Who are we?

We are a group of citizens and stakeholders opposed to the private development of the greenspace property located at 5305 and 5327 West Mountain Street, Stone Mountain, GA. 

*We are not associated with any organization or government. We are a group of citizens asking for action from our city council. Be aware that no relationship has been made or maintained between our group and any other.

What is happening?

The city has purchased the parcel for $1.1M, however there are still discussions of building on this precious land. The property is currently zoned as a Green Space. No unelected official shall build on this land.

 

 

We are requesting that the city apply additional legal protections to the newly acquired greenspace, such as a land trust. 

This petition is a follow-up petition for a previous request to HALT rezoning of the greenspace to residential. You can view the previous petition here.

The city has purchased the land, however there are still attempts to develop on the greenspace. Private real-estate development of this precious greenspace is not in the spirit of environmental nor social responsibility. We are updating our previous petition to request additional, legal protection for the land. We are asking the council to put a land trust in place that protects the space from private development indefinitely. We believe it is imperative for the land to remain public and maintained by the City of Stone Mountain. Our other parks, VFW and McCurdy were donated to the city under the promise that these areas would remain parks. The city should do no less, but to promise to protect this space as designated for public gathering. 

The greenspace on Main Street is uniquely positioned to be the only park in our city that is centrally located and can serve the largest number of residents and visitors to our city. It can hold more people than any of the other parks, and the proximity of this beautiful park to the business district will have a positive impact on restaurant and retail businesses, as well as becoming a natural attraction that draws more visitors. 

We’ve spoken before about the importance of protecting our city from flooding. Our historic central business district is downhill from the greenspace and in serious peril if the greenspace were to be paved over. A retention pond on the greenspace to account for drainage would render Mainstreet miserable from mosquitoes. Retention ponds also fail, are eye sores and require expensive maintenance. The argument for mixed use falls flat, as our community currently has a surplus of empty business space. Residential use is inappropriate for this plot- the beautiful view from the greenspace that overlooks Main Street and the mountain shall remain a public asset. 

Virtually every successful city has a central park, and revenue generation through events is entirely possible without any further investment on the city’s part. Please hear our concerns as citizens. Your legacy as a council is dependent on your ability to protect the environment and work for all citizens, not the investors alone. 

Recap:

What’s at stake: 

• Building on the space could further complicating infrastructure woes: flooding, potholes, pressure on current utility structures
• displacement of residents via rapid property tax hikes
• missing out on having an event space that generates revenue for the city
• obstructing views of the mountain, which should be for public enjoyment 

Our Plan:

Urge the city council to put legal protections in place for the greenspace so that no entity may build private investments on the land. 

How can you help?

Sign this petition and share it.  
Contact Stone Mountain's City Manager, Mayor, and City Council Members and tell city hall to PROTECT the greenspace. 

Stone Mountain City Contacts:

• Mayor
  Dr. Beverly Jones
  770-498-8984
  mayor@stonemountaincity.org
• City Manager
  Darnetta Tyus 
  770-498-8984 ext. 120
  manager@stonemountaincity.org

City Council Members:

• Anita Bass - abass@stonemountaincity.org
• Mark Marianos - mmarianos@stonemountaincity.org
• Ryan Smith -  rsmith@stonemountaincity.org
• Gil Freeman - gfreeman@stonemountaincity.org
• Shawnette Bryant - sbryant@stonemountaincity.org
• Teresa Crowe- tcrowe@stonemountaincity.org

Email Template:

Dear Mayor, City Manager, and Council Members,

I am requesting that you propose and vote yes on applying for a Land Trust, or similar legal protection for the greenspace on Main Street. Any proposed development will cause negative impacts on the surrounding community and the city’s infrastructure.  

My neighbors and I want this to remain a greenspace.

Thank you for your consideration.

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Interested in joining our team?

Contact us at: savestonemountaingreen@gmail.com