CCommunityommunity AssessmentAssessment - 5.5. CommunityCommunity Facili Facili eess aandnd SServiceservices
5. COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES
Water Supply and Treatment The City of Atlanta’s water supply and treatment system is owned and operated by the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM). It serves a popula on of more than 1.2 million people, including approximately 540,291 (2009 US Census popula on es mate) residents and a work force of 378, 109 (according to the GA Department of Labor) . In 2009, the City’s average daily water produc on was 90 million gallons per day.
Service Area
The geographic area served by the City of Atlanta’s water treatment and distribu on system covers an area greater than 650 square miles. It includes the City of Atlanta, and all local governments and jurisdic ons in Fulton County The Cha ahoochee River is the source of water for the City of Atlanta. south of the Cha ahoochee River, with the excep on of East Point and College Park. Harts eld-Jackson Airport and Fort McPherson are also included in the City’s service area. Within this area the City of Atlanta provides water on a wholesale basis to the ci es of Fairburn, Hapeville and Union City. Coweta, Clayton and Faye e coun es are also wholesale customers. The boundaries for the City of Atlanta’s retail service area are the boundaries for the City of Atlanta and unincorporated Fulton County prior to Fairburn and Union City’s November 2006 annexa ons. As such, all of Sandy Springs and the City of Cha ahoochee Hill Country, along with a por on of Fairburn and Union City are within the retail area served by the City of Atlanta. The City also provides water to Fulton County north of the Cha ahoochee River. The City’s service area is shown in Map 5-1.
Water Supply Facili es
The City of Atlanta’s water supply and treatment system consists of mul ple Atlanta Water Works on 14th Street facili es and an extensive network of water mains. Key to this system are two intake structures, two raw water pumping sta ons, three reservoirs, three treatment plants, een pump sta ons, 12 storage tanks, ve major administra ve facili es and approximately 2,700 miles of water mains and pipes.
The Cha ahoochee River Intake operates pursuant to a withdrawal permit of 180 mgd from the Georgia Environmental Protec on Division (EPD) and is the source of water for the Cha ahoochee and Hemphill Water Treatment Plants (WTPs). Water from the intake ows to the Cha ahoochee Raw Water Pumping Sta on. Water is then pumped to the Hemphill WTP reservoirs or the Cha ahoochee WTP. The Cha ahoochee WTP has a maximum permi ed treatment capacity of 64.9 million gallons per day (mgd). The two raw water reservoirs located at the Hemphill Water Treatment Plant have a total capacity of approximately 550 million gallons. Water ows from the raw water reservoirs to the Hemphill Water Treatment Plant which has a permi ed maximum treatment capacity of 136.5 mgd. Atlanta Water Works on Northside Drive. The Atlanta-Fulton County Water Treatment Plant (AFCWTP), a joint venture plant owned by the City of Atlanta and Fulton County, is managed by the
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Map 5-1: City of Atlanta Water Treatment and Distribu on Service Area
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Atlanta-Fulton County Water Resources Commission. The City of Atlanta and Fulton County jointly own the land and the facility on a y- y basis. Each en ty is en tled to 50% of the total supply of water treated by the plant at any me or y percent of the capacity, whichever is greater. The AFCWTP intake operates pursuant to a withdrawal permit of 90 mgd from the Environmental Protec on Division (EPD). This water withdrawal permit is an cipated to be increased to 135 mgd and is the source o water for the Atlanta-Fulton County Water Treatment Plant. The raw water is pumped from the Cha ahoochee River to the raw water reservoir which has capacity of approximately 1 billion gallons. From the reservoir the water ows to the AFCWTP, which has a permi ed capacity 90 mgd. Ul mately, this plant is an cipated to be expanded to 155 mgd.
Water Distribu on System Hemphill WTP Reservoirs.
The City of Atlanta’s water distribu on system consists of een storage tanks, twelve pump sta ons and approximately 2,700 miles of water mains. The City of Atlanta owns and operates the distribu on system within the City of Atlanta, including the por on of the City that lies within DeKalb County, and within the por on of unincorporated Fulton County which is located south of the Cha ahoochee River.
The City’s distribu on system includes the pipelines required to service the City’s retail customers up to the edge of the right-of-way where ownership of the pipeline transfers to others. The City uses its distribu on system to deliver water to its wholesale water customers.
The water lines in the City’s system range in age from one year to over seventy- ve years and have diameter ranging from two to seventy-two inches. Nearly all of the pipes are constructed of cast iron or duc le iron. The older pipes are cast iron, with the installa on of duc le iron pipe star ng in the 1960’s. Hemphill Water Treatment Plant. The distribu on system storage tanks and pump sta ons serve to dampen instantaneous water demand and pressure uctua ons in the service area. The pump sta ons allow water to be pumped up hill and ensure that there is adequate pressure throughout the water system. A majority of the pump sta ons operate on standby status to be u lized during peak demand or in the event service from the Atlanta-Fulton County WTP is interrupted.
The storage tanks provide backup water during peak demand or when there is a loss of pressure in the system. Elevated storage tanks are used to maintain pressure in the distribu on system for general water delivery and re ow protec on. Overall, the distribu on system has approximately forty- two (42) million gallons of storage (excluding storage at the water treatment facili es).
In addi on to its treatment plants and pump sta ons, the Department of Watershed Management u lizes mul ple permanent and temporary facili es to support its water, wastewater and soon-to-be stormwater func ons. The Department faces considerable space shortages and maintenance facili es Cha ahoochee Water Treatment Plant. for both its water and wastewater opera ons are needed. To resolve these issues the Department of Watershed Management (DWM) has proposed the construc on of an administra on and maintenance building. Such reloca on
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would resolve space constraints, improve communica on, facilitate the alignment of like services, and improve overall e ciency.
City of Atlanta Growth and Development and Water Supply
Level of Service and Adequacy of Facili es to Meet Future Needs The level of service provided by the City’s drinking water system is good. The water treatment plants have adequate capacity, water is rou nely distributed throughout the distribu on system to the City’s customers, and the City’s drinking water meets all water quality standards.
The City produced an average of approximately 90 million gallons per day (mgd) of drinking water. By 2030, the City an cipates that up to 149 mgd will be needed on an average daily basis with peak demand reaching upwards of 239 mgd. This gure is based upon the assump on that a 10 percent reduc on Atlanta Fulton County Water Treatment in per capita water usage based on water conserva on will be achieved by Plant in the City of Johns Creek. 2030.
To meet these water supply needs the City has proposed the conversion of the Bellwood Quarry into a raw water reservoir. This reservoir is an cipated to provide over two billion gallons of raw water storage. The development of such a reservoir in conjunc on with maintaining the ability to withdraw 180 mgd at the Peachtree intake, increasing the AFCWTP permit to allow a withdrawal of 135 mgd, and supplemen ng the City of Atlanta’s water supply with a por on of the 53 mgd of wholesale water to be made available to Fulton County from Cobb County (as outlined in the 2003 Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District Water Supply and Water Conserva on Management Plan), is an cipated to meet the City’s water supply needs through 2030 and beyond.
Although the City of Atlanta’s water treatment supply and distribu on facili es currently meet system demands, signi cant capital improvements are needed to ensure the ongoing delivery of water throughout the service Bellwood Quarry Reservoir. area and to develop and maintain the system to meet future demands. These needs include: o The ongoing replacement of infrastructure that has reached its useful service life;
o The upgrading and/or replacement of exis ng water mains, pump sta ons, and tanks to provide addi onal water to growing areas and to extend water service into areas where service has previously not been provided;
o The ongoing installa on and replacement of water meters to ensure that all customers pay a fair price for the water they receive, and that fees for water are collected;
o The upgrading and replacement of equipment and systems to maintain and improve system operability and e ciency and; Operator at the Hemphill Water Treatment Plant. o The implementa on of the security measures necessary to comply with the na onal homeland security guidelines.
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The Capital Improvement Projects necessary to meet the projected needs from now through 2017 are included in the 2011-2015 Capital Improvements Program and Short Term Work Program.
The Department of Watershed Management has developed a Watershed Master Plan. This plan is based upon the 2006 ARC popula on projec ons, the MNGWPD Water Supply and Water Conserva on Management Plan, and the State Water Plan.
The Ability of Water Infrastructure to Direct Development Pa erns Because the development of communi es is dependent on the availability Interior of the Hemphill Water Treatment of water, and because the cost of developing the infrastructure necessary Plant. to deliver water is high, the nancial requirements for developing new infrastructure is likely to direct the development pa erns of a community, e.g. development occurs around exis ng infrastructure.
For development to occur, su cient water must be available and water treatment plant capacity must be su cient to deliver water of appropriate quality, quan ty and pressure. In addi on, the infrastructure necessary to deliver water to the loca ons where new development is desired must be put in place. Unfortunately, it is not easy to predict the ideal size of the facili es needed (bigger is not necessarily be er) nor are the land and easements necessary to construct the needed infrastructure easy to obtain. Furthermore, once the infrastructure is built there it will remain, and thus, by its very size and loca on impac ng the development pa erns of the community.
Improving Infrastructure E ciency to Accommodate Future Development As noted above, the delivery of water is essen al to development; however the ability to deliver water requires the construc on of the water infrastructure prior to the facili es it will serve. Further complica ng the issue is the fact that Cha ahoochee Water Treatment Plant. projec ons of growth and development are dynamic, frequently changing signi cantly over a few short years. Yet, the life mes of water facili es and pipelines are long, frequently ranging from 30 to 100 years. As such the sizing and loca ng of water system infrastructure, is both an art and a science, that can best be improved by improving both the accuracy of the growth projec ons and the analysis that is performed to project the improvements needed to the system.
The In uence of Service Areas and Levels of Service on Future Development The level of water service provided to a community is fundamental to the enjoyment of living in the community and the development of the community. Without water, growth can not occur and rou ne ac vity ceases to exist. The quan ty and pressure of the water must be adequate to meet day-to- day needs, including re protec on, and the quality of the water provided must protect health and should be aesthe cally pleasing. Providing water of Water main replacement on Charles Allen su cient quan ty and quality at an appropriate pressure is key to customer Drive, NPU E. sa sfac on, and fundamental to future development.
At the same me, providing water is a long-term proposi on. As such, it is important that service areas be maintained. Water infrastructure is expensive
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and is built well before the facili es it will serve are in place. The up-front costs are high and take many years to recover. If water providers can not be certain that their service area will remain, the nancial basis for construc ng the system is at risk. In addi on, the planning and ongoing analysis which helps to ensure that the system constructed will operate e ciently can not occur.
The Impact of Service Area and Level of Service on Natural and Cultural Resources Water line replacement on North Highland. Regardless of the service area, there are several primary ways in which providing water impacts natural and cultural resources. With respect to natural resources, the amount of water withdrawn from the water source is of key importance along with the quan ty and quality of the water returned to the system. With respect to cultural resources the primary concerns include the ability to supply water to the cultural resource and the ability to minimize the nuisances associated with the construc on of pipelines and distribu on facili es, e.g. disrup on of tra c, construc on runo control, construc on noise, etc. Issues associated with construc on are common to all forms of development, and are rou nely handled through various regulatory, permi ng, and enforcement processes. The quan ty of water available throughout the State of Georgia is currently of concern. This situa on is certainly no di erent for the City of Atlanta and the en re Atlanta Region. Fundamental to the City of Atlanta’s development plans is the 180 mgd currently speci ed in the City’s current permit for the Peachtree Creek water intake and the 135 mgd water withdrawal rate currently proposed for the intake at the AFCWTP. In addi on, the MNGWPD Water Supply Plan iden es that an addi onal 53 mgd will be supplied to Fulton County through wholesale purchases (The City of Atlanta is included in Fulton County in the MNGWPD Plans). To date, alternate methods of supplying this water have not been iden ed, however, alternate methods Water line replacement on North Highland and Virginia Avenue. which are more e cient may be iden ed in the future. The drought that ended in 2009 resulted in a reduc on in the usage of water as conserva on measures took hold. With the ending of the drought, it remains to be seen if water usage will return to pre-drought levels. The current on-going legal issues regarding water sharing among Florida, Alabama and Georgia may have an impact on permi ed withdrawal limits in turn a ec ng pa erns of water use in the service area.
With respect to returning water to the basin from which it is withdrawn, the City of Atlanta is a leader. Since 1984, the Three Rivers Tunnel has been in place. This tunnel provides the mechanism for returning water to the Cha ahoochee River that is withdrawn from the Cha ahoochee River and used in the Flint River and South River Basins. In addi on, the density of the City of Atlanta, and the small number of sep c tanks located within the City Limits (the City has a no new sep c tank policy) results in a lower than normal rate of consump ve use.
Direc ng Development Pa erns through Water Facili es
Because water facili es and pipelines are designed for life mes of 30 to 100 years, and because they are constructed before the development they serve,
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the loca on of the water supply pipelines will dictate where development can occur. As such, the si ng and development of the water supply system should be closely ed to the land use and development pa erns desired by the jurisdic on. Within the nancial constraints of the jurisdic on, it is the desired development pa ern that drives the development of the water supply system, not the other way around.
Consent Decree(s) & Clean Water Atlanta
In July of 1998, to se le a lawsuit brought against the City by the United States Environmental Protec on Agency (EPA), the Georgia Environmental Protec on Division (EPD), the Upper Cha ahoochee Riverkeeper and a ci zen downstream, The City signed a Federal Consent Decree commi ng the City of Atlanta to an accelerated program of ac vi es designed to further improve Evalua on of water distribu on system, part water quality in metro Atlanta streams and the Cha ahoochee and South of Clean Water Atlanta (CWA). Rivers. The Consent Decree speci cally directed the City of Atlanta to develop and implement, by 2007, a solu on that would end water quality viola ons resul ng from combined sewer over ows (CSOs).
The Consent Decree was amended in May 1999 to add projects that would eliminate water quality viola ons from sanitary sewer over ows (SSOs). Under the rst amended Consent Decree, the City will accelerate the ongoing sewer improvements, including an intensive evalua on of sewer pipe condi ons; rehabilita on or replacement of defected or capacity limited sewer lines; a grease management program; and a capacity cer ca on program for new development. A series of construc on projects designed to improve reliability of the City’s sewage pump sta ons is also underway. Sanitary sewer related improvements are to be completed by the Consent Decree deadline of July 1, 2014.
Clean Water Atlanta (CWA) is a comprehensive, coordinated ini a ve to improve the region’s water quality and address the terms of the consent decree. CWA encompasses water and wastewater infrastructure and treatment system improvements that are mandated by Consent Decree, as well as watershed improvement projects that extend beyond the requirements. Clean Water Atlanta represents an unprecedented investment in metro Atlanta’s water quality. Upon comple on of all CWA tasks, the City will have invested almost $4 billion in Atlanta’s environment. Atlanta’s residents and ratepayers will boast of one of the best treatment and collec on systems in the country. The Consent Decree(s) and Clean Water Atlanta program are a major determiner of how capital improvement dollars will be spent.
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Sewerage System and Wastewater Treatment
Service Area
The City of Atlanta’s wastewater treatment and collec on system serves a geographic area of approximately 225 square-miles, including the City of Atlanta, as well as por ons of Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton coun es, and the ci es of College Park, Hapeville, East Point and Sandy Springs. The Department of Watershed Management (DWM) operates and maintains the wastewater and collec on system. The City of Atlanta’s service area is divided into three individual service areas, each of which is served by one of the City’s three permi ed water reclama on centers (WRCs) (See Map 5-2).
The jurisdic ons that are served directly by the City of Atlanta’s wastewater treatment facili es are known as interjurisdic onal (IJ) partners as they pay RM Clayton Water Reclama on Center for a por on of the facility and collec on system costs (It should be noted that although a por on of the wastewater ow from Sandy Springs is treated at the City’s WRCs, Sandy Springs is served directly through Fulton County and is not an IJ partner with the City). Similarly, the wastewater services associated with the ow from the City of Atlanta to the Camp Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and the R.L. Su on Wastewater Treatment Plant are provided to the City by Fulton County. In this case the City of Atlanta is an IJ partner with Fulton County as the City of Atlanta pays a por on of Fulton and DeKalb County’s wastewater treatment facility and collec on system costs.
Wastewater System
The City of Atlanta’s wastewater collec on and treatment system consists of mul ple facili es and an extensive network of pipelines and tunnels. Key to this system are four water reclama on centers (WRCs), six permi ed combined sewer over ow (CSO) facili es, sixteen pump sta ons, four administra ve facili es and approximately 2,126 miles of water mains and pipes (See Map Entrance to the R.M. Clayton Water Recla- 5-3). The City owns and operates three permi ed water reclama on centers ma on Center. – the RM Clayton WRC, the Utoy Creek WRC and the South River WRC. See Table 5-1 for a summary of their design capacity.
R. M. Clayton WRC: The RM Clayton Water Reclama on Center is located in northwest Atlanta. The facility provides ter ary treatment which includes the removal of both biological and chemical impuri es and is designed to treat an average daily annual ow of 103 million gallons per day (mgd). The RM Table 5 1: City of Atlanta Water Reclamation Centers Summary of Capacity Clayton WRC discharges to the Cha ahoochee River. Maximum Peak Hourly Water Reclamation Average Annual South River/Intrenchment Monthly Capacity Hydraulic Centers Daily Flow (mgd) Creek WRC System: The (mgd) Capacity (mgd) South River WRC is located in southeast Atlanta. The South R.M. Clayton 103 122 240 River WRC receives wastewater Utoy Creek 36 44 90 from the Intrenchment Creek South River 43 54 85
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Map 5-2: City of Atlanta Wastewater Treatment Service Area
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Map 5-3: City of Atlanta Wastewater System Facili es
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WRC as well as directly from the surrounding area. The South River facility provides ter ary treatment that includes the removal of both biological and chemical impuri es and is designed to treat an average daily annual daily ow of 43 mgd. The South River WRC discharges to the Cha ahoochee River via the Three Rivers Tunnel. The Intrenchment Creek WRC is located in DeKalb County. The Intrenchment Creek WRC receives wastewater from the northern por on of the South River wastewater service area. The Intrenchment Creek WRC is designed to provide primary treatment and par al secondary treatment for an average annual daily ow of 23 mgd. Treated e uent from the Intrenchment Creek WRC is conveyed to the South River WRC via the Intrenchment Creek force main. Since the Intrenchment Creek WRC does not discharge to a river or stream, but rather to the South River WRC, the Intrenchment Creek WRC is permi ed as part of the South River WRC system.
Utoy Creek Water Reclama on Center. Utoy Creek WRC: The Utoy Creek WRC is located in south Fulton County. In addi on to trea ng ow from the Utoy Creek service area, the Utoy Creek WRC can also receive wastewater from a por on of the RM Clayton service area via the diversion structure. The Utoy Creek WRC provides ter ary treatment that includes the removal of both biological and chemical impuri es, and is designed to treat an average annual daily ow of 43 mgd. The Utoy Creek WRC discharges to the Cha ahoochee River.
Wastewater Collec on System
The City’s wastewater collec on system consists of separate sanitary sewer systems and combined sewer systems. Where separate sanitary sewer systems exist, the sanitary sewers collect wastewater from homes, businesses, and industrial facili es and convey the wastewater to a water reclama on center. In this situa on, stormwater (e.g. water from rainfall events, over- Utoy Creek WRC entrance. watering of lawns, car washing, etc.) is collected in stormwater pipes, which discharge the water into the closest receiving stream. In the case of combined sewer systems, wastewater is collected in the same pipe as the stormwater. Iden cal to a separate sanitary sewer system, during dry weather condi ons and low- ow wet weather condi ons, the ow is conveyed to a wastewater reclama on facility for treatment. During some wet weather events, however, the ow of stormwater into the pipes is su ciently large that a por on of the stormwater and wastewater mixture is diverted to a Combined Sewer Over ow (CSO) facility. Approximately 19 square miles, in the densely populated center of the City, contains combined sewers. The remaining area of the City has separate wastewater and stormwater collec on systems. The City of Atlanta’s wastewater collec on system is comprised of approximately 2,126 miles of pipe. Of the City’s 2,126 miles of collec on system piping, it is es mated that there are 86 miles of combined sewers, 1,610 miles of separate sanitary sewers (exclusive of sewer lines serving the Harts eld-Jackson Airport), 430 miles of service laterals in public rights- of-way and 8 miles of force main. The collec on system is constructed of a variety of materials and ranges in size from 8 inch diameter pipe to large 11-foot diameter brick and concrete arch sewers constructed as part of the South River Water Reclama on Center. combined sewer system.
The City of Atlanta owns and maintains the collec on system located within
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Atlanta’s city limits including the por on of the City that lies within DeKalb County. The City owns the trunk lines (the major collec on and transmission pipelines) and in general owns the laterals up to the edge of the right-of- way. At the edge of right-of-way, ownership of the lateral transfers to others, typically the property owner. The City’s collec on system is used to convey wastewater from the City’s IJ partners to the City’s treatment plants. As noted above, the City’s wastewater collec on system contains 16 pump sta ons (excluding those that are located at the WRCs). The City’s largest wastewater pump sta ons--Phillip Lee, Bolton Road, and Flint River have average daily ows of approximately 23, 18, and 6.5 million gallons respec vely. The Rebel Forest Pump Sta on has the capacity to pump slightly over one mgd at its peak pumping rate. The remainder of the pump sta ons have average daily ows of less than 1 mgd. See Table 5-3X for the loca on of Sand Filters at the RM Clayton Plant. the City of Atlanta’s wastewater pumping facili es.
CSO Facili es
The City currently owns and operates six permi ed CSO facili es and two regulators (see Table 5-2 and Map 5-4).The CSO facili es are grouped into the East Area CSO Facili es and the West Area CSO Facili es.
The West Area CSOs are those CSO’s that discharge into creeks which are part of the Cha ahoochee Basin. These CSO’s include the: Clear Creek CSO Treatment Facility; Greensferry CSO Treatment Facility; North Avenue CSO Treatment Facility; and Tanyard Creek CSO Treatment Facility.
The East Area CSOs are those CSO’s which discharge into creeks which are part of the Ocmulgee River Basin. The East Area CSO’s include the: McDaniel Street CSO Treatment Facility; Cleaning a catch basin. Custer Avenue CSO Treatment Facility; and Intrenchment Creek CSO Treatment Facility.
Other CSO assets include the: Confederate Avenue CSO regulator; and Boulevard Avenue CSO regulator.
Unlike most other CSO systems in the United States, where combined sewer over ows discharge directly to the receiving streams, all CSOs in the City currently receive some form of treatment. See Table 5-2X for general informa on regarding these facili es. All of the CSO’s are similar in nature. During rou ne opera on, incoming ow passes through the CSO enroute to a water reclama on center. If during wet weather condi ons the capacity of one of the downstream interceptor is reached, the ow is diverted through the associated CSO treatment process which includes screening and/or disinfec on depending on the quan ty of ow. Department of Watershed Management work crews.
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Map 5-4: City of Atlanta Combined Sewer Over ow (CSO)
West Area CSOs
The West Area CSO facili es are comprised of the Clear Creek, Greensferry, North Avenue, and Tanyard Creek CSO’s. The Clear Creek and Tanyard CSO’s dry weather ow is directed to the RM Clayton WRC. Discharge from the Clear Creek CSO is to Clear Creek via an open channel. Discharge from the Tanyard CSO is to Tanyard Creek via a concrete discharge channel that is approximately 0.8 miles long. In the case of the North Avenue CSO and the Greensferry CSO, the downstream interceptors lead to the Diversion Structure which, depending on its opera onal se ng, directs ow to either the RM Clayton and/or the Utoy Creek WRC. Discharge from the Greensferry CSO is to Proctor Creek, and
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Table 5 2: City of Atlanta CSO Facilities
Wet Weather Dry Weather Facility Name Discharge Discharge Basin Discharge Location Location West Area CSO's Clear Creek RM Clayton WRC Clear Creek Chattahoochee Greensferry* RM Clayton WRC Proctor Creek Chattahoochee North Avenue RM Clayton WRC Proctor Creek Chattahoochee Tanyard Creek RM Clayton WRC Tanyard Creek Chattahoochee East Area CSO's McDaniel Street* South River WRC South River Ocmulgee Custer Avenue Creek WRC Creek Ocmulgee Intrenchment Creek WRC Creek Ocmulgee East Area Regulator's Boulevard Creek WRC CSO Ocmulgee Confederate* Creek WRC CSO Ocmulgee
* These facilities were turned in to stormwater management facilities upon the completion of the CSO Abatement Improvement Plan. They now manage stormwater flows and do not provide any treatment. discharge from the North Avenue CSO is to a tributary of Proctor Creek via a 600-foot concrete culvert.
East Area CSOs
The East Area CSO facili es are comprised of the McDaniel Street, Custer Avenue and Intrenchment Creek CSO facili es and the Boulevard and Confederate CSO regulators. McDaniel Street CSO Facility: The McDaniel Street CSO di ered from the City’s other CSO facili es in that grit was removed from dry weather ow and the CSO facility included a 6 million gallon underground storage basin. During rou ne opera on grit was removed before the ow is diverted into an interceptor that conveys the ow to the South River WRC. A er the comple on of the CSO Abatement plan, the CSO facility is used exclusively to manage stormwater ows and does not provide any treatment.
During wet weather ow, ow which exceeds the capacity of the interceptor is disinfected and screened at the CSO facility prior to capture and storage in the storage basin. Once the storm event passes, the stored ow is then returned to the sanitary system and conveyed to the South River WRC for further treatment. Flow that exceeds the storage capacity is disinfected and discharged to the North Branch of the South River. Clear Creek CSO Over ow Facility near Piedmont Park. Intrenchment Creek CSO System: The remainder of the East Area CSO facili es, i.e. the Custer Avenue and Intrenchment Creek CSOs and the Boulevard and Confederate CSO regulators, func on as a system. The Boulevard and the Confederate Avenue regulators are similar to a CSO facility in that during dry
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weather, and low- ow wet-weather condi ons, wastewater and stormwater that is collected in the combined sewer is conveyed directly to a WRC, in this case the Intrenchment Creek WRC. During wet weather when the capacity of the combined sewer at a regulator is reached, the regulator diverts the ow to a concrete channel that conveys the ow to the Custer Avenue CSO. At the Custer Avenue CSO, the ow is screened and routed into the 34 million gallon Intrenchment Creek CSO Tunnel which conveys the ow to the Intrenchment Creek CSO. If the tunnel storage capacity is reached, excess ow is disinfected and diverted from the Custer Avenue CSO to Intrenchment Creek. At the terminal end of the Intrenchment Creek CSO Tunnel, the ow is pumped from the tunnel. During dry weather condi ons ow that is pumped from the CSO tunnel is routed to the Intrenchment Creek WRC for treatment. During wet weather condi ons the ow is directed to the Intrenchment Creek CSO where, depending on the level of ow, wastewater is screened, physically and chemically treated, and/or disinfected prior to being discharged to Intrenchment Creek.
CSO Abatement Improvement Plan
In an e ort to minimize direct over ows to receiving water bodies during rain events, the City implemented a number of projects to “separate” its combined system into separate sanitary sewers and stormwater pipes. As part of this plan, addi onal pipelines were laid in the East CSO area such that the combined sewers in the Greensferry and McDaniel basins, and the Stockade sub-basin, were separated. Henceforth, these basins/sub-basins will have separate sanitary sewers and stormdrains. The Greensferry and McDaniel CSOs and the Confederate Regulator were converted to stormwater facili es. As a result, the number of permi ed CSO over ow points will be reduced from six to four and the ow passing through the Custer Avenue and Intrenchment Creek CSOs will be reduced. In the West Area CSO area, ow from the North Avenue and Tanyard Creek CSO facili es are discharged into the newly constructed West Areas CSO storage tunnel which conveys the ow to the West Area CSO treatment plant. The West Area CSO treatment plant provides a higher level of treatment for the combined stormwater/ wastewater than is currently provided. In addi on, the storage provided by the tunnel signi cantly increases the quan ty of ow that receives full treatment.
Administra ve Facili es
In addi on to its water reclama on centers and pump sta ons, the Department of Watershed Management u lizes mul ple permanent and temporary facili es to support its water, wastewater and soon-to-be stormwater func ons. The department faces considerable space shortages and maintenance facili es for both its water and wastewater opera ons are needed. These facili es include: Management of the SSES/Rehab program from loca ons near the Adamsville Pump Sta on on MLK Jr. Drive in southwest Atlanta; Facili es at 263 Decatur Street and on Garne Street housing divisions of Environmental Protec on & Engineering; An opera ons yard at Englewood Avenue; and Other loca ons at various pump sta ons and various water & wastewater
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treatment plants. City of Atlanta Growth and Development and Wastewater Services
Level of Service and Adequacy of Facili es to Meet Future Needs
The level of service provided by the City’s wastewater treatment and collec on system ranges from good to poor. The wastewater reclama on centers have adequate capacity, the water discharged from these facili es rou nely meet the facili es discharge requirements, and an extensive CSO Abatement Implementa on Plan is well underway. Although wastewater is rou nely conveyed from the City’s customers to the WRCs, sanitary sewer over ows (SSOs) do occur, por ons of the collec on system need rehabilita on, and other por ons of the collec on system are capacity limited. To address both current and future needs, the City is currently involved in the extensive capital improvement program outlined in the 2011-2015 Capital Improvement and Short Term Work Program presented in the City of Atlanta 2010 Short Term Work Program - Wastewater Collec on and Treatment. This plan is intended to address the City’s long-term planning needs and is updated annually.
In addi on, the Department of Watershed Management has recently developed a Watershed Master Plan. This Plan, also updated annually, would iden fy addi onal needs which are not addressed by the projects that have been iden ed to date. As the Watershed Management Plan is updated, addi onal review of the CDP will be performed to capture needs which may be di erent from those iden ed to date.
The Ability of Wastewater Infrastructure to Direct Development Pa erns
New development is dependent on the availability of both sewer capacity and wastewater treatment plant capacity. If the por on of the wastewater system to which the new development is to be connected is capacity limited, or if there is not adequate treatment plant capacity, development can not occur un l these problems are resolved. As such, sewer capacity and wastewater treatment plant capacity can drive development pa erns.
Improving Wastewater Infrastructure E ciency to Accommodate Future Development
Within the City’s wastewater collec on and treatment system, the primary component of the system that has the poten al to be improved such that the e ciency of the system can accommodate future development is the Water Reclama on Centers. As the water reclama on centers reach their design capacity and/or as regulatory changes occur, modi ca ons to the treatment processes will be required to maintain the plants within their discharge limits.
To eliminate sanitary sewer over ows (SSOs) and as growth and development occur, the capacity of pump sta ons and collec on lines may need to be increased. Capacity issues throughout the City’s wastewater collec on system are being addressed as part of its Sewer System Evalua on and Survey (SSES), Rehabilita on and Relief Projects.
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The In uence of Service Areas and Levels of Service on Future Development
Provisions for wastewater services is fundamental to development. Due to the extensive network of wastewater pipelines available throughout the City, the ability to connect to the wastewater collec on system is generally not an issue. However along some lines, depending on the nature of the development, there might be a need to increase capacity of the pipes connec ng to sewer lines. These issues are currently being addressed as they come up.
Providing wastewater service is a long-term proposi on. As such, it is important that service areas remain intact. Wastewater infrastructure is expensive and is built well before the facili es it will serve. The up-front costs are high and take many years to recover. In order to incur such risk, wastewater collec on and treatment service providers need to know that they have a stable service area. Without such assurance the nancial viability of such organiza ons is at risk. Furthermore, the long-term planning and construc on necessary to ensure that wastewater systems are expanded to align with the long-term development plans only makes sense if jurisdic ons can plan for a con nuing service area.
The Impact of Service Area and Level of Service on Natural and Cultural Resources
Regardless of the service area, there are several ways in which wastewater collec on and treatment facili es have the poten al to impact natural and cultural resources. With respect to natural resources, the primary concern is the quan ty and quality of the treated wastewater which is returned to receiving rivers and streams. Environmental impacts associated with wastewater spills and over ows are also of concern. With respect to cultural resources, the primary concern is the ability to supply wastewater services at the speci c loca on of the cultural resource. As noted above, due to the extensive network of wastewater pipelines available throughout the City, the ability to connect to the wastewater collec on system is generally not an issue.
Throughout Georgia, the quan ty and quality of water in Georgia’s rivers and streams is of concern. This situa on is certainly no di erent for the City of Atlanta and the en re Atlanta Region. With respect to returning water to the basin from which it is withdrawn, the City of Atlanta is a leader. Since 1984 the Three Rivers Tunnel has been in place. This tunnel provides a mechanism for returning to the Cha ahoochee River, water that is withdrawn from the Cha ahoochee River and used in the Flint River and South River Basins. In addi on, the density of the City of Atlanta and the small number of sep c tanks located within the City minimize the consump ve use of water.
Each of the City’s WRCs is operated under a Na onal Pollu on Discharge Elimina on System (NPDES) permit. These permits include numerous opera ng requirements and specify the discharge limits for the City’s WRCs. In addi on to specifying discharge limits for the plants, these permits include speci c requirements for repor ng spills and addressing the causes of such spills. The City’s high level of environmental performance is demonstrated
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Direc ng Development Pa erns through Wastewater Facili es
For development to occur, wastewater collec on lines and the treatment facili es must have adequate capacity to receive the wastewater generated by the new development. As such, the planning and development of wastewater systems should be closely coordinated with land use and the desired development pa erns. The more accurately the loca on and quan ty of wastewater demand are determined, the more e ciently the wastewater system can be designed and constructed, and the less frequently the wastewater system will constrain development. Within the nancial constraints of the service provider, the desired development pa ern within the service area should drive the development of the wastewater supply system, not the other way around.
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Stormwater Management
Service Area
The City of Atlanta’s stormwater service area is the City of Atlanta boundary, which consists of a geographic area of approximately 132 square miles. Although the City’s stormwater service area includes the en re City of Atlanta, the City of Atlanta is not responsible for the en re stormwater system within Atlanta’s city limits. Rather, the majority of the stormwater system is privately owned.
De ni on of Atlanta’s Stormwater Assets
The City manages two broad types of stormwater assets: Combined Stormwater and Sanitary Sewers Assets: These are primarily limited to an 11 square mile area within the downtown business district where stormwater ows into a combined sewer system and is transported to the City’s Water Reclama on Facili es for treatment along with the stanitary waste stream (see Sewerage System and Wastewater Treatment).. Separate Stormwater Assets: These assets are designed primarily to remove stormwater runo and direct ow into the City’s network of streams.
The stormwater assets in the combined area are considered to be part of the City’s waste water collec on and treatment system and are not addressed further in this sec on.
In order to understand the scope of the City of Atlanta stormwater management assets, it is necessary to de ne the exis ng stormwater infrastructure system. Most of the exis ng stormwater infrastructure has been developed for the bene t of private proper es (an es mated 65% of the total stormwater infrastructure) and is not dedicated to public use. This means that the City does not have an easement, legal right or duty to access such structures; and, such improvements to private property at public expense are prohibited under the Georgia Cons tu on.
This dis nc on between public and private stormwater infrastructure is re ected in the City of Atlanta Code of Ordinances, Part 15-07.004 of the Land Subdivision Ordinance, which requires the following statement to be included on a nal subdivision plat maps:
(h)(3) Drainage statement: Storm drainage facili es shown on this plat are necessary for the proper drainage of the subdivision. The City of Atlanta will not be held responsible for erosion or over ow caused by the storm drainage facili es or natural drainage condi ons nor responsible for extensions of storm drains. (Code of Ordinances, Part 15-07.0004.)
Further, the City of Atlanta also only has jurisdic on over stormwater infrastructure that is municipally-owned and does not include systems installed
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to facilitate travel along state and federal roads and highways. Typically, the MS4 includes infrastructure that: Is located within the City of Atlanta’s right-of-way along municipal roadways; or Discharges directly to or through a municipally-owned stormwater ou all; or Has been formally deeded to the City of Atlanta; or Was constructed by the City of Atlanta; or Is located on private property and for which a formal easement has been recorded.
Only about 35% of stormwater infrastructure within the City of Atlanta is dedicated to public use and has been constructed to drain water from Flooding along the right-of-way. municipal streets. These structures are dedicated to public use under Georgia law, Title 44. Under Title 32, municipali es are responsible for maintaining the municipal street system in a condi on reasonably safe for travel in the ordinary mode. Thus, historically, stormwater infrastructure within the right- of-way has been designed and maintained to protect public safety in the transporta on corridors by e ciently and e ec vely removing water from the right-of-way and not for the purpose of protec ng receiving waters.
The City of Atlanta’s MS4 systems also has another unique condi on, rela ve to neighboring Metro Atlanta ci es and coun es. No other metro area jurisdic on has a combined sanitary and stormwater sewer system to manage wastewater for a major por on of its jurisdic on. The combined system has been serving the urban core since the 1890s. Subsequent development of the City occurred on top of the combined sewer area. In August 2007, the City of Atlanta completed separa on of the sanitary and stormwater sewers in those sewersheds where such separa on was feasible, which included Flooding in the right-of-way. Greensferry, Stockade and McDaniel.
The remaining combined sewer system collects and transports sanitary wastewater and stormwater runo to the City’s water reclama on centers for extensive treatment prior to being discharged to the Cha ahoochee River. Management and control of stormwater through the combined sewer is managed under the NPDES discharge permits issued to the water reclama on centers under their respec ve permits. As a result, the combined sewer system is not part of the City’s MS4.
Stormwater Facili es
From a prac cal sense, stormwater management can be thought of as managing water which runs o of the land. Using this broad de ni on, the stormwater system is synonymous with the system that is used to manage surface water. Within the City of Atlanta, this system includes por ons of een drainage basins, including the land and all of the structures constructed on the land. It includes all water bodies and waterways. It also includes the Flooding in the right-of-way. structures and piping used to convey and manage this water. The City of Atlanta is responsible for only those components of the system that are owned by the City as described above; either because they are located within the City’s right-of-way; or, which have been constructed by others, dedicated and accepted by the City. These components are es mated to comprise less
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Por ons of the City are served by a combined sewer system (e.g. a system that manages both stormwater and wastewater ow). In general, the City of Atlanta considers its combined sewer system to be a part of its wastewater system. (For further informa on on the combined sewer area and the associated facili es see the Sewerage System and Wastewater Treatment sec on of this document.)
Level of Service and Adequacy of Facili es to Meet Future Needs
Currently there are numerous func ons being performed throughout the City that apply to stormwater management. Such func ons include: Land use planning; The development and enforcement of site development requirements; The new Historic Old Fourth Ward Park will also serve to detain stormwater. The development and enforcement of erosion and sedimenta on control requirements; River and stream monitoring; Implementa on of the CSO Program; Street sweeping; and Ou all monitoring.
At the present me, however, the City does not have a program to address stormwater management in an integrated fashion that facilitates development while promo ng the protec on of the City’s watersheds. It does not have a dedicated funding source for maintaining the City’s exis ng infrastructure, developing new stormwater infrastructure and ensuring that the City stays on top of the ever-increasing stormwater compliance requirements.
To address this need, the City completed the development of a Stormwater Implementa on Plan in August 2009. The purpose of this project was to de ne the resources necessary for the City to implement a Stormwater Management Program and to establish a designated funding mechanism for the program. At a minimum, the Stormwater Management Program will ensure that the City’s exis ng infrastructure is properly maintained, that stormwater compliance requirements are met, and that the City will move forward at a limited pace to develop an integrated program that addresses stormwater management and watershed protec on. Adop on of a dedicated funding source and development of a formalized stormwater management program is an cipated, pending adop on by the Atlanta City Council and the Mayor.
City of Atlanta Growth and Development and Stormwater Management
The Ability of Stormwater Infrastructure to Direct Development Pa erns
There are numerous ways that stormwater infrastructure can be used to facilitate development and resolve problems associated with development. In general, however, stormwater infrastructure is not a good tool for direc ng development pa erns. Rather, the desired pa ern of development should be determined and the mechanism(s) for managing the stormwater resul ng
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from such development should be iden ed and implemented.
Improving Infrastructure E ciency to Accommodate Future Development
Stormwater infrastructure can be used in many ways to facilitate development. It can be used to facilitate ow, impede ow, store ow, or treat ow. Regardless of how the infrastructure is used, it is important that the stormwater management system be looked at as a whole. Components of the stormwater system that are not typically considered to be stormwater infrastructure (i.e. land surfaces, roo ops, streets, watercourses and water bodies) should be considered, as well as the impact of changing various components of the system. Increasing the size of a culvert to prevent upstream ponding may be a bad solu on if it causes the erosion of a streambank below.
It should be noted that stormwater management includes more than managing stormwater ow. It includes land use planning and the de ni on and enforcement of development requirements. It includes facilita ng in ltra on and nding ways to prevent the contamina on of surface water ow. Such programs are part and parcel of e ec ve stormwater management, and are most produc ve when considered as a whole in conjunc on with the desired pa erns of development and the management of the stormwater which will result from such development.
The In uence of Service Areas and Levels of Service on Future Development
Successful stormwater management is key to developing a safe, healthy, comfortable, convenient and aesthe c environment. As such, the level of stormwater services provided has tremendous poten al to impact the quality of development. The extent to which land use planning, site development, and stormwater programs are though ully developed, integrated, executed and enforced, will directly impact the degree to which nega ve stormwater e ects are mi gated, reduced, controlled, and eliminated.
Stormwater impacts begin with small localized e ects and coalesce into large e ects that a ect en re river basins. As such, the e ects of stormwater runo from upstream areas that are located outside of a stormwater service area cannot be separated from the e ect of stormwater impacts that are generated within the service area. Coordina on across service area boundaries--especially jurisdic onal boundaries that cross watersheds--is needed to maximize the bene t of stormwater programs. In some cases, without such coordina on, signi cant results cannot be achieved regardless of the e orts of the downstream en ty.
The Impact of Service Area and Level of Service on Natural and Cultural Resources
Stormwater is a natural resource and impacts natural resources. Stormwater feeds Atlanta’s rivers and streams. It waters the earth and nourishes plants and animals. It is fundamental to habitats and has the poten al to provide tremendous aesthe c beauty and recrea onal value. Stormwater also erodes
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The impacts of stormwater on cultural resources are the same as the impacts of stormwater on natural resources with the excep on that concerns regarding cultural resources are generally directed toward protec ng the speci c site at which the cultural resource is located. If the cultural resource is a public facility, removing stormwater to prevent unsafe or inconvenient condi ons is also of concern.
Direc ng Development Pa erns through Stormwater Management
Successful stormwater management is vital to successful development. The long-term success of development depends on successfully managing stormwater. As such, the vision for development and the stormwater management programs necessary to facilitate such development should be considered as a whole.
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Public Safety
The Atlanta Police Department (APD), Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFR), Department of Correc ons, and the Atlanta Fulton County Emergency Management Agency (AFCMA) are responsible for the maintenance and e ec ve delivery of public safety services in the City of Atlanta. AFCMA is a joint coopera ve e ort between the City of Atlanta and Fulton County responsible for the Emergency Opera ons Plan.
Public safety policies focus on engaging the whole community in building and sustaining a safe, fear-free environment. The City’s policies embrace crime reduc on, community policing, the reduc on of response me for emergency vehicles, crea ng more public/private community safety partnerships, and be er coordina ng public safety e orts. Projects include the crea on of and improvements to re, police and emergency management facili es, and communica on systems. Atlanta Police Department programs include Command Opera ons Brie ng to Revitalize Atlanta (COBRA), Violent Crime Impact Team (VICIT), Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Weed & Seed, and par cipa on in downtown’s Interagency Law Enforcement Group (ILE) and numerous ci zen ini a ves. The City of Atlanta Public Safety Headquar- ters in downtown. Atlanta Police Department
The City of Atlanta Police Department (APD) provides services to City residents, businesses and visitors citywide. The Police Department also provides service in all areas that are not policed by another law enforcement agency such as the Georgia State University Police, MARTA Police, Georgia Tech University Police, and the Atlanta University Center. APD works with these agencies on issues of mutual concern.
The APD con nues its emphasis on crime reduc on by combining aggressive crime- gh ng strategies and problem-solving capabili es, and other crime- gh ng ini a ves to prevent crime and improve the quality of the life in the City. The Police Department performs at a high level of service in responding to calls for service, arres ng criminals, and solving crimes. Table 5-3 shows the level of crime from 2004 to 2009. “Part I Crimes” are the major crime categories iden ed by the FBI. Part I Crimes have been steadily decreasing, 2005 and 2006 had the lowest crime totals since 1969. Notwithstanding, the Police Department plans to con nually improve its service delivery strategies.
Facili es Services are managed and supported through the Source: APD Tactical Crime Analysis Unit Public Safety Headquarters, six patrol precincts, 19 mini-precincts, the training facility, the airport, the Public Safety Annex building and other APD facili es. Table 5-3: Atlanta Part 1 Crimes 2004-2009 Each precinct is responsible for a police patrol zone. Twelve mini-precincts are located throughout the City
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Legend Police Zones ZONE 203 202
1 201 2 205 3 2 204 4 207 206 5 208 6 209 210 50 601 108 504 106 602 502 110 501 603 102 1 503 505 5 109 105 111 605 104 507 604 506 510 511 101 607 6 412 103 509 606 413 107 508 608 402 401 301 304 610 411 302
403 303 609
4 312 305 407 406 311 409 306 3 611 307 308
410 408 309
310
050 0
Feet Atlanta Police Department . 01,750 3,500 7,000 10,500 14,000 Police Zones and Beats
Map 5-5: Atlanta Police Department Zones and Beats
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(see Map 5-5 and Table 5-4). Table 5 4: Atlanta Police Department Precincts
A major Zone Street Address Facility Type Phone project for the 1 2315 Bankhead Hwy NW Zone One Precinct 404 799 2488 Department involves the 1 612 Magnolia St. NW Zone One Investigative Unit 404 658 6486 development of 2 3120 Maple Dr. NW Zone Two Precinct 404 848 7231 a new crime lab 2 3393 Lenox Rd Zone Two Mini 404 467 8061 that will be co- 2 3129 Maple Dr. NW Zone Two Investigative Unit 404 658 6636 located at the 3 215 W. Lakewood Way Zone Three Mini 404 230 6104 Public Safety 880 Cherokee Ave SE Zone Three Precinct Annex building. 3 404 624 0674 This project is 4 1125 Cascade Cir SW Zone Four Precinct 404 756 1903 expected to be 4 3565 Martin L King, Jr. Dr. Zone Four Mini 404 505 3131 complete and to 5 220 Spring St. Zone Five Main/Foot Beat 404 658 6445 be occupied by 5 94 Pryor St SW Zone Five Underground 404 658 6364 the end of 2011. 5 190 Marietta St. Zone Five CNN 404 658 7830 5 1380 Atlantic Station Zone Five Midtown 404 249 1793 5 220 Spring St. Zone Five Investigative Unit 404 658 6636 6 2025 Hosea L. Williams Dr. Zone Six Main 404 371 5002 6 1166 Euclid Ave. Zone Six Mini 404 371 6554 6 2025 Hosea L. Williams Zone Six Investigative Unit 404 373 5331
Programs and Ini a ves
Crime Reduc on
COBRA: The command sta of the Atlanta Police Department gathers weekly to review crime sta s cs, iden fy problems, and develop crime reduc on strategies. COBRA is the backbone of APD’s crime- gh ng e orts. Central strategic direc on of the Department is stronger, with speci c responsibili es, clear performance measures, and strict accountability. This process is possible because recent technological improvements have made crime data much more quickly available and thorough. Analysis of the data has become much more e cient through automa ng the tabula on and mapping processes. Having top command sta , patrol commanders, inves ga on commanders, and crime analysts together for the discussion promotes coopera ve and e ec ve solu ons to problems. The APD will stream audio/video via its Intranet to all APD worksites (real- me).
The Atlanta Police Department coordinates with all neighboring law enforcement agencies and jurisdic ons: Federal, State, local law enforcement, and the Fulton County District A orney. These partnerships allow the APD to develop e ec ve joint crime gh ng The City of Atlanta Public Safety Annex on strategies. D.L. Hollowell Pkwy.
Gun Reduc on Strategy: Weapons-related violence remains a serious concern. As a result, the APD is par cipa ng in a mul -faceted approach
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to reduce gun violence by decreasing juvenile demand for guns and/ or decreasing the supply of guns to youth. In conjunc on with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Department seeks to systema cally trace every gun con scated in order to iden fy pa erns of high-risk dealers and to increase enforcement. The Department has implemented a street-level interdic on project, targe ng enforcement of laws that prohibit carrying of rearms by juveniles and convicted felons in order to reduce violent crime in the City. The project targets any type of rearm viola on, with ATF tracking the weapon to nd its source. Through the FACE 5 program, repeat o enders face an addi onal ve years in Federal prison. The Gun Unit Inves gators make community presenta ons about the importance of properly storing rearms called, “Safe Storage Campaign”. The APD Zone One Precinct. APD is also represented on the violent crime impact team (VICT). Ini ally, this team was focused on the occurrence of violent crimes in two patrol zones; however, the team currently moves throughout the city to work where it is needed.
Gang Strategy: The Gangs Unit was formed to inves gate and prevent gang violence. The Department works ac vely with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF), FBI, state and local jurisdic ons to reduce gang ac vity. Within the Department, Field Inves ga on Teams and the Intelligence Unit con nue to cooperate closely in areas of gang ac vity.
Community Policing: The Community Services Division has been created and will work closely with the Ci zens of Atlanta. The reorganiza on combines the Airport, SOS, COPS, PAL, and the Crime Preven on Unit under a single command. Although community policing is spearheaded by the Atlanta Police Department, partnerships APD Zone Four Precinct. are required with other departments of the City government and community resources to e ec vely address many of the underlying causes of crime and violence. Components within the Police Department include ci zen advisory councils, foot patrols, “park- and-walks,” bicycle patrols, police security inspectors, mini precincts, Project Safe Neighborhood, Opera on Weed and Seed, and zone level community outreach programs. In support of community policing, the Department is developing and communica ng be er informa on on communi es and their problems through technological innova ons.
The Community A airs Liaison informs the community cons tuents of crime issues, safety awareness, etc. They ensure e ec ve communica on and coopera on between APD and the community. The Liaison coordinates ac vi es to help maintain a high morale within the community and APD. The Liaison increases the quan ty and quality of police-ci zen interac ons and enhances the capacity of the police to engage in problem-solving partnerships.
APD Helicopter over downtown. Hispanic Liaison: The APD has researched the City’s communi es with limited English pro ciency (LEP) and found a signi cant popula on of Spanish-speaking residents and visitors who do not speak uent English. The newly appointed Hispanic liaison o cer meets with the
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community to resolve issues. Informa on and forms that are cri cal to a ci zen are being translated into Spanish, and the Department is seeking funding to support in-house Spanish translators.
The Police Department operates the Ci zen’s Police Academy to provide posi ve interac on between community leaders and the police by educa ng them about the crime issues, how the police are trained and directed to reduce crime, and what the community can do to prevent crime. The curriculum for the program also includes demonstra ons by specialized patrol units such as the helicopter, motorcycle, mounted patrol and K-9 units.
The Police Department ac vely works to keep public areas safe for ci zens and visitors. The Department maintains a strong program of Neighborhood APD o cers at a fes val in Piedmont Park and Business watches. These programs keep the businesses and residents focused on the safety of the area. Business Watch programs encourage business people to be alert to suspicious circumstances and to take crime preven on steps.
Ini a ves to Address the Needs and Challenges of Atlanta Youths
The Atlanta Police Department, in partnership with the community and other social service providers, o ers Atlanta’s youth alterna ves to violence, drug usage, and other criminal ac vi es as well as ini a ves aimed at helping youths to make good life choices. Expansion of the Police Athle c League (PAL) program has included not only athle cs, but also academic and life skill ini a ves.
The Department con nues its truant e orts to reduce the likelihood of juveniles becoming crime vic ms or perpetrators and to reinforce the schools’ e orts at educa on. The Field Opera ons Division (FOD) commander assigns one o cer to a truant detail in each police zone. The truancy program Zone Five Precinct at Underground includes the coopera ve e orts of the Atlanta Police Department, the Atlanta Public Schools, MARTA, Juvenile Court, and the Atlanta Housing Authority. In addi on, the Department enforces the curfew ordinance for children under sixteen to protect the children and reinforce the role of the parents.
CADET Program: This CADET program gives Atlanta’s youth exposure to the APD and its opera ons. Many of the children are interested in becoming police o cers. Some of the Cadets are from low-income families. Their ages range from 16 to 20. One group of Cadets works with the APD from March through June, in a part- me capacity. These cadets are in high school and are eligible to leave early each day. The cadet summer program starts June 1st and ends July 30th. This group works 40 hours per week and they are assigned to various work loca ons within the department. The police department helps them develop good work habits, discipline and character. APD Zone 6 mini Precinct in Li le Five G.R.E.A.T. Training: (Since 2009) Gang Resistance and Educa on Points, NPU N. Training: Law enforcement, local educators, and community leaders supported by funding from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF) developed the G.R.E.A.T Program in
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1991. The G.R.E.A.T program provides a school-based program that includes classroom instruc on and various learning ac vi es. The instruc on of life skills is the founda on of the program. The skills based approach addresses three domains of learning: cogni ve, behavioral, and a ec ve. The program produces a tude and behavioral changes through a combina on of skills training, coopera ve learning, discussion and role playing. Such programs stress interac ve and skills-building ac vi es. Informa on alone has not been found to have an impact on behavior unless combined with discussion, me, experien al prac ce, role-playing and homework to solidify behavioral change.
Maintain Police Visibility Downtown
Police visibility tends to reduce the community percep ons of fear and crime. APD mounted police in downtown. The Atlanta Police Department will maintain the visibility of police o cers downtown through the two programs listed below.
COMNET: is a radio communica ons network between the Atlanta Police Department (APD) and private security agencies. The scope of par cipa on now includes college and university police departments, federal law enforcement agencies, and the Downtown Improvement District (DID) Ambassadors. This project enhances the safety of Central Business District streets by enabling par cipants to communicate directly with the Atlanta Police. Currently COMNET is opera ng throughout the city and has grown from ninety members in 1995 to over one hundred eighty members.
Downtown Improvement District (DID): Through the DID, non- residen al downtown building owners pay a special property tax assessment for addi onal security through the Ambassador program, Downtown Ambassadors provide security in Downtown Atlanta. overseen by a board of property owners with City par cipa on, and a contract with the City to enhance the exis ng level of police service.
Aggressive Recrui ng to Fill Vacancies
At the end of 2009, the Atlanta Police Department had 1,656 police o cers in all ranks, a 28.5% increase since 1999. The Department also experienced an 8.45% a ri on rate in 2009 as compared with 10% in previous years. In 2010, the Department received 100 new police o cer posi ons. A new Webpage was launched and it allows individuals seeking employment as an Atlanta Police O cer to complete the applica on online at h p://www. joinatlantapd.org/
Enhance the Quality of Police Service through the Improvement in Technology
CJIS (Criminal Jus ce Informa on System): The City’s Department of Informa on Technology (DIT) is integrated with ICIS and is the New APD recruits in training. cornerstone for sharing crucial informa on about all types of incidents between police, correc ons, and Municipal Court. It provided the ability to track an incident from the ini al call through comple on of
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the court ac on at the City level.
Crime lab: The Police Department’s Crime Lab supplements the services of the Georgia State Crime Lab, giving priority to cri cal and me sensi ve cases within the APD. Currently, the APD Crime Lab analyzes suspected marijuana and conducts certain ballis cs tests. As funding becomes available for sta , training, and equipment, the lab will add the tes ng of other suspected drugs, a wider range of ballis cs tests, and similar services. More mely informa on for inves gators will lead to more successful inves ga ve outcomes.
Laptop Computers: The Police Department replaced so ware that o cers use in their patrol cars to write incident and accident reports. The new ICIS so ware not only supports incident and accident APD Mounted Police facility repor ng, but also supports produc on of cita ons electronically and provides for the management of the inves ga on of cases. Besides saving o cers me in report wri ng, the laptop computers also provide be er controls for a higher quality of informa on, support faster electronic processing of reports, and reduce paper handling. The mobile patrol o cers recently received 70 new laptops to enhance their report wri ng e ciency.
Computerized Mapping: Computerized mapping has signi cantly improved the Department’s ability to electronically map and analyze crime data, for more e ec ve deployment of resources and analysis of crime pa erns. The Department will con nue to develop its crime analysis capabili es to provide be er informa on to o cers, inves gators and managers.
Networking: The Department has created a Web page to share informa on with other agencies and the community and will con nue to expand the available informa on through the Internet and internal networks.
Social Media: Facebook and Twi er allows the police department to communicate (real- me) important law enforcement related ac vi es that impact Atlanta’s communi es.
Automa c Vehicle Locators will allow the dispatchers to have real- me informa on about the whereabouts of each patrol vehicle to improve opera onal dispatch e ciencies and patrol o cer safety.
The Department has electronically networked all police facili es via the City’s Wide Area Network (WAN). This connec on enables police employees with the correct security codes to inquire into a variety of databases in support of ongoing inves ga ons.
Emergency-911
The goal of the E-911 Center is to answer all calls within 10 seconds in accordance with Na onal Emergency Numbers Associa on (NENA) standards. Atlanta’s new E-911 center is an all digital (one of the country’s rst) public
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safety call center that provides 911 telephone services to the ci zens of Atlanta. The center is located in a nondescript building that was designed exclusively to provide secure and highly redundant technology capabili es for the E-911 call takers and dispatchers who work in this facility. Through the combina on of this leading edge facility and all-digital technology APD is able to provide reliable E-911 services.
Partnerships with Other Agencies
The Department con nues to maintain and increase its partnerships with other agencies, in law enforcement, public safety, criminal jus ce, and social services. The Department par cipates in numerous interagency task forces targeted on par cular problems. Con nued coopera on between federal, Park Atlanta is responsible for parking meter state, and other law enforcement agencies, such as a joint task force between and permit parking enforcement. the DEA, FBI, Customs, ATF, and APD is essen al to e ec ve law enforcement. Moreover, the Police Department established a partnership with the Midtown Improvement District. Midtown has created a supplemental police patrol, hiring o duty police o cers.
Park Atlanta
Park Atlanta is responsible for parking meter enforcement within the City of Atlanta. O -duty Atlanta Police O cers are hired to assist with the parking enforcement e orts in the City.
Vehicles for Hire Regula on
The Sec on of Taxicabs and Vehicles for Hire is an important component of the Atlanta Police Department. It is responsible for the enforcement of the Vehicles for Hire Ordinance to ensure safe, courteous, and professional service for the visitors to the City, as well as for residents. The opera on of Park Atlanta enforcing the residen al permit the Sec on consists of three dis nct but interdependent func ons: parking in Midtown. Licensing and permi ng of the industry’s companies, vehicles, and drivers; Enforcement of City ordinances governing vehicles for hire service delivery; and Providing a liaison between providers of services and users.
The Vehicles for Hire Sec on issues permits and rou nely inspects the taxicabs and horse-drawn carriages for compliance with City ordinances regarding inspec ons, insurance, and operator permit validity.
City of Atlanta Growth and Development and Police Services
Level of Service and Adequacy of Facili es to Meet Future Needs
The priori es of the Atlanta Police Department will be to reduce crime, expand its Community Policing Ini a ves, and to further develop technological tools in support of policing. Resources, however, are expected to rise at the same rate as needed; therefore, increased coopera on between the public and private sectors will intensify. The Department will con nue its extremely
213 CCommunityommunity AssessmentAssessment - 5.5. CommunityCommunity Facili Facili eess aandnd SServiceservices compe ve recrui ng e orts to a ract new recruits. In addi on, development and implementa on of strategies to address special events and diverse interna onal and cultural issues will have an impact on the Department’s resources.
There are several APD facili es that need to be refurbished or rebuilt. They are listed in the 2011-2015 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) and Short Term Work Program (STWP) but exceed APD’s available resources. The Training Academy needs a new facility, including a driving track. While listed in the CIP-STWP, this project exceeds the funding available. However, the re department is equally impacted by the need to rebuild or refurbish their re training academy. A combined training facility is under considera on by both departments. The Department provides for the maintenance of its facili es and has a strategy in place for the loca on of replacement facili es. Approximately 1/3 of the desktop and in-car laptop computers need replacement. Some APD ring range needs to be upgraded. new laptops are standing by for new so ware.
The Police Department answers a large volume of calls from the public promptly and e ec vely and has reduced crime to historically low levels. Improvement is always possible by providing more patrol o cers, inves gators, support sta , and technology to further reduce crime and the fear of crime:
Improving Infrastructure E ciency to Accommodate Future Development
The Police Department needs to evaluate major new developments, such as the redevelopment of Ft. McPherson, for their impact on police workload, calls for service and crimes.
The In uence of Service Areas and Levels of Service on Future Development
The Atlanta Police Department will experience changes brought about by developments in society, in the economy, and in technology. The City’s popula on growth and the thriving development of some areas that pose new challenges for the police force. The Police Department con nually evaluates major new developments in the City for their impact on police workload: calls for service and crimes. For example, developments such as Atlan c Sta on and annexa ons in SW Atlanta increase the demand on police services. Increase in tra c conges on also has an impact on police services delivery within the City.
A beat redesign proposal is being developed in an e ort to improve the police department’s opera onal e ciencies. The proposal centers on balancing the workload among the busier beats and zones. The City currently has 66 beats and is proposing 78 beats to achieve more adequate services to the ci zens.
The Police Department generally is not involved in evalua on of exis ng development pa erns and proposed major new developments. It would be helpful to crime reduc on if the police perspec ve was included. The APD’s Community Services Unit can work closely with the O ce of Buildings and Planning in the Department of Planning and Community Development to
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promote crime-reducing designs. The police department has the City’s 2030 forecasts and will use them in making long-range plans.
Direc ng Development Pa erns through Police Services
While abandoned structures provide opportuni es for redevelopment, they also harbor narco cs dealing, pros tu on, and other crimes. Police o cers work ac vely with O ce of Building and Code Compliance inspectors to secure or demolish abandoned structures.
Social and economic pa erns have enormous impact on crime rates and fear of crime. The Department works with community leaders and with other agencies that have responsibility in educa on, housing, homelessness, child welfare, drug treatment, and other social services to help individuals solve problems that may otherwise result in criminality. The Weed and Seed Project works with at-risk communi es to strengthen the social es that discourage criminals from opera ng within the de ned areas within the city.
The Police Department ac vely works to keep public areas safe for ci zens and visitors. Business Watch programs encourage business people to be alert to suspicious circumstances and to take crime preven on steps.
Homeland Security
The APD Homeland Security Unit (APDHSU) is tasked with conduc ng threat, risk, and vulnerability assessments. APDHSU has conducted threat assessments for various events in the City and has started conduc ng vulnerability assessments on the City’s cri cal infrastructure. The Unit has iden ed 85 sites that it considers cri cal infrastructure and has conducted vulnerability assessments on 27 of those sites; however, 7 of the assessments are over 5 years old and need to be updated. The sites are all listed in the US- DHS ACAMS system.
Atlanta’s Homeland Security Mission is to enhance local and regional preparedness and ensure a coordinated local, state and federal response to future acts of terrorism in the City of Atlanta; to act as a clearinghouse to receive federal grants for Homeland Security training and equipment and allow the par cipa ng organiza ons to coordinate their ac vi es and pool informa on. The Homeland Security mission within the City of Atlanta is to develop and coordinate the implementa on of a comprehensive strategy to prevent, when possible, prepare for, respond to and recover from terrorist threats or a acks. The Homeland Security Director will coordinate the execu ve branch’s e orts in the City of Atlanta
The Na onal Strategy for Homeland Security
The rst Na onal Strategy for Homeland Security was published in July 2002 which established three objec ves:
Prevent terrorist a acks within the United States; Reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism; and Minimize the damage and recover from an actual a ack.
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The Na onal Security Strategy adopted in 2010 by President Obama Table 5 5: 2009 City of Atlanta Part established the following objec ves: one Crime Comparisons Defeat terrorism worldwide; 2009 Lowest since Homicide 1961 Strengthen our Bio and Nuclear Security; Rape 2008 Improve intelligence capacity and informa on sharing; Robbery 1971 Ensuring a secure global digital informa on and Aggravated communica ons infrastructure; Assault 1974 Promote the resiliency of our physical and social Burglary 2007 infrastructure; Larceny 2006 Auto Theft 2005 Pursue comprehensive transborder security; and Source: APD—tactical crime analysis unit Ensure e ec ve incident management. 2010 Of these objec ves, that Na onal Strategy for Homeland Security focuses its func ons into six cri cal mission areas: Intelligence and warning; Border and transporta on security; Domes c counterterrorism; Protec ng cri cal infrastructure and key assets; Defending against catastrophic threats; and Emergency preparedness and response.
The Federal Bureau of Inves ga on de nes terrorism as the “unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to in midate or coerce a government, the civilian popula on, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of poli cal or social objec ves.” Perpetrators of terrorist a acks can be domes c based as well as of foreign origin. According to the U. S. Department of Homeland Security Strategic Plan, our Na on faces threats from both natural and man-made sources. The U. S. Department of Homeland Security will take an all-hazards approach to emergency management that allows the APD to respond e ec vely to all emergencies, whether caused by acts of nature or by enemies.
City of Atlanta Threat and Vulnerability
The City of Atlanta Homeland Security Plan is based heavily on the standards set by the Na onal Strategy for Homeland Security. A acks by foreign terrorists have not occurred in Atlanta, but is not beyond possibility. Examples of terrorist incidents that have occurred in Atlanta and the surrounding areas in the past decade by domes c terrorists are the Centennial Olympic Park bombing in 1996, the bombings at the Sandy Springs Professional Building in January 1997, and the Otherside Lounge in February 1997. In addi on, there have been anthrax scares and bomb threats at public and private buildings that are also considered terrorist acts.
For the City of Atlanta, it is thought that a acks by foreign terrorists are not impossible, but unlikely. Local o cers are alert to Domes c – Right Wing
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Groups such as: Aryan Na ons, Army of Israel, KKK factors, Viper Mili a, Phinieas Priesthood, Republic of Texas, Army of God, Freeman, The Order and Skin fac ons.
The areas iden ed as requiring special a en on include: Commercial Avia on, Public Transporta on, Cri cal Physical and Electric Infrastructure, Military Headquarters, Diploma c Facili es, Corporate Symbols, and places of High Symbolic Value, High Fatali es, and High Economic Impact.
Homeland Security Programs
GILLEE: Each year, a senior member of the Atlanta Police Department travels to Israel as a par cipant in the Georgia Israel Law Enforcement Exchange Program (GILEE). In 1992 a joint professional project of Georgia State University and the law enforcement community in Georgia, “GILEE” was established with the following objec ves: (1) to enhance inter-agency coopera on between State of Georgia law enforcement agencies and the police force of the State of Israel; (2) to o er an educa onal professional program to senior Israeli law enforcement o cials in Georgia, primarily in the area of community policing and; (3) to o er an educa onal professional program to senior Georgia law enforcement o cials in the areas of counter- terrorism and drug interdic on.
Preparedness and Training: No city is ever truly prepared for a terrorist a ack, but Atlanta is be er prepared than many ci es in its capabili es to respond e ec vely should such an a ack occur here. The City of Atlanta has been working on a variety of an -terrorism training and planning e orts since prior to the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Specialized chemical/biological training for rst responders has been underway since 1995. Through the Metropolitan Medical Response System, managed by the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency, rst responders are being trained to deal with a weapon of mass destruc on incident.
Organizing for a Secure Homeland: The City of Atlanta created a Homeland Security Council in February 2002, in response to the a acks on September 11, 2001, and subsequent anthrax events. The Council is composed of the O ce of the Mayor, Homeland Security Director, Police Chief, Commissioner of Watershed Management, Commissioner of Parks, Recrea on and Cultural A airs, Commissioner of Administra ve Services, Commissioner of Avia on, Chief of Correc ons, City A orney, and Commissioner of Public Works.
Intelligence and Warning: The City of Atlanta follows the Atlanta- Fulton County Emergency Warning Plan. Warnings will include the type of emergency, projected me, area to be a ected, an cipated severity, forthcoming warnings, and necessary ac ons. This plan speci cally outlines the requirements for warning the public as contained in the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Opera ons Plan (EOP) Emergency Support Func on-2, Communica ons and Warning (ESF-2) by establishing procedures, guidelines and ac ons to be taken
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to warn the ci zens of Atlanta of actual or impending emergencies or disasters in order to prevent or minimize injury, death and damage to property.
There are a variety of communica ons and warning systems available in the City of Atlanta to receive and disseminate emergency informa on. The Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency has installed special text receivers in radio and television sta ons in and around Atlanta. These receivers can be used to advise the media of any type of emergency or disaster situa on that is a ec ng Atlanta.
Domes c Counterterrorism: The City of Atlanta Police Department par cipates on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. This organiza on draws on state and local capabili es, and enhances intergovernmental coordina on. This is the key to domes c counterterrorism.
Protec ng Cri cal Infrastructure: The USA PATRIOT Act de nes cri cal infrastructure as those “systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruc on of such systems and assets would have a debilita ng impact on security, na onal economic security, na onal public health or safety, or any combina on of those ma ers.” Cri cal infrastructures are par cularly important because of the func ons or services they provide to the country. Cri cal infrastructures are also par cularly important because they are complex systems. The e ects of a terrorist a ack can spread far beyond the direct target and cascade into other cri cal systems.
The City of Atlanta has conducted several vulnerability assessments of cri cal infrastructure sites in Atlanta. These assessments have been conducted in coopera on with the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, and the private stakeholders of most of the cri cal infrastructure sites. Most of these assessments have been associated with federal grant programs such as the Bu er Zone Protec on Plan (BZPP) and the Regional Resiliency Assessment Program (RRAP) grant programs.
The most recent Bu er Zone Protec on Plan (BZPP) is for FY2010 and was conducted at Turner Field in July 2010 by APD-HLS, US- DHS, GEMA, and the Michigan Na onal Guard. The ini al dra of the assessment has been completed and has been sent to GEMA for review. The equipment request list for the a ached grant is being developed and will be part of the nal assessment turned in to GEMA. The grant award is worth $190,000.
Defending against Catastrophic Threats: A natural disaster or terrorist a ack can cause medical consequences that exceed local and state capabili es, the State of Georgia Department of Health and Human Services would coordinate the deployment of medical personnel, equipment, and pharmaceu cals among the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Jus ce, Transporta on, Veterans
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A airs, the Environmental Protec on Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, General Services Administra on, Na onal Communica ons System, US Postal Service, and the American Red Cross. Hospitals, Emergency Management Service (EMS) providers, re services and the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness have improved their capability to plan for, respond to, and recover from a mass casualty incident. Through the e orts of the Metropolitan Medical Response System, managed by the Atlanta- Fulton County Emergency Management Agency, radio receivers have been placed in 34 hospitals in the Atlanta area to quickly advise them of an emergency or disaster situa on. Monthly mee ngs are held with hospital representa ves to exchange informa on that will enable them to be er prepare and respond to emergencies.
Emergency Preparedness and Response: The Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Opera ons Plan is the basis for all emergency support response ac vi es within the City of Atlanta. It builds upon the same Emergency Support Func ons u lized by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Organiza ons with primary responsibility for an Emergency Support Func on (ESF) are required to develop Standard Opera ng Procedures (SOPs) to implement their ESF’s. The Emergency Opera ons Plan seeks not to address speci c threats and events that could happen in the City of Atlanta, but builds upon common func ons that are needed for a wide range of emergencies and disasters.
DeKalb-Fulton Bioterrorism Response Plan: Bioterrorism is the inten onal use of bacteria, viruses, parasites, and their by-products to in ict terror and cause illness. The Dekalb-Fulton Bioterrorism Response Plan was developed by the Dekalb County Board of Health according to the Atlanta/ Fulton EMA (Emergency Management Agency). Informa on about the plan can be found at www. dekalbhealth.net.
Addi onal Planning for Terrorism
Weapons of Mass Destruc on o Chemical/Biological A ack: Despite the a en on that they have received recently, chemical or biological a acks are less likely to be successful than a conven onal a ack using a bomb or rearms. o Anthrax: There have been several a acks using anthrax spores introduced into workplaces via the mail. One a ack in Florida resulted in a fatality. However, anthrax is not spread from one person to another. Only people directly exposed to anthrax spores are a ected. Mailroom personnel should be on the alert for suspicious packages or le ers that might contain dangerous materials.
The FBI as the Lead Agency: The response to a terrorist incident will be the same as the response to any other emergency or disaster with the addi on of the FBI as the Lead Agency. With this understanding, local
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responders will make plans to incorporate the FBI into the Incident Command System and to assist the FBI with their facility needs.
Civilian Preparedness: The City of Atlanta encourages all Atlanta residents and businesses to take the same precau ons that they would for a tornado or other natural disaster. This includes having a means of receiving o cial informa on from the government; having a radio or television on to receive the latest emergency ac on informa on, keep ashlights and fresh ba eries and a ba ery-powered radio handy. Moreover, each home should have a wired telephone, three days of food and water and a rst-aid kit on hand.
Mutual Aid and Assistance Agreement: The Georgia Emergency Management Act, as amended, gives the local governments of the State the authority to make agreements for mutual aid assistance in emergencies, and through such agreements to ensure the mely reimbursement of costs incurred by the local governments which render such assistance. Under this Act, the Agency has authority to coordinate assistance between local governments during an emergency and to provide available resources where they are needed.
The Urban Area Security Ini a ve (UASI)
Urban Area Security Ini a ve (UASI) is a Federal grant issued through the Na onal Department of Homeland Security and awarded to ci es facing the greatest risk for a terrorist a ack and demonstra ng the greatest need for funding. There are 46 total UASI Areas in 26 States and the District of Columbia. The Atlanta area is described as the City of Atlanta and 10 mile radius outside of the city limits. UASI provides resources for the unique equipment, training, planning, and exercise needs of select high threat urban areas.
The Urban Area Security Ini a ve (UASI) originally encompassed the jurisdic ons of Atlanta, Fulton County, and Dekalb County with each jurisdic on being equally represented, not as two coun es as the report states. UASI has expanded to six jurisdic ons with the addi on of Gwinne , Cobb, and Clayton Coun es as of 2010.
Grant Award Alloca ons
The alloca on for the FY 07 UASI award for the Atlanta area was $14,660,000. The receipt of funds was con ngent upon submission of a DHS validated Urban Area Assessment and a validated Urban Area Homeland Security Strategy. Moreover, urban areas must allocate funding in support of goals and objec ves iden ed in the Urban Area Homeland Security Strategy and State Homeland Security Strategy. Interoperable (radio) communica ons is iden ed as a State, Regional, and Na onal Overarching Priority. Some of the accomplishments to date are: Successful Collabora on of the end-user technical and opera onal group to share radio system keys and to leveraging exis ng resources to share radio systems to create interoperability across the region. Conducted training and exercised the system in compliance with DHS,
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Tac cal Interoperability standards. The report card from the exercise indicated need for further governance enhancement. Developed the environment that fostered Regional Collabora on and Informa on Sharing across response disciplines.
The FY2009 alloca on is s ll pending and GEMA has no es mated me on delivering that informa on.
The DHS has changed its focus moving forward to encompass 8 overarching priori es. These priori es address the Na onal Response Framework and require UASIs to develop programs that encompass these priori es. DHS Overarching Priori es-UASI incorporates all of these priori es in its strategic plan (see Table 5-6).
Table 5 6: UASI National Priorities
Priorty # National Priorities Priority Capabilities Implement the National Incident Management System and 1 National Response Plan 2 Expanded Regional Collaboration Implement the Interim National Infrastructure Protection 3 Plan Information Sharing and Dissemination Strengthen Information Sharing and Collaboration 4 Capabilities Law Enforcement Investigation and Operations
5 Strengthen Interoperable Communications Capabilities Interoperable Communications
CBRNE Detection Strengthen CBRNE Detection, Response, and 6 Explosive Device Response Operations Decontamination Capabilities WMD/Hazardous Materials Response & Decontamination Mass Prophylaxis Strengthen Medical Surge and Mass Prophylaxis 7 Capabilities Medical Surge Strengthening Emergency Planning and Citizen Protection 8 Capabilities
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Atlanta Fire Rescue Department
The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD) is organized to provide communi es with the resources necessary to meet their needs at the highest level of pro ciency and quality a ainable. The vision is “to strive for excellence in emergency preparedness and response, to enhance our customer-focused, innova ve role as industry leaders, while overcoming expanding risks” and the mission is to “provide prompt, quality services to our stakeholders that promote safety, security, enhances sustainability, and enriches quality of life through professional development and dedica on to service. Currently, 930 personnel are employed – including civilian members and sworn members – serving the City of Atlanta and Harts eld-Jackson Atlanta Interna onal Airport.
In 2009, AFRD responded to over 56,000 emergency incidents within a service area of 134.6 square miles. AFRD protects the busiest airport in the world; over Atlanta Fire Rescue Department is head- one million people inside the City each workday; and over 17 million visitors quartered in the new Public Safety Building. each year. This protec on covers over 3,000 high-rise buildings (including the tallest building in the southeast); 23 miles of heavy rapid rail system, where in some places is as much as 130 feet underground; over 60 miles of interstate highways; and the country’s ninth largest rail yard.
The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department has been ranked as one of the most pro cient full-service re organiza ons in the United States and separated into four divisions of labor: O ce of the Fire Chief; Support Services; Field Opera ons; and Airport Administra on and Opera ons.
The O ce of the Fire Chief includes the Fire Chief’s administra ve sta ; Medical Director; Chaplaincy Program; Capital Improvement Projects (CIP); Public Informa on O cer (PIO); the O ce of Assessment AFR responding to a warehouse re. & Planning; the O ce of Professional Standards; Background and Recruitment sec on; and the Homeland Security Liaison.
The Support Services division consists of an administra ve sta ; oversight of Fiscal and Human Resource func ons; Emergency Medical Services (EMS) sec on; Training sec on; Fire Preven on – Fire Inspec ons, Community A airs, Fire Inves ga ons sec ons; Resource Management; Member Services; and the Real Property Liaisons.
The Field Opera ons division is responsible for the mi ga on of emergency and disastrous incidents when they occur. This division consists of an administra ve sta , and oversight of re suppression and special opera ons and personnel.
The Airport Administra on and Opera ons division is responsible for the reduc on, preven on and mi ga on of emergency and disastrous incidents occurring at the Harts eld-Jackson Atlanta Interna onal Airport. This division consists of an administra ve sta ; oversight of re suppression, EMS, and special opera ons and personnel; Training Fire Sta on 18 on Oak View Rd., NPU O. sec on; and Airport Fire Inspec ons sec on. AFRD con nues to implement programs, ac vi es, and services purposed around the premise of emergency response. A structured budget supports
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emergency services needs. Ac vi es related to training, maintenance, re preven on, communica ons, safety, human resources, and support services comprise a strategic approach to the overall organiza onal priori es. A lack of understanding of the departments’ priori es and their rela vity to the department’s mission can lead to frustra on or apathy among elected, appointed, and community leadership, as well as re personnel. To minimize a lack of understanding the strategic approach to accomplish the AFR vision and mission includes: Human Resource Management, Professional Development, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Facili es, Equipment, Supplies, and Technology, Customer Service Programs, Public Informa on, Educa on, and Rela ons. A literal approach to these priori es is not always prac cal. Con nuous assessment of strengths, weaknesses, opportuni es, and threats will dictate emphasis in speci c nancial and strategic planning.
Human Resources Management
The AFRD strategic approach addresses the following: Recruit the most quali ed persons for employment; Employ enough personnel for adequate sta ng; Provide wellness programs consistent with the IAFC/IAFF Wellness Fitness Ini a ve; Address employee concerns promptly and in good faith; Promote good faith labor/management rela ons; Assure personnel safety; Establish human resource programs and services that meet the needs of personnel; Improve internal communica on processes; and Improve personnel assignment processes.
Professional Development
The AFRD strategic approach addresses the following:
Develop training programs for o cer training, supervision, manage- ment, and planning skills appropriate to each rank; Enhance emergency management with regard to the Incident Com- mand System (ICS) and the Na onal Incident Management System (NIMS); pre-incident planning and post-incident analysis; Enhance emergency opera ons e ciency in accordance with Na- onal Fire Protec on Associa on (NFPA) Standards and departmen- tal standard opera ng guidelines and protocols; Enhance driver training adap ve to all emergency response vehicles and their speci c func ons; Enhance verbal and wri en communica on skills, administra ve and technical skills appropriate to each rank;
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Develop proba onary skills assessments with documenta on during employee proba on periods; Provide training to enhance customer service skills; and Create a professional development and succession plan for all ranks.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Community risk assessments and resource capability assessments iden fy and rank poten al emergencies and disasters, determine resources available at the local, state, and federal levels. The decision will be made at the local AFR drill at the Terminus Building. level as to whether local resource capabili es meet the homeland security landscape. Strategic and opera onal plans should focus on elimina ng gaps in these capabili es. The issue is balancing risks versus resources. The ques on must be posed, “What is the acceptable level of risk that stakeholders are willing to pay for?” This is the me for the en re organiza on, the community, elected and appointed leadership to become emergency managers. Standards of response coverage (SORC) are statements that combine service- level objec ves with sta ng levels to de ne how and when resources will respond to a call for service. In essence, SORC statements iden fy criteria for trained personnel and response mes needed to e ec vely mi gate an incident. AFRD iden es these SORC targets and goals for major hazards such as res, EMS, technical rescue, and hazardous materials incidents. Measuring performance against standards of response coverage allows AFRD to determine if current resources and service objec ves e ec vely address the assessed risks within the City of Atlanta.
An e cient pre- re survey and inspec on program not only secures our property insurance ra ng, but also increases emergency management e ciency through having prior knowledge of buildings before their involvement in res. Fire and life safety hazards no ced and corrected during AFR providing Emergency Medical Services. a re inspec on can eliminate a hazard and prevent loss. Through these processes, the overall emergency response needs for the City of Atlanta can be achieved.
Emergency Medical Services
The provision of emergency medical care has signi cantly evolved over the last thirty years. No longer is cri cal care delayed un l arrival at the hospital. Presently, thousands of lives are saved in the Atlanta area annually due to the advancements in on-site care provided by well-trained professionals.
Among these professionals are personnel of the Atlanta Fire Rescue (AFRD), which employs all levels of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and Paramedics. The care provided by AFRD EMS includes, but is not limited to, assessment and care of ill and injured pa ents, ini a on of intravenous lines, administra on of advanced airway techniques, inser on of endotracheal tubes, interpreta on of electrocardiograms and cardiac de brilla on. Fire Sta on 11 in Atlan c Sta on, NPU E. The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department is an integral part of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system for the City of Atlanta, with the fastest response me of all EMS responders in the area. When cri cal incidents occur a ec ng
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City residents, the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department is the rst on the scene with an average response me of just over ve minutes.
The provision of emergency medical care has signi cantly changed the scope of services provided by AFRD. In 2009, Atlanta Fire Rescue Department responded to 56,785 calls, of which 27,791 (approximately 49%) were EMS demands for service. During the period from 1997 through 2002, the Atlanta Fire Rescue’s EMS answered 187,383 medical calls.
AFR has made substan al advancements to enhance the quality of EMS response capabili es. First, all personnel receive state-of-the-art training and con nuing educa on su cient to meet State of Georgia and na onal standards. Secondly, all AFRD engines are minimally equipped and sta ed to Fire Sta on 1 on Elliot Street, NPU M. o er Basic Life Support (BLS) capability, including Harts eld–Jackson Atlanta Interna onal Airport. Furthermore, twelve (12) in-town engines provide Advanced Life Support (ALS) capability, sta ed with Paramedics. This upgrade is signi cant in that the availability of basic and advanced life saving care and resources are within minutes of all City of Atlanta residents.
Specialized Project: Domes c Terrorism
No address on earth is beyond the capability of a determined team of terrorists to penetrate and destroy. In this age of prolifera ng nuclear, biological and chemical weapons in the arsenal of foreign and domes c terrorist, rst responders such as the Atlanta Fire Rescue must be prepared for every disastrous event.
Security concerns cau on against AFRD publicly revealing its defensive capabili es. The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department can acknowledge however, that it has received a sizeable Domes c Preparedness Equipment Support grant from the U.S. Department of Jus ce (DOJ). The intent of that grant is for the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department and the Atlanta Police Department to Sta on 19 on North Highland Ave. NPU F. acquire the specialized equipment that each will need to carry out its mission in the event of a terrorist assault within the City of Atlanta. The designated terrorist response equipment has been procured and installed by the Atlanta Fire Rescue, in full compliance with the DOJ’s terms and condi ons. The Atlanta Fire Rescue con nues to monitor and respond to federal funding opportuni es designed to provide local responders with the training and equipment so vital to Homeland Security.
Other Programs and Ini a ves
Provide 24-hour/365-day emergency response to emergencies and Disasters. This includes 24-hour on-scene emergency response by the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency (AFCEMA) Duty O cer, and 24-hour ac va on of the Emergency Opera ons Center (EOC). The EOC upgrade and improvement project will shorten the required me to fully ac vate the EOC. Rendering showing proposed rehabilita on of Fire Sta on 19, NPU F. Provide 24-hour/365-day emergency warning and no ca on to mul ple emergency response agencies and to the public. Emergency warning and no ca on systems include the Emergency Alert System (EAS), Na onal Warning System (NAWAS), AFCEMA No er, Community Alert Network (CAN), NOAA Weather Radio, Weather
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Pager, and the Flood No ca on System.
Provide Coordina on and support for the Fulton County Local Emergency Planning Commi ee (LEPC), which includes business and industry in the City. The Superfund Amendments and Reauthoriza on Act (SARA) of 1986, Title III, requires that facili es that use or store hazardous materials above certain quan es report their inventories. The legisla on requires that the Local Emergency Planning Commi ee (LEPC) iden fy these 2,000 facili es and develop community emergency plans. In 2000, 430 facili es have reported their hazardous materials in Fulton County, most of which are in the Rendering for the new Fire Sta on 28, NPU City of Atlanta. The goal of compliance and this law is to decrease D. the risk of hazardous materials accidents in the City of Atlanta. SARA Title III also requires that informa on reported by facili es under SARA Title III be accessible to the public. The Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency is currently working to make this informa on easily accessible by the public, rst responders, and the Fire Rescue.
Provide coordina on and support for the Atlanta Metro Medical Response System (MMRS) and the Domes c Preparedness Program. The MMRS is managed and supported by AFCEMA, and combines resources from the Metro Atlanta area to respond to Weapons of Mass Destruc on (WMD), including nuclear, biological and chemical incidents. AFCEMA has brought together a diverse team of local responders and has funneled over $800,000 in federal resources to the team to be er equip and train them for response to incidents involving weapons of mass destruc on.
Develop and coordinate emergency management presenta ons, Fire Sta on 13 on Flat Shoals Road, NPU W. brochures, pamphlets, public service announcements and other informa on for civic organiza ons, business and industry, emergency response agencies, government, media and the general public. The o ce conducts a broad range of informa on and educa on campaigns each year designed to increase the knowledge level of the general public in emergency preparedness. Among these are Severe Weather Awareness Month, City of Atlanta Youthfest, City of Atlanta Employee Excellence Week and Fire Preven on Week.
Develop and coordinate mutual aid agreements with other local, state, federal and private agencies.
Provide liaison with local, state and federal authori es during major emergencies and disasters.
Develop, coordinate and conduct emergency management training and exercise programs. Coordinate with individual volunteers and volunteer organiza ons to The Night Train, a re engine at Fire Sta on provide informa on and training, including u liza on in emergency 15 on 10th street, NPU E. and disaster situa ons.
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Facili es, Equipment, Supplies and Technology
All equipment used in the delivery of emergency services must be of the highest quality and must always perform when needed. Equipment is cri cal to ful lling the AFRD mission. Table 5 7: City of Atlanta Fire/ EMS Stations Most issues rela ve to facili es, equipment, supplies, and technology Station Building Area Address Year Built NPU can be planned and scheduled as No. (Sq Ft) necessary. 1 71 Elliot Street 1961 14,336 M 2 1568 Jonesboro Road, SE 1978 7,450 Y Facili es 3 3500 Peachtree Rd., NW 1991 9,064 B Atlanta Fire Rescue Department 4 309 Edgewood Ave 2002 10,000 M (AFRD) maintains thirty- ve (35) 5 2825 Campbellton Road 1991 9,600 R re sta ons. Thirty (30) sta ons 8 1711 Marietta Blvd., NW 1969 7,910 D are within the city’s limits and ve 9 3501 MLK Jr. Dr., SW 1967 8,465 H (5) are at Harts eld-Jackson Atlanta Interna onal Airport. The loca ons 10 447 Boulevard, SE 1958 6,817 W of exis ng re sta ons are shown in 11 165 16th Street, NW 2010 E Map 5-6 and listed in Table 5-7. 12 1288 Dekalb Ave. NE 1958 7,247 N 13 447 Flat Shoals Blvd, NE 2010 W Fire Sta on Replacement 14 1203 Lee Street, SW 2002 6,500 S Although Atlanta Fire Rescue 15 176 10th Street, NW 1987 8,150 E Department (AFRD) has replaced 16 1048 Simpson St, NW 1963 7,744 K and constructed ve (5) new re 17 1489 RDA Blvd. 1988 8,190 T sta ons in the last een years, the 18 2009 Oak View Rd, SW 2010 O remaining inventory of sta ons is over 50 years of age and past their 19 1063 N. Highland Ave. NE 1924 5,428 F designed life-cycle. Historically and 20 590 Manford Rd, SW 1938 4,068 X currently, AFRD did not possess the 21 3201 Roswell Rd, NE 1984 14,432 C capital funds necessary to maintain 22 817 Hollywood Rd, NE 1938 2,653 J a replacement and renova on 23 1545 Howell Mill Rd, NW 1948 5,265 D schedule to keep pace with its aging 25 2349 Ben Mays Dr, SW 1948 5,549 S facili es. In 2009, AFRD moved into 26 2970 Howell Mill Rd, NW 1954 4,674 C a new administra ve headquarters and Support Services annex. Airport 27 4260 Northside Dr, NW 1953 3,862 A Fire Sta on 24 was completely 28 2040 Main Street, NW 1953 4,280 D renovated and sta ed in 2009. Fire 29 2167 Monroe Dr, NE 1958 6,845 F Sta on 13 was rebuilt and sta ed in 30 10 Cleveland Ave. SW 1956 4,048 Z 2010. 31 2406 Fairburn Rd., SW 1958 4,703 P Based on an independent study, it 34 3631 Southside Industrial Park 1989 8,528 Z was determined that re sta on 38 2911 Bankhead Hwy, SW 1972 8,028 G facili es should endure a 30 year life 39 4697 Wieuca Rd, NW 1975 19,648 B cycle. Currently, 14 of 35 re sta on Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport Stations facili es are beyond the 30 year 24 330 Loop Road 1996 22,000 N/A cycle. There are nine re sta ons 32 850 North Terminal 1982 12,800 N/A scheduled for replacement over the next ten years. See Table 5-8 33 1401 South Loop Rd 2006 14,610 N/A for a priori zed list for re sta on 35 2150 Central Cargo Circle 1992 14,610 N/A replacement. An AFRD re sta on 40 4600 ASR Road 1975 9,063 N/A replacement study has iden ed 11
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Map 5-6: Atlanta Fire Rescue Sta on Loca on
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facili es in need of replacement and one new facility to be erected in the Table 5 8: Atlanta Fire Station in newly developed Atlan c Sta on commercial/residen al district. Need of Replacement Fire sta on replacement and the upda ng of emergency re vehicles are Station Number NPU key an cipated ac ons. Both ini a ves are paramount to the con nued Fire Station # 28 D e cient and expanded services provided by the AFRD. Construc on of new re sta ons has been iden ed through a Sta on Replacement Schedule. Fire Station # 31 P The construc on of these sta ons has already begun. Fire Station # 30 Z Fire Station # 22 J Fire Apparatus Replacement Fire Station # 23 D The Atlanta Fire Rescue maintains a eet of sixty- ve (65) vehicles. The Fire Station # 25 S average age of the eet is 20 years. The Na onal Fire Protec on Associa on Fire Station # 26 C (NFPA) provides the re protec on industry with standards and guides to follow for procurement, maintenance, and disposal of re apparatus. NFPA Fire Station # 27 A recommends that re apparatus have a useful life of approximately ten (10) Fire Station # 1 M years, depending upon maintenance and response ac vity. AFRD received delivery of 38 apparatus in 2000-2001. Addi onal apparatus replacement is important and an cipated in the future.
The implementa on of the basic life support engine concept provided each engine with the capacity to respond to medical emergencies has extended the services provided to the public. In 2009, there were over 28,000 EMS responses.
Customer Service Programs
The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department is dedicated to iden fying customer needs and then do everything possible to meet those needs. Serving the community through e ec ve customer service will be an essen al part of the re service. In addi on, responding directly to the needs of stakeholders is the most e ec ve way to gain the support of local elected and appointed Fire Sta on 25, NPU S. leadership. By gaining the trust of stakeholders and decision-makers, the department will be able to propose new programs and needs that are objec vely considered. The public will trust the judgment of the department and thus become advocates and change agents. Some of AFRD’s community oriented programs span the areas listed below.
Cadet Program: The Atlanta Fire Rescue Cadet Program is commi ed to providing par cipa ng youth with the skills necessary to help them to compete in the 21st Century workforce. Cadets receive classroom instruc on and laboratory exercises in re safety educa on; cardiopulmonary resuscita on (CPR) cer ca on, life coping skills, home inspec ons, hydrant inspec ons, and rst-aid training based on recognized na onal standards. Cadets also par cipate in ac vi es to familiarize them with the services provided by the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department. Special emphasis is placed on encouraging par cipa ng youth to consider a career in the re service. An analysis of the Cadets achievements during this program year supports its Fire Sta on 22 on Hollywood Road, NPU J. e ec veness.
Twenty- ve Cadets completed the program in 2001. The fact that three of those cadets subsequently submi ed an applica on for the posi on of re ghter aids further support the program’s e ec veness.
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Follow up services were enhanced in 2001. Thanks to the concern of AFRD personnel, thirty people came forth from AFRD’s workforce to volunteer as mentors to the cadets program. Those mentors will not only follow-up with the Cadets during the school year, but they will also serve as ci zenship role models.
Fire/Disaster Safety Educa on Programs: The Atlanta Fire Rescue has implemented new and innova ve re safety, educa on and re preven on programs in coopera on with the Atlanta Public Schools. These include: re ex nguisher training and re safety educa on for adults and youth.
Car Safety Seat Installa on: Today, various styles and types of child safety restraints, seat belts and vehicle features can make proper Fire Safety Educa on event. installa on of safety restraints very di cult. In fact, observa onal studies have shown that more than half of the child safety restraint systems used in Georgia have not been correctly installed. Every weekend, in communi es throughout Georgia, childcare advocates, law enforcement, re and emergency personnel, and other volunteers conduct child safety seat clinics. Even hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and some state governmental en es have cer ed child safety seat technicians available to assist parents with child safety seat installa on assistance during normal business hours. To facilitate the process of checking child safety seats and ensure that the children of Georgia are properly secured in safety seats, AFRD will establish 25 Fi ng Sta ons within the city limits of Atlanta.
Smoke Detector Distribu on: The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department has always championed the case for smoke detectors in every home. Realizing the life saving poten al of smoke detectors, the AFRD established the Atlanta Smoke Alarm Program (ASAP). AFRD has distributed smoke detectors through this program to residents Fire Sta on 12 on DeKalb Avenue, NPU N. throughout the City. This distribu on and monthly mass canvassing has promoted re preven on awareness and a priority of customer service. Public Informa on, Educa on and Rela ons Program (PIER)
The AFRD strategic approach addresses the following: Establish a comprehensive community educa on program with a strong focus on injury preven on, heart health, stroke preven on, and management of diabetes; Fine-tune re preven on and re survival programs to target children and elderly ci zens; Develop community wellness programs in coopera on with local health care systems Fire Sta on 4 on Edgewood Avenue, NPU M. Adopt more e ec ve life safety codes; Use opera onal personnel to conduct neighborhood educa on and re preven on; Develop a more e ec ve rela onship with the media;
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Provide be er informa on to elected and appointed leadership and community leadership; and Enhance public educa on in schools, nursing homes, and indepen- dent living communi es for the elderly.
Accredita on and ISO Ra ng
The Commission on Fire Accredita on Interna onal is dedicated to assis ng re and emergency service agencies throughout the world in achieving excellence through self assessment and accredita on in order to provide con nuous quality improvement and the enhancement of service delivery to Fire Sta on 17 on RDA, NPU I. their communi es.
The idea for re service accredita on originated in the mid-1980s with a Memorandum of Understanding between the Interna onal Associa on of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the Interna onal City/County Management Associa on (ICMA). This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) led the way for the crea on of the Na onal Fire Service Accredita on Program, the predecessor of the CFAI. In December 1996, the Agreement and Declara on of Trust for the CFAI was signed by the Board of Trustees and the new organiza on was created. The ve-member Board of Trustees has nancial oversight of the organiza on.
Fire Accredita on is a voluntary process that provides a well-de ned, interna onally recognized benchmark system used to measure the delivery of re and emergency services to a community. AFR used the accredita on system as a mechanism to improve the ability to recognize and understand poten al re risks and hazards and other emergency protec on needs; to reevaluate the alloca on of resources needed in providing emergency service delivery; to improving the quality of life in communi es served; and to achieve excellence in service delivery and establishing a plan for con nuous improvement.
In 1999, AFR ini ated the process for the department to achieve accredita on status. This mission was given to three “Steering Commi ee” members with project oversight given to a “Project Manager”. The work was then split into two main areas to produce major work products and suppor ng reports. The Self-Assessment Manual, or “SAM”, which consist of ten categories, were assigned to eight category leaders. Addi onal work products needed were two Risk Assessments, the Strategic Plan and the “Standards of Response Coverage”.
In the “Peer Assessor phase”, AFR made o cial request to the Commission on Fire Accredita on Interna onal (CFAI) to review the AFR SAM and travel to Atlanta and verify the informa on contained in the submi ed documents. The Peer Assessors spent up to two months reviewing the AFR Self- Assessment Manual. The site visit process resulted in recommenda on of the Peer Assessors was to award the AFR an “Award of Accredita on,” on March 23, 2002. This 5 year interna onal accredited status was rewarded again to Atlanta Fire Rescue in August 2008. Presently AFR is designated as the 54th re service en ty so commended in the country. Such designa on bestows “World Class” status for Atlanta’s re service.
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In addi on to Accredita on, AFRD monitors its ac vi es for ISO assessment and ra ng. The Insurance Services Organiza on (ISO) ra ng for the Atlanta Fire Rescue is Class 3. ISO ra ng measures Fire Protec on (50%), Water Supply (40%) and Communica ons. AFR is working with Watershed Management and Atlanta Police (Communica ons) to improve the City of Atlanta ra ng to Class 2.
City of Atlanta Growth and Development and Fire Rescue Services Direc ng Development Pa erns through Fire Rescue Services
Fire sta on facili es are located and relocated based on speci c response data indica ng the need for addi onal or reallocated resources. While growth and development pa erns a ect the services provided by Atlanta Fire Rescue, the service provided by AFRD does not direct development pa erns. The alloca on of resources should re ect residen al and commercial growth pa erns. Improving Infrastructure E ciency to Accommodate Future Development
Based on an independent study it was determined that re sta on facili es should endure a 30-year life cycle. Currently, 14 of 35 re sta on facili es are beyond the 30-year cycle. To provide more e cient re and rescue services, new and more e cient re sta ons should be built to replace the aging re sta ons. The current infrastructure should be improved to accommodate the poten al demand on water supply for re protec on. In uence of Service Areas and Levels of Service on Future Development
The future growth of service areas and popula on will determine future development of facili es and levels of service.
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Department of Correc ons
The Department of Correc ons is responsible for the e ec ve delivery of public safety services to the ci zens and business community of the City of Atlanta. The Department of Correc on’s mission is to protect the public, sta and o enders while maintaining an e ciently managed facility which assists o enders with reintegra on back into the community. The Department of Correc ons received its na onal accredita on from the American Correc onal Associa on (ACA) in August 2010.
The Department’s mission is carried out by a sta of 309, (250 sworn, 59 civilian) professional and dedicated employees. Their responsibili es include transpor ng, managing o enders, counseling and providing medical care for hundreds of detainees processed into the facility weekly; from all law en- forcement agencies in the Atlanta metropolitan area, Municipal Court, and Grady deten on. The Department of Correc ons is comprised of the three The City of Atlanta Deten on Center. major o ces listed below. The O ce of the Chief manages func ons associated with background in- ves ga ons, agency accredita on; internal inves ga ons and inspec ons; records management; media and community rela ons; research and legal af- fairs. This o ce is also responsible for administra ve and support services for the department as a whole, including procurement, stores management, budget and accoun ng, payroll and personnel records and inmate accounts. The O ce of Deten on Facili es is responsible for the security and care of both persons arrested for crimes in the City and awai ng pretrial court pro- ceedings or trial, and those persons convicted of ordinance and misdemeanor o enses and sentenced to serve me. The o ce manages the custody of of- fenders during proceeding in the respec ve courts and during visits or stays in outside health facili es like Grady Hospital. The O ce of Deten on Facili- es is also responsible for boarding federal and state inmates awai ng pre- trial court proceedings, trial or sentencing in other jurisdic ons. On average, 30,000 City Ordinance violators are processed annually. The O ce of Correc onal Administra on is responsible for managing func- ons associated with sta recruitment, informa on technology, development and training providing a variety of inmate services and programs, including mental health services, religious programs, inmate classi ca on, substance abuse programs, literacy training, o ender grievance and complaint system and assessment services for Community Court, and ins tu onal food ser- vices. This o ce is also responsible for providing medical and dental care to o enders. Programs
Inmate Programming: The Department of Correc ons provides rehabilita on programs, funded by inmate service charge backs, grants and inter-agency agreements, to promote successful o ender integra on into the community upon release from incarcera on. Elements of the program are listed below.
Computer-aided literacy training is provided for o enders serving court-imposed sentences.
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Post-release transi onal housing, addic on treatments and job placement are provided for substance abusing ex-o enders.
An on-site psychiatric team provides enhanced mental health treatment for the inmate popula on who has chronic mental illness.
Medical, dental and pharmacy services have been expanded to address the high incidence of serious health condi ons in the inmate popula on.
Inmate legal library services have been upgraded to include access of Lexis Nexus in detainee housing units.
An HIV/Aids counselor works to iden fy o enders who have these condi ons and provides informa on on services available to them in their communi es.
A community based medical assessment and treatment team provides on-site services for female inmates.
Clinical evaluators work with the Community Court team to com- plete assessments and referral of special needs inmates when they are released from incarcera on. The Chaplaincy Program provides religious services and counsel- ing to the o ender popula on daily. Technology Ini a ves: The Department of Correc ons progressively seeks to enhance department e ciency and accountability, expand interdepartmental and interagency communica on and augment management decision-making using available informa on systems.
The Correc ons component of the Criminal Jus ce Informa on System (CJIS) is being upgraded to Police Central to generate more comprehensive and mely informa on for strategic planning and allow features such as real me reports and implementa on of key features, previously unused to automate manual tasks. This new jail management system is scheduled to be on line by December 2010 and will allow the department to eliminate many of its paper tasks.
The Mug Shot Photo Imaging System (Police Central) has been upgraded to provide law enforcement agencies on-line access to more accurate criminal photographic iden ca on.
The Automated Fingerprint Informa on System (AFIS) has been updated to enable nearly instantaneous computer veri ca on of prisoner ngerprints and electronic transmission of records to law enforcement agencies. To reduce redundancy and improve e ciency, CJIS, AFIS and Police Central now are par ally integrated to allow data to ow seamlessly in speeding the Booking and Iden ca on processes.
The Network infrastructure has been expanded to allow all
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facili es access to the Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN). The LAN is currently being expanded to allow users be er access of shared resources. Numerous manuals and logs are being digi zed to allow more readily available informa on.
The Posi ve Iden ca on System (PID) has been implemented to ensure valid iden ca on of a detainee upon entering the facility and upon being released; using photographic and ngerprint iden ca on technologies.
Security cameras were installed throughout the jail to enhance security and procedural compliance. The electronic system for the outer perimeter was upgraded to enhance building security. An electronic key system was installed to manage and secure restricted departmental keys. New digital radios were added to enhance departmental communica ons and touch screen control sta ons were installed in all detainee housing units and the main control center to ensure sta safety and e ec ve communica on during rou ne and emergency facility opera ons.
Revenue Genera ng Programs: The Department of Correc ons con nuously seeks opportuni es to shi jail system costs from taxpayers to nancially able o enders and other system users.
An inmate commissary has been implemented to require non- indigent o enders to pay for hygienic and other supplies.
The federal inmate-boarding program is being expanded to increase revenues available to supplant City appropria ons for jail opera ons.
Surcharges on o ender nes have been statutorily implemented to fund jail opera ons.
The cost of property damage, telephone use and selected medical services are recovered from non-indigent inmates.
Community Rela ons: In an e ort to increase youth awareness about the importance of making quality life decisions, sta provides tours of the facility to at-risk teenagers and students from local area schools, churches and other civic groups. The facility also par cipates in the community during Annual Fire Safety Awareness Month.
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General Government
General government facili es are those City-owned and/or City-operated structures and grounds that provide the City with o ce, storage, maintenance, courts, and gathering space for the carrying out of community and government func ons.
The O ce of Enterprise Asset Management (OEAM) has facili es management responsibility for many of the general government facili es. Those facili es under the purview of OEAM are listed in Table 5 –9 and in Map 5-7.
Many of the facili es are centrally and strategically located. For example, the City Hall complex, Atlanta Deten on Center, Public Safety Headquarters and Municipal Court are situated in the central business district (CBD), having easy access from major thoroughfares. City Hall East is on a main artery and is easily accessible during most hours of the day. The neighborhood City Hall Tower centers are strategically located and are accessible to the neighborhoods and communi es they serve.
The total square footage of the facili es under OEAM’s purview exceeds three million square feet. OEAM is responsible for the maintenance of both the grounds and buildings at the City Hall complex. Any addi ons or altera ons to the buildings fall under its supervision.
The neighborhood centers lease space primarily to social service agencies that provide various services to area residents. The neighborhood centers are basically Class “C” o ce buildings that are more than 30 years old. Located in the southern and southeastern quadrants of the City, they serve residents in the surrounding neighborhoods and the City generally by providing a one-stop shop for a variety of social services. The three centers: Dunbar, Georgia Hill, and John C. Birdine provide o ce space at a reduced rate of $10 per square Lenwwood Jackson Jus ce Building aka foot annually, including u li es, to 35 public and private agencies, most of Municipal Court Building. which are 501(c) (3) companies. In Table 5 9: City of Atlanta General Government Facility addi on, three City groups occupy space Building Name Location in the centers in lieu City Hall 68 Mitchell Street 68 Mitchell Street/55 Trinity Avenue of ren ng elsewhere. City Hall East 675 Ponce de Leon Avenue The three centers Lenwood A. Jackson Justice Building have a total of (Municipal Court) 150 Garnett Street 78,443 square feet of leasable space, Three (3) neighborhood facilities Georgia Hill Neighborhood Center – 250 Georgia Avenue of which 60,645 SF Dunbar Neighborhood Center – 477 Windsor Street (77.3%) is occupied; John C. Birdine Neighborhood Center – 215 Lakewood Way 10,689 SF by the City Atlanta Workforce Development Agency groups and 49,956 (AWDA) 818 Washington Street SF by paying tenants. The annual lease rate Public Safety Headquarters 226 Peachtree Street at the centers was Public Safety Annex 3493 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway increased in 2009 E911 Center 180 Peachtree Street for the rst me in Police Precincts at least seven years, 7 Main Precincts and 9 Mini Precincts from $8.44 per SF to 36 Fire Stations Throughout the City limits $10 per SF. Atlanta Police Department Training Key Road and 180 Southside Industrial Parkway Atlanta Detention Center 254 Peachtree Street
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MITCHELL STREET
39 BROAD STREET ! FORSYTH STREET 27 PEACHTREE STREET ! ! City Hall ! Public Safety Headquarters PRYOR STREETLenwood A. 03 ! Jackson,CENTRAL Sr. AVENUE ! Atlanta City ! Justice Center Council Detention Center District MEMORIAL DRIVE 21 WASHINGTON STREET 8 ! I-20 !26 Council District 7 Zone 2 Mini 2 " "
28 29 ! ! Council 08 Council ! District District 23 6 9 ! 11 Mini 5 ! " 38 15 !19 ! Zone 1 22 ! " !
Council Mini 5 Mini 6 Council 16 " District " ! 2 12 Mini 4 District Mini 1 "Zone 5 ! "! " " 06 Council 09 3 01 " ! ! District 18 Zone 6 Mini 1 ! " " " Mini 5 04 5 ! Council !!!! 17 10 District ! 07 ! 13 10 Council ! see inset ! District 4 Zone 3 " Zone 4 25 " 14 36 ! ! 20 ! ! Council 02 District Mini 4 ! 11 " 05 Mini 3 Council ! " District 1 !31 30 ! Council District 12
34 24 ! ! !32 !
FACILITIES Miles 0120.5 " . APD Facilities ! Major Downtown Facilities ! Fire Stations
Map 5-7: Loca on of City Facili es
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The largest building in the City’s inventory is City Hall East, which contains approximately 1.8 million square feet of space. No City agencies presently occupy City Hall East as a sale of the facility has occured. Parking con nues to be a concern at all of the facili es.
Structurally, all the facili es are considered to be in the fair-good condi on range. However, many of the building mechanical systems are aging, leading to deteriorated performance and/or failures. The overall condi on of the facili es in this category will require various degrees of long and short-term solu ons.
The recently completed Public Safety Annex.
Atlanta Workforce Development Agency building on Washington Street.
Georgia Hill Neighborhood Center.
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Solid Waste Management
This sec on includes background informa on about the City of Atlanta’s solid waste collec on and treatment system including informa on on the solid waste services, solid waste genera on, waste reduc on, collec on system, solid waste disposal and land use considera ons.
The O ce of Solid Waste Services (SWS), in the Department of Public Works, is responsible for the collec on and disposal of solid waste within the City of Atlanta. SWS also provides a wide range of other solid waste management services that include yard waste collec on, recycling, City building collec on, bulky waste collec on, street sweeping, street basket collec on, removal of illegal signage, vacant lot and right-of-way (ROW) cleaning, dead animal removal, illegal dumping cleanup, and assistance with citywide emergency opera ons. SWS also oversees post-closure/monitoring opera ons of the City’s four land lls.
The City of Atlanta’s Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP), adopted by the City Council in December 2005, serves as the City’s ac on plan for managing the City’s solid waste. The SWMP is a requirement of the State of Georgia’s Department of Community A airs (DCA) and was completed to comply with the Georgia Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act of 1990. The SWMP addresses the City of Atlanta’s waste stream, waste reduc on, collec on, disposal, land limita ons, and educa on and public involvement. The SWMP document covers a 10-year planning period from 2005-2014.
Solid Waste Services
The City of Atlanta collects residen al single and mul -family solid waste within the City of Atlanta city limits, an area of 131.6 square miles. The SWS also collects waste from City buildings and facili es, some construc on and demoli on (C&D) debris, yard trimmings from residents and City owned proper es; and performs various beau ca on services. The City services approximately 96,000 single-family units and 25,200 mul -family units weekly.
Private hauling companies also collect solid waste from residen al mul - family units. They service approximately 72,162 mul -family residences in the City of Atlanta. It is es mated that approximately 41,132 tons of solid waste were collected. The private companies provide some residen al recycling to mul -family units.
In the City of Atlanta, commercial solid waste is collected by private hauling companies and includes commercial non-residen al solid waste, some ins tu onal solid waste, and industrial-sector solid waste. These private hauling companies are not required to provide the City with tonnage informa on for waste collected from the commercial sector.
Solid Waste Genera on
The amount of solid waste generated in the City of Atlanta is expected to increase by 35% from 764,607 tons in 2005 to 1,033,282 tons in 2015 as the popula on and the workforce increases. The City of Atlanta generated
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approximately 178,578 tons of residen al (single family Table 5 10: City of Atlanta Solid Waste and mul -family) solid waste in 2008. The residen al Composition in 2008 in percent waste-genera on rate in the City of Atlanta was 2.23 pounds per capita per day. For the planning period of SW Type Residential Commercial 2004 through 2015, the residen al waste-genera on rate is expected to remain fairly steady and not Paper 37.1 39.3 uctuate signi cantly. The amount of residen al solid Plastic 16.6 15.6 waste disposed has decreased steadily since 2001 Glass 4.6 3.2 which indicates an increase in source reduc on and/ Metal 5.1 5.5 or recycling. The composi on of the waste stream is Organic 29.8 26.8 shown in Table 5-10. Inorganic 2.8 3.9 On average, between 9 and 10 thousand tons of C&D 3.9 5.8 residen al solid waste from single- and mul -family residences serviced by the City were collected for recycling. Residen al recycling data from private waste companies was not available. The es mated residen al recycling rate in the City of Atlanta for 2008 was approximately 0.09 pound per capita per day. This recycling rate is presumably higher because some residents may u lize drop-o centers or other mechanisms for recycling. In 2008, the City collected approximately 65 tons of res for recycling. In 1996, the City began collec ng yard trimmings separately from residen al refuse. The yard trimmings are collected weekly and taken to a chipping, grinding, and staging area at the William B. Harts eld Solid Waste Reduc on Plant. The City collects approximately 40,000 tons of yard waste a year. Yard trimmings are sold for reuse as boiler fuel to various mills.
Construc on and Demoli on (C&D) debris is collected by both private haulers and the City of Atlanta and is disposed of in private C&D land lls. The City of Atlanta uses private dedicated C&D land lls for C&D disposal. No C&D recycling program currently exists. In 2008, the City of Atlanta collected 45,521 tons of C&D debris. In 2008, private haulers collected approximately 49,820 tons of C&D debris in the City and delivered the debris to four private C&D land lls.
In 2008, approximately 27,172 tons of sludge was generated from City-owned wastewater treatment facili es. Of this amount, approximately 10,704 tons were sent to Pine Ridge Land ll for disposal. The remaining 16,468 tons were incinerated and the ash was sent to a brick facility for recycling as an amendment in the manufacturing of bricks.
Waste Reduc on
The Georgia Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Act (O.C.G.A. §12-8- 20) set forth the State’s waste reduc on goal, which requires a 25 percent per capita reduc on rate in the amount of solid waste being disposed, from a 1992 baseline year. There has been an 11 percent decrease in the per capita disposal of all waste in the City of Atlanta since 1992. If only the waste disposed from the City of Atlanta collec ons is calculated, the per capita disposal reduc on from 1992 is actually 25 percent, which meets the State’s reduc on goal. If sludge disposal were removed from the analysis, the per capita reduc on increases to 36 percent.
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Source reduc on of solid waste is any ac on taken to prevent the genera on of the waste in the rst place. Over the past several years, the City has promoted source reduc on by promo ng backyard compos ng, dissemina ng educa onal material and providing educa onal programs. Reuse is another way to reduce the waste stream. The concept behind reuse/recovery of items before they become solid waste is to reuse items by repairing them, dona ng them to charity and community groups, or selling them, all of which reduces waste. Several non-pro t and for-pro t organiza ons collect or accept items for reuse.
The City of Atlanta provides curbside recycling service to approximately 96,000 single family residents. In addi on, the City of Atlanta currently operates three drop-o centers for recyclable items. Between 9 and 10 thousand tons are collected every year. Recyclables are processed at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). The processor, Dreamsan, has established markets for all materials and has extended term agreements with buyers for each of these markets. The City of Atlanta requires owners of any mul -family dwelling to provide containers for the collec on of recyclables and to provide for their collec on. The amounts of recycling tonnages collected by these companies, however, were not available.
To meet the State of Georgia’s 25 percent per capita reduc on rate of the amount of solid waste being received at disposal facili es, the City has proposed the following new programs to help achieve the City’s 10-year planning goals as well as the State’s solid waste reduc on goal. These programs have been categorized as either source reduc on, reuse/recovery, recycling, or special items programs. Waste Reduc on Programs:
o Pay-As-You-Throw o Junk Mail Reduc on o Financial Incen ves Reuse/Recovery Programs: o Don’t Dispose – Donate
o Metro Atlanta Waste Exchange Recycling Programs: o Curbside Collec on Program (Enhanced Program)
o Drop-O Centers (Enhanced Program) o City and Commercial Mul -Family Recycling (Enhanced Program) o Commercial Business Recycling (Enhanced Program) o Sales Tax Incen ves (New Program) o C&D Recycling (New Program)
o Tire Recycling (Enhanced Program)
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o Conversion of Harts eld Solid Waste Reduc on Plant to Environmental Educa on Center and Park (New Program) o Backyard Compos ng (Enhanced Program) o Yard Trimmings Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) Program (New Program) o Amnesty Days and o Household Hazardous Waste Events (New Program).
Collec on System
As men oned above, both the City of Atlanta and private haulers provide garbage collec on in the City. SWS currently collects residen al garbage, yard trimmings, recycling, garbage from City-owned buildings and facili es, some C&D debris, and performs various city beau ca on services (street sweeping, signage removal, etc.). Private haulers collect commercial and industrial solid waste, C&D debris, and some mul -family residen al garbage in the City. The City provides weekly semi-automated cart and dumpster refuse collec on to roughly 121,200 residen al units. This includes approximately 96,000 single- family and mul -family dwelling units that receive cart collec on and 25,200 mul -family dwelling units that receive dumpster service in the City. The City also collects residen al bulky waste items. The City operates from four substa ons located throughout the City.
The City believes that its current waste collec on services are adequate for the present and future needs of the community; however, the City also believes that several opera onal e ciency improvements are needed. Listed below are proposed garbage collec on programs under considera on by the City. Garbage Collec on Programs: o Educa on and Compliance – Curbside Garbage o Set-Out Limits (New Program) o Collec on Produc vity and Opera onal E ciency (New Program) o Fleet Maintenance (Enhanced Program) o Commercial Collec on (New Program) o Improved Overall Route Balance (New Program) Yard Trimmings Collec on Programs:
o Educa on and Compliance – Yard Trimmings Set-Out Limits (New Program) Non-Tradi onal Collec on Services Program Illegal Dumping/Li ering Programs:
o Expand Illegal Dumping/Li ering Program (Enhanced
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Program)
Solid Waste Disposal
The current disposal program being used by the City is adequate for the 10- year planning period and meets the State’s required assurance for 10-year disposal capacity. However, the City understands that its current disposal program is a short-term solu on, and that future disposal op ons must be evaluated and considered for the long term management of the City’s solid waste. This sec on also includes a con ngency strategy for the interim disposal of the City’s solid waste in the event that the primary disposal op on becomes interrupted.
The City now has short-term, renewable contracts with privately owned land lls for waste disposal. The contracts consist of 1-year term contracts, with up to three 1-year renewals. Due to the loca on of these land lls, the City is using local transfer sta ons to minimize hauling distance and cost. A transfer sta on is a facility with a designated receiving area where waste collec on vehicles deliver the collected waste. The waste is o en compacted, and then loaded into larger vehicles for shipment to a nal disposal site, which is typically a land ll.
Since 2005, the City has had a contract with using Advanced Disposal Services’ Welcome All Transfer Sta on in College Park, and Republic Services of Georgia’s United Waste Service, Inc., Lee Industrial Transfer Sta on in Austell. Twenty percent of the waste is processed at the Welcome All Transfer Sta on and then sent to the Eagle Point Land ll, in Ball Ground (Forsyth County). The remaining 80 percent of the City’s collected solid waste goes to the Republic Services’ United Waste Service, Inc. Lee Industrial Transfer Sta on, in Austell. Then it is sent to the Pine Ridge land ll in Gri n (Bu s County). The City has wri en commitments from the owners of the disposal facili es cer fying su cient capacity for the City of Atlanta’s solid waste over the 10-year planning period. Long term disposal op ons are: Combus on Waste-To-Energy Solu ons Mass Burn Combus on (New Program)
Refuse-Derived Fuel (New Program) Regional Land lls Use of Transfer Sta ons to Support Regional Disposal Facili es
Eco-Industrial Park
Land Use Considera ons
Solid waste disposal facili es and other solid waste handling facili es should be located where they have minimum adverse e ects on the community and the environment. When considering the loca on of all solid waste handling facili es including land lls, the following will be considered, according to state planning guidelines: oodplains, wetlands, and groundwater recharge areas. The City will also consider other criteria such as water supply watersheds, fault zones, seismic impact zones, and unstable areas (karst areas). The City
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of Atlanta or a private en ty will consider land use and zoning restric ons, historic sites, archaeological sites, loca on of surface water intakes, airport safety restric ons, parks and nature preserves, scenic views, rare, threatened, and endangered species, and Cha ahoochee River protec on criteria. In order for Environmental Protec on Division (EPD) to issue or renew a permit for a solid waste handling facility or facility expansion in the City of Atlanta, the facility must be consistent with this Comprehensive SWMP. In addi on to the procedures outlined in the City of Atlanta solid waste permi ng and zoning regula ons, the City and private en ty will follow the established si ng process described in the SWMP.
Over me, the availability of sites suitable for solid waste handling facili es in the City of Atlanta will decline. Therefore, the City will need to manage the exis ng facili es wisely and protect large-scale industrial areas from encroachment by residen al or community facili es, which are typically not compa ble with solid waste handling facili es. As Atlanta con nues to grow in popula on, and therefore, experience an increase in the amount of solid waste generated, the City will need to e ciently u lize the exis ng solid waste handling facili es, implement new technologies that will enhance environmental controls and capaci es, and con nue to implement recycling programs which help to achieve waste reduc on goals.
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Parks, Greenspace and Recrea on
Parks, greenspace, and recrea on opportuni es are essen al to individual well being and the healthy development of a city. Together they create a dynamic system that supports the environmental, cultural, and economic func ons of the city. These services impact a variety of concerns: public health, public safety, community cohesion, environmental sustainability, and economic vitality. They are interrelated and interdependent. The City’s creeks and drainage-ways not only transport storm water for example, they also impact water quality, provide habitat and are also desired des na ons for hikers. Water running o of the City’s streets and parking lots carry oils and debris that can be mi gated if ltered through soil and vegeta on. The same ood plains mi gate many environmental stressors created by urban development. At the same me, these lands can be used for greenway and mul -use recrea onal trails, providing opportuni es for all modes of transporta on that reduce dependence upon automobiles. Recrea on facili es can make areas come alive, providing “des na ons” and greatly improve the quality of Olmsted Linear Park, NPU N. life in adjacent neighborhoods. Sidewalks or trails encourage walking, which is cri cally important for improved public health.
One of the City’s greatest resources is its youth. High school gradua on rates are far below what they should be and with a poorly educated workforce comes decreased economic opportunity and increased social challenges. The City’s parks and recrea on facili es are resources which Mayor Reed plans to leverage in his 2010 “Centers of Hope” vision. Focusing on robust programs for character, and academic development and physical ac vity, the Centers of Hope will be a cornerstone of youth development in Atlanta. Commencing with the re-opening of closed recrea on and cultural arts centers by the end of 2010, the development of the Centers of Hope will con nue throughout 2011 on a mul -pronged approach. Research into best in class prac ces, consulta on with a wide spectrum of non-pro t organiza ons, fundraising and development of a detailed implementa on plan will be undertaken towards ini al roll-out of the rst full Centers of Hope. Improvements to exis ng facili es to be er meet program goals and e orts to increase provision in areas less well-served are longer term goals. Path trail around Chastain Park, NPU B.
Management of the City’s natural resources and services is complex. Currently they are fragmented with por ons falling under the jurisdic on of Parks, Recrea on, and Cultural A airs (DPRCA), Public Works (DPW), Watershed Management (DWM), and Planning and Community Development (DPCD) Departments. In addi on, the O ce of Enterprise & Asset Management is responsible for the City’s real estate. The Department of Parks, Recrea on & Cultural A airs – an accredited CAPRA/NRPA Parks and Recrea on agency – is responsible for management of recrea on facili es, cultural centers, park sites and street trees. Public Works manages the City’s streets, rights- of-way and solid waste handling/disposal sites. Watershed Management is responsible for the City’s water, wastewater and sanitary sewer services and greenway proper es. Planning and Community Development coordinates, subdivision reviews, urban open space requirements and administers the City’s Tree Ordinance. Lake Clara Meer in Piedmont Park, NPU E. Project Greenspace, adopted in 2009, is a plan to create a framework of policies and strategies for managing its green infrastructure through 2030.
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The plan provides guidance for the planning, acquisi on, development preserva on and maintenance of City owned greenspaces; and for mee ng the recrea onal needs through the development of trails, complete streets and urban spaces and indoor and outdoor recrea onal facili es.
Recrea on Facili es
There are 33 recrea on centers -15 with gyms; 5 indoor pools and 17 outdoor pools; 5 tennis centers and other special recrea onal facili es, such as J. A. White Junior Training Golf Course, Southside Sports Complex, and Lake Allatoona Resident Camp.
In addi on to these facili es, there are 3 Community Centers administered by the O ce of Enterprise & Asset Management: Georgia Hill, Dunbar Center Tennis Center at Piedmont Park, NPU E. and John Burdine. Several recrea on center facili es are connected with Atlanta Public School buildings, including Mar n Luther King, Morningside, and John F. Kennedy.
Recrea on Programs
Program development areas administered by the O ce of Recrea on include aqua cs, athle cs, tennis, special popula ons, and coaches’ cer ca on. The Aqua cs Division operates indoor and outdoor pools, provides instruc onal programs in swimming, trains and cer es guards and water safety instructors, and has developed the City’s youth developmental and compe ve swim teams, the Atlanta Dolphins. The Athle cs Division operates the City’s youth athle c leagues inclusive of volleyball, football, soccer, basketball, track, so ball, baseball and cheerleading, as well as adult leagues in ag football, basketball and so ball. The Special Popula on Division o ers programs for senior ci zens and for persons who are both physically and mentally disabled. Adamnsville Recrea on Center o ers many This division also conducts outdoor camping, environmental awareness, and recrea onal programs, NPU H. conserva on programs and operates the Camp Best Friends resident camp at Lake Allatoona. The new Coaches’ Cer ca on Program is taking the lead in providing training to youth coaches. The training includes sports speci c content, guidelines for developmental appropriateness, skills and drills, rst aid, and the code for living. Since 2009, the Tennis Centers have been managed through a partnership with Universal Tennis Management.
The Department of Recrea on also o ers a er-school programs at its recrea on centers, providing a er-school tutoring, access to computer labs, recrea onal and cultural experiences, the code for living, various specialized programs through partners, and transporta on to the centers from nearby schools. Each recrea on center serves students from a number of schools, and many of the City’s recrea on centers are adjacent to a public school.
In 2010, the O ce of Cultural A airs launched its “Culture Club” a er school program at the three Cultural Centers, J. D. Simms, South Bend and the One of the City’s swimming pool is at John Gilbert House. The Culture Club ini a ve combines a ers-chool tutoring, A. White Park, NPU S. character educa on and cultural experiences in partnership with outside organiza ons.
During the summer, the O ce of Recrea on focuses on Camp Best Friends, a youth day-camp program, serving over three thousand young people. The summer-camp program o ers children age ve through sixteen a variety of
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educa onal, recrea onal and cultural ac vi es for eight weeks during the summer.
Recrea on Funding
The following have been iden ed as poten al funding sources for the City of Atlanta Recrea on programming: Centers of Hope Ini a ve Fund – private sponsors and founda on dona ons; NRPA Grant Funding;
Americorps Grant Funding; Rosel Fann Recrea on Center, NPU Z. Numerous grant opportuni es such as, Department of Educa on Grant Funding, Juvenile Jus ce Grant Funding, and Community Development Block Grant Funding, etc.; General Fund; and Trust Fund.
Parks Facili es
The Atlanta public green space system consists of developed and undeveloped parks, nature preserves and protected greenway lands. Totaling 4,623 acres in 2010, the City has been growing its park and greenspace system from 4,144 to 4,623 acres, adding 479 acres since January 1, 2005.
The Department of Parks, Recrea on & Cultural A airs (DPRCA) currently manages more than 345 park sites. However, only 147 have any type of improvement. Remnant development parcels, road right of way parcels, old Whi er Mill Park is a 22 acre neighborhood land ll sites, oodplains and sites with challenging topography are heavily park, NPU D. represented in the Department’s inventory, limi ng poten al for development of recrea onal or park facili es. Parks are categorized into nine separate classi ca ons based on the types of resources and facili es present within each. The descrip on of each park type and the number of acres in each category are shown in Tables 5-11 and 5-12 and Map 5-10.
In Atlanta, signature park developments such as Piedmont, Freedom and Historic Fourth Ward parks have greatly increased the value of adjacent land and are a rac ve des na ons, encouraging investment in housing and commercial ac vity.
The Atlanta BeltLine, in addi on to providing a mul -use recrea onal trail and light rail transit within its green corridor, promises to add hundreds of acres of new parkland and revitalize adjacent exis ng parks. A program of parkland acquisi on and master planning, commenced in 2006, has led to signi cant new park development including ini al phases of Historic Fourth Ward Park, Jacci Fuller Woodland Garden Park is a 0.6 Boulevard Crossing Park and DH Stanton Park. Ini al trail development can acre garden park, NPU W. be seen in the Southwest and Northeast sec ons of the BeltLine; and along Tanyard Creek in the Northwest.
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Legend Major Roads Atlanta Parks CLASS Block Community Community Center Council Conservation District Garden 8 Council District Neighborhood 7 Nature Preserve Regional Special Facillity Council City Council Dist. District 9 Council District 6
Council Council District District 2 3 Council District 5 Council District Council 10 District 4
Council District 11 Council District 1
Council District 12
12,0006,000 0 12,000 Feet
Feet City of Atlanta Parks . 01,750 3,500 7,000 10,500 14,000
Parks Design
Map 5-10: City of Atlanta Parks
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Table 5 11: City of Atlanta Parks by Type
Number Park Type Description
Regional parks are major park sites that draw a significant portion of users from both the community and the entire City. Chastain Park and Piedmont 11 Regional Park are two regional parks. They generally contain facilities that generate revenue, like the Chastain Arts Center. They are typically 100 acres or more.
Community parks support organized programming with staff. They typically contain such facilities as recreation centers, pools, large picnic shelters, or 36 Community programmed athletic complexes. A small fee for the use of some of these facilities may be charged in order to partially offset operating costs. The recommended size is 35 acres and service area drive is 2 miles.
Community centers are stand alone facilities leased to a community service 3 Community Center organization providing social services.
Neighborhood Parks serve local informal recreational needs. Typical amenities include picnic shelters (small to medium for family gatherings), open fields for informal sports and recreation activities; playgrounds/tot lots, 65 Neighborhood basketball and tennis courts, and wooded natural areas. Generally neighborhood parks are not staffed. The recommended size is 10 acres and a service area radius of ½.
Nature preserves are primarily natural areas with amenities that facilitate 13 Nature Preserve environmental interpretation.
Conservation parks are areas managed for environmental protection 21 Conservation purposes. Conservation parks are publicly accessible.
Block parks are small park sites containing limited amenities such as play 36 Block grounds and tot lots.
Garden spots are very small landscaped areas – typically traffic islands. These 162 Garden Spot areas generally do not have amenities.
Special facilities are sites within the park inventory that contain facilities not 7 Special Facility typically associated with parks. The Historic Oakland Cemetery is one example of a special facility.
Other Public Open Spaces
Other types of parks and open spaces not under the city’s direct control make signi cant contribu ons to the overall viability of Atlanta’s greenspace system.
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Currently these facili es total more than 2,690 acres. Table 5 12: Atlanta City Parks Existing Acreage Na onal Park Service (NPS) site – 16.24 acres: The NPS Park Type Acreage site, the Mar n Luther King, Jr. Na onal Historic Site, o ers recrea onal and historic value to Atlanta’s greenspace system. Regional Park 1626 acres The Cha ahoochee River Na onal Recrea on Area is located Community Park 773 acres just over the northwest boundary of the City. Neighborhood Park 489 acres Block Park 32 acres State and DeKalb County Parks – 36 acres: There are rela vely Garden Spot 44 acres few park resources of this type within the City. Centennial Nature Preserve 398 acres Olympic Park is managed by the State of Georgia and is an Conservation Park 210 acres example of a signi cant park resource located downtown. Special Facility 175 acres Greenways Acquisi on Project (Consent Decree acquisi ons) Community Center 7 acres - 680 acres: The Consent Decree, signed in 1998, required the TOTAL 3754 acres City to implement a $25 million program to acquire streamside Source: DPRCA bu ers in the City of Atlanta and 14 coun es in Metro Atlanta Park acreage as of 12-31-2008 through March 2007. Per the Greenway Acquisi on Plan, parcels along the Cha ahoochee River and its tributaries, South River and its tributaries were purchased (either fee simple or conserva on easement) to protect water quality by maintaining the proper es in a natural, undisturbed state.
Golf Courses (privately owned) - 91.3 acres: Private golf courses such as the Ansley and Druid Hill golf courses, o er a recrea onal amenity on large tracts of land maintained in a park-like se ng.
Cemeteries - 560 acres: Atlanta has several very large cemeteries within its borders. In addi on to historic and cultural preserva on, cemeteries maintain large areas of land in a park-like se ng.
Atlanta Public Schools – 911 acres: The recrea onal facili es and Centennial Olympic Park is a State owned undeveloped land found at many public school sites make Atlanta’s park located in the City of Atlanta, NPU M. public schools important components of the City’s greenspace system. Furthermore, school sites abandoned as part of the school district’s consolida on e orts could provide future greenspace opportuni es.
Private Schools – 396 acres: Private school (K-12) sites are similar to public school sites. The City would need to partner individually with these ins tu ons to facilitate open public access to bene t from the facili es and greenspace they provide.
Colleges and Universi es: Though many of the City’s colleges and universi es are adjacent to downtown and quite urban in character, they do o er open spaces and recrea onal facili es within their campuses.
Special Event Sites
This parcel along Utoy Creek was purchased Some of DPRCA’s special facili es such as the Chastain Park Amphitheater, with Concent Decree funds. the Cyclorama & Civil War Museum and the Civic Center draw visitors from throughout the Atlanta Region, as well as the City (see Map 5-11). All provide opportuni es to host events of varying sizes.
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Map 5-11: Recrea onal Facili es
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No park in the City is adequately equipped to hold a con nuous season- long series of major outdoor special events. In parks that regularly host events, temporary structures and facili es such as stages, ligh ng posts and electrical supply outlets must be rebuilt and disassembled for every event. Parks not originally designed or planned for holding events which can a ract thousands of visitors, are nding themselves increasingly in demand. These events some mes have major detrimental impacts on the environmental health of the parks and have increased park maintenance costs. The impact of events is magni ed during drought condi ons. Signi cant changes to the City’s Outdoor Fes val ordinance, adopted by City Council in 2002, revised the rules and raised fees for fes val organizers. The Dogwood Fes val is one of the many fes vals held in Piedmont Park, NPU E. Special Events make a signi cant contribu on to the City’s economic vitality. The City loses millions of dollars because it does not have an appropriate site to host major events. The 25 acre Millennium Park in Chicago is es mated to have generated over $1 billion dollars in residen al development over a 10 year period. The redevelopment of Fort McPherson presents a unique opportunity to create such a site. The “Fort McPherson Outreach and Landuse Plan” of 2007 iden ed a minimum of 25 – 35 acres of land dedicated to the crea on of a park which could be designed from the incep on to accommodate a variety of special events.
Parks, Greenspace and Recrea on Facility Funding
The following have been iden ed as exis ng and poten al funding sources for future City of Atlanta parkland and recrea on facility capital expenditures: Park Impact Fees; Quality of Life Bonds (current funding ends in 2011);
Summer Shade Fes val in Grant Park, NPU Georgia Department of Transporta on’s Wetland Mi ga on Banking W. Program; General Fund; Grants – Public (e.g. Federal Community Development Block Grants and 319h Grants) and Private (Corporate and Founda ons); Dona ons – (Individual and Corporate); Land and Water Conserva on Funds;
Park Improvement Fund; Transporta on Enhancement Monies; Tax Alloca on Districts (TADs); and A park for special events is proposed in the Fort McPherson Land Use Plan, NPU S. The Parks and Greenspace Park Improvement Bond (2005A Issued).
The City is aggressively pursuing funding from sources such as state grants, non-pro t founda ons, the City’s Quality of Life Bond program (the current funding will be fully depleted in 2011,) and Tax Alloca on Districts (TADs). The BeltLine TAD promises to create over 1,000 acres of new parks and 22
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miles of new trails. The largest single acquisi on of park land has been the Bellwood Quarry for future Westside Park. The rst and only issued tranche of the Park Improvement Bond (2005A) provided approximately $35 million to acquire land and develop new parks and $40 million to rehabilitate exis ng recrea on facili es. The second tranche is not viable given the economic condi ons since 2008, and it is unlikely that addi onal bond funding from this source will be seen for the near term.
Parks and Recrea on funding increased each year from 2006 to 2008 by approximately 10%. Economic constraints from subsequent years reversed the trend. However, in the FY2011 budget, funding was re-instated in part in order to address addi onal maintenance obliga ons for new parkland and to reopen closed Recrea on Centers and outdoor pools. Piedmont Park Conservancy renovated the Several nancing trends of the last decade promise to play important roles ac ve oval at Piedmont Park, NPU E. in shaping the nancial management of parks in the future. These include: leasing of major facili es, management agreements with private non-pro t partners, joint-use of facili es, private sector support and adver sing revenue opportuni es.
Park Impact Fees are an important method of o se ng the e ect of new developments on mandated City services. The current impact fees structure is outdated, and the City in 2010 ini ated review and revision of all Impact Fees.
Parks and Recrea on Partners
The following organiza ons provide both funding and in-kind services toward maintenance and improvement of the parks:
Park Pride: Park Pride, Inc. is a nonpro t, volunteer organiza on established in 1986 to build civic and corporate support for City of Atlanta parks. The organiza on works to preserve, enhance, The Path Founda on has built many of the and promote parks and green spaces; encourage acquisi on and trails in the City of Atlanta, including the Tanyard Creek trail, NPU C. development of new parks and green spaces and facilitate community volunteerism and advocacy. Park Pride Atlanta oversees the “Adopt-A- Park” program, in which corporate sponsors and neighborhood, civic, youth, and senior groups assume responsibility for park maintenance and improvements. Park Pride’s programs are key to the success of many parks and community gardens.
PATH Founda on: The PATH Founda on is a nonpro t organiza on formed in 1991 to design, capitalize and build the greenway trails system proposed by the City. The PATH Founda on has worked with the Mayor’s Green Ribbon Commi ee and the O ce of Planning in developing the City of Atlanta Greenway Trail Corridor Plan. It also partners with DPRCA and Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. in designing and construc ng mul -use trails in implementa on.
Piedmont Park Conservancy: The Piedmont Park Conservancy The Grant Park Conservancy is working to restore many of the historic elements of the is a nonpro t organiza on working with the City of Atlanta and park, NPU W. neighborhood and civic associa ons to develop a strategy for private investment in the expansion and revitaliza on of Piedmont Park.
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Grant Park Conservancy: The Grant Park Conservancy is commi ed to the restora on, beau ca on and preserva on of historic Grant Park. The Grant Park Conservancy is a nonpro t volunteer organiza on that raises funds independently, organizes volunteer work groups, and promotes use, advocacy and programming in the Park.
Olmsted Linear Park Alliance: The Olmsted Linear Park Alliance is working with the O ce of Parks to implement a master plan for all sec ons of the Olmsted Linear Park. The Alliance has raised funds for the renova on of all six sec ons of the park.
Chastain Park Conservancy: The Chastain Park Conservancy (CPC) was founded in the Fall of 2003. Its mission is to restore, enhance, The Olmsted Linear Park Alliance has been maintain and preserve Chastain Park, organizing volunteers and rehabilita ng the Olmsted Linear Parks, seeking dona ons to enhance opera ons and capital improvements. NPU N. The CPC also works closely with the community, City departments, the nearest NPUs (A and B), and 11 di erent venue operators. It recently completed a master plan for Chastain Park.
Historic Oakland Founda on: The Historic Oakland Founda on Inc. was founded to cul vate resources to assist the City of Atlanta in the preserva on, restora on and beau ca on of Historic Oakland Cemetery and to promote it as a local cultural resource and as a historic site of na onal importance.
Li le Five Points Business Associa on: The Associa on is responsible for the maintenance of the Findley Plaza in Li le Five Points.
West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA): The West Atlanta Watershed Alliance is a community based, nonpro t organiza on dedicated to improving and protec ng the quality of life for residents and environmental quality in the west Atlanta. WAWA is an advocate Findley Park is maintained by the Li le Five for preserving greenspace, protec ng and improving water quality, Points Business Associa on, NPU N. and promo ng good environmental health within the adopted watersheds of Proctor, Sandy and Utoy Creeks. It also operates the Outdoor Ac vity Center on a 26 acre natural preserve in west Atlanta.
Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID)/ Central Atlanta Progress (CAP): ADID and CAP develop, maintain and enhance Woodru Park, a 6 acre park in Downtown Atlanta. They also provide programming in the park. DPRCA and ADID implement capital improvements in the park as iden ed in the Woodru Park Master Plan. The vision of the 2008 Woodru Park Master Plan is to create a sustainable park that enhances the quality of life for all who visit. Phase I of the Master Plan iden es three major CAP and ADID funded capital improvements objec ves: 1. Establish Revenue Producing Food Service A rac ons to Woodru Park, NPU M. 2. Complete Rapid, Inexpensive Improvements 3. Create A rac ve, Safe, Comfortable Spaces.
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Park and Recrea on Plans
A number of prior plans and ini a ves have addressed greenspace issues in the City of Atlanta and proposed policies and ac ons. The plans have been sponsored by the City of Atlanta, Park Pride, and other partners. They all support an overarching goal to develop a world-class greenspace system as an essen al component of Atlanta’s quality of life, economic vitality, and aspira ons to be a leading na onal and interna onal city.
Project Greenspace: Adopted and incorporated into the Comprehensive Development Plan in 2009, Atlanta’s Project Greenspace is a comprehensive plan and strategy for implemen ng a city-wide green and open space system for Atlanta. The Plan establishes an overall framework, direc on and ac on steps for growing and managing the City of Atlanta’s greenspace system. Lionel Hampton trail is a 48 acre nature preserve, NPU I. Project Greenspace iden es a poten al greenspace network of ve greenways and a mul -pronged strategy to developing a greenspace network in the most densely developed por ons of City of Atlanta. Project Greenspace is organized into broad strategic direc ons and associated strategies under three major categories:
o Growing the Greenspace System;
o Managing the Greenspace System; and
o Building Capacity. Several technical reports were developed as part of Project Green- space. These are listed below.
o Project Greenspace Technical Report: It includes an assessment of the City’s greenspace, detailed descrip ons of each of the rec- ommended strategies and ac ons, and the methodology used Nagouchi Playscape at Piedmont Park, NPU to establish targets and goals for Atlanta’s future greenspace. E. o State of Atlanta’s Greenspace Report: This report describes exist- ing condi ons and trends rela ve to greenspace in Atlanta, in- cluding the physical distribu on and condi on of the City’s green- space, popula on trends, city regula ons, and common themes and issues. This report found that Atlanta’s exis ng park system has very li le parkland for its popula on rela ve to other major U.S. ci es.
o Community Survey Findings Report: A Community A tude and Interest Survey was conducted via mail and phone to solicit ci - zen input on issues and needs related to Atlanta’s parks, green- space, and recrea on resources.
o Benchmark Analysis Findings Report: This report compares opera ng metrics for Atlanta’s parks against ve “benchmark” ci es across the country. Tanyard Creek Park is a 14 acre neighbor- hood Park in NPU C. o Needs Assessment Report: This report evaluates the present and future needs of Atlanta’s residents for parks, greenspace, and recrea onal facili es. The Needs Assessment is based on
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the Community Survey, compara ve benchmarking against Atlanta’s peer communi es, and other analyses.
o Park Accessibility Study: This study evaluates walking access via streets to the City of Atlanta parks. Its ndings indicate that a large propor on of the City’s popula on do not live within easy walking distance of parks.
The priority greenspace needs iden ed in Project Greenspace are listed below and shown in Map 5-12. o Greenspace
Construc on of the Historic Old Fourth A major outdoor special events park Ward Park is underway. It will be one of the rst BeltLine Park to be completed, NPU M. Cha ahoochee River Greenway (citywide park)
Community parks in northwestern and eastern Atlanta
Neighborhood parks or other greenspaces to serve neigh- borhoods more than one-half mile from publicly acces- sible greenspaces
Centrally located athle c complexes
Recrea on centers in underserved areas
o Greenspace Connec ons
Greenways Historic Old Fourth Ward Park under con- struc on, NPU M. Mul -use trails
Atlanta BeltLine: The Atlanta BeltLine ini a ve proposes to transform a 22-mile loop of abandoned rail corridors around the center of Atlanta into a con nuous system of trails and light-rail transit surrounded by parks and pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development centers. Plans also include an addi onal 11 miles of trails connec ng the Atlanta BeltLine to other areas of the City. The Atlanta Development Authority completed the “BeltLine Redevelopment Plan” to provide a framework for implemen ng the three essen al components of the Atlanta BeltLine – greenspace and trails, transit, and development – and the BeltLine Tax Alloca on District. The Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, a 501(c)(3) nonpro t organiza on, was established in July 2005 to move the project from vision to reality. A key goal of the plan is to create a readily accessible and interconnected network of parks and greenspaces. The plan proposes over 1,200 acres of new D.H. Stanton Park is one of the parks along and expanded greenspace, including the primary mul -use trail. the BeltLine being expanded and devel- oped, NPU V. Department of Parks, Recrea on, and Cultural A airs Strategic Plan: In 2005 the Department of Parks, Recrea on and Cultural A airs (DPRCA) completed a strategic planning process to develop
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Map 5-12: Project Greenspace priority greenspace needs. a departmental mission, vision, and strategies to guide policy and resource decisions over a ve-year period. It is scheduled to be reviewed commencing towards the end of 2010.
Maintenance Standards (2006-07): The DPRCA ini ated and documented maintenance standards for parks and an evalua on framework.
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Parks Atlanta Rescue Coali on 9-1-1 (2001) / 2005 Atlanta Park System Agenda: The Parks Atlanta Rescue Coali on 9-1-1 (9 goals, 1 visionary mayor, and 1 great city, or PARC 9-1-1) was formed in 2001 by a partnership of neighborhood, civic, and environmental organiza ons, led by Park Pride, to encourage Atlanta’s next administra on to create a world-class park system. PARC 9-1-1 asserted that “Atlanta lags behind other American ci es in every measure of park acreage, and the parks we do have are unsafe and poorly maintained.” It called on the next mayor to endorse a bold new vision for Atlanta’s parks. In an cipa on of the next round of city elec ons, Park Pride reviewed and updated PARC 9-1-1 in 2005. However, the review found that most of the original nine points were The recently renovated 9th hole at the unful lled. In response, Park Pride and its partners issued the 2005 Candler Park golf course, NPU N. Atlanta Park System Agenda. 2002 Parks and Greenspace Task Force Report: In 2002, the Mayor appointed a Parks and Greenspace Task Force to make recommenda ons to improve exis ng parks and increase park acreage within the City. The Task Force’s report, issued in November 2002, iden ed four major themes: o The City must improve the maintenance and safety of exis ng parks.
o The City must drama cally increase the amount of its park space.
o The City must provide special recrea on parks and special events venues to reduce the stress on exis ng parks. Candler Park Golf Course club house, NPU N. o The City must improve management of the Department of Parks, Recrea on and Cultural A airs.
Georgia Community Greenspace Program: The Georgia Community Greenspace Program was established by the Georgia General Assembly in 2000 to encourage eligible coun es to ini ate community greenspace programs. It de ned greenspace as “permanently protected land and water, including agricultural and forestry land, that is in its undeveloped, natural state or that has been developed only to the extent consistent with, or is restored to be consistent with, one or more listed goals for natural resource protec on or informal recrea on.” The Georgia Greenspace Trust Fund was established in conjunc on with this program to assist local governments in carrying out strategies for acquiring and permanently protec ng land. To qualify for grant funds from this source, local governments were required to set a goal of se ng aside at least 20% of the jurisdic on as open and connected greenspace. In 2000, Atlanta City Council adopted a Greenspace Program concept plan and applica on for submission Parkway- Angier Park a garden Park, NPU M. to Fulton and DeKalb Coun es and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The concept plan established a goal to protect a minimum of 20% of the City’s land area as open greenspace that can be used for informal recrea on and natural resource protec on. Types of land targeted by the plan to achieve the 20% goal included
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oodplain and wetlands; greenways; exis ng nature preserves and other exis ng passive parks; new parkland; and vacant/undeveloped land. Approximately 350 acres were acquired under this program.
Parks, Open Space and Greenways Plan (1993): The 1993 Parks, Open Space and Greenways Plan was prepared by the City of Atlanta Department of Planning and Development and Department of Parks and Recrea on in conjunc on with the Mayor’s Green Ribbon Commi ee, a ci zen advisory group appointed by Mayor Maynard Jackson in 1990 to facilitate the parks planning process. The plan established planning policies intended to guide the development of park, open space, and recrea onal facili es over a 15-year period. As a comprehensive, citywide assessment of Atlanta’s park and open space (greenspace) resources, the Parks, Open Space and Greenways Oakland Cemetery entrance, NPU W. Plan is the predecessor to Atlanta’s Project Greenspace.
Park Master Plans A number of park speci c master plans have been completed and accepted by City Council: Piedmont Park Master Plan; Grant Park Master Plan; Chastain Park Master Plan; Olmsted Linear Park Master Plan; Westside Park Master Plan; Peoplestown Parks Master Plan; Boulevard Crossing Master Plan; Plan for the Kirkwood Urban Forest, NPU O. Historic Fourth Ward Master Plan; Morningside Nature Preserve Master Plan; Louise G. Howard Park Master Plan; Southside Park Master Plan; and
Woodru Park Master Plan.
In addi on, master planning is underway for Selena S. Butler Park, Enota Park, and Maddox Park. A number of Park “Vision Plans” have been facilitated by Park Pride with interested communi es for their neighborhood parks, including Orme, Brownwood, Beecher/Hampton, Cleopas Johnson, Spinks Collins, Adams, Enota, DH Stanton, Li le Nancy Creek, Vine City, Washington, West Manor, Eastside, East Lake, Egan, Frankie Allen, Herbert Greene, South Bend, and Springdale parks.
Park Pride worked on the plan for Vine City Park, a block park, NPU L.
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Table 5 13: Greenspace System Targets Summary
Greenspace Type Target Existing Condition (2007) Future Target Deficit (approx)
Protect minimum of 20% of the Greenspace Approx. 13% (6,390 Acres) 20% (17,077 acres) 10,709 Acres City’s land area as greenspace
Publicly Accessible Provide a minimum of 10 7.5 Acres/ 1,000 Residents 10 Acres/ 1,000 3,784 Acres Parkland Acres/1,000 Residents (3,754 Acres)* Residents (7,830 Acres)
Protect at least 75% through Environmentally ownership and/or development 47% (8,677 Acres) 75% (13,876 Acres) 5,199 Acres Sensitive Land regulations
* This includes 270 acres located within the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
Exis ng and Future Level of Service
Park and greenspace goals have been established in Project Greenspace based on an evalua on of the expressed needs of the City’s popula on, focus groups, and analysis of peer ci es (See Table 5-13).
A goal of 10 acres of core park land per 1000 residents has been established. As of the end of 2007, the City’s inventory was 3,784 acres short of this goal. Unless the City develops more aggressive tools for obtaining this land, there will be larger unmet needs as the City’s popula on grows.
In response to the 2001 Georgia Community Greenspace Program, the City adopted a general goal to protect 20% of its land area as greenspace. The Browns Mill Golf Course, NPU Z. land area of the City of Atlanta is 85,384.5 acres, twenty percent amounts to 17,077 acres. The goal of protec ng these acres is to be met with greenspace protected as parks, mul -use trails, watershed greenways, and easements. Because it is a city with rapidly urbanizing areas, streetscapes, public squares, and plazas are also considered to be cri cal components of Atlanta’s green infrastructure.
As part of Project Greenspace, a sta s cal valid survey was conducted to assist in determining the level of service provided by recrea onal programs and facili es. The City’s community recrea on center system has overlapping service areas in some areas, which increases maintenance and programming costs and at the same me has minimal service in other areas. In addi on, signi cant gaps exist in so ball, football, track and eld, and baseball. Soccer programs are being developed but supply of elds for soccer and football programs is woefully inadequate for even current demand. Investment in ar cial turf and ligh ng for strategically located elds could provide Public art in Freedom Park, NPU N. addi onal capacity without addi onal land acquisi on. Grouping of elds into “campuses” of complementary facili es would be er facilitate league and tournament play and make more e cient use of limited maintenance resources.
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In addi on to facility complements, and parkland acreage and distribu on, physical access to Atlanta’s parks is of signi cant concern. A study of park access found that only 50% of Atlanta’s residents live within the 0.5 mile travel distance of a park entrance. This over states access because some neighborhoods have inadequate sidewalks and no bike facili es to parks. Children may not have suitable routes in which to bike or walk safely to local parks or recrea onal facili es and neighborhood residents may not be able to walk easily nor nd adequate parking should they decide to drive.
Project Greenspace - Greenspace System Concept The Greenspace System Concept, introduced in Project Greenspace, can John Howell Memorial Park is a neighbor- broadly be characterized as consis ng of greenspaces and connec ons. hood Park in NPU F. Greenspaces are outdoor spaces that provide for environmental, community, and economic bene ts. Connec ons are linear corridors that connect people to greenspaces and greenspaces to each other, such as mul -use trails, bike lanes, and u lity corridors. The organizing elements of the exis ng and poten al greenspace building blocks are:
The Atlanta BeltLine,
Greenways (along river and stream corridors), and
Greenspace Focus Areas (urban core and lower density areas).
The Atlanta BeltLine and greenways are envisioned as the major structural components of a citywide network of greenspaces and connec ons. The Greenspace Focus Areas establish two di erent strategic approaches to developing the greenspace system. In the Urban Core (areas such as Downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead), greenspaces and greenspace connec ons will be “retro ed” into the exis ng development pa ern. In Playground at John Howell Park, NPU F. the Lower Density Area, the strategy is to acquire and preserve land focusing on greenway corridors. The Atlanta BeltLine trail system forms a “seam” between these two areas (See Map 5-13).
City of Atlanta’s Growth and Development and Green Infrastructure
The Ability of Green Infrastructure to Direct Development Pa erns
Parks o en serve as a focus for community life. Property adjacent to parks is more valuable. When parks are visible and accessible they shape the image and form of the community.
Improving Infrastructure E ciency to Accommodate Future Development
Study exis ng parks for acquisi on, street, and trail developments that expand access by adjacent neighborhoods. Encourage the mul ple-use of lands, examples include: mul -use trails along sewer lines, the use of watershed management lands for outdoor recrea on, the crea on of “Complete Cascade Nature Preserve is a 120 acre Na- Streets” which combine the environmental, stormwater management, visual, ture Preserve in NPUs I & R. and “place-making” func ons for streetscapes with safe and a rac ve mul - modal access for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit and vehicles.
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Map 5-13: Project Greenspace - Greenspace System Concept The In uence of Service Areas and Levels of Service on Future Development
Service areas are shaped by the street network and park entry points. Parks have been shown to have a posi ve impact upon public health, community involvement, and economic vitality. Their distribu on and visibility have been shown to in uence the loca on and quality of development.
The Impact of Service Area and Level of Service on Natural and Cultural Resources
The implementa on of a green infrastructure strategy that provides for
262 CCommunityommunity AssessmentAssessment - 5.5. CommunityCommunity Facili Facili eess aandnd SServiceservices the access, apprecia on, and protec on of sensi ve land, such as ood plains, creates opportuni es for improving the quality of the City’s natural environment and providing outdoor recrea on.
Direc ng Development Pa erns through Green Infrastructure
Development pa erns that make parks accessible and visible result in more desirable communi es. Appropriate distribu on of facili es throughout the community improves the City’s compe ve advantage in a rac ng businesses and provides a high standard of living for its residents.
Piedmont Park Playground, NPU E.
Streets Alive fes val at Woodru Park, NPU M.
Blooming dogwoods in Piedmont Park, NPU E.
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Arts and Cultural A airs The City of Atlanta’s O ce of Cultural A airs (OCA), a division of the Department of Parks, Recrea on and Cultural A airs, was established in 1974 to encourage and support Atlanta’s cultural resources. The ini al mission was to solidify the role that arts and other cultural resources play in de ning and enhancing the social fabric and quality of life of Atlanta ci zens and visitors.
Today the OCA is working to enhance Atlanta’s reputa on as a cultural des na on. The OCA supports programs that educate and expose the public to a rich and diverse range of cultural expressions through a variety of ini a ves. The OCA understands that the arts play an essen al role in de ning the cultural life of the city and seek to provide programs that contribute substan ally to the City’s economy and quality of life. Homage to St EOM Folk Art Park, NPU M Facili es
The OCA manages and programs facili es. These are described below.
Atlanta Cyclorama: The Atlanta Cyclorama, in opera on by the City of Atlanta for 110 years, remains one of Atlanta’s premier a rac ons for residents, na onal and interna onal visitors. The Cyclorama is a self sustaining enterprise opera on, func oning solely on the revenue it generates from cket sales, and gi shop revenue. It has solidi ed its posi on as one of Atlanta’s most valued cultural assets.
Major opera onal and organiza onal ini a ves were implemented in 2007 to improve the use of resources, pro tability and expand marke ng. These ini a ves will posi on the Atlanta Civil War Museum and Cyclorama to increase Atlanta’s cultural impact on visitors for the future. The Atlanta Cyclorama is a unique Civil War museum featuring the world’s largest oil pain ng the “Ba le The Atlanta Cyclorama in Grant Park, NPU of Atlanta”. This historic massive (348’ x 42’) pain ng allows visitors to step W. back to July 22, 1864 and experience the Ba le of Atlanta. The heroism of soldiers gh ng bravely for causes they believed in is brilliantly portrayed as the pain ng, foreground gures, music and narra ve combine to astonish the visitor. A featured exhibit in the museum is the locomo ve TEXAS.
Resource use improvements included both scheduling and personnel changes. Scheduling changes included closing the Cyclorama on Sunday and Monday and reducing the number of daily shows. These schedule changes along with cross training of sta , enabled the crea on of two new posi ons of Marke ng Assistant and Bookstore Manager. The Marke ng posi on has impacted and improved long-term growth through the development and implementa on of target marke ng strategies and grant opportuni es. The Bookstore Managers posi on enabled the Cyclorama to take over the opera on of the bookstore and gi shop. The bookstore is an cipated to generate $100k revenue per year. Chastain Arts Center in Chastain Park, NPU A. Chastain Park Amphitheater: One of the country’s most unique outdoor entertainment facili es, Chastain Park Amphitheater o ers evening concerts featuring na onal ar sts throughout the summer. The facility provides an acous cally sound and comfortable venue for music and entertainment. There
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con nues to be a consistent schedule of performing ar sts and presen ng agencies u lizing this facility.
Chastain Art Center & Gallery: Located in Chastain Park, this facility began its rst art program in 1968 and is the oldest of the City’s three arts centers. Extensive renova ons were completed in 2006, adding a new accessible bathroom to the educa on building and replacing all the porches. In 2008, the roof and gu ers were replaced and the chimneys all re-pointed. Adjacent to the Chastain Arts Center, the Chastain Gallery contains 2,000 square feet of exhibi on space. The building underwent a complete renova on in 1989. The goal of City Gallery at Chastain is to present exhibi ons and programs that explore and impact public life, addressing the social and personal poli cal issues of our me. Originally dedicated to cra s, the gallery has expanded The Gilbert House on Perkerson Road, NPU X its focus to include a wide range of ar s c expressions and tradi ons, and presents exhibi ons that address design, architecture and popular culture in an educa onal manner. Exhibi ons showcase the work of ar sts from Atlanta as well as those from throughout the country. The gallery o ers ar sts talks and special lectures and tours for school groups.
Gilbert House: Gilbert House is one of the City’s arts and cra s centers geared to all age groups. It also serves as a rental facility for mee ngs and social events. Built in 1865, Gilbert House is situated on 11 acres and was placed on the Na onal Register of Historic Places in 1980. Future plans involve establishing more consistent cultural programs at the Gilbert House in consort with local arts organiza ons. The beauty and historical signi cance of the house and grounds make Gilbert House a popular site for arts and culture programs, mee ngs and events.
South Bend Arts Center: The South Bend Center for Arts and Culture was built on the solid granite founda on of the old “Community Lodge” that originally stood behind South Bend Recrea on Center. Both the community lodge and the recrea on center were heavily damaged by re in September South Bend Arts Center. 1996. The South Bend Center for Arts and Culture was remolded to replace the recrea on center. The exterior of the new facility was made to resemble the original building, built c. 1943, while the inside incorporates modern design features, which allow for both visual and performing arts programs to take place. The Southbend Arts Center opened in the fall of 2007 as a mul - disciplinary community arts facility that will allow OCA to collaborate with many established organiza ons and ar sts in the community to make cultural arts programs more accessible.
J.D. Sims Recrea on and Community Center: Incorporates a dance studio, computer lab, all purpose room, arts and cra s room, and kitchen. The Culture Club, the a er school program at J.D. Sims includes tutoring with the A er School All-Stars and Cultural Enrichment Classes, held for student’s age 6-16.
Programs and Projects The Horn Sec on, public art at Cleopas R. Johnson Park, NPU T. The O ce of Cultural A airs operates programs and projects in its four facili es as well as at sites elsewhere throughout the City. OCA programs fall into the following categories: public art, performance art, art educa on outreach and public informa on, and contracts for arts services. The OCA
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Public Art Program: The O ce of Cultural A airs Public Art Program (OCA/ PAP) is charged with administering the development and management of public art projects for the City of Atlanta. The City allocates 1.5 percent of funds budgeted for certain capital projects to the installa on of public artworks. Atlanta is now home to nearly 250 public artworks that the O ce of Cultural A airs is dedicated to maintaining and expanding through a host of development, educa on and outreach ini a ves. The Public Art Master Plan and the Public Art sta of OCA gives structure to public art stewardship in Atlanta while se ng forth a series of policy measures and processes to enable the City to ful ll its public art objec ves. OCA/PAP also provides programs and services that support the arts community while improving the quality of life for all ci zens and visitors. Programs include:
Percent-for-Art Programs Atlanta Jazz Fes val in Piedmont Park, NPU E. Art on Loan
Collec ons Management
Program Ini a ves
Public Art Advisory Commi ee (PAAC).
Performing Arts: The O ce of Cultural A airs Performance Art Program administers the Atlanta Jazz Fes val, Arts in Educa on, The Culture Club a er school program, the Cultural Experience program and Contracts for Arts Services. The Atlanta Jazz Fes val is a month long celebra on of jazz and is regarded as one of the Country’s largest free jazz fes vals. ” The Atlanta Jazz Fes val provides the City with an opportunity to unify Atlanta’s diverse popula on, to celebrate Atlanta’s rich cultural heritage, and to promote tourism. Dedica on of “Yes, We Can” a kine c sculp- ture at Isable Gates-Webster Park, NPU I. Arts in Educa on: The Arts in Educa on program provides cultural programming and employment opportuni es for young Atlanta residents through inter-governmental, inter-departmental and external partnerships. Since 2005, the O ce of Cultural A airs (OCA) has partnered with the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency (AWDA) and the O ce of Recrea on to increase the number of summer arts-based o erings through the Department of Parks, Recrea on and Cultural A airs. ARTSCooL program provides excep onal ar s c and employment training, exposure to diverse cultural experiences, foster high self-esteem and op mism for the future, and cul vate entrepreneurial skills while promo ng the ful llment of being crea ve, disciplined, and knowledgeable.
The Culture Club is an A er-School Experience that provides an opportunity for youth to par cipate in educa on and cultural ac vi es that contribute to the growth and achievement of each individual. Summer Arts Camp in collabora on with the O ce of Recrea on provides Atlanta-area youth ages 5-12 with a balanced ar s c and recrea onal summer camp experience.
The Cultural Experience Project provides every Atlanta Public School (APS) student from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade the opportunity to
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experience the City’s premier art and cultural venues. The City of Atlanta’s vision is for every student in APS to have a minimum of one on-site cultural experience at a cultural venue each year that directly es to Georgia Learning Performance Standards and curriculum goals. To further the students understanding of arts and culture, teacher and student educa onal materials complement the age and grade level-appropriate experiences.
Contracts for Arts Services: The Contracts for Arts Services (CAS) program awards contracts related to the produc on, crea on, presenta on, exhibi on and managerial support of ar s c cultural services in the City of Atlanta. The program recognizes that the presence of ar sts and non-pro t organiza ons involved in the arts are cri cal to Atlanta’s cultural vitality. The arts enrich the crea ve development of the City’s diverse popula ons, and contribute posi vely to the social and economic well being of Atlanta as well as the Lillian Blades Hopscotch. region. Arts Organiza ons: The Arts Organiza on contracts underwrite programs developed by organiza ons with small to mid-size budgets. Of special interest are projects that reach a cross sec on of the City and promote cultural diversity.
Community Cultural Development: Designed to support community organiza ons that develop arts programming, these contracts provide seed money for arts programming in order to a ract other sources of support. The focus is on groups that o er programs in sec ons of the City not tradi onally served by larger arts organiza ons.
Individual Ar sts: These contracts engage prac cing, professional ar sts living in the City who work in the areas of visual arts, dance, literary arts, music, theater, media and interdisciplinary genres.
Major Arts Organiza ons: These contracts provide general opera ng Art on the BeltLine, a temporary art installa- support to organiza ons with budgets in excess of $300,000 and on by Krewe. that present programs or services to a large cross sec on of City residents. Organiza ons must exhibit high standards of ar s c and administra ve excellence to be eligible.
Art on the Bel ne, a temporary art installa- on by Koth.
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