Covington GA Living

This past Tuesday evening I attended the regular meeting of the Newton County Board of Commissioners.  If you're attending for a particular reason, like a planning or zoning issue, the meeting is naturally of interest.  At other times, the regular business of running the County can be mundane and a bit boring.  It's all important, but one has to tip their hat to the Commissioners for continuing to do what has to be done, exciting or not.

Quite often, however, you pick up tidbits of interesting information having nothing to do with the reason you're sitting in the historic courthouse listening to boring County business.  This past meeting was one of those times for me.

Harold Quigley, the head ranger for the Newton-Rockdale-DeKalb Forestry District gave his annual report to the Commission.  And in that report, he said something I'd never thought about.

I do a lot of business with builders and developers in the several counties surrounding Covington.  They develop and build a lot of great new neighborhoods.  And the great majority avoids "clear-cutting" the property they're developing at all costs.  Sometimes it's necessary to clear-cut, or at worst, remove trees they don't want to remove, to place infrastructure and homes.  But, because the developers I work with are environmentally conscious, and because they know that consumers want shaded lawns and green spaces, they leave every tree they can.

What Quigley reported to the Commission was that many of the trees being planted today in new subdivisions and around shopping centers will be dead in ten to fifteen years!  Why?

Developers are certainly following County ordinances requiring them to plant three trees for every house they build.  And this past year, according to Quigley, more new trees were planted in the State than ever before.  But, here's your trouble...

Many, if not most, of the new trees being planted by developers, builders and homeowners are ornamentals and trees with short life spans like dogwoods, poplars and willows.  Very few people think of planting oaks and other old growth hardwoods... and even pines.

I think I'll talk with my developers and builders.  I hope other Realtors® will do the same.

Like Quigley said, "You can't hang a swing on a dogwood!"  Think about it.

This will be my first in what I hope will be a long series of blogs about Covington, Georgia and what it's like to live here.  I believe I'm imminently qualified to report what it's like since Covington is my hometown.  I live here.  I grew up here.  And although I had to leave and live in several other cities (for work-related reasons), when I returned, it was almost like I'd never been away.

From time to time, I'll throw in a bit of Covington history and Covington future - probably intertwined with some of my history - but mostly you need to understand Covington today... at least from my perspective.

If you know nothing about Covington, you likely won't read this anyway.  But if you do, and would like a bit more perspective on the city, leave me a question or comment, and I'll be glad to try and make you feel more at home.

Today at noon, I walked out of my office on Covington's historic square, across the street (I jay-walked! Crosswalks only lead around the square and not into the center park!) into the park, and attended a lunchtime concert.  Today's performance was by the "Alcovy Brass."  The "Brass" is a five-piece group composed of two trumpets, a trombone, french horn and baritone or tuba.  Members are mostly local, with a couple being directors of high school band at two of our high schools.  They're good, playing a nice variety of classical, traditional, marches and upbeat tunes that appeal to virtually everyone.

The Newton County Arts Association arranges the free concerts on the square every Thursday at noon during May and September, hopefully when the weather is not too unbearable.  But I gotta tell you, it's almost always nice to sit under the spreading magnolias and listen to music, or eat ice cream, or just watch Covington go by.

There was a good crowd.  People bring chairs or sit on the grass.  Many bring lunch.  Pre-school kids run among the concert-goers.  I ran into several friends (it's hard to go anywhere in Covington and not see someone you know!).  Everyone was relaxed and congenial.  It reminded me of three things..

• Concerts in the park with a band in the gazebo in old films like "State Fair" and "The Music Man."
• Mrs. Mary Mallard who wrote the society column for the Covington News some 50 years ago.  She would almost always write, "A good time was had by all."
• Man!  I love living in Covington!

Small towns are great.  Smaller southern towns are greater.  And Covington is the greatest!

TNDs, Traditional Neighborhood Developments, are an emerging national trend in land use planning and development.  And once you've seen and experienced one, you'll realize that we could all use a lot more of them.

TNDs successfully recreate the magical environment that flourished in our communities after World War II... front porches, sidewalks, tree-lined lanes, street lamps, children playing, neighbors strolling and saying "Hello!"   It's a re-creation of the place we all grew up, or at least the place we wish we'd grown up.

TNDs are meant to be walkable communities where people live, work, shop and play.  Neighborhood features include a town center or town square, parks, plazas, commercial establishments, civic buildings, common green spaces, sidewalks, narrow street grids, paths and trails throughout, and homes with front porches set close to the street on small lots with detached garages and service alleys.

Everything in a TND is planned and built more to a "human scale."  Buildings are closer together and, normally rise only two or three stories.  Unique homes highlight a variety of neo-traditional architecture with lush landscaping and mature trees.  Streets and alleys are built to promote slower speeds and children playing.  Many TNDs offer playgrounds, ball fields, picnic pavilions, ponds, community gardens and swim clubs.  Parks and green spaces common to all residents provide spaces to walk, meet friends, play, relax and enjoy a quieter, more comfortable lifestyle.

Exterior home styles in TNDs usually lean toward the timeless beauty of period architectural styles... Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Greek Revival, Queen Anne, Federal, Italianate and Gothic.  But interiors are packed with modern spaces and conveniences... living rooms, dining rooms, private offices, gourmet-style kitchens, butler pantries with wet bars, large, abundant closets, high-efficiency windows and HVAC systems, extra insulation and master suites that overlook private courtyards and patios.

The beach vacation village of Seaside on Florida's Gulf Coast was likely the beginning of TND development in the U.S., emerging during the early 1980s.  But since Seaside, TNDs have proliferated throughout the U.S., and indeed, in many countries around the globe. "The Town Paper," a publication dedicated to TND promotion and education, currently lists over 240 TNDs in 41 States and TNDs in 53 countries outside the U.S. in countries as diverse as Canada, Sweden and Turkey.

Fortunately, the trend toward TNDs continues to grow.  Even in my small hometown of Covington, Georgia, 35 miles east of Atlanta, there is Clark's Grove, a four year old traditional neighborhood development.  Construction is just underway on another, Dorchester Place, three blocks off the historic town square.  And at least one more has been approved by the County Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners, and lauded for its design, foresight and positive impact on the county.

Yeah, I think we could use a lot more TNDs.  They provide us a nostalgic look back, a positive impact on our environment, a renewed sense of belonging to our community, and a more relaxed  lifestyle.  That's why we, "Your Traditional Neighborhood Specialists," as Realtors specialize in marketing TNDs and historic properties, and why we say, "It's the closest we can get to what we left behind!"

"On The Road Again"... Willie's strains must be ringing in the ears of metro-Atlantan commuters as they struggle out of bed every morning... at least 225,964 of them.  That's the number who spend between an hour and an hour-and-a-half commuting to work each day... one way!  Over 88,000 of them spend over 90 minutes each way!  This is from new census figures released yesterday.

What's worse is that most of those drivers, along with the great majority of all commuters in Atlanta metro (over 81%), are all alone in their vehicles.

All you Californians are saying, "Duh!"  Like, have you ever driven in L.A., dude!?!"  Well, yeah, I have.  And guess what - even though it's nothing to brag about, Georgia's average commute time (about a half-hour) remains the sixth worst in the Nation... worse than California's.  If you add up all the commute time, there are many drivers in metro Atlanta who spend over one month each year "on the road again"... commuting!

Land use planners in the Atlanta area have been doing a good job of trying to convince us to change our ways, encouraging government leaders, developers and builders to move toward Traditional Neighborhood Developments where we can live, work, and play.  Several TNDs have been built in various pockets of the city, and more are in the works.  But we still have a long way to go (no pun intended).

All I can say is, "Thank you God that I live and work and play in a Traditional Neighborhood in Covington, Georgia!"

• Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway 
• We're the best of friends
• Insisting that the world be turnin' our way
• And our way
• Is On The Road Again

Every time I have to...or want to... attend a government meeting in Covington or Newton County, I have to dig through mounds of information to find the scheduled time.  So, I compiled the following list to help us all which we can get to a bit easier.  Following is a list of regularly scheduled open government meetings in Covington and Newton County.  You might want to bookmark it to keep it handy.

• Newton County Board of Commissioners: First & third Tuesday of each month, 7:00pm, Second Floor of the  Newton County Historic Courthouse.  For information, call (678) 625-1202
• Newton County Planning Commission: Fourth Tuesday of each month, 7:00pm, Newton County Historic Courthouse.  For information, call (770) 784-2197
• Newton County Water & Sewage Authority: Third Wednesday of each month, 9:00am, Water Authority Building on Brown Bridge Road.  For information, call (770) 787-1375
• Newton County Board of Education: Second & third Tuesday of each month, 7:00pm, Newton County School System Central Office.  For information, call (770) 787-1330
• Newton County Board of Elections: Second Monday of each month, 2:00pm, 8146 Carlton Trail, Covington.  For information, call (770) 784-2055
• Cpvington City Council: First and third Monday of each month, 7:30pm, Covington City Hall.  For information, call (770) 385-2000
• Mansfield City Council: Second monday of each month, 7:00pm, Mansfield Community Building.  For information, call (770) 786-7235
• Newborn City Council: First monday of each month, 7:00pm, Newborn City Hall.  for information, call (770) 787-1660
• Oxford City Council: First monday of each month, 7:30pm, Community Room adjacent to Police Station.  For information, call (770) 786-7004
• Porterdal City Council: First Monday of each month, 6:30pm, Porterdale City Hall.  For information, call (770) 786-2217

Two rather important events happening in Covington this week that you should remember:

Tonight, Thursday, Sept.6 at 7:00pm TV Chef Natalie Dupree will talk about cooking and her cookbooks at the Newton County Library on Floyd Street.  Natalie, once a Covington resident, has filmed over 300 TV cooking shows and published ten cookbooks.  She's a ball of energy.  Should be a great talk!

Don't forget the annual Fuzz Run this Saturday, Sept. 8th.  Over 3,000 are expected to participate this year.  The Covington Police Department hopes to raise over $30,000, 98% of which will be dispersed in Covington to organizations like the YMCA, Special Olympics and Ministers' Union.  A one-mile fun run for kids starts at 8:00am, and the main 5K start follows at 8:30am.  You don't have to run... you can walk the course too.  Just get out there and support the local Fuzz and their charitable organizations.  Visit http://covingtonpolice.com/fuzz-run for more information.

I walked out my front door this morning, coffee mug in hand, to pick up my newspapers.  The AJC seemed about normal size for a Wednesday morning, but, Hmmm... the "Covington News" seemed a bit thicker than normal.  The Covington News is our official outlet for legal notices in Newton County.  When I turned to the "Public Notices" section the reason was evident... 17 full pages today of Notices of Sale Under Power!  That's foreclosures, folks.  And it's up two pages from last month.  At an average of about 9.5 notices per page, that equates to about 162 homes this period.  Now, I definitely am not an alarmist.  In fact, I don't believe things are nearly as bad as print and broadcast media has led everyone to believe.  It's definitely a buyer's market, and a lot of lenders have gone under... 146 of them since late 2006, according to mortgageimplode.com.  But people with decent credit who want to buy a home can certainly find loans.  There are still a lot of reputable, stable lenders out there.

Those 17 pages of legal notices also prompted me to look at our Newton County market statistics for the first six months of this year versus the same period for 2006.  Here's what I found. 

Solds during the first six months of 2007: 1033 (27% fewer than the same period last year)

Average Sale Price: $170,219 (Down by 2.6% over the same period last year)

Average Days On Market: 127 days (That's not too bad, but still 8.7% longer than it took to sell last year.)

Finally, there are 2715 homes currently listed as "Active" by the Georgia MLS, at an average asking price of $213, 850.  That should last us awhile.  (Of course, there were also a whopping 37% more expired listings this period over last also.)

I'll keep watching out for you...

Fifty years ago (Geez!  Am i THAT old?) I was growing up in a smallmneighborhood of small middle-class homes close to the center of our town.  The neighborhood was close to everything my family needed... schools, churches, doctors, businesses, entertainment, services and friends.

I played in front yards with neighborhood kids, climbed trees and waded streams in nearby woods, walked or rode my bike to school, walked to the theater on Saturday afternoons to see Flash Gordon or Lash LaRue (remember when you got in for a can of beans or corn?), ran to the grocery for Mom, rode my bike to the community swimming pool every day during the summer.  I got up in the morning, grabbed my official Red Ryder B-B gun, and my parents likely wouldn't see me again until I got hungry or the streetlights came on.  The family could even have walked to church on Sunday.  But I reckon Dad wanted to show off the Studebaker!  The point here is that no one had yet amde the assumption that everyone going from place to place would use a car.

Our town, like most small pre-WWII towns, was laid out around a central square.  Private homes started about a block off the square and spread out for a few more blocks from there.  There was a balance of jobs and housing and retail and services - places to go and things to do - almost all within walking distance.  These were the original traditional neighborhoods.

But when the population began to grow and close-in traditional neighborhoods began to age, things changed.  Someone came up with a bright idea called "Suburbia."  Towns and cities - if they planned at all - began land use planning based upon a more rigid separation of land use.  "No one wants to live next to a factory/cotton mill/grocery store," they figured.  "So let's just go a little further out of town and build a nice little self-contained group of homes.  everyone has an automobile anyway, so lets assume that everyone going from place to place will use their car."  Consequently, our town, like virtually every other one across the U.S., became dominated by endless asphalt, strip centers and neat little groups of cookie-cutter homes built around neat little cul-de-sacs.  The result, of course, being the loss of farm land and forests, long ribbons of pavement connecting huge parking lots, traffic jams, air polution, and a population of poor and elderly (those who had no car or couldn't drive) restricted to center-city areas.

Oversimplification?  Yeah, probably.  But you get the point.  I know there were a multitude of social, cultural and economic phenomenon that brought about our shift to suburbia.  But shift we did!

The good news is that my associates and I are seeing the beginning of a shift back to when times were simpler and more comfortable, neighbors knew each other and said "Hello;" when tree-lined sidewalks welcomed bike tires and Converse hi-tops and a unique American neighborhood spirit flourished.  The good news is that we're seeing an emerging national trend in land use planning and developing toward recreating the magical environment I grew up in - the Traditional Neighborhood.

(Covington Georgia's premiere Traditional Neighborhood Developments include Clark;s Grove and Dorchester Place.)