This is a weekly feature called Community Notebook, filled with snippets of information, conversations, and reporting about the communities where we work. Canopy Atlanta Fellows and other community residents may contribute to this weekly reporting. The Community Notebook is featured in our newsletter Voices — sign up to find this in your inbox every week.
Zoning codes and roommate numbers
How many roommates do you need to pay the rent in Atlanta these days? Current zoning code allows six unrelated individuals to live together, but a proposed update would limit that number to three.
The City of Atlanta is rewriting its zoning code for the first time in 40 years, which Canopy Atlanta has written about here.
You can see some of the social media discussion about the proposed roommate change here, read Abundant Housing Atlanta’s blog post about it here, and learn more about additional zoning changes here.
The end of an era
“They had everything you’d expect from a mall,” Brent Brewer says about the West End Mall. A Canopy Atlanta board member and West End resident for more than two decades, Brent was a regular at the mall.
Brent walked through the nearly empty building the last day the mall was open, reminiscing about the many times he walked up to the mall from his home to grab a bite to eat or pick up something he needed.
“It was a really reliable go-to,” he says. “It was a very practical place; you could just walk here and get shoes for your kids. You could get uniform pants. The practical things, right?”
The mall closed January 31, with plans to transform it into a mixed-use project. While it is closed for renovations, a few tenants will be relocated to an adjacent building. The development team has asked residents to share photos, videos, and stories of their memories of the mall by tagging #OWElegacy in social media posts or by emailing attachments to info@onewestendatl.com.
I hope this story leaves you inspired by the power of community-focused journalism. Here at Canopy Atlanta, we're driven by a unique mission: to uncover and amplify the voices and stories that often go unheard in traditional newsrooms.
Our nonprofit model allows us to prioritize meaningful journalism that truly serves the needs of our community. We're dedicated to providing you with insightful, thought-provoking stories that shed light on the issues and stories that matter most to neighborhoods across Atlanta.
By supporting our newsroom, you're not just supporting journalism – you're investing in Atlanta. Small and large donations enable us to continue our vital work of uncovering stories in underrepresented communities, stories that deserve to be told and heard.
From Bankhead to South DeKalb to Norcross, I believe in the power of our journalism and the impact it can have on our city.
If you can, please consider supporting us with a small gift today. Your support is vital to continuing our mission.
Floyd Hall, co-founder
