Marist expansion gets pushback
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 9:16 AM EDT

Marist attorney Den Webb (left) listens to objections raised by YMCA’s Dan Pile (right) to the school’s plan to develop the land adjacent to the YMCA soccer fields on Ashford Dunwoody Road. The DeKalb Community Council voted to defer the zoning issue in hopes the two sides can work out their differences.

By Rebecca Chase Williams
For The Crier

Marist School ran into unexpected opposition last week at a DeKalb Community Council hearing when the Catholic school’s neighbors, the YMCA, came out against the school’s proposed zoning to add improvements to its 80-acre campus. At the hearing for a Special Land Use Permit, Dan Pile, Senior Vice President of Operations of Metro Atlanta YMCA, told the council that the Marist plans to develop the land it owns behind the YMCA’s soccer fields on Ashford Dunwoody road “impedes the Y’s ability to serve children.”

Even though the YMCA owns the land where four soccer fields are used by an estimated 3,000 children, Marist owns the road between them and plans to develop the land behind the fields. Marist has stated that, in the short-term, it does not plan to use the road as a second entrance to the campus, but hopes in the future to be able to improve its campus traffic flow by opening the road to Marist traffic. Redoing the road could require widening and regarding to bring the road up to current standards, possibly diminishing the size and use of the soccer fields.

Marist officials had said at an earlier hearing that, “the issues with the YMCA are being worked out.” But Pile said the talks had not resolved the issued.

“We were assured of short-term solutions, but the plan is not viable for a long-term solution,” said Pile.

The Y has been looking for alternate sites to move the fields but Pile said, “tell us where the land is because we don’t know where it exists.”

Along with the YMCA, Galloway School and Concorde Fire Soccer Club also use the Ashford Dunwoody fields. Concorde Fire Director of Coaching Gregg Blasingame said his organization opposes the Marist plan unless a solution can be worked out.

“We have to protect our interests,” said Blasingame, adding he is hopeful that “through diplomacy we can come to an agreement. We’d love to work together.”

The Community Council also heard concerns from neighbors who live next to the site where Marist proposes adding tennis courts, several practice fields and additional parking. Marist lawyer Den Webb answered questions, saying the fields would not be lit or have sound systems, traffic could not be allowed to exit on West Nancy Creek Drive and that regulations to protect the floodplain and wetlands would be followed. As for the plan to remove nearly 100 trees, Webb said that Marist would be “fully compensating for lost trees” by replanting trees on the site.

Concerned that there were still too many unresolved issues, the Community Council voted to recommend the zoning application be deferred, however, the Marist application must still be heard by the DeKalb Planning Commission and the DeKalb Board of Commissioners as scheduled.

“The application is scheduled to go to the Planning Commission on November 3 and the BOC on November 17.,” said Webb. “The school is in the process now of studying the issues raised by the various interested parties and formulatinga response.”

Print this story

Email this story

Search Archives