Nude Is Fine, But Don’t Drink

Last week the US Court of Appeals supported Fulton County’s ban on nude dancing with alcohol.  The Fulton County ordinance does not apply to incorporated areas of Fulton County (i.e. Atlanta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Milton, Alpharetta).

In 2001, Fulton County attempted to limit nude dancing by passing an ordinance forbidding the practice in businesses that also sold or served alcohol. The owners of several adult entertainment businesses sued, and in 2006, a US District Court ruled against the Fulton County Ordinance, stating that the county, when enacting it in 2001, did not present sufficient evidence to justify its passage.  The lower court ruled that the First Amendment protected nude dancing as a form of expression.

Fulton County appealed, and last week the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, in the case of Flanigan’s vs. Fulton County, unanimously sided with Fulton County regarding the constitutionality of the County’s adult entertainment ordinance. The decision of the Court of Appeals reversed the 2006 District Court opinion, and found that the County did have a reasonable basis for passing the 2001 ordinance.

The presiding judge wrote: “The county relied on ample statistical, surveillance and anecdotal evidence...it certainly creates a vivid image of a county in which strip clubs that served alcohol played a prominent and unwelcome role. Sex and drug crimes occurred in and around the clubs and the neighborhood’s cheap hotels, and required law enforcement and the judiciary (the juvenile court, at least) to invest resources in combating the secondary effects.”

So that’s that. No nude dancing, no alcohol when you are nude, no beer on Sunday, no texting while driving, no North Fulton Republican Party, no chickens, no massage parlors, no gambling, no smoking in Roswell, no more Buckhead night life, no North Fulton night life, no high rises in Roswell, no sewer in Milton, no Prospect Park in Alpharetta, and no adult novelty stores in Johns Creek.

JOHNS CREEK

Johns Creek launches Citizens Police Academy, March 16

Johns Creek residents can get an up-close look at how their police department does its job when the JCPD’s Office of Community Services launches its new “Citizens Police Academy”, March 16.

The nine-week course provides an in-depth look at JCPD operations, how it is organized and what policies it follows in setting a high standard for community policing.

The academy meets every Tuesday night and includes classroom instruction on topics such as criminal investigations, internal affairs, narcotics, Crime Scene Investigation, and Community Services; demonstrations of the K-9 unit, SWAT, radKIDS, and use of force; and practical exercises like traffic enforcement and firearms.

“We are committed to providing quality police services for the Johns Creek community and the academy is an additional way of maintaining positive communications and mutual support between police and residents,” said Sgt. Debra Kalish. “Also, it’s going to be a lot of fun.“

Open to all Johns Creek residents ages 21 and older that successfully pass the application process and a criminal history check, the Citizens Police Academy is limited to 25 people. Call the city for details.

Heart Felt Health

In conjunction with American Heart Month, Johns Creek’s “Super CPR Saturday” returns Feb. 27 with free lifesaving classes for residents and business owners in how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and using an automated external defibrillator.

The classes, part of the city’s Heart Ready program, will be taught by Johns Creek paramedics at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. in the Community Room at Johns Creek Fire Station 62, 10925 Rogers Circle, Johns Creek. Reservations are preferred and can be made by calling 678-512-3221.

These non-certification classes (based on American Heart Association’s “Family & Friends”) are most appropriate for ages 10 and older.

Johns Creek partners with the American Heart Association and Emory Johns Creek Hospital to support its ongoing Heart Ready Program, which has placed 48 automatic electronic defibrillators in public spaces and Johns Creek police vehicles, and trained over 400 people in bystander CPR and AED use since its 2008 inception.

ALPHARETTA

Alpharetta Seeks Citizens for Board and Commission Service

The City of Alpharetta has published an updated application for citizens looking to join the following boards and commissions:  Zoning Appeals, Code Enforcement, Design Review, Development Authority, Planning, Recreation and Trees.

The City of Alpharetta’s citizen boards and commissions provide an invaluable service to the community. These bodies bring together citizen viewpoints which might otherwise not be heard, provide citizens of wide-ranging backgrounds an opportunity to be directly involved in local government, and sometimes serve as a training ground for citizens who have future interest in holding local elected office. The advice offered by boards and commissions is invaluable to the City Council during the decision-making process, and the careful study and recommendations provided by the citizens who comprise these bodies has been an important factor in the success of the Alpharetta community.

In addition to providing a means for citizens to express their interest, the information collected via this form helps City Council Members select the best and brightest candidates for these important appointments.

The application is available at Alpharetta’s website or at City Hall.

MILTON

Milton named “Tree City USA”

Milton is one of the few municipalities in Georgia to be named a “Tree City USA” by the Arbor Day Foundation, an honor City Council celebrated at its Feb. 17 regularly scheduled meeting.

The honor comes as a result of the hard work of the Milton Tree Preservation Committee and city Arborist Mark Law.

The Tree City USA program, sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, provides direction, technical assistance, public attention and national recognition for urban and community forestry programs.

Milton is one of only 130 cities is the state to be awarded the distinction, and one of only 3,400 nationwide. As part of the honor, Law traveled to the Gold Dome Feb. 18 to watch Gov. Sonny Perdue sign his Arbor Day Proclamation.

Planning Milton’s Future — One Acronym At A Time
By Annie Piekarczyk / Staff

There is a lot of planning going on in the city of Milton.

And a lot of acronyms nobody understands that go with it. 

Milton has recently attached Supplemental Plans to the Partial Plan Update of Milton’s 2008-2009 Comprehensive Plan. The Supplemental Plan will serve as a bridge between the adopted Focus Fulton 2025 Plan and the new plan underway.  It will also be a bridge between the documents created under the precious state planning regulations as well as those to be prepared under the current regulations.

The list of supplemental plans is an explicit list of plans incorporating documents that focus on special areas, situations or issues of importance to the community such as the Crabapple Crossroads Plan (2003), the Birmingham Crossroads Plan and Development Standards (2004), maintaining rural character in Northwest Fulton County (2001), the Milton Trails Plan (2007), and the Milton Transportation Plan (2009). The Partial Plan Update is an interim plan and will serve as the City’s Comprehensive Plan until the Community Agenda is completed, accepted and adopted.

In 2007, the preparation of Milton’s first Comprehensive Plan was initiated. The state planning regulation required three basic sections of the Comprehensive Plan: Community Assessment, Community Participation Plan and a Community Agenda. The Community Participation Program and the Community Assessment portions of the Plan are both completed.

In 2008, the ARC and DCA authorized Milton to proceed with the final phase of the plan, Community Agenda, after learning the CPP and Community Assessment portions were in accordance with state regulations. Milton proceeded but then discovered the deadline for the plan’s submittal was November 30, 2008 instead of November 30, 2011. The DCA and ARC then directed Milton to complete a Partial Plan Update under the approaching deadline. DCA and ARC said a Partial Update was in the best interest of better regional coordination and inter-jurisdictional cooperation.

Now if the city could just plan for more revenue to stave off the coming financial Armageddon that looms in its future, things would be looking up.

ROSWELL

Fulton County Sewer Line Project on Lake Charles Drive

The City of Roswell Department of Transportation is notifying residents and travelers in the Lake Charles area of a Fulton County sewer line project scheduled to begin March 1. The project zone is between Tollwood Drive and Charleston Trace.

The project replaces an eight-inch sewer line and is expected to take approximately three weeks, weather permitting. There will not be an interruption to sewer services expected during this project.

Lake Charles Drive will be open to local traffic and busses only; travelers should use the detour route - Pine Grove Road to Shallowford Road to Jones Road - to bypass the work zone.  The detour will be clearly marked.

Midtown Project Ground Breaking Ceremony

The City of Roswell Department of Transportation (RDOT) will host a ground breaking ceremony on March 2 at noon to kickoff the construction of the Midtown Streetscape project. The ground breaking will take place near the Hog Wallow Creek crossing.

The Midtown Streetscape project includes sidewalk improvements, a textured center turn lane, drainage improvements and beautification of SR 9/120 from Norcross Street to Mansell Place. Construction is expected to begin in March and take approximately one year to complete.

This project is part of a Livable Communities Initiative (LCI) and is the first such project in the City. The total project cost is estimated at $2,025,629. The City’s budgeted cost is $405,126.

Travelers and commuters in the area can expect some delay during the construction of this project, however no lane closures are expected during construction.