WORK IN PROGRESS
SPECIAL UPDATE: Tree Management on Wylie Street, with property owner CSX Transportation
SITE ONE: Mural Repair - Various Locations (Wylie Street, between Carroll & Pearl)
SITE TWO: Brookshire Amphitheatre (Cabbagetown Park @ Mollie Street)
SITE THREE: Wylie Street Traffic Calming (between Powell Street & Estoria Street)
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WYLIE STREET - TREE UPDATE
Tree Removal on Wylie Street
Cabbagetown Initiative (CI) has been working with CSX Transportation to address safety issues along Wylie Street. After careful consultation with private contractors and public policy experts (including Davey Tree Service, Boutte Tree Inc, Trees Atlanta, and the City of Atlanta Arborist), we have determined the most responsible course of action. You may have noticed some trees marked for removal. We do not take these considerations lightly, and there are several professionally recommended steps ahead to ensure a healthy and attractive tree canopy for many years to come.
Wherever possible, replacement trees will grow to honor their forebears. Many of us work incredibly hard to make Wylie Street into a restful, welcoming environment, and we appreciate your trust and support in this difficult decision. Most importantly, your continued support is needed to ensure completion of the many crucial steps required to ensure the continued health of existing trees, including addressing soil compaction, erosion, root girdling, treatable disease, and canopy management.
Residents are cautioned to exercise patience while we implement the strategy most likely to succeed. Also, it takes a really long time for a tree to thrive. Rejoice in the knowledge that we too adore this little strip of land as much as our beloved public parks. Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions, solutions, and offers to better assist.
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For removal, there are prioritized tiers: dangerous, destructive, and nuisance. Dead, dying, and hazardous (DDH) trees will be removed as soon as possible. Destructive and nuisance trees will continue to be assessed individually, with the worst offenders (e.g. paper mulberry) managed first. New trees will follow according to the original site plan. However, please understand viable plantings depend on a few soil mitigation steps and environmental adjustments.
Since 2008, CI has maintained a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with CSX for site maintenance and improvements. Translation: Cabbagetown pays for the landscaping, and Forward Warrior paints awesome murals. However, larger and more complex issues (for instance, trees) are subject to CSX legal and insurance considerations.
Questions? info@cabbagetown.com
If one looks closely, the 1987 planting pattern (especially where it integrates with the sidewalk curves) is illuminated, and the presence of weed trees becomes easy to recognize. Several are growing too close to the sidewalk or wall, and risk becoming destructive, or otherwise interfere with overall health of the planned root system.
Barry Hestermann (CI Parks Committee) & John Dirga (CI Wall Committee, NPU Representative) collaborated with CSX Transportation's Craig Camuso (SVP Governmental Affairs - Southeast) concerning this important pedestrian safety and sidewalk integrity project along Wylie Street. While this parcel is CSX private property, it includes a public pathway adjacent vehicular right of way. Your questions and concerns are valuable. Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions, solutions, and offers to assist.
EMAIL: info@cabbagetown.com
SITE ONE (Wylie Street Mural Repair)
“Fish are Jumping & the Cotton is High” - Artist Ashley Dopson
ONE: Wylie Street (between Carroll & Pearl)
Mural repairs are on-going. We can typically remove graffiti within 24 hours, and apply approximate color matching within 48 hours. Our goals include completely restoring original artwork within 2 weeks, depending on the extent of the damage. Our volunteers and paid restoration artists depend on your generosity for supplies and resources, if you enjoy our mural program, please consider a tax-deductible donation to Cabbagetown Initiative via Forward Warrior Mural Project
CURRENT REPAIRS:
1. SIDEWALK
Tagging on the sidewalk confuses tourists and ends up on the wall. We keep one of the city’s biggest free walls ad-free and decriminalized. Make your mark inside the tunnel and join the storied history of Atlanta’s underground streetart. If you’re hardcore, there are plenty of trains and bridges and abandoned buildings for your to explore. Please respect the murals by keeping banal or offensive writing off the pedestrian path. The sidewalk is for babies, y’all.
Please note: Artists spend hours and days to envision and create murals in our neighborhood, and we’ll not abide hatred, disrespect, or ignorance.
Muralists will typically have a sign that says, “Forward Warrior, Official Artist” while our artist repair crews will typically have a sign thats, “WORK IN PROGRESS, Thank you fo your patience”.
Say “hi” and thank them for making the neighborhood a welcoming place for tourists, visitors and residents!
If you see somebody painting without a sign, avoid jumping to conclusions or antagonistic confrontation. Polite, informed dialogue between equals is the cornerstone of our society. Always let others know your curiosity arises from a place of love and respect, and never assume the worst. Many visitors are unaware that Wylie street is a curated space by invitation-only.
We appreciate our community support!
We buffed out the tag with grey (because nobody cares what it said), then our Repair Team fixed the mural because we’ve got a skilled & caring team.
CABBAGETOWN CREATED & PROTECTS KROG FREE WALL. We requested decriminalization in 2003 and continue to champion free speech and free expression. Zone 6 APD should no longer issue citations for writing or spraying *inside* the tunnel.
The wall on Wylie Street itself is private property ownerd by CSX Transportation, for which Cabbagetown Initiative Community Development Corporation maintains an MOU for maintenance and improvements.
Please do not paint without permission. Conversely, please do not hassle misinformed people who inadvertently mistake Wylie for a continuation of the tunnel. Please do not engage in hostile behavior or escalate situations with would-be vandals. Contact us and we will mitigate any damage as soon as humanly possible. If you are interested in joining the mural repair crew, please contact Forward Warrior on instagram or via email.
SITE TWO
TWO: Joyce Brookshire Memorial Amphitheatre
CNIA’s Cabbagetown Concert Series is working on improvements to this public performance space. We are hoping to erect a small wooden platform (stage), repair the staircase lights, and upgrade the electrical outlet.
Expect some exiciting news in April 2024.
SITE THREE
THREE: Wylie Street Traffic Calming / Tactical Urbanism Project
Cabbagetown Reynoldstown Joint Transportation Committee is installing a temporary traffic calming prototype with Community Impact Grant funds under a program with Atlanta Department of Transportation. The project description was first presented in the DECEMBER 2021 edition of CABBAGETOWN NEIGHBOR, You can view an updated project scope here.
This Project is on hold while we wait for Watershed Management to replace the Krog Tunnel storm drains. Phase II work will disrupt Wylie Street in late 2023. Expected installation of Traffic Calming measures is scheduled for Spring 2024.
PREVIOUSLY:
The area is blank for now. We have purged the archive of previous projects. Looking to help? VOLUNTEER