Community Corner

New Volunteer Group To Focus on Upkeep of Virginia-Highland Commercial Areas

Keep Virginia-Highland Beautiful is an informal group of volunteers committed to keeping Virginia-Highland an inviting and well-maintained neighborhood

By John Becker

A shiny new garbage can made its debut last week on the southwest corner of North Highland and St. Charles avenues. The new receptacle – provided by Keep Atlanta Beautiful and paid for by Atlanta-based UPS – is the first tangible byproduct of the efforts of a new neighborhood group that seeks to spruce up VaHi’s commercial nodes.

Keep Virginia-Highland Beautiful is an informal group of volunteers committed to keeping VaHi an inviting and well-maintained neighborhood that residents, business associates and visitors enjoy – and criminals avoid.

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Specifically, the group plans to make sustainable improvements to litter control and weed removal around the neighborhood’s commercial districts.

While it’s working loosely with the VHCA’s Public Safety Committee chaired by John Wolfinger, the group currently has no formal ties to the civic association.

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"Many of the businesses and property owners in the commercial areas along North Highland do an excellent job of maintaining their property – not just the storefront, but all the way to the street," Wolfinger said. "They keep litter picked up, sweep their sidewalks and curbs, maintain plantings, remove illegal handbills from poles, and more. Sadly, some owners do not share this focus."

Wolfinger said the inconsistency creates a poor public image and contributes to the “broken window” theory that says poorly maintained properties send an inviting message to criminals.

He points out that, while a few dedicated residents have taken it upon themselves to periodically clean up problem areas to supplement the efforts of many business owners, a more sustainable solution is needed.

"Our goal is to expand the regularly scheduled clean-up services that occur in certain commercial areas to include all commercial properties in the neighborhood, including those where upkeep is lacking," committee member Kay Stephenson said. "We plan to hold special resident and merchant cleanup days and will be contacting property owners – including owners of a few foreclosed storefronts that have become unsightly – to request help. We also hope to develop a kit of resources so that each property or business owner can easily maintain their part of the streetscape."

Stephenson said the group is just getting started and cautions not to expect dramatic change overnight.

"Informally we’re looking first at the St. Charles node," Stephenson said, "but over time we intend to address all the commercial areas throughout the neighborhood."

Anyone who shares the committee’s vision of creating a more sustainably beautiful Virginia-Highland is encouraged to get involved. Send an email to Stephenson at kay.stephenson@gmail.com or committee member Tim Langan at t_langan@hotmail.com and you’ll be kept up to date on group activities.

If you have thoughts about how the committee can accomplish its goals, Stephenson says, include them in your email.

This article originally ran in the August edition of The Virginia-Highland Voice. Learn more about The Voice and the Virginia-Highland Civic Association.

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