Clairmont Heights Civic Association

County officials have informed the Traffic Control Committee that the traffic control plan developed by residents of CHCA and MANA must be approved by 65% of the residents of both neighborhoods using an official petition for the plan to be implemented in full. Additionally, the DeKalb Police Department has told County officials that it does not have the capability to enforce the "resident excepted" hour-based turn restriction signs. This, coupled with the immense effort it would take to gather petition signatures would be overwhelming . However, resident homeowners on streets within the CHCA or MANA area can petition for traffic control signage (as listed in the traffic control plan) on a street by street basis, 65% homeowner approval on the street, or portion of street, is needed. For additional details read further. On March 31st members of the Traffic Control Committee met with District 2 Commissioner, Jeff Rader, DeKalb County Transportation Director, John Gurbal, and Emory University Representative, Adele Clements to discuss some pivotal issues related to police enforcement of the traffic control plan and the DeKalb County Legal Department review of the proposed plan. The DeKalb County Legal Department found no legal issues with the proposed traffic control plan, but did inform the Commissioner that the threshold of support should be 65% of residents on each street where an hour based traffic control sign would be installed (e.g. should Blackmon Drive or Willivee Drive chose to implement the signage they would need 65% of the homeowners on that street, or County approved portion of the street, to sign in support on a County issued petition). The Commissioner and John Gurbal had discussions with District and County police officials concerning the police force's ability to enforcement "residents excepted signage" and while the signs are legal, and the intent of the signs is clear, DeKalb Police officials said that it would be difficult to enforce such signs and recommended that the signs exempt no one. This information has changed the course of the traffic control plan and what would have continued as the traffic control implementation planning meetings. The Traffic Control Committee, County officials, and Board members in both neighborhoods find there is no longer a necessity to meet to develop an implementation plan when one is not needed. Request for hour-based traffic control signage will be left up to each individual street and the homeowners on that street. Residents within the Clairmont Heights and Medlock Park neighborhoods are invited to review the County approved traffic control plan signs for the street on which they own a home at http://clairmontheights.org/node/570 and http://clairmontheights.org/node/571 . Homeowners wishing to have the signage installed for their street can work independently (or with their respective Civic Association), with the County to request the official petition to have the traffic control signage installed. Please note that at this point residents would not be excepted from the imposed turn limitations they would be requesting for their street. Additionally, there would be no cost for the sign installation as traffic control signage is not part of the county traffic calming program. While the facts and situation recently presented to the Traffic Control Committee bring an end to what have been continued neighborhood implementation policy planning sessions, this course does leave the option open for homeowners on each street to independently petition for the hour-based turn limitations using the official petitioning process. Questions related to this update can be sent to pres@clairmontheights.org and will be grouped over the next 30 days to be answered in a future electronic neighborhood newsletter. If you are not on the e-newsletter distribution list please sign up at info@clairmontheights.org