English Avenue
Neighborhood Association
Visioning Session
FINAL REPORT – 4.26.16

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword .........................................................................................................................................................................................................2
Meeting Agenda ..............................................................................................................................................................................................4
Meeting Purpose .............................................................................................................................................................................................4
Meeting Attendees..........................................................................................................................................................................................5
What We Love About English Avenue ..............................................................................................................................................................6
Focus Areas......................................................................................................................................................................................................7
Group Discussions............................................................................................................................................................................................9
Mattie Freeland District ...............................................................................................................................................................................16
Next Steps......................................................................................................................................................................................................20
Appendix A ....................................................................................................................................................................................................24
APPENDIX B ...................................................................................................................................................................................................28

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FOREWORD
In June of 2015 the U.S. Attorney General's Office, Northern District of GA effectuated a long planned experimental
drug project: Drug Market Initiative, carried out under the banner of "The Phoenix Partnership". The intent of the
project is to remove a level of drug trafficking in the English Avenue neighborhood that would provide a transformed
environment in which residents would have a window of opportunity to put into place renewed activities to bring
about human and environmental redevelopment. The members of the English Avenue Neighborhood Association, a
Phoenix partner and former Weed and Seed participant, voted to establish a Working Group that would define five
(5) priority sustainability directions.
The Working Group effectively achieved this mission and on December 7, 2015 the following strategy for
neighborhood development was adopted:
• Advocate for zoning recommendations from 2008 EA Redevelopment Plan Update to be adopted by Atlanta
City Council;
• Building partnerships/obtain resources to create set of commercial and residential design standards, per
redevelopment plan;
• Adopt a node/district approach for planning and implementation:
o Mattie Freeland Park District
o English Avenue Campus District
o Alexander/Brawley District
o Ecology District (Lindsay/Oliver streets & Urban Ecology Center)
This report represents a next step in the English Avenue Neighborhood Association’s (EANA) efforts to advance these
adopted Redevelopment Plan Update strategies to include further visions for the districts/nodes and overall
neighborhood. Although several other plans have been created in recent years like the Proctor Creek North Avenue
Watershed Basin – A Green Infrastructure Vision, and the Westside TAD Strategic Redevelopment Plan, the last to be
adopted by city council (2008) as the guiding document for the community was the 2006 Redevelopment Plan. It has
been 10 years since the English Avenue neighborhood has been able to update its redevelopment plan and many

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things have changed in that timeline. While the EANA gained support from partners to create this updated vision, it
also established partnerships with several key organizations to support the adopted district development momentum
throughout the community. These partnerships are outlined in the document and are the guiding elements of vision.
The goal of the visioning exercise is to create an updated vision in specific district areas of the neighborhood as
adopted by EANA. The session enabled residents to express visions that have potential for affecting and directing
change while taking into consideration any recommendations from previous plans if applicable. The Working Group of
the EANA spearheaded implementation efforts on preliminary focus areas, driven by the creation of partnerships and
an understanding that concentrating efforts/resources on defined nodes within English Avenue would allow for
change that is tangible and catalytic. The primary goal of the visioning process is to start the conversation based on
these existing assets recognizing that the adopted targeted opportunity areas (districts) needed to be addressed in a
manner that could encourage continued positive changes.
This neighborhood-based document was created with two primary purposes in mind:
1. To give stakeholders, investment partners, and future developers a clear idea of what community residents want
for the future of English Avenue, especially where partners are currently working within the community.
2. The document would also serve as a tool for the EANA to prioritize when and where future partnerships should be
created, determine how small tangible change can be obtained, and give residents ideas of how they can be part of
the redevelopment of the community.

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MEETING AGENDA
Arrival and Breakfast
Opening Remarks & Welcome
“What Do You Love about English Ave?”
Meeting Purpose
BRIEF Presentations on Various Initiatives
• 740 Cameron Alexander Blvd (5 min)
• English Avenue Campus (5 min)
• Mattie Freeland Park (5 min)
• Drug Market Intervention (DMI)
• Home Renovation Assistance
• Westside Roots: Homeowner Rehab Program
Visioning Exercise: Rotate through District Stations and Overall Community Station
Report Out
MEETING PURPOSE
The English Avenue Neighborhood Association has been working in recent months to develop an updated vision for
their neighborhood. The English Avenue Community Redevelopment Plan Update was completed in 2006, which gives
a detailed redevelopment strategy for the neighborhood. The Proctor Creek North Avenue Watershed Basin – A
Green Infrastructure Vision created in 2010 focused on the protection of the Proctor Creek Watershed and thus
prescribed how specific areas of the neighborhood should be redeveloped. The Westside TAD Strategic
Redevelopment Plan created in 2013 focused on short term catalytic projects in both English Avenue and Vine City
neighborhoods.

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In the past year, EANA has established partnerships with several key organizations to support development and
momentum in districts throughout the community. These partnerships include:
• Development of an Urban Ecology Center with the Community Improvement Association (Lindsay/Oliver
Ecology District).
• Project for Public Spaces tactical urbanism assistance and development of Mattie Freeland Park with New Life
Covenant Church (Mattie Freeland District).
• Transformation of the former Kennedy Headstart Building into a youth development center with the Atlanta
Police Foundation (Alexander-Brawley District). Other partners include the Atlanta Police Department, CHRIS
Kids, Street Smart Youth Project and Boys and Girls Club of America.
• Exploration of a state-of-the-art library facility and community space in the former St. Mark's A.M.E. Church
with Rev. Winston Taylor (Alexander-Brawley District).
The goal of the visioning exercise is to create an updated vision in specific areas of the neighborhood where residents
can affect and direct change taking into consideration any recommendations from previous plans if applicable. The
Land Use & Development Committee of English Avenue Neighborhood Association (EANA) worked on creating
preliminary focus areas for the meeting with an understanding that focusing efforts/resources would allow for change
that is tangible and catalytic. The focus areas are primarily residential and internal to the neighborhood. The primary
goal of the visioning process is to start the conversation on assets within those areas, problem areas that need to be
addressed, and proposed positive changes that can occur.
MEETING ATTENDEES
The Visioning Session was held on February 13th
, starting at 9am at New Life Covenant Church. Approximately fifty-
five (55) residents and stakeholders attended the visioning session. Thirty-five (35) attendees represented that they
lived in the neighborhood by marking a homeownership map located beside the sign-in-table with a dot. Several
family members signed in individually but only placed 1 dot in their place of residence which may explain why there
are more attendees signing in than dots on the homeownership board. Other stakeholders/partners mentioned that

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they lived or worked outside of the neighborhood including West End, Old Fourth Ward, Morningside, Fairburn, and
Vine City.
WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT ENGLISH AVENUE
At the beginning of the meeting residents were asked to share with the group what they loved about their
neighborhood. Residents shared the following comments (combined in the image below):
• The people
• African American history and legacy
• Proximity to downtown, accessibility,
convenience and walkability
• Excitement of the redevelopment
• Affordability, especially for the location
• Resilience and spirit of its residents
• Potential and possibilities
• Its diversity
• It is a place where you know your neighbors
• Memories
• Place where you learn the value of
community and community work
• Unity of the community
• Kid friendly place
• Its celebrations like the Festival of Lights, house parties, etc.
• Its seniors, especially those that have lived in the neighborhood for a long time.

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FOCUS AREAS
The Land Use & Development Committee of EANA
selected four (4) areas within the neighborhood that
have key infrastructure projects that have been
recently implemented or will be implemented in the
short term. The idea is to use these infrastructure
commitments as catalysts, and focus additional
resources into these pockets within the
neighborhood.
These areas are also defined by a concentration of
owner occupied houses and Habitat homes and lots,
in an effort to stabilize areas where most current
homeowners reside today. The thought is that as
these districts continue to redevelop and stabilize
they will get larger and broaden to cover the entire
neighborhood.
LINDSAY/OLIVER ECOLOGY DISTRICT
The Lindsay/Oliver Ecology District boundary is
defined by Lindsay Street to the West, Proctor Street
to the south, Paines and Oliver to the West, and
North Avenue to the north. The District’s major
infrastructure project was the construction of the
new Lindsay Street Park. This area ties to the Lindsay
Street Park to the future Proctor Village Ecology
Center proposed at the corner of Joseph E. Boone

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Boulevard and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard.
ALEXANDER/BRAWLEY DISTRICT
The Alexander/Brawley District has been a focus of recent redevelopment plans because it is at the heart of the
neighborhood and unfortunately has a history of criminal activity. The district is bound by Neal to the south, English
Avenue to the west, Meldrum to the north and Griffin to the east. Most recently the owner of the St. Mark’s Church
property has shared an interest with the EANA to redevelop his property. This district also includes the Kennedy
Headstart Building which is proposed as a redevelopment project by the Atlanta Police Foundation.
ENGLISH AVENUE CAMPUS DISTRICT
The English Avenue Campus district boundaries are Pelham Street to the south, Oliver Street to the west, Donald Lee
Hollowell Pkwy to the north, and James P. Brawley Drive to the east. The English Avenue School campus is the main
focus of this district, since its redevelopment directly affects how the area surrounding it revitalizes or continues to
decline. Current efforts by Representative Mable Thomas include the revitalization of the property into a community
center, art theater, etc.
MATTIE FREELAND DISTRICT
The Mattie Freeland District is located in the northwest quadrant of the English Avenue neighborhood. It is bound by
Fox Street to the North, James P. Brawley Drive to the west, North Avenue to the South, and Julian Street to the east.
The Mattie Freeland Park recently received funding from Park Pride to create a vision for its redevelopment. This area
has the largest concentration of homeowners and Habitat property owners in English Avenue.
ENGLISH AVENUE OVERALL DISTRICT
In order to facilitate discussions on other possible districts, an English Avenue overall district was included to allow
residents to share their opinions and vision for areas outside the established districts.

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GROUP DISCUSSIONS
Group discussions centered on the 5 districts
mentioned above. Large format maps were created
with each of the districts and its boundaries, key
pieces of infrastructure, owner occupied units, and
Habitat lots. Residents were invited to share areas of
concern, properties needing to be preserved, vision for
specific areas, etc. At the end of a 10 minute
discussion, residents at each table were asked to move
to the following table where they could share the
same types of comments for a different district.
Comments heard about each district are shown on the
following pages. Numbers in parenthesis show how
many times a comment was made during discussions.
LINDSAY/OLIVER ECOLOGY DISTRICT
BOUNDARY
• The existing boundary should be expanded to
attach to the surrounding districts so no blocks
are left out of a district (2).
• Make sure to include both sides of the street
for any boundaries.
• Once boundaries are expanded, make the
proposed Ecology District boundary the
‘heartbeat’ of the area.

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• Move Lindsay boundary south and include the church in
the boundary.
ASSETS/VISION
• Beautification trail should move from the Lindsey Street
Park (reality) to the Ecology Center (vision).
• 527 Lindsey is a good example of beautification on the
streets.
• Water irrigation should be part of the beautification
/food district node.
• Lindsay Street Church is strong anchor institution.
• Add signage along Lowery as it is a major thoroughfare.
• Food district should be established that is tied to the Ecology District.
• Address homeownership.
• Lindsay Street Park is an attraction to this area.
• Create creek bed for drainage into the Ecology Center area.
• Specific buildings or features to be preserved: Lindsay Street Baptist Church, Proctor Creek
• Increase homeownership or improve park to draw people in
• Redevelop vacant multifamily
CONCERNS
• Address the continual dumping in Proctor Creek.
• Focus on addressing the flooding issues.
• Create retention ponds in the areas of Paines-Neal-Lindsay-Proctor.
• Address the water issues
• Good next steps for the area: Better lighting, Add trail, have functions in the park to draw people in,

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• Organizations that could help implement some
of the recommendations within the
neighborhood? Historic West Side Garden,
Community Improvement Association
The primary concern is the flooding, primarily in
the southern portion of the Lindsay/Oliver Ecology
District. Not very many residents were able to
provide comments on the District as they were not
familiar with the area (either did not live in or
adjacent to, or did not travel to the area).
However, nearly all of the comments focused on
extending the eastern and western boundaries of
the area to touch the other Districts.
ALEXANDER/BRAWLEY DISTRICT
BOUNDARY
• The existing boundary should be expanded to
attach to the surrounding districts so no blocks
are left out of a district.
• The boundaries should be expanded northeast
to include 706 Meldrum and 541 Griffin -
problem properties (2).
ASSETS/VISION
St. Marks

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• Utilize it for community gatherings.
• Use St. Marks as a food district – farmers market.
• Redevelop it as a library or educational center (4).
Head Start Building
• The Kennedy Headstart School should be returned
to an educational use.
• Turn the Kennedy Headstart School into a youth
development center that would overflow to the St.
Mark’s church location.
• Need a Child Care facility in the area. House
conversion or within the youth development center
at Kennedy Headstart School. (Billie Walker at
Habitat House 893, 701 North Avenue offered up
her property).
• The Kennedy Headstart School should be turned
into a community center
Other Areas
• This district should include mixed/use commercial
development along Cameron M Alexander and
James P. Brawley.
• The properties east of Griffin and north of Jett are in
a more stable area of the neighborhood.
• Properties along Griffin to the west stabilized in an effort to begin improvements within the district moving
west.

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• Desire to see more single family homes in place of the demolished apartments (504 Griffin) across the
Kennedy Headstart School.
• The district should be rezoned and include reasonably priced apartments to break up the single-family land
use.
• Need to include mixed use, commercial/ residential development in the district to generate revenue.
• The yellow store (500 James P Brawley) should be demolished and turned into a grocery store where residents
can shop. There are no close grocery stores for the residents (especially seniors) to go to in English Avenue (2).
• Brawley should be treated as an ‘Education Corridor’ to include internet cafés and small commercial
businesses to attract young homebuyers and students from Georgia Tech.
CONCERNS
• The apartments (504 Griffin) across the Kennedy Headstart School need to be demolished.
• Need for safety cameras on the corner of Alexander and Brawley that are regularly maintained.
• Need for more street lighting on the corner of
Alexander and Brawley that are regularly
maintained.
• The apartments (504 Griffin) across the Kennedy
Headstart School should be demolished and turned
into a park
The most important thing that should be done in this
district is to make the intersection of Brawley and
Alexander safe and redeveloped to serve a
community purpose. The demolition of the
apartments on Cameron Alexander was also seen as a
first step within the Alexander/ Brawley district.

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ENGLISH AVENUE CAMPUS DISTRICT
BOUNDARY
• Considering the high number of vacant lots
to the south of the school, the
Neighborhood node could be expanded 5
lots to the south.
• School node could be expanded south to
North Avenue.
ASSETS/VISION
English Avenue School
• Daycare Center for 6 months and up and
senior housing could be a considered for
the area.
• An area for parking needs to be identified
for future use of the school-one possible
location is to the south of the school where
there are several vacant lots.
• Stakeholders shall consider a partnership
between an Art based Charter School and a
performing arts center. The sustainable
Design Collaborative of Atlanta is being
considered to take on the design.

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• Community gardens could be created around the school yard.
• Hoops court near school should be fixed up and lighted.
• Use the school as a library.
• Senior housing component could be incorporated into a renovated school.
• School could be developed into a multi-use facility with a technology center, daycare, health/wellness,
performing arts and co-location.
• Potential school uses should collaborate with Georgia Tech.
• Underutilized or vacant parcel to the south could be developed for graduate student housing.
• Programs need to be created to prepare children for the global economy.
• Building could be developed in a similar manner to the Ponce City Market-a historic building that was
adaptively reused into mixed use development
• Bring in a grocery store and medical facility.
• School could be developed as a center for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (S.T.E.A.M)(2).
• Goal should be to attract residents from nearby tech companies.
• School could become a technology center.
• Historical character of the school must be preserved.
Other
• A better connection needs to be created between the school and the Boys and Girls Club found to the north.
• C-1 Commercial on corner of Brawley and Hollowell offers potential for daycare, restaurant or retail uses.
• Safety needs to be addressed in area.
• Area has several vacant and abandoned properties. New single-family infill needs to be considered in the
node.

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MATTIE FREELAND DISTRICT
BOUNDARY
• Move boundary south to Meldrum was
mentioned during discussion of the Mattie
Freeland District Boundary (2).
• Residents want all boundaries to meet each
other.
• Need to move the boundary south to include
the commercial properties.
ASSETS/VISION
• A community center or library could be
located in the vacant commercial building at
the corner of Meldrum and Griffin.
• Idea to expand the Blue Store and sell local
produce from it.
• Focus on infill single family in this district.
• The park area needs better lighting,
especially the block north of the park at Fox
Street, Pelham and Griffin
• Improve connections to the park, especially
the sidewalks in the blocks surrounding the
park.
• An effort should be made to tie the park to
other areas.
• The Mattie Freeland node should be where

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resources are initially focused to stabilize existing
residents.
• Looking forward to beautification projects.
• Infill housing in vacant lots.
• Vacant apartment uses need to be renovated.
• Access to public transit needs to be addressed.
• The blue store could be used for a pop-up market.
• Need to keep and renovate apartment buildings
wherever possible.
CONCERNS
• There is a vacant house beside the store at 743
North that is also a problem property.
• The blue store at the corner of North and Griffin is a safety/crime problem that should be taken care of (4).
• Neighborhood residents don’t walk to the Mattie Freeland Park because there are a lot of stray dogs in the
area.
• There is no/limited handicap accessibility in the area.
• Issue with the industrial uses on 657 Echo. Needs cleaning up.
• Need to take care of the overgrowth in vacant properties.
• Address burnt out homes.
• Address junkyard at Echo and Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway.
Most of the discussion at the Mattie Freeland Park District centered on the “Blue Store” at the northwest corner of
North Avenue and Griffin Street and its redevelopment into a use that is positive to the area. Residents mentioned
that they would want this area to continue to be stabilized with infill single family housing with access to the park.

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ENGLISH AVENUE OVERALL DISTRICT
ASSETS/VISION
• Need for a place for teenagers to congregate and learn.
• Identify areas where mobile food trucks/pop up restaurants can come into the neighborhood.
• Use vacant properties for open air markets.
• Redevelop areas by building affordable residential units where properties have been torn down
• Follow up meeting on designs standards for residential and mixed- use uses.
• Find/create places to collaborate - a node that is a safe walking distance to the AUC and Westside Works
• Increase connectivity between nodes by increasing lighting, improving sidewalks, and installing cameras.
• Create safe path on 447 Paines, safe walkways to resources, 395 Griffin
• Use of vacant properties for tactical urbanism
• Existing plazas on Joseph E. Boone should remain commercial, convenient location.
CONCERNS
• Discussion on 390 Block and 400 block of Elm Street: flooding issues, mosquitos, constant mold and mildew,
standing water, and need for the rerouting of drainage to limit the accumulation of water. There are health
issues especially with children having allergies and eczema.
• Drainage issues need to be addressed, especially cleaning the leaves and debris.
• North Avenue Area (587 and 595): specific uses create issues with parking. Clubs on the weekends create
overflow parking on street. During the week, businesses create additional issue with parking preventing
residents from moving freely from one are to the end. Need to create a main entrance/gateway from the
eastside of the neighborhood into the community.

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FINAL COMMENTS
• After the table discussions were finalized the group gathered to listen to the comments heard at every table .
• Residents expressed concern with the issue of homelessness, especially caused by the people recently
released by the Fulton County Jail which is very close to the neighborhood.
• Need to use the vacant properties to rebuild affordable housing in the area.

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NEXT STEPS
CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT
Residents and stakeholders shared many ideas and comments about their neighborhood. An important step to move
forward is to identify short term projects that the Neighborhood Association can help spearhead, while longer term
projects and issues are addressed. The Implementation Table on page 19 shows a variety of ideas aimed at
addressing some of the comments heard during the visioning session. Nonetheless, the Neighborhood Association will
need to gain understanding of residents’ interest in participating in any of these short term projects.
1. Engage Community Leadership: it will be important to understand who will be involved in the implementation
of specific short term solutions. Will it be the neighborhood association? Neighborhood association with an
organizing committee? Engaging community leadership will also give the neighborhood association a sense of
the types of activities and short term projects residents have an interest in participating in. As an example, an
outdoor chess tournament wouldn’t do too well if residents aren’t interested in that type of use.
2. Mobilize Resources: the group will need to understand the level or resources available or needed for a specific
project. Are resources provided by the neighborhood association or a partner?
3. Refine, Plan & Act: even short term projects require some level of planning. The Who, When, Where, and
How’s will need to be answered before the project moves forward.
4. Test Ideas: Sometimes doing a “mockup” or small version of a project, is very helpful to understand if the
project will go as planned.
Partnerships
The Implementation Table also outlines areas where the neighborhood association can continue to collaborate with
specific government entities and partners to implement changes in the English Avenue neighborhood.

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English Avenue Neighborhood Association Visioning Session
Implementation
Lead
Implementation Timing (Years)
Implementation
Matrix
Public/
NP
Private
6 Months 1 3
SHORT-TERM & LONG-TERM INITIATIVE
Overall
Neighborhood
Stabilize the neighborhood
Action 1: Partner with Code Enforcement to identify problem properties. COA
Action 2: Partner with the city to create awareness and report illegal dumping on
vacant properties.
COA &
EANA
Action 3: Revamp the neighborhood watch program. EANA AMBFF
Action 4: Coordinate a neighborhood cleanup blitz. COA &
EANA
Action 5: Partner with IA's acquisition strategy to identify structures needing board ups
that would be perfect candidates for a temporary mural or painted boards.
(TU)
IA &
EANA
AMBFF
Action 6: Request support from city administration for additional lighting, patrolling,
and security cameras in areas of high crime.
COA
&APF
Action 7: Partner with "friendly" property owners to identify vacant parcels surrounded
by homeowners that would be interested in using the space temporarily for a
specific use i.e. outdoor living space, temporary urban garden, etc. (TU)
EANA AMBFF
Action 8: Organize a monthly - "We Love English Avenue" meet and greet for residents
where a food truck is invited, a vacant parcel is used for temporary seating
and residents discuss how they can improve their neighborhood.
EANA AMBFF
Action 9: Partner with "friendly" property owners to identify vacant structure that could
be used as a temporary "pop up market".
EANA
Action 10: Encourage resident participation in the Habitat for Humanity Repair with
Kindness and Westside Roots Homeowner Rehab Programs
IA,
EANA
AMBFF
, APD-
U

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English Avenue Neighborhood Association Visioning Session
Implementation
Lead
Implementation Timing (Years)
Implementation Matrix
Public/
NP
Private
6 Months 1 3
Lindsay/Oliver Ecology District
Action 1: Organize a neighborhood meeting on site to identify areas where trails can
be established connecting Proctor Village with Lindsay Street Park. Use chalk
or temporary paint to draw the trails (TU)
COA,
EANA
Action 2: Participate in the planning process for the proposed Proctor Village Park to
incorporate comments on retention ponds and addressing flooding issues in the
area.
COA,
EANA
Action 3: Identify ways to partner with Lindsay Street Church incl. homeownership and
community gardening,
LSBC,
EANA
Action 4: Continue efforts on the restoration of the Proctor Creek Watershed. COA,
EANA
Action 5: Encourage land assembly and development outside of Proctor Creek flood
plain
IA, DP
Alexander/Brawley
District
Action 1: Meet with owner of St. Marks Church to determine his interest and capacity to
develop property. Determine project feasibility
IA PO
Action 2: Prioritize the acquisition of problem property at 504 Griffin IA PO,
APD-U
Action 3: Partner with the Police Department and Department of Justice on crime/safety
issues and concerns.
APD,
APF,
DOJ
Action 4: Refine Westside TAD Neighborhood Strategic Implementation Plan proposed
for development at Alexander and Brawley
IA PDPD
Action 5: Prioritize land assembly within 2 block radius of Alexander and Brawley
node & prepare development site plans
IA WFF,
APD-U
English Avenue Campus District
Action 1: Discuss with Representative Able Mable possible temporary uses for the site
that could help bring life to it while long term plans are being developed.
EANA PO
Action 2: Work with property owner to fund predevelopment work feasibility analysis
including siteplanning, construction estimates, proformas, and marketing
package, conditioned on property owner identifying a developer with
capacity to finance the development.
IA PO
Action 3: Identifying funding source to stabilize English Avenues School subject to
property owner's contributing some portion of the required funds
IA PO &
DP
Action 4: On the basis of the project's feasibility analysis apply for Community
Improvement Funding for development
IA PO &
DP

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English Avenue Neighborhood Association Visioning Session
Implementation
Lead
Implementation Timing (Years)
Implementation Matrix
Public/
NP
Private
6 Months 1 3
Mattie Freeland Garden District
Action 1: Targeted acquisition of vacant lots and structures for redevelopment
purposes.
IA,
AMBFF
APD-U
Action 2: Homeowner Rehab program through Habitat for Humanity Repair with
Kindness and Westside Roots
IA,
AMBFF
APD-U
Action 3: Mattie Freeland Park: acquisition of parcels, procurement of development
budget by City of Atlanta Parks Department, Design and Implementation of
Park
COA,
AMBFF
APD-U
Action 4:
Acquisition and development of Mattie Freeland property for use as a
Cultural Resource Center
IA,
AMBFF
APD-U
Action 5:
Convey assembled vacant property to builders and developers subject to
design guidelines
IA,
EANA
DP
Action 6:
Develop a marketing and branding strategy to highlight the history of the
area and help attract new residents.
Action 5: Provide technical assistance to EANA to insure long term sustainability to
neighborhood redevelopment initiative
EANA,
AMBFF
MEETING SPONSOR
Thank you to the meeting sponsor The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.
CONSULTING TEAM
APD Urban Planning & Management LLC
Implementation Leaders
Public:
COA - City of Atlanta
APD - Atlanta Police Department
EANA - English Avenue Neighborhood Association
Partners:
AMBFF - Arthur M. Blank Foundation
WFF - Westside Future Fund
APF – Atlanta Police Foundation
Private
APD-U - APD Urban Planning & Management LLC.
DP - Development Partner
PO - Property Owners
LSBC - Lindsay Street Baptist Church

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APPENDIX A

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A
p
p
e
n
d
i
x
B

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APPENDIX B
RAW RESIDENT COMMENTS
LINDSAY/OLIVER ECOLOGY DISTRICT
• The existing boundary should be expanded to attach to the surrounding districts so no blocks are left out of a
district (2).
• Make sure to include both sides of the street for any boundaries.
• Beautification trail should move from the Lindsey Street Park (reality) to the Ecology Center (vision). 527
Lindsey is good example of beautification on the streets.
• Water irrigation should be part of the beautification/food district node.
• Lindsay Street Church is strong anchor institution.
• Add signage along Lowery as it is a major thoroughfare.
• Food district should be established that is tied to the Ecology District.
• Expand boundaries to ensure that all parcels and properties are included. Once boundaries are expanded,
make the proposed Ecology District boundary the ‘heartbeat’ of the area.
• Address homeownership.
• Address the continual dumping in Proctor Creek.
• Lindsay Street Park is a draw to this area.
• Create creek bed for drainage into the Ecology Center area.
• Focus on addressing the flooding issues.
• Create retention ponds in the areas of Paines-Neal-Lindsay-Proctor.
• The primary concern is the flooding, primarily in the southern portion of the Lindsay/Oliver Ecology District.
Not very many residents were able to provide comments on the District as they were not familiar with the

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area (either did not live in or adjacent to, or did not travel to the area). However, nearly all of the comments
focused on extending the eastern and western boundaries of the area to touch the other Districts.
• Specific buildings or features you’d like to preserve? Lindsay Street Baptist Church, Proctor Creek
• More homeownership or improve park to draw people in
• 496 back to multi-family
• Move Lindsay boundary south
• Address the water issues
• Good next steps for the area: Better lighting, Add trail, have functions in the park to draw people in
• Include the church in the boundary.
• Organizations that could help implement some of the recommendations within the neighborhood? Historic
West Side Garden
ALEXANDER/BRAWLEY DISTRICT
• Utilize St. Marks for community gatherings.
• Use St. Marks as a food district – farmers market.
• Would like to see St. Marks redeveloped as a library or educational center (4).
• The existing boundary should be expanded to attach to the surrounding districts so no blocks are left out of a
district.
• This district should include mixed/use commercial development along Cameron M Alexander and James P.
Brawley.
• The properties east of Griffin and north of Jett are in a more stable area of the neighborhood.
• Would like to see properties along Griffin to the west stabilized in an effort to begin improvements within the
district moving west.
• The apartments (504 Griffin) across the Kennedy Headstart School need to be demolished.
• It would be nice to see more single family homes in place of the demolished apartments (504 Griffin) across
the Kennedy Headstart School.
• Need for safety cameras on the corner of Alexander and Brawley that are regularly maintained

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• Need for more street lighting on the corner of Alexander and Brawley that are regularly maintained
• Would like to see the Kennedy Headstart School returned to educational use
• The district should be rezoned and include reasonably priced apartments to break up the single-family land
use.
• Would like to see the Kennedy Headstart School turned into a youth development center that would overflow
to the St. Mark’s church location.
• The yellow store (500 James P Brawley) should be demolished and turned into a grocery store where residents
can shop. There are no close grocery stores for the residents (especially seniors) to go to in English Avenue.
• Brawley should be treated as an ‘Education Corridor’ to include internet cafés and small commercial
businesses to attract young homebuyers and students from Georgia Tech
• Need to have a Child Care facility in the area. House conversion or within the youth development center at
Kennedy Headstart School. (Billie Walker at Habitat House 893, 701 North Avenue offered up her property)
• Problem properties were identified at 706 Meldrum and 541 Griffin. The boundaries should be expanded
northeast to include these two properties.
• Structure at 706 Meldrum is a problem property and should be included in the district
• The apartments (504 Griffin) across the Kennedy Headstart School should be demolished and turned into a
park
• The Kennedy Headstart School should be turned into a community center
• The yellow store (500 James P Brawley) should be demolished and turned into a grocery store.
• The most important thing that should be done in this district is to make the intersection of Brawley and
Alexander safe
• Need to include mixed use, commercial/ residential development in the district to generate revenue.
• The demolition of the apartments on Cameron Alexander were also seen as a first step within the Alexander/
Brawley district.
ENGLISH AVENUE CAMPUS DISTRICT
• Use the school as a library

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• An area for parking needs to be identified for future use of the school-one possible location is to the south of
the school where there are several vacant lots.
• Daycare Center for 6 months and up and senior housing could be a considered for the area.
• Considering the high number of vacant lots to the south of the school, the Neighborhood node could be
expanded 5 lots to the south.
• Stakeholders shall consider a partnership between an Art based Charter School and a performing arts center.
The sustainable Design Collaborative of Atlanta is being considered to take on the design.
• Community gardens could be created around the school yard
• Hoops court near school should be fixed up and lighted
• A better connection needs to be created between the school and the Boys and Girls Club found to the north.
• School node could be expanded south to North Avenue
• C-1 Commercial on corner of Brawley and Hollowell offers potential for daycare, restaurant or retail uses.
• Senior housing component could be incorporated into a renovated school
• School could be developed into a multi-use facility with a technology center, daycare, health/wellness,
performing arts and co-location
• Potential school uses should collaborate with Georgia Tech
• Underutilized or vacant parcel to the south could be developed for graduate student housing.
• Programs need to be created to prepare children for the global economy
• Safety needs to be addressed in area
• Building could be developed in a similar manner to the Ponce City Market-a historic building that was
adaptively reused into mixed use development
• Bring in a grocery store and medical facility
• School could be developed as a center for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (S.T.E.A.M)(2)
• Goal should be to attract residents from nearby tech companies
• School could become a technology center
• Historical character of the school must be preserved

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• Area has several vacant and abandoned properties. New single-family infill needs to be considered in the
node.
MATTIE FREELAND DISTRICT
• Move boundary south to Meldrum was mentioned during discussion of the Mattie Freeland District Boundary
(2).
• The blue store at the corner of North and Griffin is a safety/crime problem that should be taken care of (4).
• There is a vacant house beside the store at 743 North that is also a problem property.
• A community center or library could be located in the vacant commercial building at the corner of Meldrum
and Griffin.
• Idea to expand the Blue Store and sell local produce from it.
• Focus on infill single family in this district
• Neighborhood residents don’t walk to the Mattie Freeland Park because there are a lot of stray dogs in the
area.
• The park area needs better lighting, especially the block north of the park at Fox Street, Pelham and Griffin
• Improve connections to the park, especially the sidewalks in the blocks surrounding the park.
• There is no/limited handicap accessibility in the area.
• Issue with the industrial uses on 657 Echo. Needs cleaning up.
• Need to move the boundary south to include the commercial uses.
• An effort should be made to tie the park to other areas.
• The Mattie Freeland node should be where resources are initially focused to stabilize existing residents.
• Infill housing in vacant lots.
• Vacant apartment uses need to be renovated.
• Access to public transit needs to be addressed.
• The blue store could be used for a pop-up market.

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• Need to take care of the overgrowth in vacant properties.
• Address burnt out homes.
• Looking forward to beautification projects.
• Residents want all boundaries to meet each other.
• Need to keep and renovate apartment buildings wherever possible.
• Address junkyard at Echo and Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway.
ENGLISH AVENUE OVERALL DISTRICT
• Discussion on 390 Block and 400 block of Elm Street: flooding issues, mosquitos, constant mold and mildew,
standing water, and need for the rerouting of drainage to limit the accumulation of water. There are health
issues especially with children having allergies and eczema.
• Need for a place for teenagers to congregate and learn
• Drainage issues need to be addressed, especially cleaning the leaves and debris.
• North Avenue Area (587 and 595): specific uses create issues with parking. Clubs on the weekends create
overflow parking on street. During the week, businesses create additional issue with parking preventing
residents from moving freely from one are to the end. Need to create a main entrance/gateway from the
eastside of the neighborhood into the community.
• Identify areas where mobile food trucks/pop up restaurants can come into the neighborhood.
• Use vacant properties for open air markets.
• Redevelop areas by building affordable residential units where properties have been torn down
• Follow up meeting on designs standards for residential and mixed- use uses.
• Find/create places to collaborate - a node that is a safe walking distance to the AUC and Westside Works
• Increase connectivity between nodes by increasing lighting, improving sidewalks, and installing cameras.
• Create safe path on 447 Paines, safe walkways to resources, 395 Griffin
• Use of vacant properties for tactical urbanism
• Existing plazas on Joseph E. Boone should remain commercial, convenient location.
• Current and former volunteer resides in 580 Griffin

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