City puts moratorium on apartment complexes

Critics say Roswell is making housing less affordable.

Roswell has ordered a 90-day moratorium on apartment complexes and may make the change permanent.

The city’s long-term goal is to attract mixed-use development and no longer allow developers to build standalone multifamily communities in Roswell.

City Council approved the measure during a Monday meeting to give officials time to make residential zoning changes to the Unified Development Code.

The moratorium would not allow conditional use applications for new apartments unless they’re within a mixed-use project with more than 75% nonresidential space. It’s the second apartments moratorium issued by the city in two years. A six-month moratorium was in place in 2020.

Elected officials and city staff have been seeking ways to attract mixed-use developers to the Holcomb Bridge Road area and the east side of Roswell.

“The council has a very clear direction in that they are not interested in building high-density stand-alone apartments in the corridors,” Mayor Kurt Wilson said during the meeting.

During public comment, council members were criticized by residents who say the city is making housing less affordable and pricing out a segment of the Roswell community.

East Roswell resident Elizabeth Goldsmith, who has been a Fulton County schoolteacher for 26 years, said the city is already losing middle-income earners, including teachers who can’t afford to live in Roswell.

“I really am concerned about the message that council and the mayor ... are sending to people that don’t live in ... single-family zones that you are trying to limit ... access to our city, which is their city (too),” she said.

Councilwoman Christine Hall told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she recognizes housing affordability is a national problem and that her own adult child resides outside the city because it’s more affordable.

While it’s common to have luxury residential living in commercial mixed-use developments, Hall said she believes some builders might include workforce housing in their residential plans.

“I look at it as a win-win for multifamily and commercial,” she said.

If Roswell later decides to permanently stop conditional use zoning for standalone multifamily housing, a builder could still submit an application and council would consider it, the officials have said.

But residents were doubtful.

During the Monday meeting, resident Marla Cureton told mayor and council she believes the city has an “oppressive negative stereotyping” view of those who live in apartments.

“It is known that many of you in front of me believe that apartments and apartment dwellers represent a stain on Roswell,” she said. “We need that to change ... stop marginalizing a large portion of the Roswell community because they feel it.”

Wilson pointed out that while apartments aren’t part of the city’s long-term growth, there are numerous stand-alone apartment communities around Roswell.

“Just because we don’t want to add more doesn’t mean we are bad people,” Wilson said.

PHILLIPS, Joseph Louis

Joseph Louis Phillips,

85, passed March 28,

2022 in Atlanta,

Georgia. He was born in Memphis,

Tennessee. Following an honorable discharge from the

US Army, Phillips obtained combined Bachelor and Master degrees in Education from San

Francisco State.

Phillips led an exemplary life in

Leadership roles in Education and Broadcast Television in California and Georgia. His stellar career included Educator, Administrator, Television Producer/Host, High School Principal, Emmy Award Winner (two, including five nominations) Alternative High School developer in California and Georgia. After moving to Georgia, he was recruited to become the 1996 Olympic Village Director for Soccer (Birmingham, AL), and afterwards became Principal of DeKalb County Georgia School of the Arts (DSA), and Creator and General Manager of DeKalb Schools Educational Television Station (DCTV). After retirement from the DeKalb County School (Georgia) System he formed Phillips Video Production.

He is survived by his beloved wife Linda Torrence Phillips, two sisters Mary Moore Phillips and Grace Romero, children: Karen Phillips (Wayne Darcey) and Nathan Phillips (Michelle), stepdaughter Tahja Jackson, stepson Kirk Torrence (Jeannie) and a host of nieces and nephews, including numerous friends who will never forget the impact he had on their lives. Celebration of Life Memorial Services will be held on Monday, April 4, 2022 at 1 PM at the Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Home, 351 N. Clarendon Ave., Scottdale, GA 30079,

(404) 294-5500.

PITTMAN, Kenneth Wayne

Kenneth Wayne Pittman, 76, of

Marietta, Georgia passed away on March 13, 2022 after a long battle with cancer surrounded by his loving family. He will be greatly missed by his wife,

Jean, his mother, siblings, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and many friends and neighbors.

He was born to parents, Kenneth and Annie Pittman, on

March 12, 1946 in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was married to his loving wife Jean for 42 years, who survives him. Wayne is also survived by his mother, Annie Pittman; Sisters, Mary Ann Skelton and Janice (Fred) Adkins; Brother, Richard (Vicky) Pittman; Daughters, Tammora Wheeler and Angela (Alan) Brock; Sons, Joshua Pittman and Kenneth (Jenn) Pittman; Grandchildren Madison, Keely and Grey; also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews. Wayne was predeceased by his father, Kenneth Pittman.

Wayne had just celebrated his 76th birthday with loved ones, eating dinner from his favorite seafood restaurant and eating a scrumptious ice cream cake. He loved his family and will be forever in their hearts.

POELKER, Janet

Janet Poelker (78), a longtime

Dunwoody resident, died peacefully March 25 from lung cancer.

A native of St. Louis, Janet was the fourth of six children born to Adolph and Bertha McKeon

Jacobsmeyer. She graduated from Beaumont High School in

1961, and worked at Standard

Oil and Anheuser Busch in St.

Louis.

Janet married John Poelker, her high school sweetheart, in 1967. Together they raised three children. As a stay-at-home mom, Janet was intimately involved in every aspect of their formative years, including athletic pursuits; guiding them through their educations; teaching them to be kind and considerate to others; and working countless hours at their schools in a myriad of team mom and social coordinator roles. Janet and John moved to Atlanta from St. Louis in 1978 when John was recruited by (the former) C&S Bank.

With a passion for gardening and working in the yard, Janet became a certified Master Gardener through Purdue University. She had a keen eye for design, not only in landscaping, but also home interiors, furniture, and everything in between. Chairs were something Janet would set out to find, knowing someone in the family would have a need.

Always ready with a smile, a story and a hug, Janet warmed the hearts of anyone and everyone who knew her. Preceded in death by her sisters Mary Ann Shillito, Judy Hennessey, and Lynn Jacobsmeyer. Janet is survived by her husband, John; children, Kathryn (Kate) Roark (Scott), John Poelker, and Mark Poelker (Bekki); grandchildren, Stella, Tess, and Charlie Roark; Hailey, William, and Audrey Poelker; and Norah Poelker; brothers, Adolph and Steve Jacobsmeyer; and twenty-five nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life Service is being planned. Contributions to the John H. and Ruth Poelker Scholarship at the University of Notre Dame, benefitting students from St. Louis, will be welcomed C/O the University of Notre Dame, Department of Development, 1100 Grace Hall, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556. Or online at https://giving.nd.edu/.

ROBERTS, Sarah

Mrs. Sarah E. Roberts, 89, of

Marietta, GA, passed away on

Wednesday, March 30, 2022.

The family will receive visitors at Marietta Funeral Home, 915

Piedmont Rd., Marietta, GA

30066 on Friday, April 8, 2022 from 4:00-8:00 PM. The funeral service will take place at 1:30

PM on Saturday, April 9, 2022 in the chapel at Marietta

Funeral Home. Please visit www.mariettafuneralhome.org to express online condolences.

ROWLAND, Reverend Emma J. SHOEMAKER, Sr., Dan J.

Dan J. Shoemaker, Sr., AKA "Oh Great Papa’’ passed away surrounded by family on Thursday, February 3, 2022 at the age of 95.

Dan was born in Charlotte, NC to Walter Gaston Shoemaker and Margaret Annabelle Alexander Shoemaker. He joined the Navy on his 17th birthday, serving in the Pacific Theater during WWII.

Once home he married Helen Grace Seegers on November 22, 1947 and had four children. They moved to DeKalb County in 1958 where he spent the rest of his life.

Dan was an avid woodworker who LOVED golf and could often be found at Mystery Valley. In his later years he enjoyed playing bridge at the Tucker Rec Center.

He was a member of Post 66 Decatur of The American Legion, The Atlanta WWII Roundtable, The USS Antietam Association, The Mariners Sunday School Class, and would have celebrated his 63rd AA birthday in May.

He was preceded in death by his precious wife Helen, son Dave, grandson Joshua, daughter-in-law Melissa, and seven brothers and sisters.

He is survived by three of his children, Rosalind Shoemaker Eaves (Chuck), Dan J. Shoemaker Jr., and Nancy Shoemaker Newell (Kevin); grandchildren, Amy Shoemaker Carpenter (Brent), Helen Eaves Strickland (Lon), Kelly Eaves (Kasra), and Scott Shoemaker (Lisa); ten great-grandchildren, two greatgreat-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews whom he adored.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Dan may be made to the construction of The Ethridge Inclusive Playground c/o Oak Grove United Methodist Church, 1772 Oak Grove Road, Decatur, GA 30033.

Services will be held at Oak Grove UMC on Saturday, April 16 at 10:30 AM. Visitation to follow.

STARGELL, Darvin M.

Age 64, of Douglasville, passed away Wednesday, March 30, 2022. Funeral Service will be held Monday, April 4, 12:00 PM at HOPE Funeral Home, Fayetteville.

TONER, Dr. Barbara

Dr. Barbara Toner will be remembered at a Celebration of Life on April 9, 2022 at Caldwell and Cowan Funeral Home in Covington, GA starting at 11AM. caldwellandcowan.com.

WIDEGREN, Gerald Burton

Gerald Burton Widegren was born November 19, 1944 and peacefully went to be with the

Lord on Saturday, March 12,

2022. He was preceded in death by his mother Beverly

Corrine Burton Widegren and his father Ernest Victor

Widegren. He leaves behind his big brother Donald Earl

Widegren (Jennie) of Milner,

GA and his little sister Susan Lyn Dauro (Paul) of Long Beach, MS.

Gerald was an honor graduate of Bolles Military Academy of Jacksonville, Florida in 1962. He entered Georgia Tech University in Atlanta, GA at the age of 17 and the Spring of 1966 he survived a head on collision while sitting in the death seat without a seatbelt. He lost three of his fraternity brothers in the fatal accident. He spent three months in the hospital before coming home to his parent’s home in Delaware to continue physical therapy on his long and arduous road to recovery. Being a proud Georgia Tech student, he returned to Georgia Tech in the spring of 1968 and completed his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering by June 1968. He stayed in Atlanta and continued his education and received his Master’s degree in 1971.

Gerry’s career encompassed working with several Sigma Nu Fraternity Brothers over the years investing in Real Estate, building hospitals overseas, selling insurance, and working for IBM. After retiring he stayed in Atlanta and kept in touch with his friends and Signa Nu brothers. He became a resident and a board member of Mt. Vernon Towers where he once again made many good friends and always enjoyed a competitive bridge game. As a competitive athlete in high school, Gerry was always an avid supporter of Georgia Tech sports. He enjoyed nothing better than attending a football game at the flats.

Gerry has touched so many with his courage, strength, and perseverance to survive the odds placed in his hands. He is an inspiration to all that knew him, including his family. His smile will be sadly missed by everyone who encountered his incredible spirit!

A Memorial service will take place April 8, 2022, to celebrate his life. In lieu of flowers, we would welcome contributions/donations in Gerry’s honor to the Sigma Nu Fraternity at Georgia Tech at 750 Fowler St., Atlanta, GA 30313.