🌱 Theft At Local Church + Groveway Redevelopment Plans + Tillman Run

Hey, everybody! I'm back in your inbox this Thursday morning with your new copy of the Roswell Patch newsletter. Here's everything you need to know about what's happening these days in town. Today you'll read about these stories and more...

• Historic Gateway Project changes requested by Roswell
• La Feria Roswell returns this month
• Ideas for activities to do during Earth Month

But first, today's weather:

Couple of thunderstorms. High: 65 Low: 58.

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Here are the top three stories in Roswell today:

1. Two million dollars in grants, loans and infrastructure assistance for the Roswell Housing Authority has been approved by the Roswell City Council. The decision was made at the City Council meeting on April 11. The Housing Authority said that this assistance will be used to benefit the 40 one-bedroom units at 199 Grove Way. The redevelopment would expand the rental capacity from 40 to 102 units. Per Roswell Councilmember, Lee Hills, the tenants who were forced to leave the condemned property in 2022 would have the “first right of refusal” to return to Grove Way once redevelopment is completed. The Chair of the Roswell Housing Authority, Karen Parrish, explained that the board needs a show of formal support from the city via the resolution. This will allow them to apply for a tax credit by May 19. This credit will assist the housing authority with the redevelopment. (appenmedia.com)
2. The City of Roswell has discovered a resolution that will allow it to make alterations to the design of the Historic Gateway Project. This endeavor is expected to widen GA-Hwy 9 from three lanes to four. Medians, roundabouts and new turn lanes are also included in the project plans. To help prevent accidents, the city is asking the Georgia Department of Transportation to decrease lane widths from 11 feet to 10.5 feet. GA-DOT responded to the city by advising it to paint stripes in the lanes make a narrower pathway for cars. The city doesn't want to take that option, instead it is asking for the GA-DOT to approve a design variance that would widen the medians that are to be built along the project corridor that lies north of Azalea Drive. Roswell would like the medians to be widened from 5 feet to 7 feet. This resolve would constrict the traffic lanes on each side of the street. (newsbreak.com)
3. A report came into the Roswell Police Department on March 27 stating that items had been stolen from the drop-off collections box at Fellowship Bible Church. A congregant who reported the theft told police that the church's surveillance footage captured a grey car drive up to the collection box the day prior. A man was seen getting out of the passenger side of the car. He took the donations that were in the box. The car then fled the scene. The police were told that the donations taken could have been valued as high as $1,500. (appenmedia.com)

Today in Roswell:

• Historic Preservation Commission Work Session - City Hall (8:30 AM)
• Ongoing Conversation: Assembly Point Exhibition - Visual Arts Center (10:00 AM)
• Downtown Development Authority Meeting - City Hall (3:30 PM)
• In-Person Pride Circle - The Open Mind Center (6:00 PM)
• Chattahoochee River Dinner - Oak Street Bottle Shop (6:00 PM)
• Steve Stroud Presents: Building Business. Connecting Community - Mimosa Hall (6:00 PM)
• Design Review Board Regular Meeting - City Hall (6:30 PM)
• Roswell Recreation Commission Work Session - Adult Recreation Center (6:30 PM)
• Dough Bowl Candle & Blessing Beads Workshop - Red Seal Craft Studio (7:00 PM)
• Roswell VB Lacrosse vs Johns Creek HS - Roswell HS (7:30 PM)
• Live Music w/ Tyson Michael Halford - 1920 Tavern (8:00 PM)
• GET Presents Bright Star - Cultural Arts Center (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• City of Roswell, Georgia Government: Are you looking for activities to do this month to help celebrate Earth Month? Take a tour of the Roswell Recycling Center and the Water Treatment Plant. Tourist will learn all about how the systems at these facilities work and help the environment. (City of Roswell, Georgia Government via Twitter)
• Visit Roswell, GA: The 3rd Annual La Feria Roswell will return to the city on April 22, and the festivities will begin at 3:00 PM. Madrid Spanish Taverna and A Través have teamed-up again to put on this event that glorifies the rite of spring in Spain. It's also Madrid Spanish Taverna's two-year anniversary. (Visit Roswell, GA via Instagram)
• Roswell Inc: Reminder -- April's Coffee Connect will be Friday, April 14 at Pop's Coffee Co. The networking hour will begin at 8:00 AM. Come out to enjoy a cup of joe and to link-up with business owners, professionals and community leaders in the city. (Roswell Inc via Facebook)
• City of Roswell, Georgia Special Events: Mayor Wilson will be participating in the Tillman Honor Run Saturday, April 15 at City Hall. This annual run exalts the memory and legacy of Pat Tillman and will benefit the Tillman Scholar Program. The city will not close any roads for this honor run, but residents are cautioned to expect heavy pedestrian traffic on the roads near City Hall. Registration is still open for those who would like to participate. (City of Roswell, Georgia Special Events via Instagram)
• Friends of the Roswell Library: This month's Roswell Mystery Readers Book Club will be held on Tuesday, April 25. The meeting will be held online via Zoom. The online club meeting will begin at 6:30 PM. The group will be discussing the book RAVEN BLACK by Ann Cleeves. Cleeves is a Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award winner of the Crime Writer's Association. Follow the Friends of the Roswell Library's social media pages for more information and a link to join the meeting. (Friends of the Roswell Library via Facebook)
• City of Roswell, Georgia Government: Did you know that the Roswell Water Utility Department has 89 miles of waterlines in the city, and can treat up to 3.3 million gallons of water every day? They also provide service to about 18,500 customers. The department has created a virtual tour that's available on the city's social media pages for residents to view so that the community can see how the facility works for Roswell. (City of Roswell, Georgia Government via Twitter)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Horseshoe Bend: The Centennial HS Band's annual “Coffee House” Fundraiser is going down the night of April 15 in the school cafeteria. A $5 ticket will allow admittance to the event and one raffle ticket. There will be music and a silent auction as well. Proceeds will benefit The Knight's band department. (Nextdoor)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll see you around!

— Jessica Griffin

About me: My name is Jessica Griffin and I am a native of Roswell, Georgia. I have been in the Roswell-Alpharetta community for over 30 years. As a native "Roswellian", I embody, participate, and support all things local. Community is at the core of all of us, and I aim to convey the collectiveness and unity that should be promoted and celebrated throughout our community. Being a mother, a writer, a student of history, and the arts are my passions.

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