on internal governance — no major budget items, rezonings, or school zone changes were on the table. Members reviewed a draft update to the Board Operation Manual, which governs how the school board itself functions; the document remains in draft form and has not been formally adopted. The committee also discussed the frequency of board retreats (used for long-term district strategy-setting), though no final schedule for the 2026–2027 school year was locked in. Preliminary conversations touched on how board members communicate with the public, with an eye toward standardizing community engagement practices, though no new town halls or platforms were approved. The committee also reviewed state-mandated training-hour compliance for board members — a routine check to ensure Georgia's professional development requirements are being met.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee — Monday, April 27, 2026 at 11:00 AM
The committee will take up a sweeping agenda of rezoning proposals, including a nearly 14-acre industrial-to-mixed-use conversion at Sylvan Road and Cox Avenue, a package of heavy industrial properties along Logan Circle and Chattahoochee Avenue seeking to shift toward mixed-use zoning, and a citywide text amendment that would ban new self-storage facilities within the BeltLine Overlay District. A resolution to formally launch "Zoning 2.0" — a comprehensive overhaul of Atlanta's zoning code — is also scheduled for consideration.

- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee — Monday, April 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The committee will consider a temporary waiver that would allow open-container alcohol consumption in parts of Downtown during the 2026 FIFA World Cup (June 11–July 19), along with a proposed 180-day moratorium on new alcohol licenses in the Edgewood Corridor. A resolution directing Atlanta Police to stop using colorimetric field drug tests as the sole basis for arrests is also on the agenda. A claim for property damage from a pothole incident at Piedmont Avenue and Pelham Road NE is among more than 50 individual city liability claims scheduled for review.

- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee — Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 10:00 AM
The committee will consider over $70 million in water and sewer infrastructure contracts, including a $24 million amendment for the Peachtree Creek Eastside 2B sewer project and utility coordination work ahead of state road resurfacing on Northside Drive and Peachtree Road. A proposed transfer of 12 acres of city-owned land on West Marietta Boulevard to Invest Atlanta for redevelopment is also on the agenda. Easements on Westminster Drive NE are scheduled for consideration to support Atlanta Botanical Garden construction and access.

- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee — Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 1:30 PM
The committee will weigh a $52 million federal grant application for FIFA World Cup hosting and security, alongside $1.87 million in proposed funding for Enota Park construction on the Atlanta BeltLine. Neighborhood master plans for Peachtree Park and Edgewood are scheduled for a second reading, and a resolution requesting a temporary freeze on the sale and redevelopment of 1060 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway NW is on the agenda pending a community impact review. An ordinance to expand the acreage of land leased by the Atlanta Botanical Garden from the City is also scheduled for consideration.

- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee — Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM
A $3.6 million grant for pedestrian and safety improvements on Peachtree Street between North Avenue and West Peachtree Street is the headline item, along with proposed property acquisitions — including potential condemnation — for the Proctor Creek Greenway (Segment 4) and new sidewalks on Moreland Avenue. The committee will also consider authorizing the return of the "Atlanta Streets Alive" open-streets program for 2026 and designating a stretch of Lakeview Avenue NE for residential-only parking.

- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee — Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 1:30 PM
The committee is scheduled to consider the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget and the setting of city property tax rates — decisions that will directly affect homeowners' bills. Also on the agenda: a $1.3 billion airport revenue bond for Hartsfield-Jackson improvements, a $39 million contract for a new 911 Call Center, and a $600,000 investment in Grant Park infrastructure including the Milledge Fountain and a new outdoor classroom.

CONSTRUCTION

Permits

- 1752 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE — Demolition permit filed to raze an unsafe structure. Worth watching to see what comes next on this stretch of Cheshire Bridge.
- 1180 University Dr NE — Two permits filed for the same property: one for ADA upgrades to a courtyard and parking lot, another for interior renovations and cosmetic exterior work. A meaningful refresh is underway here.
- 400 Plaster Ave NE — Tenant build-out in a second-generation commercial space, with new walls, finishes, and ceilings in the works. Someone is moving in.
- 415 Plaster Ave NE — Electrical and HVAC permits filed for a suite remodel, including new air distribution and office configurations. Another space being prepped for occupancy.
- Orme Cir NE — Home office addition plus an expanded rooftop deck on a single-family R4 lot. A notable residential addition that goes beyond typical cosmetic work.
- 730 Ponce de Leon Pl NE — Plumbing rough-in permit issued, signaling early-stage construction or renovation activity.

Beyond these, 52 residential permits were filed across the area — mostly electrical, miscellaneous, and smaller additions — suggesting steady home improvement activity throughout the neighborhood.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-85 Lighting Upgrade (Fulton County) — Crews are replacing outdated high-pressure sodium lights with LED fixtures along I-85 between I-75 and north of Lenox Road, a stretch about 1.1 miles from the neighborhood. Expect some overnight lane activity in that corridor.
- SR 13 Resurfacing (Fulton County) — Peachtree Road (SR 13) is getting repaved from SR 9 north to Peachtree Creek. The road hasn't been resurfaced since 2012, so this one is overdue. If Peachtree is part of your daily routine, build in extra time and watch for lane shifts.
- Buford Spring Connector Tunnel Lighting (Fulton County) — The tunnel at the Buford Spring Connector and I-85 is getting its lighting upgraded from HPS to LED. Work may also involve conduit and wiring replacements. Most of this impact will be felt on I-85 approaches, about 1.3 miles out.
- SR 9 Resurfacing (Fulton County) — A stretch of SR 9 (Peachtree Road) running from SR 3 north to Paces Ferry Road is being resurfaced to address a low pavement condition score. If you're cutting over to Buckhead via Peachtree, expect some disruption along that corridor, roughly 1.9 miles from the neighborhood.

Pre-Construction

- SR 13 / Monroe Drive Intersection Overhaul (Fulton County) — This one hits close to home. The intersection of Peachtree Street and Monroe Drive is slated to be converted into a multilane/hybrid roundabout (or similar configuration). If you navigate this crossing regularly — especially heading toward Piedmont Park or Ansley Mall — expect a significant layout change once work begins.
- SR 237 / Peachtree Road Bridge Replacements (Fulton County) — Two separate bridge projects are queued up along SR 237: one over Peachtree Creek and one at the CSX rail crossing. Both are full replacements, not just patching. Combined with a flush curb installation near the Lambert Drive junction, this stretch of Peachtree Road is set for a meaningful infrastructure refresh.
- Atlanta BeltLine NE Trail — Lindbergh Center to I-85 (Fulton County) — The long-anticipated Northeast BeltLine trail segment is funded and in the pipeline. The plan calls for a 14-foot concrete shared-use path running roughly 2.7 miles, plus about 2.1 miles of spur trails. This is a big deal for the Morningside and Lindridge-Martin Manor edges of the neighborhood.
- I-85 Corridor Resurfacing — I-75/Brookwood to north of SR 155 (Fulton & DeKalb Counties) — The I-85 stretch through Brookwood is slated for resurfacing. It spans into DeKalb, so the work zone will be lengthy. Not neighborhood streets, but it'll affect anyone using 85 as a daily on-ramp.
- I-85 / SR 237 & I-285 / SR 13 Tunnel Lighting Upgrades (Fulton & DeKalb Counties) — Lighting improvements are coming to tunnels at two major interchange points. Maintenance-level impact, but worth noting if you use those underpasses regularly.
- SR 237 @ Lindbergh Drive — New Signal & Pedestrian Facilities (Fulton County) — A new traffic signal and pedestrian infrastructure are planned at the Lindbergh Drive intersection on SR 237. Good news for anyone on foot or bike navigating that crossing.

Utility Work

Atlanta Watershed
- Emergency Road Closure at 6th Street NE and West Peachtree Street NW — Road closed at the intersection of 6th Street NE and West Peachtree Street NW for emergency large valve replacement work starting April 28 and lasting for 2 weeks.
- Emergency Road Closure at 10th Street NE for Sewer Mainline Work — Emergency closure at 250 10th Street NE between Myrtle Street NE and the adjacent intersection. 24-hour closure on Apr 29 with 4 weeks of follow-on work 7am - 9pm.

Service Requests

Potholes — Reported at 10th St NE, Monroe Dr NE, N Highland Ave NE, E Pelham Rd NE, and the Argonne Ave & 10th St intersection.

Sign Repair or Replacement — Requests filed at Piedmont Ave & Avery Dr, Monroe Dr NE, and Drewry St NE.

Traffic Signal Issues — Both emergency and non-emergency repairs reported at the Amsterdam Ave & Highland Ave and Amsterdam Ave & Monroe Dr intersections — that stretch has been keeping the signal crews busy.

Loose Metal Plate — Flagged on N Highland Ave NE.

Downed Tree — Reported on Adair Ave NE.

Overgrowth / Visibility Issue — Right-of-way vegetation blocking sightlines at N Morningside & N Highland.