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MINUTES
Housing Resources Committee
August 14, 1969
The regular monthly meeting of the Housing Resources Committee was held
at 10:30 A.M., Thursday, August 14, 1969, in Committee Room 2, Second Floor,
City Hall.
Invitational notice, list of those invited, with attendance of members and j
guests indicated, and other related documents are attached to the file copy only
of these minutes,
Chairman Alexander opened the meeting by welcoming all members and
guests.
He then stated that Mr. Butler Henderson, member of the Business
Participation and Finance Panel has been designated to serve on the Citizens
Advisory Committee of the Housing Authority and that he is working with the
residents of all the low-income neighborhoods; and that he is also representing
the HRC in this capacity.
The first item on the Agenda was the reports from the Panels on their
1969 proposals and plans. The Chairman called first on Mr. Ed Benson of
the Construction and Design Panel.
Mr. Benson stated that the Construction and Design Panel on November
lst will present a 90-Day Report on implementing recommendations of the Eric
Hill and Associates Report in the Model Cities area. Some of the recommendations
are as follows:
1, Investigation of Code variances related to industrialized
housing systems.
2. Recommend Public Relations activity,
The Chairman then called on Mrs, Dorothy Gibson, Chairman of the
Social Aspects Panel,
Mrs. Gibson stated that the J. P. Stevens and Company are doing quite
well on the placement of housing for the remaining families, She also stated
that she attended a School Meeting and found out that the residents of Perry
Homes do not want any more Public Housing units in this area because the
schools are too crowded,
Page Two
She also commented that most of the residents of some of the worst slum
areas in the City had rather stay and live in the terrible conditions of these
neighborhoods than to move into Public Housing.
Col. Malcolm Jones then added that on July 28th a small Housing
Assistance Office was established on the grounds of the Mill property. On
that date, 48 families had not been relocated. To this date, 27 of those
families have been relocated, Of the remaining 21 families, 6 have been
approved for Public Housing or have located housing elsewhere, As of Friday,
August 8, only 15 families had not made plans for relocating.
The Chairman then called on Mr. Robert Watkins, Executive Director
of the Greater Atlanta Housing Development Corporation, and asked him if
his Corporation had found a way to buy and move these houses,
Mr. Watkins stated that he is working with the Atlanta Junior Chamber
of Commerce trying to find a suitable site for these houses to be moved,
The Chairman then asked Mr. Watkins if there was any specific date
that these houses had to be moved before they would be destroyed?
Mr. Watkins answered that the J. P. Stevens and Company would not
tear down the houses as long as his Corporation was looking for a place to
move these houses. He then stated that the Atlanta Junior Chamber of
Commerce had hired some real estate agents to help them select a suitable site,
Col. Jones then added that the J. P. Stevens and Company had set no
specific date to get these buildings moved, but the timing would have to be
reasonably soon,
Col, Jones stated that the Atlanta J. C.'s have an eye on Rockdale as
a possible site for relocating the J, P. Stevens and Company houses; that
Mr. Bill Ogan has approached Mr. Dave Rosen, who was awarded contract
for development of the Rockdale Urban Renewal project, in an effort to get
some of the Rockdale site. Also that the J. C.'s are looking at the area
just south of Rockdale on both sides of Grove Park Place as a possible site.
Land Agent records show this area is owned by the City of Atlanta (Construction
and Parks Department) and a parcel of about 8 acres which was deeded some
time ago by the City to Open Door Inc, for the purpose of constructing a
charitable home, which did not materialize.
The Chairman then called on Mr. Richard Harvey, Chairman of the
Public Relations Panel, to make a report of his Panel.
Page Three
Mr. Harvey stated that letters had been sent to the Mayor Candidates to
meet with the full Committee on September 4th from 3:00-5:00 P.M. in Committee
Room 2, Second Floor, City Hall. Mr. Harvey stated that all of the Candidates
have accepted, except one. He further stated that the Candidates will have 10
minutes to present their views and a 10 minute question and answer period
The Chairman then suggested that all of the Chairmen of the different HRC
Panels should send their questions to the Housing Resources Committee Office
at least a week before the meeting so that the questions could be sent to the
respective Candidates, in order to receive more comprehensive answers from
the Candidates,
The Chairman then called on Mr. Freeman Hutton of the Legal Panel,
Mr. Freeman Hutton stated that his Panel was still working closely with
Mr. Pete Latimer, School Board Attorney, in attempting to get legislation
inacted which would permit the School Board to lease school facilities which
might be built by developers, in connection with Housing projects in order that
the housing and school facilities would be available for use at the same time.
He also stated that his Panel is still working on perfecting a proposal
originally made by Legal Panel member, Mr. Charles L. Weltner, that an
adequate Housing staff be established as a separate housing department to
provide the necessary statistical, research and professional services needed
for Atlanta's overall housing program,
The Chairman then called on Dr. Benjamin E, Mays, Chairman of the
Housing Locations Panel, to present a Position Paper of his Panel to the
entire Committee.
Dr. Mays presented the main points of the Position Paper to the Committee
members.
An amendment was suggested by Mr. Lester H. Persells, Executive
Director of the Atlanta Housing Authority, that items d. and e. of the Position
Paper of the Housing Locations Panel should be combined.
A motion was then made by Dr. Mays that the Position Paper be adopted,
with the recommendation that items d. and e. be combined, Dr. Sidney Davis
seconded the motion which was then unaminously adopted, (Encl. 1)
The Chairman then called on Col. Jones to present a proposed Resolution
on action on the NDP Program for 1970. Col. Jones passed out copies of the
proposed Resolution (Encl. 2) which was unaminously adopted.
Page Four
Mr. Bruce Gruber, a representative of Interfaith, asked if all the area
in areas such as Plunkettown, etc. were owned by the residents of these areas,
The Chairman answered by stating that some of the land is owned by the
residents who still live in these areas and that some of the land is owned by
people who were residents in these areas but have moved out and have done
nothing about their property.
Dr. Mays stated some of the Emory Medical Students have set up a clinic
in the Plunkettown area to try to help those people in every way that they can,
He also stated that the people in Plunkettown are a little unreceptive, because
they have been promised so much for so long and nothing has been done,
Mr. Charles Stinson, Director of the Community Services, Atlanta Urban
League, stated that 40% of the residents in Plunkettown do own their property;
20% own land, but do not live in the Plunkettown area; and that the majority of
the residents want to leave the Plunkettown area,
The Chairman then called on Mr. Jack Linville, Planning Department and
Mr. Charles Stinson, Director of the Community Services, Atlanta Urban League,
to make a joint briefing of the Southwest Atlanta Zoning Study prepared essentially
by Georgia Tech Planning Students under Professor Rupnow, working with
various citizens groups of the area,
It was assumed that the dominating influence governing the study was the
desire of single-family home owners in the area to limit apartment developments
and to keep out low-income housing. The plan as proposed made no specific
provision for low-income housing development, but provided for limited apartment
developments along the northern periphery only and an extremely small amount
of existing R-5 zoning, suitable for low-income single-family housing development,
The plan further proposed that the two largest apartment zoned tracts in this area
be rezoned for single-family (much of those areas under consideration is not
suitable for single-family development), Although the Housing Resources Committee
had originally offered its services and assistance in the development of this project,
this Committee was not called upon to participate in this project,
The Chairman then discussed in some detail Operation Breakthrough explain-
ing the principal elements involved and incentives being offered by HUD to Cities
which may be selected for Prototype housing sites and the general advantages of
such selection,
A staff paper prepared in the HRC Office pertaining the significant features
involved was distributed to members of the Committee, (Encl. 3)
Page Five
After considerable discussion, motion was made by Mr. Bob Watkins,
seconded and unaminously adopted recommending that the City make application
for a Prototype housing site and enter wholeheartedly into Operation Breakthrough.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:00 P. M.
Respectfully submitted,
reer . a a
Mel oals 7 feat
Malcolm D, Jores
Housing Coordinator
1. Position Paper - Housing Locations Panel
2. Resolution - NDP Program for 1970
3. HRC Staff Paper on Operation Breakthrough