Brian Vanderhoff's North Fulton Real Estate Blog: June 2009

The new, 321,000-square-foot Johns Creek High School was on full display June 20, when the community got its first look at the facility during an open house attended by hundreds of students and parents.

Johns Creek Mayor Pro Tem Bev Miller and Council Member Dan McCabe joined school officials, State Rep. Mark Burkhalter and Fulton County Commissioner Lynne Riley for the school's official ribbon cutting.

The 40-acre campus at 5575 State Bridge Road includes a 2-story facility with 96 classrooms/labs, 4,000-seat football stadium, 1,800-seat gymnasium, sports fields and tiered courtyard. There is also a greenway path and footbridge, bordering the campus and connecting to the planned Johns Creek Greenway.

Faculty and administration will welcome 1,100 students (ninth-12th grade), when school returns Aug. 10.

Labels: bev miller, johns creek high school, New High School

This Fourth of July, Johns Creek Police will set up sobriety check points in various locations across the City, joining other law enforcement agencies in both state and national impaired driving enforcement initiatives.

The check points will be in effect before, during and after the holiday at undisclosed times and places. This is to discourage drivers from drinking and driving.

The goal of the enhanced enforcement of DUI laws is to reduce alcohol-related traffic accidents in the City.

Officers will use the Department's new portable intoxilyzer trailer, which contains an Intoxilyzer 5000 non-invasive breath alcohol testing machine. The JCPD is one of a few law enforcement agencies in Georgia to have the state-of-the art trailer

Labels: 4th of july, city of johns creek, sobriety checkpoints

The neighbors in Parkview noticed a lot of people coming and going from a house on Eleanor Street in an unincorporated portion of DeKalb County.

They assumed they were renters.

They were squatters or by-the-room renters paying someone who did not own the house.

As in Parkview, near I-20 east of downtown Atlanta, several parts of metro Atlanta are witnessing people moving into foreclosed and empty houses and taking over the properties.

“It’s not uncommon,” said Ron McNew, an agent with Prudential Georgia Realty who specializes in foreclosed properties.

McNew said he recently discovered several people were paying “some guy” $300 a month to rent a room in a house near Turner Field that McNew was trying to sell.

“Never did find him,” McNew said of the purported landlord. “People living there believed they were paying rent for real.

“This whole real estate market is inside out. All the old rules don’t apply anymore,” McNew said.

It’s only been in recent weeks that Parkview homeowners realized what had happened to their streets.

A real estate agent trying to sell the about-to-be foreclosed property discovered squatters had taken over the house.

“Nobody really knew what to do,” said Chad Mercer. “They [neighbors] had no idea these guys were renting these places out by the week. They broke in and … changed the locks on 377 Eleanor, cut the grass, [had turned on the] water and [were] illegally getting power.”

Around the corner were three more houses where people had just moved in, neighbors said.

Dee Giarratano said that by then the squatters were “attracting a real bad element, druggies and prostitutes” to their otherwise quiet streets.

Foot and car traffic had picked up and the residents at those houses seemed to change constantly.

“It seems as the economy has gone south there has been a proliferation of undesirable activity,” Giarratano said.

Homeowners called police several times. Patrols were increased but there was little more that could be done to move them out.

Mekka Parish, spokeswoman for the DeKalb Police Department, said the Parkview neighborhood problem was one “we see throughout the community”

To address it, code enforcement officers must first find the owners, Parish said. If and once they are found, the owner must have adequate time to correct the problem before the matter can be taken to court. Then the owners must file a complaint for police to respond.

DeKalb police are still trying to contact the owners of the four properties in the Parkview neighborhood.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s attempts to reach the owners listed on property records for these four houses also were unsuccessful Friday. Calls either went unanswered, went to a fax line or the number had been disconnected.

There is no record of how often people simply move into vacant houses or rent out space in them. The details are anecdotal, coming from neighbors and real estate agents who visit the properties.

Even before he first reported squatters in the house on Eleanor Street, Mercer said he had witnessed squatters taking over houses near properties he was renovating in the Vine City and English Avenue neighborhoods near the Georgia Dome.

“It’s rampant over there,” Mercer said. “And in Reynoldstown, Ormewood Park, Summerhill. Where ever there is a larger degree of foreclosures.”

Steve Ruff and his wife would watch from their front porch the comings and goings at two houses across Liberty Street in DeKalb County.

“I assumed they were renting the rooms out by the week,” he said. “Then you find out they are squatting. This guy broke in and put [new] locks on the doors. The company that owns it is out of Texas.”

Labels: dekalb county, squatters, vacant homes

The City of Alpharetta has indefinitely suspended its downtown redevelopment project known as Alpharetta City Center.

“The changing economic climate and other variables have significantly altered the City Center Project,” stated Alpharetta Mayor Arthur Letchas. “While we do believe that Alpharetta City Center will in the future be a viable project that provides mutual benefits to the citizens of Alpharetta, the City, and the private sector, that viability cannot be realized as things now stand.”
Alpharetta officials met with Al Holbrook, principal of Solomon Holdings, the developer that was selected as the City’s partner on the project, to discuss the situation. After the meeting, Holbrook indicated his agreement with the decision. “Solomon is in agreement that the City Center project should be placed on hold due to economic conditions and the timing of the marketplace today,” Holbrook stated.

Following a series of public information meetings on the project, Alpharetta City Council agreed in April to continue consideration of the project. In preparation for a possible August vote to place a bond referendum on the November ballot, they directed staff to prepare additional traffic studies, an updated commercial market analysis, and a revised financial feasibility analysis. Staff was also directed to negotiate key terms of the business relationship between the City and Solomon Holdings.

It was those negotiations that brought, at least for now, a halt to the project.
“The City’s original intent was to identify and secure a development partner who could bring experience and equity to bear on the project to create a mutually beneficial business relationship, Letchas explained.” It is now apparent that, due to factors beyond the control of the City of Alpharetta or Solomon Holdings, that intent cannot be realized at this time.”

City officials were quick to indicate that the decision is not an indication of a lack of commitment to the future of Downtown Alpharetta or of any dissatisfaction with Solomon Holdings or Holbrook. “This decision is a factor of the current economy,” Letchas stated. “It is simply a result of where the market is right now.”

When asked if his Alpharetta-based company would consider issuing a new proposal if the City revisits the project in the future, Holbrook said, “We believe that this development is critical to the future progress and long-term success of the city; therefore, we will continue to champion its final positive outcome.”

“Projects like this are complex, involving a lot of variables that have to align for a deal to work,” says Letchas. “The timing has to be right for that to happen. I have no doubt that the time for City Center will come.”

Labels: city center, city of alpharetta, Downtown Alpharetta, postponed

Michael Jackson, the "King of Pop," has died after suffering cardiac arrest at his Los Angeles home, according to TMZ.

A fire department official said Jackson was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his rented Bel Air mansion at 12:26 p.m., according to CNN-affiliate KTLA News.

Jackson, 50, was treated at UCLA Medical Center. But hospital officials were unable to revive him.

His death came as Jackson prepared for a major comeback, after years of seclusion. He was scheduled to perform 50 shows in London's O2 Arena, with the financial backing of two billionaires.

In recent years, Jackson had been the subject of endless tabloid headlines and financial difficulties. If his London shows had proved successful, he was expected to embark on a major world-wide tour.

Labels: dead, Dies, king of pop, Michael Jackson

Like your Toll House cookie dough? You'd better toss it out and then clean your hands thoroughly to be safe.

Ga. Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin alerted consumers of the recall of all varieties of prepackaged Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough.

The product may be contaminated with E.coli O157:H7, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We are warning Georgians not to eat this product," Irvin said. "There is a risk of contamination with E. coli O157:H7, a bacterium that causes food borne illness."

Consumers with any of the prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough should discard the product immediately, Irvin says. Cooking the dough is not recommended due to cross contamination that may occur when the bacterium is transferred to hands or cooking surfaces.

In addition to consumers, retailers, restaurateurs, and personnel at food-service operations should not sell or serve any Nestle Toll House prepackaged, refrigerated cookie dough products subject to the recall.

E. coli O157:H7 causes a diarrheal illness often associated with bloody stools. Young children, the elderly and those with a compromised immune system are most at risk to illness that could lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

Individuals who have recently eaten prepackaged, refrigerated Nestles Toll House cookie dough -- and have experienced any of these symptoms -- should contact a medical professional immediately.

The FDA reminds consumers they should never eat raw food products that are intended for cooking or baking before consumption.

Consumers with questions should contact Nestle consumer services at 1-800-559-5025 and/or visit their website at www.verybestbaking.com .

Labels: cookie dough, nestle toll house, Recalled

Make plans now to attend the first annual Dawson Day Thunder in the Sky Fireworks Extravaganza Independence Day celebration on Friday, July 3 at Rock Creek Park in Dawsonville.

Presented by Dawson Community News and the Dawson County Board of Commissioners, the new Dawson Day celebration is the place to be to get your share of family fun, a variety of foods, and a sky-popping fireworks display.

Kids will enjoy moonwalks, inflatable slides, face painting, and more. From popcorn to boiled peanuts and snow cones, you’ll find your favorite carnival snacks at your fingertips. Or, plan to enjoy your evening meal at the park.

Guests are invited to ‘touch-a-truck’ at exhibits by Dawson County Emergency Services and the Sheriff’s Office.

Don’t forget to bring your blanket or lawn chair and find a spot on the grass to enjoy the live entertainment of “The Frogz” classic rock favorites and the breathtaking fireworks display at dark. Lace up your dancing shoes and enter the dance contest.

Whether taking a shot at some of the locals in the dunk tank, scaling a rock climbing wall, or munching on a favorite snack, Dawson Day will satisfy your every need for a night out with your family, friends, and neighbors.

“We are proud to partner with Dawson County to help bring residents of this great community such an exciting event,” said Stephanie Griffin, editor of the Dawson Community News.

“This celebration is a first for Dawson County government. We are extremely pleased to host such a spectacular event at no expense to the taxpayers,” said Government and Community Affairs Representative Cathy Brooks. “We are grateful to all our generous sponsors for making this event possible,” Brooks said.

Admission for the event is free. Children’s activities, souvenirs and concessions are available for purchase. Free parking is available at Rock Creek Park, River Park Canoe Launch and Riverview Middle School. Free shuttle service will be provided to and from the event from off-site parking.

Gates open at 5:00 pm; live music starts at 6:00 pm. Fireworks will begin at dark. No coolers, please.

Sponsors of the Dawson Day Thunder in the Sky Fireworks Extravaganza Independence Day celebration include:

Presenting Sponsors
Dawson Community News
Dawson County Board of Commissioners

Gold Sponsors
Dawson County Chamber of Commerce
Dawsonville Downtown Development Authority
Etowah Water & Sewer Authority
Jackie Townley
John Megel Chevrolet
McEver Signs
Northside Hospital-Forsyth
United Community
Wilco Printing
Silver Sponsors
Country Boy Trailers
K.A.R.E. for Kids
Keep Dawson County Beautiful
Phantom South Sound Reinforcement
Trinity Custom Homes
Windstream
Friends of the Park
Competition Cheerleaders
Dawson County Republican Party
Dawson County Senior Center
Joey Homans, Attorney at Law
Bradley’s Pumpkin Patch
Chick-Fil-A of Dawsonville
Appalachian Community Bank
Children’s Dentistry
Discovery Point Child Development Center

For more information on the event visit www.dawsoncounty.org.

Labels: dawson county, Dawson Day Thunder in the Sky Fireworks Extravaganza Independence Day, july 3

Show your patriotism by celebrating our Country’s Independence Day in Roswell with entertainment and a breathtaking fireworks display. This year’s July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza will take place at Roswell High School, located on King Road off of SR 92.

Entertainment begins at 5:30 p.m. and includes the following performances:

3 Way Street at 5:30 p.m.
Back Trax at 6:30 p.m.
Banks & Shane at 7:30 p.m.
Moby, a popular local radio personality, will emcee the event and there will be activities for the children. At dark, a beautiful 40-minute fireworks display will be the highlight of the evening.

Bring your chairs, blankets and picnics for an old fashion family outing. Concessions will be available.

For more information, call 770.641.3705. Roswell High School is a drug, alcohol and tobacco free zone.

Labels: 10th annual fireworks, 4th of july, City of Roswell

What better way to spend your July 4th holiday than celebrating close to home with family and friends? The City of Alpharetta Recreation and Parks Department has planned a fun and festive holiday celebration for all ages to enjoy at Wills Park! There are so many things to see and do! All you will need is a blanket or lounge chair, tailgate party, and Independence Day spirit!

Cool off during the heat of the day by taking a dip in the Alpharetta City Pool, which will be open to the public from 10am to 6pm. General admission is $3 per person. The Alpharetta Golden Age Club will sell hot dogs, pizzas, candy, sodas, and other tasty treats at the pool throughout the day and night.

Children’s activities including inflatables, face painting, and balloon artist/magician Tommy Johns will be located on the Event Lawn behind Alpharetta Community Center from 5pm to 8pm. Play ‘n’ Trade of Alpharetta/Milton will be located near Wacky World Playground providing opportunities for families to play Rock Band! All children’s activities are free of charge!

At 6pm, the Alpharetta City Band will strike up the band and play a patriotic medley guaranteed to bring out your American pride and spirit! Following the City Band, sit back and listen to your favorite country and classic rock tunes performed by Serious Business, a local band based in Alpharetta. Serious Business will perform until 9pm.

Forget your picnic? No worries! Food vendors including Shane’s Rib Shack, The Varsity, Good Eats, Ben & Jerry’s, Repecci’s Italian Ice, Paradise Snow, Down Home Café, and Dippin’ Dots will be located throughout the entire park from 5pm until approximately 9:30pm. Be sure to bring your hunger and enjoy the tasty delicacies and treats that will be available.

Weather permitting, free tethered hot air balloon rides compliments of RE/MAX of Georgia will be available on Baseball Field D from approximately 6pm to 9pm. Space will be extremely limited. Participants must sign a liability waiver before riding (parent or guardian must sign for minors), and children age 6 and under are not permitted to ride.

After an afternoon of fun, kick back, relax, and marvel at the spectacular fireworks display that will light up the Alpharetta sky! Our show begins at dusk and is a fitting tribute to the spirit of Independence Day! You won’t want to miss it!

As a reminder: alcohol and personal fireworks are not allowed on City property. Officials with the City of Alpharetta Department of Public Safety will be in full force at the park throughout the day to ensure the safety of all park visitors. Old Milton Parkway between Roswell Street and Wills Road will be closed when the parking lots become full. A park map with activities and traffic plan will be available on the City’s website in late June. The July 4th Celebration will be held rain or shine, but some activities may be limited in the event of inclement weather.

For more information, please visit the City’s website at www.alpharetta.ga.us. Questions? Email recreation@alpharetta.ga.us or call 678-297-6140.

Labels: 4th of july, Alpharetta, fireworks, Wills Park

Tax assessors across Atlanta’s five core urban counties say homes and businesses lost almost $5 billion in real estate value last year due to the continuing recession.

That’s right, billion.

Still, property owners in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties are complaining that assessors haven’t gone nearly far enough to account for a real estate slump that has houses in some communities for sale at less than the price of a decent used car.

R.J. Morris, an investor in rental real estate, said assessors dropped the tax value on a rental home he bought last year in East Point from $137,800 to $107,000 — a 22 percent decline. However, he paid just $5,000 for the house in late 2008.

“It’s obvious all they did was say they are going to take [some random percentage] off,” Morris said. “In 2008, that’s when we really drove off the cliff. It was definitive. There is no way you can say values didn’t go down. Anything south of I-20, values have just been destroyed.”

The losses are being recorded now as assessors prepare their tax digests and submit values to the state and local governments that will use them to collect 2009 taxes. Assessors in the five urban counties have or will send about 350,000 notices lowering taxable values for 2009.

And when values fall, governments struggle unless they raise tax rates to compensate. Numerous school systems, cities and counties across metro Atlanta have been debating tax increases and service cuts over the past several months. Tax digests also give a glimpse into the state of the economy, real estate markets and development.

They catalog changes in value, new construction, expansion and property divisions.

For example, in 2008 the same five counties counted a nearly $23 billion increase in real estate values even thought it was a down year. So, for assessors, any kind of drop in value is a dramatic change.

“In my 30 years assessing in Georgia, this is the first time I’ve seen anybody’s digest go down,” said Steve Pruitt, chief appraiser for Gwinnett. “The market has always been flat or increasing. We’ve not ever seen an appreciable devaluation. This is the first really mass effect I’ve seen.”

The greatest drop by percentage is in Clayton, where assessors reported real estate values fell by $1.2 billion, or 6 percent. The greatest dollar drop came in DeKalb, where assessors cut $2 billion in taxable value from the county’s digest.

And, even though Clayton cut properties by the greatest proportional amount by far, the county still got slammed with nearly 6,000 appeals from property owners who say it should have done more.

Rodney McDaniel, Clayton’s chief appraiser, said the appeals are the greatest number he can remember getting, even with his county’s aggressive efforts to lower values.

“We got hammered,” McDaniel said. “I’m not going to lie. I thought we were pretty fair. Naturally, not everyone’s going to agree with us.”

Cobb and Fulton both reported drops of about 1 percent in real estate values. However, chief appraisers in both counties said large drops in residential values were offset by increases in commercial values, new construction, additions and property divisions.

Burt Manning, Fulton’s chief appraiser, said Fulton has sent or will send about 130,000 notices to residential property owners that will lower values by a total of $2.75 billion, an average of about 12 percent.

The digest, he said, also had about $600 million in losses among some commercial properties.

However, he said, there was about $3 billion in growth from other parcels, netting Fulton a $300 million loss.

“I’m surprised by how much new parcels and new growth we added,” Manning said.

The biggest controversies over assessments so far have been in Cobb and DeKalb.

In Cobb, legislators sent a letter of protest to the Department of Revenue complaining that thousands of taxpayers will pay more than they should in property taxes because assessors there are lowering only about 20,000 or 30,000 parcels, the fewest in metro Atlanta.

DeKalb actually sent two rounds of notices after admitting the first lowered only a handful of values because assessors failed to count foreclosures and distressed sales even though state law required them to do that.

The new round of notices, sent in May, lowered five times as many properties but still didn’t stop the county from being sued.

And the county racked up more than 8,300 appeals for an appeal period that ended Friday.

John Woodham, the lawyer who filed the lawsuit, said he suspects DeKalb’s 3 percent drop would be much greater but assessors were reluctant to cut appraised values as low as bank-owned sales dictate.

He said there are dozens of neighborhoods where houses are priced in the range of $20,000 to $30,000, but tax appraisals average three times as much even after being lowered this year.

“You can’t just take last year’s overly inflated number and hack off 20 percent,” he said. “That’s not statutory. They are required to get to fair market value.”

Labels: Atlanta, clayton county, dekalb county, Fulton, Gwinnett, property values, take a hit

Informed by a persistent killjoy that a six-foot gator was seen two days earlier in the same part of the Chattahoochee River, the Kirby family reached a quick consensus.

“I think we’ll be getting out now,” said Chris Kirby, 28, of Stone Mountain, who had planned a relaxing Friday afternoon wading in the Chattahoochee’s 50-degree waters with his wife, 9-month old daughter and chocolate labador.

News of the gator — spotted Wednesday by a pair of joggers off the river’s bank at Cochran Shoals near the I-285 bridge —- altered their plans.

“That’s a big enough gator to chew my leg off,” said Kirby as he climbed out of the water.

Officials with the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area said they aren’t pursuing the wayward reptile which, while common in south Georgia, isn’t native to the northern part of the state.

“The gator’s not bothering anyone and it hasn’t been seen since Wednesday,” said the Chattahoochee’s chief park ranger Scott Pfeninger. “We’re not looking for it.”

Pfeninger said the park service is consulting with the state Department of Natural Resources but is currently in a “holding pattern.”

“If it’s spotted by several other people we’ll send people down to try to catch it,” he said.

But snagging a gator in a 48 mile river is no easy feat.

Two years ago, an 8-foot alligator was spotted several times in the Cochran Shoals’ area.

Efforts to trap it were unsuccessful. Last summer, wildlife biologists with the state DNR spent more than a month trying to catch a smaller gator in the Flat Creek area of Lake Lanier. It was finally captured in the yard of a lakeside home.

This gator is likely headed to warmer water downstream, Pfeninger said.

“It’s a wild animal and should be treated as such,” the ranger said. “But I’d still float down the river.”

Plenty of folks are likely to follow his advice this weekend, with temperatures expected to hover near 100 degrees.

“We’ll probably put out nine to 10 rafts (each day),” said Corey Armstrong, who rents rafts for High Country Outfitters at Cochran Shoals. Each accommodates anywhere from four to eight people.

News of the loose gator from two years ago briefly slowed business, Armstrong said. “People forgot about it pretty quick,” he said.

Rafting with three friends Friday afternoon, Garrett Euler, 22, said an alligator was the least of his concerns.

“There’s things in that river that will hurt you more than a gator,” Euler said, referring to E. coli counts. The latest count by the park service actually indicates a low risk of getting sick, with the river’s water in full compliance with recreation quality criteria.

Labels: alligator, Chattahoochee River, gator

354 ANDERWOOD RDG NW
MARIETTA, GA 30064

$1,199,000

6 Bedrooms
6 Full | 2 Partial Bathrooms

Listing # 3918385

Beautiful Brick & Stone Home,Custom details thruout. Dramatic 2 story entry,Paneled Library/Office,Great rm w/ Coffered Ceilings,Master on Main with private screen porch,5 fireplaces,Chef's Kitchen w/ fireside keeping rm and beamed ceilings,Cozy Screen porch with Fireplace, Finished Terrace Level.

For more pictures please visit the Featured Property page, or email us for the Virtual Tour.

Labels: anderson farm, anderwood ridge, Georgia, marietta, new listing

The days of wondering what happened to old classmates are gone thanks to social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. And the days of organizing class reunions through mailings sent by school alumni organizations are also over, according to Time magazine .

The ability to locate former classmates through the Internet has these organizations and other groups such as Reunited Inc. scrambling to find new ways to stay relevant.

Some thought social-networking sites might kill reunions, but for most, they are heightening the excitement as more classmates are easily contacted through groups on the sites.

"It's enticing. It's like a little preview, seeing everyone's life online. And whether you're happy that someone is not doing as well as you or you're happy that they look amazing, you get to see it all in person," Holly Goshin, who helped plan Massachusetts' Sharon High School's 20th reunion, told Time.

Since the alumni associations aren't being used as much to organize the reunions, however, some colleges are suffering from a lack of donations from former students. "We've lost our monopoly over the data on how to communicate with schoolmates," said Andrew Shaindlin, executive director of the Caltech Alumni Association. "We need to step back and figure out how to remain relevant, because there may be some point three or five or seven years from now when we're going to hold a reunion and almost nobody is going to sign up."

In addition to Facebook, sites such as CollegeReunions.com can help you plan your next reunion.

Labels: class reunions, Facebook

Hundreds lined up at the Georgia Dome to begin their shot at being the next American Idol.

Registration for season nine of the hit show began Tuesday morning and runs through Wednesday.

A producer at the Dome said registration will run all day and night with a cutoff of about 8-9am Thursday. The auditions begin Thursday, June 18.

If you feel you are the next American Idol, head down to the Dome!

Audition Information!
Atlanta registration for Season 9 auditions will take place on Tuesday, June 16 and Wednesday, June 17, and auditions will take place on Thursday, June 18. Both registration and auditions will take place at the Georgia Dome.

Georgia Dome
1 Georgia Dome Dr. NW
Atlanta, GA 30313
(404) 223-4636
www.gadome.com

Front Of Line: Gate D Entry
Parking: Area parking at varying rates.
American Idol is not responsible for any parking rates or rules.

Labels: American Idol, Atlanta, Auditions

Take the average Starbucks and expand it by almost 1,200 square miles and you have the biggest wireless Internet hot spot in America. And right now, that’s Atlanta.

Or that is the boast of Clearwire Communications, which Tuesday officially launches its Clear 4G WiMAX service in Atlanta, though the system has been operating without publicity for about six weeks.

There are still holes in the huge footprint, which covers everything inside I-285 and more. Service is not yet available in parts of the Northside around Dunwoody and Sandy Springs and DeKalb County around Decatur. A complete network of transmitters that will close those gaps is still being installed, according to the company.

And there’s the sticker shock. Unlike wireless Internet offered largely free at almost 900 sites in metro Atlanta, Clear has a fairly steep price of entry.

To hook up a laptop requires a special USB modem, which goes for $59.99. There’s also a $35 activation fee and service subscription rates that start at $10 a day and go to $50 a month.

However, the system moves wifi service a step closer to making high definition, high speed internet programming — videos and streaming telecasts — as clear on remote laptops as internet and cable TV reception at home.

Rival AT&T plans to roll out its own 4G technology later this year as TV networks increasingly seek to channel their programming onto laptops and cell-phones through the Internet.

This is the third market for Clear, which has launched systems in Baltimore and Portland, Ore. But Atlanta is by far the biggest hot spot footprint, nearly twice the footprint size as Portland or Baltimore, which is about 700 square miles.

The Atlanta coverage area stretches to northern Cherokee County, to southern Henry County, and east on I-20 past Wesley Chapel Road and west on I-20 as far as Six Flags.

4G WiMAX technology, said Benny Bing, a research scientist at the Georgia Tech’s Broadband Institute, is faster than the 3G wireless air cards that many now use to access the Internet remotely.

With slower 3G, it’s more difficult to access streaming videos.

“The high-definition capability is the killer application [here],” said Bing, “because you can view it [videos and TV] everywhere you want, in the backyard, in the park, even in your car.”

During a demonstration last week, the system seemed glitch-free as a reporter watched streaming video on a laptop in an SUV while he and Clear publicists were driven around downtown Atlanta.

Clear executives declined to say how much they have invested in the Atlanta market, where they’ve been quietly installing towers and transmitters for the past two and a half years.

CEO William T. Morrow said the network would “change life in Atlanta” by giving residents unfettered access to the Web. But it’s still not perfect, said Atlantan John Jowers, who has been using the system about two weeks.

“I was up in Sandy Springs yesterday and couldn’t get a signal,” he said. “And I would not get rid of my AT&T 3G air card because there are places where Clear doesn’t go, like Birmingham or far outside Atlanta.”

But Clear enabled Jowers to download and watch a Netflix video remotely, “which I couldn’t do with my AT&T air card,” he said, as well as make overseas phone calls using the Skype Internet system, which he said wouldn’t work with his 3G air card.

Jeff Kagan, an Atlanta-based telecom analyst, said the system simply expands the universe of Wi-Fi from the small bubble of a Starbucks, for instance, to the bubble of “an entire city.”

Yet for all the mobility and speed of WiMAX — which is three or four times as fast as 3G air cards — there’s room for improvement, said Paul Kapustka, editor of Sidecut Reports, which tracks the telecommunications industry.

“This technology is as fast as DSL and you can get access remotely, but it’s not as fast as cable internet hookup,” said Kapuska. “It’s sort of the third choice between them.”

Labels: Atlanta, clearwire communications, Georgia, wifi, WiMax, wireless hotspot

Construction of new homes jumped in May by the largest amount in three months, an encouraging sign that the nation's deep housing recession was beginning to bottom out.

The Commerce Department said Tuesday that construction of new homes and apartments jumped 17.2 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 532,000 units. That was better than the 500,000-unit pace that economists had expected and came after construction fell in April to a record low of 454,000 units.

In another encouraging sign, applications for building permits, seen as a good indicator of future activity, rose 4 percent in May to an annual rate of 518,000 units.

The better-than-expected rebound in construction was the latest sign that the prolonged slump in housing is coming to an end, which would be good news for the broader economy.

The current recession — the longest since the Great Depression — was triggered by a collapse in the housing market that led to soaring loan losses and a banking system crisis. A healthy home market is needed to support an economic recovery.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to unveil on Wednesday the administration's plan to overhaul financial regulation in an effort to crack down on the lending abuses that triggered the most severe upheaval in the nation's financial system in seven decades.

Even with the encouraging news, analysts don't expect a quick rebound in housing, since the economy is still shedding jobs and home prices are falling in many places, making people hesitant to commit to buying a new home.

Many economists say home construction likely will stop falling in the current quarter but any sustained rebound isn't expected to take hold until next spring. That's partly due to the huge overhang of unsold homes and a record wave of mortgage foreclosures dumping more unsold homes on the market.

With foreclosures and other distressed properties for sale at deep discounts, builders often can't compete. Rather than launching new developments, they are waiting for signs of a broader recovery. Many economists believe that home prices will keep falling until next spring and that sales won't start to show significant gains until the summer of 2010.

The 17.2 percent rise in housing construction for May still left activity 45.2 percent below where it was a year ago.

The jump reflected a 7.5 percent rise in construction of single-family homes, the third consecutive increase in this critical segment of the market.

Construction of multifamily units rose 61.7 percent in May to an annual rate of 131,000 units. This volatile part of the market plunged 49.4 percent in April.

Construction rose nationwide led by a 28.6 percent surge in the West. Construction rose 6.8 percent in the South and 11.1 percent in the Midwest. The Northeast had the smallest gain of 2 percent in May.

The National Association of Home Builders said Monday its housing market index slipped by one point in June, reflecting many builders' uncertainty about when their business prospects might improve. The Washington-based trade association said the index fell to 15. It was the first decline since January, when the index dropped to a record low of 8.

That report was "proof that the rise in U.S. mortgage rates lately is dampening activity," Jennifer Lee, an economist with BMO Capital Markets, wrote in a research note.

Earlier this month, major builders Toll Brothers Inc. and Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. reported smaller quarterly losses, rosier sales trends and more prospective buyers visiting model homes. Industry executives, however, say the recession and fear of job losses are keeping many would-be homebuyers on the fence.

Labels: commerce department, Georgia, goes up, may housing construction

Witnesses who watched a car carrying three teens spin out of control and wreck are blasting Atlanta police -- saying officers did not do enough to help.

Two of the teens died and witnesses said they were being chased by an Atlanta police officer at the time.

A crumpled mess is all that is left of a car witnesses said was involved in high speed chase with Atlanta police.

Just after midnight witnesses said a single officer with his blue lights on was chasing the car north on Lawton Street in southwest Atlanta.

When the car reached the back of Jones Elementary School just south of Fair Street, the driver lost control.

The car crashed through a fence and ended up wedged between four pine trees on school property.

Two people inside died, the other survived the crash.

It took rescue crews about 90 minutes to extricate them from the vehicle. Identities were not immediately available.

Police said the car had been reported stolen Monday afternoon.

Police at the scene didn't talk to reporters but did tell witnesses that the officer was chasing a stolen car with three teens inside.

Those witnesses were also critical of the department's response once the wreck took place.

According to the witnesses it was residents and not police that called for an ambulance.

They also said people in the neighborhood used their own flashlights and personal tools hoping to free the victims -- all of this while the officers allegedly just watched.

Witnesses said speeds reached 60 to 70 miles per hour down residential side streets.

Police officials said officers broke off the chase when it got too dangerous.

Labels: Atlanta, police chase, teens dead

Speed Limits Changed in Milton

Motorists need to be aware that speed limits on portions of 11 roads within the City have changed effective Friday, May 29. Milton's Public Works Department, in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Transportation, changed the speed limit on the following roads:

Bethany Bend from SR9 to Hopewell Road (1.49 miles) from 45 mph to 40 mph.
Bethany Bend from SR9 to McGinnis Ferry/Morris Road (1.37 miles) from 45 mph to 40 mph.
Bethany Road from Mayfield Road to Providence Road (1.5 miles) from 45 mph to 40 mph.
Bethany Road from Providence Road to Hagood Road (0.5 miles) from 45 mph to 40 mph.
Birmingham Road from SR372 to Freemanville Road (0.75 miles) from 45 mph to 40 mph.
Cogburn Road from Bethany Bend to Webb Road (1.41 miles) from 45 mph to 40 mph.
Cogburn Road from Bethany Bend to Francis Road (1.34 miles) from 45 mph to 40 mph.
Francis Road from Cogburn Road to Forsyth County Line (1.54 miles) from 45 mph to 40 mph.
Freemanville Road from Mayfield to Providence Road (1.74 miles) from 45 mph to 40 mph.
Green Road from SR 140 to SR 372 (0.5 miles) from 45 mph to 40 mph.
Hagood Road from Bethany Road to Redd Road (0.49 miles) from 45 mph to 40 mph.
Mountain Road from Freemanville Road to Hopewell Road (1.64 miles) from 35 mph to 40 mph.
New Bull Pen Road from Birmingham Hwy to Cherokee County Line (0.78 miles) from 35 mph to 40 mph.
Ranchette Road from SR140 to New Providence Road (0.6 miles) from 40 mph to 35 mph

Labels: city of milton, milton, speed limit change

In the latest reality show "social experiment," CBS has walled off eight homes in an Atlanta suburb (Legacy Park), forcing the neighbors inside to spend time with each other.

The Mike Fleiss project was previously announced as a game show, but some intriguing new details have emerged.

"It will be a bizarre [experience] for all of them," Fleiss said. "This is ambitious as it gets."

Tentatively called "Block Party," the families in will be trapped inside the 20' maximum security-looking wall for about three weeks for a cash prize (see right, photo courtesy of Atlanta Journal Constitution).

The idea is almost like a real-life version of "The Simpsons Movie," where the town of Springfield was sealed under an impenetrable dome.

"American Idol" vet Matt Rogers will host.

Labels: block party, cbs, Georgia, kennesaw, reality show

Milton Hosts 2nd Annual Fourth of July Citizens Parade
The whole community is invited to join the event!

Riding the success of last year's Fourth of July Citizens Parade, the City of Milton will continue the new tradition this year. All Milton residents are welcome to decorate bikes, wagons and pets and come help the city celebrate the nation's birthday.



"We had such an incredible turnout last year that we just had to host the event a second time," said Project Coordinator Linda Blow, who came up with the idea of citizens participating last year. "We are determined to make it bigger and better than it was in 2008."



The parade route begins at the corner of Deerfield Parkway and Webb Road at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 4, and proceeds along Deerfield. Participants are asked to assemble at Milton City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway, at 9:30 a.m. After the parade, come back to City Hall to enjoy balloon animals and face painting. Local Girl Scouts will be selling beverages and Milton's new Philly Pretzel Factory will be selling pretzels.



Incorporated on Dec. 1, 2006, the City of Milton is a distinctive community that embraces small-town life and heritage while preserving and enhancing the city's rural character. The City of Milton is committed to maintaining the unique quality of life for its constituents while efficiently delivering essential services to residents and businesses in an interactive community environment. For more information, visit www.cityofmiltonga.us, or call 678.242.2500.








City of Milton • 13000 Deerfield Parkway • Suite 107 • Milton, GA 30004

Labels: 4th of july parade, city of milton, fourth of july, milton, parade