Category Archives: Alpharetta

An open and honest debate

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Last night the Alpharetta High School debate team hosted a candidate’s forum. In my remarks to the crowd I pointed out that open, honest debate is what elections are supposed to be about. I emphasized the word “supposed” because the political discourse in this city has become anything but an open and honest debate.

Almost two months ago I declared my candidacy for Alpharetta City Council post 4 because I knew my opponent’s track record and could not bear the thought of her running unopposed. At the time I knew it would be difficult to win a race against an entrenched, establishment candidate but I felt the people of Alpharetta deserved to have another option and regardless of the outcome I looked forward to an open and honest debate about the future of our city.

For the last two months I have done everything in my power to keep this campaign focused on the future of Alpharetta. Scandals and allegations have surrounded my opponent from nearly day one yet I have refused to get caught up in mudslinging. Instead I have devoted all of my time and energy to getting out my message: growth we can live with, leadership on traffic issues and low taxes.

But an open and honest debate takes two people and today’s Alpharetta Revue is a perfect example of what I have been up against.

Page 24 of the October 27, 2011 edition of the Alpharetta Revue contains a candidate profile that my opponent submitted for publication. In Mrs. Oakes’ profile she claims, “Then we must clean up some problems created before I arrived. For example, Prospect Park and Windward Mill were both voted on by council before I arrived”.

That statement is blatantly false. Mrs. Oakes did vote for the Windward Mill development which added seven condominium towers to one of the most congested intersections in Alpharetta. I know that because I was there and it is a matter of public record. But you don’t have to take my word for it, just turn to page 5 of the same paper.

On page 5 there is an article explaining how Mrs. Oakes publicly denied voting for Windward Mill during a debate. Then when the reporter confronted her with the truth, Mrs. Oakes quickly changed her story and responded, “I think it was the right thing at the right location.”

So on page twenty four Mrs. Oakes claims that she did not vote for a high density mixed use project and asks voters to re-elect her so she can clean up the mess left by her predecessor. But on page five Mrs. Oakes admits the truth and defends her vote for the project by saying it was the right thing to do.

It is simply impossible to conduct an open and honest debate with that kind of politician.

Alpharetta is at a critical crossroads of our future. These are challenging times and we can’t afford four more years of false claims with abrupt position switches.

We need leadership. For more than a decade I provided that leadership in protecting the quality of life that makes Alpharetta special. I have the track record to prove it.

So I ask you to please vote for Jim Gilvin, Alpharetta City Council Post 4.

The People of Alpharetta Deserve the Truth

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On April 28, 2008 my opponent, Cheryl Oakes, voted to approve a high density mixed use project which will eventually be built at the corner of Windward Parkway and Northpoint Parkway in Alpharetta. I know this because the project called for seven high-rise condo towers to be built in my children’s school district and after months of trying to prevent its approval I was sitting in the audience when the vote was taken.

I mention this now because the Downtown Alpharetta Trade Association held a candidate forum last night and at the event I stated that my opponent for City Council Post 4 had voted to approve that project. Then something surreal happened.

My opponent stood up in front of a room full of Alpharetta voters and blatantly misstated the facts about her record.

Ms. Oakes told the people that she had not voted for the project at all. Ms. Oakes then went on to make the bizarre claim that it was actually her predecessor on council that had voted for the project before Cheryl took office in 2008.

I was stunned that a political candidate could stand up in front of a crowd and so blatantly misstate the facts.  The truth is a matter of public record.

Cheryl Oakes began her term on Alpharetta City Council on January 7, 2008 as reported here. The vote on the high density mixed use project was taken on April 28, 2008 as reported here. The public record shows that all city council members were present at the time and the vote was unanimous as you can see for yourself here.

Ms. Oakes’ predecessor was actually at the DATA forum as well and both she and a current mayoral candidate confirmed my account of the events.

There is no question that my opponent voted to add seven condominium towers to that corner of Windward Parkway. And now there is no question that she blatantly misstated the facts to the voters of Alpharetta.

I take no pleasure in pointing out what my opponent has done… but the people of Alpharetta deserve the truth.

And as a candidate for Alpharetta City Council Post 4 it is my duty to make sure they know the truth before voting on Tuesday, November 8.

The future of Alpharetta

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Tonight the City of Alpharetta had planned to approve a new Comprehensive Land Use Plan that would forever change the complexion of our community. The plan was designed to serve as a blueprint for development in Alpharetta for the next twenty years and you can find the full report here on the city’s website. But late last week the city unexpectedly postponed the vote for the proposal and it will now be decided after the November election.

Why the change?

In recent years the people of Alpharetta have been busy trying to support their families in the middle of a devastating recession and very few have had the time or energy to follow the minutiae of local zoning issues. That is why I have worked so hard to help my fellow Alpharettans understand organizations like the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority and the Georgia Department of Transportation have been busy working with developers and Alpharetta’s Community Development Department to devise a new blueprint for our city. A blueprint which calls for thousands and thousands of high density housing units to be added within mixed use developments all along Northpoint Parkway, Haynes Bridge Road and Highway 9.

If that blueprint is approved in its current form the future of Alpharetta will be one of more traffic, lower quality of life and endless cycles of school redistricting forced on our children. To help you see what I am talking about I have illustrated the vast acreage which would be designated for high density and mixed use residential complexes in the new plan. You can click on the image to enlarge it:

Alpharetta would never be the same.

People who support the urbanization of Alpharetta have tried to minimize the effects of this drastic change but Alpharettans need only look at what happened to Sandy Springs when this kind of development occurred there. The schools suffered, the quality of life completely changed and the traffic is worse than ever before despite the addition of four MARTA stations.

Fortunately our current election season has brought a great deal of scrutiny upon the revised land use plan and as a result none of our elected officials seem anxious to vote for the proposal before facing the voters next month. Although our current mayor and city council have unanimously supported the development plan in the past, some of them may be having second thoughts. So the city has decided to postpone the decision until after the election

But let there be no misunderstanding. My opponent fully supports the plan to urbanize Alpharetta. In her four years on city council she has already approved two enormous high density mixed use projects which are stalled by the economy. And to quote her campaign website,”Cheryl pushed a new comprehensive land use plan…”.

The choice is clear. If you want our city’s future to be more high density developments with thousands and thousands of high-rise condos or apartments… you should vote for my opponent.

On the other hand if you want a city council representative whose vision of Alpharetta is one that will always be a special place to live… you should vote for Jim Gilvin on November 8th.

It really is that simple. Thank you for your support.

“T-SPLOST list doesn’t spend the money where the traffic is”

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Kyle Wingfield recently had a new column about Georgia’s proposed transportation sales tax increase, the T-SPLOST. Here is an excerpt that is particularly relevant to the residents of Alpharetta:

What’s more, 46 percent of the people in the 10-county region live OTP in Cobb, North Fulton, Dunwoody and Gwinnett. Likewise, 46 percent of the T-SPLOST’s projected revenues — $2.83 billion out of $6.14 billion — come from that northern swath.

Yet, the current project list would leave this region well short of its proportional take. Even if we include some federal funding tabbed for projects in the northern suburbs, they’d get shortchanged by $150 million. And you may as well ignore another $132 million for studying future transit along 400 and 85, since those two projects would be hundreds of millions of dollars and a decade or more away from existence.

Worse, about one in four dollars devoted to the area would go to a single rail project that would barely cross into Cobb.

Still, we are only now reaching the coup de grace. That would be Ellis’ wish to suck yet another $33 million out of the 400 corridor.

Doing so would leave an area that provides almost half the population and revenues for the T-SPLOST — and way more than half of the region’s traffic congestion — with barely one-third of the proceeds.    (emphasis mine)

Transportation is one of the biggest issues facing the city of Alpharetta and we do need a regional solution. But it becomes more apparent every day that the T-SPLOST is not that solution. Before we waste any more time I hope our state legislators will realize that we need a real solution and stop wasting precious time on a proposal that is destined for failure.

I encourage you to read the whole column here.

High Density = High Traffic = High Pollution

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Common sense tells us that cramming 500  condos onto twelve acres of land will create more traffic and pollution than putting 50 single family homes on the same parcel. But common sense isn’t always the prevailing wisdom so it is nice to see this article on the newgeography.com website.

For years, regional  transportation plans, public officials, and urban planners have been seeking to  densify urban areas, using strategies referred to as “smart growth” or “livability.”  They have claimed that densifying urban areas would lead to lower levels of air  pollution, principally because it is believed to reduce travel by car. In fact,  however, EPA data show that higher population densities are strongly associated with higher  levels of automobile travel and more intense air pollution emissions from cars  and other highway vehicles. In short, higher emissions cause people to breathe  more in air pollution, which can be unhealthful. (emphasis mine)

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To put in the economic terms that appear so often in  planning literature on “urban sprawl,” more intense traffic  congestion and the consequent higher air pollution emissions are negative  externalities of smart growth and densification.

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There are myriad difficulties  with smart growth and livability policies, not least their association with  higher housing prices, a higher cost of living, muted economic growth, and decreased  mobility and access to jobs in metropolitan areas. As the EPA data show, the  densification policies of smart growth and livability also make air pollution  worse for people at risk.

Alpharetta voters should take the time to read the entire article linked above because the new Comprehensive Land Use Plan being proposed by Alpharetta’s Community Development Department calls for more of the same high density developments which exacerbate the traffic issues we already face.

The newspaper profile that could have been

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Two weeks ago I was contacted by a reporter from the Alpharetta Neighbor for information to be used in an article about the Alpharetta City Council post 4 race. The reporter requested our positions on the crucial issues facing Alpharetta and I was happy to provide clear answers that would illustrate why I am the better candidate to represent the people of Alpharetta.

Unfortunately the article published yesterday left most of our positions on the cutting room floor. I appreciate the paper’s effort to cover our campaign but by the time our responses were edited it was impossible for the public to understand that my opponent has repeatedly voted for high density developments which will hurt Alpharetta’s schools and quality of life while I opposed them.

The people of Alpharetta deserve to know the actual positions of the candidates they choose so I am publishing my full responses to the reporter’s questions below:

1)   What would you say are your top three priorities for the city?

Growth We Can Live With

My top priority will be to defend our schools, our quality of life and our property values in Alpharetta. We live in a special place. We have great schools, great parks and a world class public safety department to protect us. We provide a welcoming business climate in a great place to raise families.

For four years those qualities have been under attack as my opponent voted for high density housing projects and zoning initiatives that will make Alpharetta’s traffic unbearable and force our children to endure endless cycles of school redistricting. Alpharettans realize that some growth is necessary; they also realize that growth which destroys our quality of life and is neither necessary nor desirable.

For more than a decade I have worked to protect our schools, quality of life and property values. The people of Alpharetta deserve growth they can live with and I will work tirelessly to make sure they get it.

Fiscally conservative means low taxes

One of my top priorities will be to make sure Alpharetta continues to be a good steward of our taxpayers’ money. Alpharetta has an excellent track record of financial responsibility but as we elect four councilmembers and a new mayor it is important to choose candidates that have demonstrated fiscally conservative principles.

Unlike my opponent, I opposed the outrageous GA 400 toll extension while there was still time to stop it. I was also one of the first people to point out that the proposed transportation tax increase will cost Alpharetta households thousands of dollars while doing almost nothing to relieve congestion or reduce our commute times. Alpharetta deserves a city council person who has demonstrated fiscally conservative leadership. I am that person.

Leadership on traffic issues

A third goal would be to provide much needed leadership in addressing Alpharetta’s persistent traffic problem. Fulton County and the state of Georgia have ignored the road improvements necessary to support our community’s expanding population for decades. Taxes paid here have been used to support road improvements and transit projects in other parts of the county and state. Roads built for a city of 10,000 people are now used by more than 50,000.

The solution to this problem is the widening of bottlenecked intersections and secondary arterial roads. Alpharetta deserves a city council person who will do a better job of prioritizing road improvements and actively pressure the county, state and federal authorities who refuse to adequately address our problem. I am that person.

2)      What direction would you like to see development and/or redevelopment take in the city? Any goals or initiatives you would like to take as a council member?

One goal I have is to see Alpharetta’s Community Development Department show more faith in the people of Alpharetta as we look to the future. Planning consultant Della Rucker once wrote, “If the people who live around a proposed development oppose a development, chances are those people know something that is important to the health of their neighborhood and the larger community.”

Over the past four years there has been an enormous chasm between the vision of the future shared by people who live in Alpharetta and what the city is doing based on the directives of outside consultants, developers and regional commissions. The people of Alpharetta know what is best for our community, our families and our schools. The city needs to show more respect for their wisdom.

3)      What are your thoughts on the Downtown Development Plan?

I am committed to helping the people of Alpharetta achieve their vision of a thriving and prosperous downtown community. I am proud to have played a key role in calling for an improved plan two years ago and there is no question that this proposal is far better for our community and our taxpayers.

I support this new plan for downtown and I hope that when voters approve the bond issue in November they also elect me because they deserve a city council representative that will revisit the need for a $9 million dollar parking garage at this time. Regardless of how the November elections turn out I look forward to seeing a revival of downtown Alpharetta.

4)      Transportation is always a hot topic in Alpharetta. What are your goals in regard to transportation and traffic problems?

Traffic is one of the biggest issues facing Alpharetta residents and has been for years. The solution is to increase our road capacity to a level appropriate for our current traffic flows. It isn’t really that complicated but it will take more time and energy than my opponent has dedicated to the issue. Here is a three point plan to reduce congestion in Alpharetta:

*Stop high density zoning initiatives that will make our traffic problem worse.

*Synchronize Alpharetta’s traffic signals using real time technology.

*Target transportation dollars to our overburdened secondary roads and intersections.

5)      How would you say your past experiences have prepared you to be the best candidate in this election?

For more than a decade I have dedicate my time to protecting Alpharetta’s schools, quality of life and property values. I publicly advocated for the expansion of Alpharetta’s parks and was instrumental in preventing the city from making an enormous financial mistake with the previous City Center proposal. I have served as the president of an Alpharetta homeowners group with more than 1,500 member households and continue to promote public awareness and involvement as editor of the group’s newsletter. My commitment to public involvement is also why I spend my free time publicizing the issues that affect our city through my blog and other social media venues.

The thousands of hours I spend volunteering in Alpharetta schools and recreational programs give me a valuable insight into what makes Alpharetta great… our people. That experience will serve our city well as I continue to support and defend the quality of life we enjoy.

I hope this is helpful to the voters of Alpharetta as they decide who will best represent them over the next four years.

Jim Gilvin profile in the Alpharetta Revue

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In case you missed my candidate profile in the Alpharetta Revue:

In November of 2007, none of the candidates for Alpharetta City Council ran on a platform of unbridled urban development for our city. Yet looking back, we see that is exactly what we got.

Shortly after that election, the City Council approved a 47-acre high-density project with a 15-story condo tower at exit 11 on Ga. 400. Then, they approved a new zoning initiative which will bring thousands more condos and/or apartments to the Milton High School district. Recently, the council approved a third mega project, The Peridot, on Haynes Bridge Road, and they are advancing a revised comprehensive land use plan that will add thousands more apartments and/or condos.

These unprecedented zoning changes will make traffic in Alpharetta absolutely unbearable. The children of Alpharetta will be forced to endure an endless cycle of disruptive school redistricting. The struggling downtown community, the new owners of Prospect Park and the vacant properties that now dot the landscape in Alpharetta will be faced with even more competition for scarce shoppers, dollars and residents.

The people of Alpharetta realize that some growth is desirable and inevitable. They also realize that there is a limit to how much growth our community can sustain without destroying the quality of life we now enjoy.

That is why I am running for the Alpharetta City Council Post 4 seat.

The voters of Alpharetta can now choose between two very distinct visions of their future. Voters can choose to elect the incumbent with a record of supporting unbridled growth regardless of the consequences, or they can choose to vote for my proven track record of promoting growth that Alpharettans can live with.

Alpharettans deserve a City Council representative that will work tirelessly to promote and defend their vision of Alpharetta’s future. I am that person.

You can read the whole thing at northfulton.com.

This is not your typical campaign website

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This website would be more accurately described as a blog. It was created in 2008 and named GA Jim. It was intended as a whimsical way for a busy, forty-something real estate agent with a wife and two kids to reach out to like-minded people in those few precious snippets of time between little league games, listing presentations, homeowners organizations and zoning meetings.

Over time GA Jim evolved into an issue oriented political blog focused primarily on events affecting the families of Alpharetta, the people of Georgia and our great nation, the United States of America. GA Jim became a place where people busy raising their families could turn to keep up with the news affecting their children’s school or find out why Douglas Road was closed down. GA Jim became a place where people who never read the public notices in the newspaper could turn to find out how a zoning issue might affect them.

Sometimes I tried to be funny, sometimes I tried to be provocative and more often than not I probably failed to do either. Over the years I have easily spent thousands of hours writing and researching the columns on GA Jim and I have never gotten a penny in return. It has been a labor of love that over time managed to develop a dedicated following among the people who care about such things.

So last week when I decided to run for City Council I was faced with a dilemma. What would I do with GA Jim? It was fine for me to write irreverent, biting or sarcastic blog posts about local issues when I was just another guy with opinions. But as someone seeking to represent the people of Alpharetta that would no longer be appropriate. So what would I do?

A normal politician would never start a blog like GA Jim in the first place and if it did exist they would be sure to delete it before running for office. It contains heartfelt opinions, stances and positions that will undoubtably be attacked by my political opponents. The typical politician would erase GA Jim with the click of a button and eliminate hundreds of posts containing their thoughts over the last two years. With the blog erased they could take any position that would help them get elected without fear of contradiction. That’s what any normal politician would do.

But I am not a normal politician. Until 4:15 last Wednesday afternoon I was just another husband, father and conservative voter frustrated by the political world around me. The decision to run for City Council didn’t change any of that. It simply added the word candidate to the description.

I am now a candidate for Alpharetta City Council post 4. By qualifying to run for City Council I made a commitment to the people of Alpharetta. I want to represent them and if they allow me that honor I will treat the issues with the seriousness they deserve and conduct myself at all times in a manner befitting their trust. Becoming a candidate will not change who I am but it does change how this blog can best serve the people of Alpharetta.

GA Jim is now my campaign website. This is not your typical campaign website because I am not your typical politician.

Please vote for Jim Gilvin on November 8th.

Tax incentives to attract and retain jobs in Alpharetta

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I have watched with great interest as local and state governments have become very aggressive in providing tax incentives for businesses that are willing to relocate into or extend a commitment to stay in their communities. If you read closely enough in any of the recent press releases about a business relocation you will find some indication that the local government was willing to sacrifice some short term tax revenue for the long term growth it could provide.

If you are unfamiliar with the phenomenom I suggest you read this article about the incentives which enticed Porsche to move their North American Headquarters from Sandy Springs to the old Ford plant site near Hartsfield airport. You can also read here on the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce site how Sandy Springs is aggressively pursuing policies that will attract businesses:

 Last night, the Sandy Springs City Council voted to establish reductions in the occupation tax to benefit businesses located in the City. The reductions include a blanket out-of-state sales exemption and a blanket franchise fee exemption for franchisees, which are located out-of-state. In addition, the Council further reduced the cap on maximum occupation tax paid in any one tax year from $400,000 to $75,000.

As a real estate agent I know it is always better to compete on features if you can. But I also realize that in the end it often comes down to price. And in today’s economy price is more important than ever before.

Back in December of 2010 I wrote a blogpost titled “Kudos to the City of Alpharetta for reducing fees as an incentive for new businesses!” which praised the city for taking a small step toward this innovative approach. You can read the whole thing here.

As a City Councilman I would like to see Alpharetta pursue these avenues more aggressively. I know that my opponent in this campaign will try to portray me as “anti-growth’ but that is patently absurd.

I am not anti-growth. I just support growth we can live with.

Yes it is true. I have crossed over to the dark side.

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Former City Clerk Sue Rainwater wishes me luck

Today I registered as a candidate for the Alpharetta City Council post 4 seat. After complaining about politics and politicians for most of my adult life I finally decided that it was time to put up or shut up.

And as any of my regular readers know, shutting up was never really an option.

Looking ahead to the next two months of campaigning I expect it will be exciting, daunting, frustrating and sometimes even rewarding. I don’t know how much of the campaign I will be able to share on these pages but fear not… the GA Jim blog will survive.