Cedar Creek
CIVIC ASSOCIATION
ATHENS, GEORGIA
June 7, 2026
CCCA Membership Update
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Thanks to the many of you that have already renewed your CCCA Membership. Our membership currently stands at 211 out of 655 homes in the neighborhood. We would like to exceed our 2025 membership level of 260 members. Renewals continue to trickle in, but we need many more. If you have not already done so, please renew now, and talk to your neighbors about joining as well. Click on the JOIN/PAY button in this page's header to choose your payment options, and please remember to fill out the membership form, including your email address. To pay by check, make it out to "CCCA" and mail to (or drop off at) "CCCA Treasurer, 190 Mockingbird Circle, Athens, GA 30605". Remember to include your home address so we know which residence to credit the membership. Providing your email allows you to stay connected with our community by receiving our monthly email updates.​
2026 Calendar
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June 8-12 - Early Voting, Runoff Election
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June 16 - Runoff Election Day
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​June 18 - CCCA Board Meeting, 7PM, 195 Dunwoody Dr.
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June 14 - Flag Day
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June 21 - Father's Day
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July 4 - Saturday - US Independence Day
In this Newsletter
Follow-up on ongoing issues
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4190 Lexington Road - The developer of this site, working with staff in the ACC Planning Department, revised their concept plan to exclude from development the area south of Cedar Creek, promising to leave this area that is behind Rollingwood Dr homes in its current tree-covered state. This WIN-WIN for both sides led to quick approval of the rezoning of the impacted plots to RM1(multi-family low density residential) by the Mayor and County Commissioners at their June 2 meeting. Thanks to all those Cedar Creek residents who came out to the many meetings to advocate for this solution. The issues with handling of sewage from this development are in the hands of ACC Public Utilities staff. We will monitor to see the solution put forth once development plans are further along.
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155 Whit Davis Rd - At the April 21 Mayor & Commissioners work session, the developer withdrew this project, citing loss of a major funding source.
450 Gaines School Road - The grass on this property has been cut but we have heard nothing further from the developer. Let us know if you see a zoning notice posted; sometimes it takes a while before we notice the signs.
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ATT fiber optic cable placement --- If you also have issues with this project, contact Jacob Banks, Field Supervisor for ANSCO, the contractor at 470-475-4037 or via email at jacob.banks@anscollc.com. Alternatively you can contact Steve McDaniel the utility inspector for Clarke County at 762-400-6703 or via email at Steve.McDaniel@accgov.com. Just remember that it takes a little time for replanted grass to fill in the disturbed areas - especially with so little rain!
What we are keeping an eye on...
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Safe Streets and Roads for All Federal Grant: Athens Clarke County Unified Government is requesting $13.6 million in a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Implementation Grant to fund priority safety projects identified within its Vision Zero Safety Action Plan adopted in April 2026. The Building Towards Vision Zero in Athens-Clarke County: Reducing Crashes, Saving Lives Project focuses on practical, community-focused roadway safety improvements at corridors and intersections with the highest rates of fatal and serious injury crashes. See https://www.accgov.com/safestreets for more information. Funding is requested for modifications to three county highway corridors that experience recurring fatal and serious injury crashes and four High Injury Network Intersections. One of the roads, Barnett Shoals Rd from Lexington Road to Piccadilly Square would see lane width reductions, separated bike lanes, center line longitudinal rumble strips, corridor lighting, and pedestrian hybrid beacons to slow vehicle speeds and help pedestrians and cyclists (students) safely cross the road. Remember- the new Eastside Library is being built on this road. The intersection at Barnett Shoals Rd and Gaines School Rd would see a number of changes to improve pedestrian and cyclists visibility and safety in the crosswalk, including adding refuge islands and improved lighting.
June 16, 2026 - Runoff Election
The following office races are to be decided in a runoff.
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Nonpartisan - ACC Mayor, District 5 & 9 Commissioners
Democratic Party - Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Insurance Commissioner, Labor Commissioner.
Republican Party - US Senate, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State School Superintendent, Georgia Senate District 46, Public Service Commissioner-District 5
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Hours for advance voting are 8AM to 5PM except Wednesday, 8AM to 7PM at the Elections Office, ACC County Library and the SE Clarke Park Tennis Center.
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Key information sites
Voter checklist - https://www.accgov.com/9332/Voter-Checklist
Dates and location for runoff voting - https://www.accgov.com/advancevoting
Rules and application for absentee voting - https://www.accgov.com/245/Absentee-Voting
ACC Elections office at https://www.accgov.com/160/Elections-Department.
Local Option Sales Tax approved - We are happy to report that the 2026 TSPLOST was approved by voters. Approval means that in the coming years, Eastside Athens will see a number of road, sidewalk and storm water management issues addressed that will improve vehicle and pedestrian safety.
CC Volunteer Landscape Crew Activities Report
On Saturday, May 23, our intrepid Cedar Creek Landscape Crew, in partnership with John Pickering of the Shoal Creek Sanctuary in Eastside Athens, installed a Bee and Butterfly Sanctuary Garden in the Mockingbird Circle greenspace. The 20 x 5 ft demonstration plot includes a variety of native pollinator plants enclosed with a 3 ft high fence designed to protect its native wildflowers from deer which don’t like to be confined in such a narrow enclosure.
Thanks to the volunteers who came out and worked on this installation despite the threat of rain (see the picture below)! From start to finish, installation of this first garden took just 1.5 hours! Thanks especially to John Pickering for the plants. John also provided his expertise using a flamethrower to burn off the grass and a power auger for planting - these really simplified site preparation.
The CCCA has committed $350 in funding to install a total of three demonstration plots in our green spaces. These funds purchase the fencing and posts for the enclosure. Each garden receives about two dozen plants of about a dozen sun-loving native pollinator species that are well adapted to our region. Shoal Creek Sanctuary supplies most of the plants, with other plants coming from our own Cedar Creek residents who are native plant specialists. The CCCA is working with its lawn maintenance contractor to ensure that no herbicides or pesticides are used in or around the plots to ensure the health and growth of the pollinators attracted by the plants. (Note: our lawn maintenance contractor never uses pesticides and only uses herbicides sparingly in the hedges on Ponderosa Drive entrance greenspace.)
With one plot completed, the two remaining plots are scheduled for Cedar Creek Court. Individual homeowners can request plants for their own pollinator garden provided they purchase and install the fencing according to the Shoal Creek Sanctuary design and promise not to use pesticides or herbicides around the plot. For information on sanctuary gardens go to: https://www.discoverlife.org/gardens. For information about the non-profit Shoal Creek Sanctuary go to: https://www.discoverlife.org/sanctuary/
In the months ahead, the Landscape Crew will continue its work maintaining and improving Cedar Creek's 14 greenspaces. Consider joining the Landscape Crew for its next Sanctuary Garden installation or for a future improvement project. For participation information, email Rob Gorman at rdfgorman@gmail.com.
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Pictured l-r behind newly installed Mockingbird Circle Pollinator Garden: John Pickering, Jack Dominey, Cla Allgood, Heath Tucker, Halley Page, Ellene Reeder, Will Smith, Marcus Fechheimer - not pictured: Hanke van der Wel and Rob Gorman. A list of what is planted in the garden is posted on the fence at the Mockingbird Circle site.
Under the Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful program of which the Cedar Creek Civic Association (CCCA) is a member, the CCCA requested and obtained permission to place, at CCCA expense, three additional boulders to the west end of the second island of the Ponderosa Dr entrance. The boulders have three purposes - to serve as resting places for pedestrians and cyclists, to provide "interest" to this part of the island which currently has little land cover, and to discourage parking in the right of way - an ongoing issue with this location. In future, we see these boulders as being anchor points to future vegetative plantings/hedges linking the three boulders as part of our beautification of this part of the second island green space.
On Friday, May 29, members of the Landscape Crew oversaw the placement of the boulders. Issues remain with the placement of one of the boulders which should be quickly resolved in consultation with county staff.
Q: Where did those large stones on the second Ponderosa Dr island come from?
Q and A: Ask the CCCA Board a question and we will try to find an answer.
The CCCA newsletter is printed locally in Athens by Jack Jones of Duplicating Systems Inc. Thanks.
President’s Letter, June 2026
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Dear Neighbors,
Following up on the pollinator gardens I mentioned last month (see the Landscape Group's activity report below), our partner in this endeavor, Shoal Creek Sanctuary (https://shoalcreeksanctuary.org), has offered to host a “Cedar Creek Day” at their location in Eastside Athens for a couple of hours on a future Sunday afternoon. This would include a brief talk about the Sanctuary, its native plants, and other features of this 240-acre preserve. After the talk we would take a short hike into the preserve, crossing the brand-new suspension bridge built by UGA engineering students over Shoal Creek, ending with refreshments provided by Cedar Creek Civic Association. Cedar Creek residents interested in participating should email Cla Allgood (cla@balancepools.net) or Rob Gorman (rdfgorman@gmail.com) with your contact information and a count of how many people would be in your party. Participation is not limited to Cedar Creek residents, so include your entire family, friends, and neighbors in your group -don't forget to bring children along. They love crossing Shoal Creek on the low, short suspension bridge. We need to have at least 20 people participating, and if too many show interest, we may have to schedule a second date. We are hoping this visit will encourage Cedar Creek residents to plan and implement their own pollinator gardens.
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To mark the 4th of July, Scout Troop 44 and Cub Pack 44 will be once again placing US flags next to mailboxes around the neighborhood. The Scouts have been doing this annually for many years now. It's a generous and patriotic service by the Scouts that dresses up Cedar Creek for the holiday. On behalf of the community, the Board sends our thanks to the Scouts and their adult leaders for continuing this tradition.
-Jack Dominey
Another Successful Cedar Creek Community Yard Sale
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The annual Cedar Creek Community Yard Sale featured 26 yard sales this year. It was a fun event and well attended. The weather was great and we had lots of shoppers out on the streets. This is one of the CCCA’s biggest events and extra efforts were made this year to promote it with flyers, signs, Flagpole ads, newspaper classified ads, some Cedar Creek Next Door postings and a listing in the events section, some Cedar Creek Facebook page postings and listing in the events section, banners at each neighborhood entrance, maps online identifying all participating addresses, and printed maps at each neighborhood entrance. We gave it our all!
Thanks to each yard sale host for registering online before the event. Special thanks to our organizers, Susan Parish, Carolyn Gorman, and Ross Watson. Without their leadership this event would not have happened.
We hope everyone had fun buying and/or selling and will come back next year! A survey was sent to participating yard sale residents via email asking for input on how we might improve next year's event. We look forward to learning about your reactions, successes, and suggestions. We want to share your story, so tell us what item you thought would never sell — but did! If you missed the email, click the Host Survey button below to enter your comments.
We also want to hear from those who participated in the event as a buyer. What suggestions do you have for improving the event? Also, tell us what was the strangest, funniest, or most unique item you bought. For one of the organizers, it was an old trench coat similar to the one Humphrey Bogart wore in Casablanca! Click the Participant Survey button below to enter your comments. ​