Four Avondale Candidates Running For Two Commission Seats

Two freshman are set to join Avondale Estates' Board of Commissioners, as four people are running for a pair of newly-open seats.

All four candidates put downtown development somewhere in their top priorities. All of them also support annexing land along East College Avenue.

The city would probably do well to have a dog park, all agree, though they differ on the location and how important it is.

And they offer their own ideas on taxes, the environment, arts and more.

Each Avondale voter can choose two candidates for the four-member board in the Nov. 8 vote. The mayor's race is on the same day. All serve four-year terms.

City Commissioner Michael Payne is not seeing re-election and Commissioner David Milliron is running for mayor.

Randy Beebe

Former AT&T engineer Randy Beebe says he's "semi-retired," now working part-time as a volunteer facilities manager at Decatur First United Methodist Church.

Development is at the top of his priority list. "We kind of go to Decatur, but Decatur doesn't come to us for anything," Beebe said.

The Thumbs Up diner and the promise of a grocery store were Avondale Estates reality when he moved in, Beebe recalled.  "But now we've gone in reverse." 

Avondale Estates has plenty of good restaurants, he said, but he'd like to see some "white tablecloth" options and calls himself "sort of the organic growth type … kind of small."

But he said that Avondale's real specialty, the thing that will attract visitors from other cities, is performing arts. The Academy Theatre and The Metro Dance Company, among others, are based in the city.

He also says the city will need to support the Museum School's move by working out a better traffic solution than access via Wiltshire.

Finally, "we're feeling like our taxes are too high," said Beebe. "I don't think they're reflective of the downturn."

He'd like to see some sort of training or information put together to show residents how to appeal their property taxes and make sure they're getting all their exemptions. That's a project he helped run in his old Cobb neighborhood.

He acknowledged that it's not the board's responsibility to reduce residents' property tax bills, but doing so "could show progressive leadership."

Beebe also supports the dog park proposal for Willis Park. He served on the ad hoc committee that studied park options.

Lindsay Forlines  

Lindsay Forlines graduated from UGA law school in 2008 and recently left legal practice to be a full-time mom. She grew up in Avondale.

Her priority is "reinvigorating the stalled development of downtown."

"What our board can do is be business friendly to developers," she said, "fast and efficient," but, she emphasized, "not hasty."

Eventually, some development will come to Avondale Estates along East College, she predicted, so the city needs to be ready to partner with the right developer.

And the right development must have an anchor tenant to be economically viable, she says.  Publix, for example, would be a good match, she thinks.

"You often do have to have a big name to draw people in … beyond that, I'd like to see Mom and Pop places."

Forlines counts the Museum School as one of Avondale's top assets and suggests the board could serve as a sort of spokesman or advocate — when appropriate and needed, she emphasizes — for the school.

Like several other charter schools, it hit regulatory problems earlier this year when the Georgia Supreme Court revoked state-issued charters and forced the schools that had them to scramble for county permission to open in the fall. The board might be helpful when it's necessary to liaison with DeKalb or Georgia, Forlines said.

She said she's neutral on the dog park issue, but cautioned that the lawyer in her thinks a dog park next to where children play in Willis park "is a liability the city doesn't need to take."

The owner of two dogs said she'd like to see the city explore other places.

John L. Quinn

Attorney John L. Quinn is an attorney for the Communications Workers of America. But he's probably better known in Avondale Estates as the man in the kilt playing bagpipes at Fourth of July.

Quinn says downtown development has got to be "in character" with the city.

"There is an overall plan in place that makes sense," he said of the city development plan. 

"I just don't want us to have development for development's sake and bring in businesses that won't broaden our tax base or be part of the community of Avondale Estates."

The East College corridor, he says, is "quite frankly not what I would like to have Avondale look like."

With the appropriate architecture and design, he said, the Publix proposal would be something to move forward with downtown.

Quinn said he would like to see more "open and transparent" city government processes by using the internet and social media to create a two-way stream of communication between government and citizens. There's been good work done, he said, that should be built upon.

Quinn also praised the "high caliber" Museum School and said "it's very important to make sure the city continues to work with the Museum School and support it."

He's in favor of a dog park, but said the city must chose the most cost-effective option.

John Washburn

Washburn, born and raised in Avondale Estates, is the youngest candidate in the field. He is barely old enough to run and is a student taking university courses online. 

"I'm running on environmental commitment," Washburn said. Among other topics, he's studying environmental science and has volunteered time removing invasive non-native plant species from the city.

"I would love to see a standing environmental committee to advise the board of commissioners and the mayor," Washburn said.

He's also ready for downtown redevelopment to happen. 

"I'd love to see us finally get the business plan done," he said.

Washburn calls the entrance to Avondale along East College "kind of ugly."  If the areas outside the city limits were joined to Avondale, he said, the city could help with grants to improve the area.

Washburn emphasizes that Avondale has very good city planning staff and that they should be empowered to do their jobs.  And "we have a city manager system," he pointed out, a kind of organization that gives a good bit of power to the hired professional manager as opposed to the mayor. 

"Let them do what we pay them for," said Washburn. "Our job as commissioners and mayors is to set the policy and let the professionals carry it out."

Washburn also proposes showcasing Avondale's performing arts, perhaps in a weekend festival.  "I want to see a lot more community activities."

A dog park, too, he said would be a good place for neighbors to meet each other and would bring a good sense of community.  

"I'd love to have a dog park … as long as everyone cleans up after themselves," he said.