The Mount Paran neighborhood takes its biblical name from the Old Mount Paran Church between Northside Drive and Powers Ferry Road. Begun as a small, country church, it was attended by most residents of the area. Atlanta historian Franklin Garrett recalled a time early in the neighborhood’s development when street signs in the area were incorrectly spelled “Perrin.”
Most of the original settlers of the area were farmers who moved near grist mills located along Nancy and Peachtree creeks. In 1906 the Mount Paran country store opened at the area’s biggest crossroads, now Mt. Paran and Northside Drive. This local landmark is still in operation today.
The 1920s and ‘30s saw a slight increase in the local population. When the City of Atlanta annexed the area in 1952, much of the countryside was divided into subdivisions. Some original brick ranches of that decade still stand.
In the past 15 years, as available land inside the city limits has dwindled, Mount Paran has become a popular site for infill development. Because the local zoning favors 1-and 2-acre lot sizes, much of the recent construction has included estate-size homes.
The Mount Paran neighborhood has an active and vocal neighborhood association that has fought unwanted development and has successfully kept apartments, condominiums, offices and nursing homes out of their boundries in order to maintain residential integrity.
The Mt. Paran-Northside Citizens Association was organized in October 1984 as a nonprofit tax-exempt corporation. Today the Association includes about 900 homes in our area.
According to the Bylaws, the objects and purposes of the Corporation are to organize the residents of the Area and other interested persons; to keep its members informed of the problems and needs of the Area; to promote a forum for their concerns relating to the Area; and to promote the interests and maintain the integrity of the Area.
The activities of the Association are governed primarily by the Board of Directors, which currently consists of 15 voting members and 6 voting officers. Annual dues are set at the discretion of the Board of Directors and are presently $25 per household.
The Mt. Paran-Northside Citizens Association plays an important part in monitoring and improving the quality of life in the area. Some of our activities include representing the neighborhood before zoning boards and the City Council, attending bimonthly meetings of the Citizens Advisory Committee at the Zone 2 police precinct, and participating in monthly Neighborhood Planning Unit meetings. We also monitor the actions of local government for decisions that affect us as citizens of Atlanta.
Annual membership dues enable us to obtain legal and other professional services when necessary, keep the membership informed through newsletters, flyers & this web site, produce and distribute the crime reports and publish the membership directory for the benefit of the neighborhood. The Association also assists our neighborhood schools and garden club with their various projects and needs. All paid members will receive the Association’s 2003 Membership Directory, which is updated and published biannually. For further information about membership, please contact Debbie Goot(404-233-2342).