It isn't easy being green
Group launches fund to save old 'granmaw'
by Andy Phelan
andy@dekalbchamp.com
An old pecan tree, nicknamed "Granmaw Gordon," is the focal point of a Lake Claire community's fight to keep it greenspace instead of being developed.
Teri Stewart, holding the sign, is joined from left by, Cynthia Baer, Lee Martin, Michael Baer, Patricia Emerson and Stewart LeCroy. The groups hopes to buy the half acre plot and "Granmaw." |
Former Georgia governor and senator Gen. John B. Gordon, who is buried at Oakland Cemetery, may have been a principal player in the Confederate surrender at Appomattox that ended the Civil War in 1865.
But don’t expect a group of residents who live on the street that takes his name to be as compromising.
Several neighbors who live along Gordon Avenue in Lake Claire, the site of Gordon’s 19th century Sutherland Estate, are locked in a battle with a developer over an old pecan tree and the half-acre lot on which it sits.
The owner wants to turn the tree-covered lot at Gordon and DeKalb avenues into 10 townhomes, while some residents want to preserve it as greenspace.
Soon, the greenspace advocates might just be locked to the trees.
"As a last resort, we are committed to chaining ourselves to these trees," said Teri Stewart, a self-described "old farm gal" whom residents call the spiritual leader of their local green movement.
"This is the last publicly accessible greenspace on DeKalb Avenue from Atlanta to Decatur," said Stewart, who calls the old pecan ‘Granmaw Gordon.’ "We’ll do everything we can to prevent this development."
So far, the residents have taken their case to the Atlanta Tree Commission, which gave the group 30 days to raise $1 million to buy the land or get out of the developer’s way.
Stewart launched the "Granmaw Gordon Greenspace" fund with Park Pride, a non-profit group that partners with private businesses to enhance parks and greenspace.
For his part, the owner of the property Adam Gaslowitz said he has no idea where they came up with that number. Not that it matters, he said, because he expects to move forward with his plans.
"That land is no more public greenspace than her front yard," said Gaslowitz, referring to Stewart. "We weren’t looking to sell, but if I did it would $1.2 million, not $1 million" he said.
Stewart said she thinks the pecan tree is 150 years old and was part of an orchard that surrounded Gordon’s farm. She also said the old pecan is worthy of study because "she doesn’t get pecan scab," a lethal fungal disease common in many pecans. It’s one of the reasons she applied to the city for an historic designation.
A city arborist Ainsley Caldwell, who paid a visit to "Granmaw" Feb. 19, said he’s taking a closer look.
"I am researching how old this tree is, and whether or not it has immunity to various diseases," said Caldwell, who said he thinks the tree is 85 to 90 years old. Caldwell said it’s difficult to tell the exact age of a tree even if you have its ring count because its growth rate and the environmental conditions in which the rings were created can fluctuate dramatically.
Caldwell said he would report back to the commission in mid-March.
If "Granmaw" receives the designation, developers might have to build around her.
The architect of the project, Jeffrey Wren of EarthStation in Decatur, said any construction on the site would be environmentally conscience.
"Not only are we using some recycled materials for the buildings, but we’re also capturing rainwater for irrigation and replanting at least 12 trees," he said. "And we’re meeting all city development requirements."
Meanwhile, Stewart said the group is prepared to take the case to Superior Court if they can’t raise the necessary funds to buy the land. Gaslowitz said if he doesn’t develop the plot, he’d be glad to sell the property to the neighborhood, but at $1.2 million "there is just no way they’ll be able to do it."
Stewart said if Gov. Sonny Perdue can pray for rain, they can pray for the money to buy the land and keep it greenspace. "A miracle could occur," she said.The fund accepts cash, checks and stocks.
To contribute, call Allison Barnett at Park Pride at (404) 817-6760 or send donations care of Granmaw Gordon Greenspace, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave., City Hall East, Atlanta 30308. Find them online at www.parkpride.org. All donations are tax deductible.
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