ATHENS LAND TRUST NEWSLETTER • WINTER 2 0 0 3 —2 0 0 4 • 1 T HE A THENS L AND T RUST N EWSLETTER WINTER 2003―2004 ♦ V OLUME 7, ISSUE 2 Five Acre Wood Preserved! This amazing urban forest, which is home to large hardwood trees and an important bird habitat, is located one mile north of downtown just off of North Avenue. The Over the River Neighborhood (a low-to- moderate income neighborhood) leveraged Georgia Greenspace funds via Athens-Clarke County to purchase this land. The Athens Land Trust placed an easement photo: Laura Hall Gabriel Hall Laura photo: on the property to protect it as an urban forest in perpetuity. The neighborhood is working to remove exotic vegetation and replanting with rescued native plant species. The easement will allow for walking trails and educational signage. —Laura Hall Gabriel ALT Moves Office into Hancock Corridor at 2109 Broad Street In late October, ALT moved to more spacious been frustrated trying to fax or call us offices at 2109 Broad Street, on the corner of when we used to tie up all our lines on Magnolia Street. As well as being larger, the the old dial-up internet access. Special location is more accessible to the thanks are due to Emuel Aldridge, the neighborhoods we serve with our Affordable spouse of PoH’s Outreach Coordinator Housing program in the nearby Hancock Juana Gnecco, for his invaluable advice Corridor. Heather Benham, ALT’s new and assistance in getting us set up on the Project Director (see page 3), located the new service. wood-paneled wonder. ALT Staff from left to right: Nancy Stangle, Heather Benham, We also thank Kate Blane for donating so ALT has been providing office space to the Lizzie Z. Saltz, Laura Hall Gabriel many of her lunch hours getting our new Not pictured: Alvina Gilham People of Hope (PoH) since October of 2002, photo: Maureen O’Brien systems running. and along with our new staff, we had run out of room. We would also like to thank Board Member George Wright and volunteers Sue Wilde and Toni Carlucci for In addition to more space for ALT and PoH, we are their assistance in helping ALT get settled in. Please happy to announce that we now have DSL service! This come and visit us at our new place anytime. is a boon, not just for us, but for anyone who has ever —Nancy Stangle & Lizzie Zucker Saltz 2 • ATHENS LAND TRUST NEWSLETTER • WINTER 2 0 0 3 —2 0 0 4 ALT BOARD OF DIRECTORS Board Changes Nanette Nelson Brenda Crawford Beth Gavrilles Patricia Huff New President Vice-President: Allen Morse Nanette Nelson, economist at UGA’s MESSAGE Institute of Ecology was recently elected President: Nanette Nelson FROM THE Treasurer: Al Pless President of ALT’s Board. We are Sect’y:: Dana Poole Skelton delighted to have Nanette’s considerable PRESIDENT Barbara Sims talents to direct us into our expanding future. George Wright Dear ALT Members, I can honestly say that this is not an STAFF …and Vice-President easy position to occupy, given the PROJECT DIRECTOR Allen Morse, a fire-prevention officer energy that the staff brings to Heather Benham (FPO), was chosen as Vice-President for carrying out the vision of ALT. It is the ALT Board of Directors. Allen has all I can do to keep up with these CONSERVATION DIRECTOR served on the ALT Board for many years Laura Hall Gabriel and has an ongoing commitment to the folks. I have never seen a group revitalization of the Hancock Corridor. He complete so much with so little. HOUSING DIRECTOR serves on both the Hancock Community Their determination to bring Alvina Gilham Development Corporation as a Director affordable housing to this and on the Hancock Corridor Advisory community while protecting parcels DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Committee, where he serves as President. of ecological significance is Nancy Stangle His experience working in the breathtaking. I’m looking forward neighborhood has been and will continue ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT to working with all these individuals to be a huge asset to our organization. over the coming year. I know they Lizzie Zucker Saltz Allen has been with the A-CC Fire and Emergency Services for fifteen years. will continue to do great things in ~ the service of our community. NEWSLETTER EDITOR Board Member Profile Nancy Stangle To help support their efforts, please Barbara Sims was the catalyst for the NEWSLETTER EDIT/ LAYOUT take the time to renew your Brooklyn Community Garden (see Vol. membership, if you haven’t already, Lizzie Zucker Saltz 7.1), and is a tireless community activist. or consider making an additional, Barbara is now an advocate for ALL GOD’S tax-deductible contribution to the Phone/Fax CHILDREN, an adoption agency for special 706.613.0122/613.0143 needs children. The agency’s focus is on land trust. (Please see the panel on the back page.) Thank you and enjoy e-mail finding homes for children who wait longer for families because they are school the wonderful articles that have [email protected] -aged, part of a sibling group, members of been [email protected] a racial minority or challenged by prepared [email protected] physical, mental or behavioral needs. Visit [email protected] for this www.agcadoption.org or call 316-2421 if [email protected] issue of you can help. our website newsletter. www.athenslandtrust.org Outgoing address A very fond farewell goes out to Dana Poole Skelton, who has served ALT PLEASE DO A QUICK MEMBER STATUS LABEL CHECK: 2109 Broad Street If the date above your name on your address label Athens, GA 30606-3545 faithfully as Board Secretary. As Director of Administrative Outreach at the Georgia indicates that your membership has expired, River Network, she has helped please renew! (Form on Page 8.) Monthly Board Meetings Conservation Director Laura Hall Gabriel investigate water issues with many of the CORRECTIONS TO VOL. 7, ISSUE 1, Our monthly meetings are easements that have riparian areas. BROOKLYN COMMUNITY GARDEN ARTICLE: open to the public. Former Board President Nancy Stangle Apologies to Reverend Morton, who is now They are held on the third says “We greatly appreciate Dana’s hard living in New Haven, Connecticut, not Monday of the month at work and commitment to ALT during her Philadelphia, and to the business 7:00 pm in our offices. term on the Board.” Fencesmith, mistakenly listed as Nancy Stangle & Lizzie Zucker Saltz Fencemaster. ATHENS LAND TRUST NEWSLETTER • WINTER 2 0 0 3 —2 0 0 4 • 3 Affordable Housing Update Heather Benham: Project Director Rocksprings Progress In August, Heather Benham joined the We are very excited by the progress of 235 and 245 ALT staff full-time in the new position of Rocksprings. The historic homes that formerly occupied Project Director of ALT’s Affordable the county’s demolition list are now an asset to the Housing Program. A recent graduate of neighborhood thanks to some TLC provided by Garnett The University of Georgia, Ms. Benham Williams Construction. received a Masters Degree in Historic Preservation and a Law Degree (a.k.a. ALT recognizes that Juris Doctorate) in May 2003. historic rehabilitation projects can sometimes While in school, Heather became Heather Benham be more time- photo: Lizzie Z. Saltz interested in affordable housing issues as consuming than new her clinical work at the law school took construction, but is her on weekly visits to the area homeless shelters. The interested in providing research for her thesis, An Examination of the History this service to the of Affordable Housing with an Emphasis on community as the Preservation Through the Community Land Trust benefits are so great. Model, initially led her to the Athens Land Trust. Maintaining the cultural Her previous work experience includes several summer fabric of the neigh- stints at D.O.C. (Department of Corrections), the borhood, taking on innovative Athens’ restoration design firm. projects that many investors would ignore, She received an Equal Justice Fellowship to work at and giving low- to - ALT during the summer of 2002, when she impressed moderate-income ALT’s staff and Board. Ms. Benham is excited to be The porch of 245 Rocksprings Street residents of Athens- photo: Heather Benham returning to ALT as a full-time employee. Clarke County a chance In the few months since her return, Ms. Benham has to own a piece of history been a model of team-work and initiative, working outweigh the difficulties of historic rehabilitation. closely with contractors, HED and others to get old ALT We are currently in the process of finding families for projects completed and new ones, such as the Dublin the two houses that should be ready to be moved into by street project (described below) off the ground. Ms the end of December. The houses are selling for the Benham was also instrumental in arranging for the affordable prices of $50,000 for the one-bedroom and office move to 2109 Broad Street (see cover story.) $69,000 for the two-bedroom. 51 Dublin Street Rocksprings Open House ALT has recently expanded its affordable housing To give everyone a chance to see the interior renovation efforts into East Athens, by purchasing its latest of the Rocksprings houses, an Open House is in the affordable home in that neighborhood. The house is a planning. Watch for your invitation in January! lovely three-bedroom brick home that is less than six ―Heather Benham & Lizzie Zucker Saltz years old. As the home needs very little work, we are already marketing it to our homebuyer applicants. The house is selling for the incredible price of $55,000.