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PROPOSED COMMUNITY STABILIZATION PL.AN
PEYTON,
HARLAN .AND WILLIS MILL ROAD .ARE.A
Submitted to
MAYO R
IV.AN ALLEN,
JR .
By
C ITIZENS O F
P EYTO N- UTO Y F O RES T
SEPT E MBER
11 , 1962
C O MMUN ITY
�PROPOSED COMMUNITY STABILIZATION PLAN
PEYTON,
J?urpose:
HARLAN AND WILLIS MILL ROAD AREA
To effectively and permanently stabilize communities connected
by Harlan, Peyton and /or Willis Mill Roads, S. W.
Introduction :
In the past several years, the subject communities have been plagued with
racial tensions, losses in property values, and a general disruption of the
peaceful and tranquil conditions normally characterizing these communities.
Citizens have become increasingly distraught over the prospects of seeing
their homes absorbed by the rapidly expanding Negro community lying to the
north .
These citizens have sought relief from city officials, their aldermen ,
civic groups concerned over the future of Cascade Heights, and their neighbors.
Thus far, all efforts have been in vain.
The lack of a definite plan , supported
by both white and Negro citizens, has seriously handicapped all tho s e who
ha ve at te mpte d to put an e nd to the tensions in the troubled commun i t ie s.
Wi th th e r ece n t i n terest sho wn by city offici a l s, c iti z ens now belie ve that th e
time is ri pe for pre s e nt in g a pl an tha t w ill permane ntly stab i liz e th e se
Southwest Atlanta com m uni t ies a nd rid the m of their raci a l tensions .
Such a
plan is reflected in the following pages .
Description of the Stabilization Plan
No plan can effectively stabilize the aforementioned communities unless it
�provides advantages to both white and Negro cit izens .
With this fact in
mind , the proposed stabilization plan contains benefits to both.
Fir s t,
it offers the white citizens permanent relief through the closure of Harlan
and Peyton Roads at points north of the Peyton- Utoy Forest community.
Secondly, it offers the Negro citizens a tremendous advantage by providing
th~m with approximately 250 acres of land, heretofore not available, for
residential development.
The plan also includes the construction of
additional roads for the Negro citizens to permit their access to the proposed residential development.
Exhibit A shows the proposed residential
ar ea s, the locations of proposed roads, and the proposed road closure
points on Harlan and Peyton Roads .
Advantages of the Plan
Below are listed just a few of the major advantages that the proposed
stabil ization plan will provide:
I.
Reduces racial tensions .
2.
Insures maintenance of property values within the troubled
community.
3.
Provides choic e resi dential building lots for construction of
approximately 400 Negro residences .
4.
Minimizes city constr uct ion costs for new r oads by taking
advantage of e x isting r o ads where possible .
5.
Preserves established commun ities in this area.
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�6.
Creates a fa vorable atmosphere for establishment of
proposed school located north of Utoy Creek (See
Exh ibit A) .
7.
Provi des addi t iona l city reven ue from c itizens who will
sett le i n proposed residential areas .
8.
Restores confidence to cit i zens w ithin established com m u n i ties and to those citizens desiring to settle in these
established · comrnunitie s.
Cone l us ion:
The success of this proposed stabilization pl an is dependent upon your
enthusiastic support as Mayor.
Without yo u r s u pport , all efforts will
again be in vain.
A ll cit i zens of the comm u ni t i es described here i n earnestl y so li cit your
he l p a n d r equ est th a t y o u adopt th i s proposed pl an .
F u rthermore , they
pledg e the i r f ull support to yo u i n all of yo u r e fforts to effect the rea l i zation o f thi s pl an.
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