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Hannah Palmer, coordinator with Finding the Flint, is in studio for today’s episode of Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Joined by co-hosts Carol Morgan and Todd Schnick, the group discusses how Finding the Flint was created, the benefits the organization has on the entire community, where the project is headed and so much more on this segment of Around Atlanta Radio.
Palmer is a Georgia native and has grown up in the Atlanta airport area where she still resides. After a lifetime living in the airport area, Palmer has noticed several changes to the community and its surrounding space. Palmer notes that the airport seems to swallow up several parts of the land surrounding it, slowly taking it over. It was this realization and fascination that lead her to write her book, “Flight Path.” Her book written in 2017 is part memoir, part investigation on the impact of Hartsfield Jackson on the surrounding area.
“I’ve seen a lot of destruction from the airport,” said Palmer. “But more than that, the book is kind of forward-thinking. I discuss what the airport means to Atlanta and how we can start to balance the benefits of having the airport with an increased quality of life here on the Southside.”
Because of her work and research on airport development, Palmer was approached by several conservation groups who had been studying the Flint River. This Georgia river starts in the east airport area and flows over 340 miles to the Florida state line. One group was interested in getting a team of people together who were familiar with the area to talk about the future of the river and how to preserve the headwater.
This led to the Finding the Flint project. In conjunction with the Conservation Fund and American Rivers, two nonprofits who specialize in conservation and river preservation, Palmer became the coordinator for this extra special project. The project also received help from other Atlanta groups including the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) to help with funding.
The project focuses on finding areas where development is happening around the airport, as well as areas where the Flint River headwater is either hidden or neglected. The group then proposes ideas for parks, trails, greenspace, redevelopment, sustainable options and more. This helps bring the headwater back into the lives of people in the surrounding area.
“It’s kind of like combining economic development of the Southside with environmental restoration,” said Palmer. “We’re trying to bring value back to areas that are brushed off or ignored.”
Finding the Flint works in small, medium and large spaces. Not only does the group have short-term goals like helping the community understand the importance of the Flint River and leading them to these areas, but the project also includes several long-term plans as well. Long-term planning includes the redevelopment of large-scale areas in the airport vicinity. Palmer aids in the progression of both short-term and long-term plans by educating the public, allowing them to rediscover the Flint River and the excitement it entails.
To learn more about Finding the Flint, the Flint River or how to get involved with the initiative, visit www.FindingTheFlint.org. Also, make sure to listen to the full interview above to get the full inside scoop on this incredible Atlanta organization.
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Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee, License #22564. NMLS ID #6606. Subject to borrower and property qualifications. Not all applicants will qualify. New American Funding and Finding the Flint are not associated. Click here to view the terms and conditions of products mentioned during the show. Corporate office 14511 Myford Rd., Suite 100, Tustin, CA 92780. Phone: (800) 450-2010. (May/2020)
New American Funding is a family-owned mortgage lender with a servicing portfolio of over 123,000 loans for $30.4 billion, 198 branches, and about 3,100 employees. The company offers several niche loan products and has made Inc. 5000’s list of Fastest-Growing Companies in America six times. It has a state-of-the-art career training facility and develops innovative technology, including the GoGo LO mobile application. For more information, visit www.branch.newamericanfunding.com/Atlanta.
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