1: An Introduction to the Task Force
Residents of Sandy Springs do want change.
We all want to be part of the connected 21st century Atlanta that offers housing that is affordable, walkable neighborhoods and a vibrant community that truly makes a city a hometown. Sandy Springs Together shares these goals and supports efforts by the city to revitalize the North End.
In January 2018 at the annual city retreat, the city made the North End a priority with the formation of the North End Revitalization Task Force. The Task Force began meeting in May 2018.
The diversity of the city was a stated principle from the start: “not only ethnic diversity [but] also … economic diversity, generational diversity.”
“The goal is not to force working-class people to leave. They’re an essential part of the economy of this city.”
sandy springs Mayor Rusty Paul
Mayor Paul went on to say “gentrification must be avoided and upward mobility” increased. He cited Atlanta’s Belt Line as a cautionary tale.
The Task Force met seven times and created six major initiatives for the revitalization. The founders of Sandy Springs Together supported five of the six initiatives. Regretfully, they could not vote for Initiative 1 which dealt exclusively with housing options since it was counter to most of the knowledge they had gained.
The following pages attempt to document the history of the Task Force along with community reactions.
