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  • August 22, 2015

Dunwoody debates development plans - Dunwoody Crier: News

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Dunwoody debates development plans

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Posted: Tuesday, August 18, 2015 11:14 am | Updated: 11:15 am, Tue Aug 18, 2015.

In a meeting that ran more than four hours last week, Dunwoody city council members discussed development projects, deferred approval for a development agreement on the State Farm project and approved transmittal of the city’s comprehensive land use plan to the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

Acadia Homes and Neighborhoods plans an 87-unit townhome development on seven acres along Perimeter Center East and just west of North Fork Nancy Creek. The project area is nearly 10 acres, some of which is on several empty lots currently zoned residential in the Georgetown neighborhood. Acadia seeks to rezone all acreage to multi-family residential.

The developer does not plan to build on the Georgetown lots because the creek runs through that area. Attorney Den Webb spoke on behalf of the developer and told council that just over two acres will be deeded to the city as park land.

The closest Georgetown neighbors to the planned development live on Old Georgetown Trail and one homeowner spoke to council about the project.

Aaron Baird told council that his family lives directly across from the potential park which is currently a heavily treed area.

“We respectfully request as few trees as possible be removed,” said Baird.

Community Development Director Steve Foote told council that Acadia only plans to remove trees necessary for the construction of a 12-foot wide multiuse path and for retaining walls.

Of concern for council members was water runoff. A full hydrology report was completed, but not included in council’s packet of information. Instead, a memo from City Engineer Rich Edinger was provided and Councilor John Heneghan quoted Edinger’s concerns and suggestions which included tabling the rezone application for 30 days to work on solutions.

“I don’t believe you’ve done enough for water retention,” said Heneghan.

Webb told Heneghan that water retention issues were typically handled during the permitting and construction phases of the project and advised that the project is on a tight timeline.

“We’ll do whatever we need to do in the next two weeks to keep this on track because if we don’t get this approved in two weeks, this deal is dead,” said Webb.

The rezoning request is expected to be up for approval at council’s next meeting on August 24.

In the more complex State Farm project, council deferred approval of the development agreement due largely to concerns of last minute changes to the agreement. A chief discussion point among council members was construction of a new road and a new entrance which is expected to help alleviate traffic for the massive project.

Public Works Director Michael Smith told council that a traffic report shows “about a 30 percent increase of gross trips over current zoning.” The project will put some pressure on Hammond Drive and Ashford Dunwoody Road and the developer is working to provide alternative ways into and out of the area, said Smith.

One of the roads, listed on project maps as “East-West Connector,” would be in both Dunwoody and Sandy Springs. Federal permits are required to build the western portion of the road and timing of permit approval impacts when the road is constructed and which party pays for the road.

Attorney David Kirk represented Atlanta Office Investment LLC, the development group for the project and explained the current plan to council members.

If permits are obtained and road construction is started before the first building is complete, then the project owner will construct and pay for the road, the new entrance, and a 12-foot multiuse path, said Kirk. If the permits are not provided before that time, then the owner will put more than $2.1 million in a city escrow account to be used for construction of the road, entrance and path and the city will have to obtain approvals.

However, said Kirk, if permits are not received within three years, then the funding is returned to the project owner.

Atlanta Office Investment LLC is also seeking rezoning of the construction site from office and Institution to planned development. When complete, the site is expected to house four high-rise office buildings, a multi-level parking deck, restaurants and retail stores. Building heights are approved at a maximum of 35-stories, but some are expected to be less than the maximum allowable height.

During a public hearing on the project, Dunwoody resident Mary Riesmeyer asked council to rethink building heights and density because of the impact on traffic in an already busy area.

Council approved submission of the city’s comprehensive land use plan, but asked city staff to remove the North Peachtree Road character area from the plan before submission. Heneghan requested removal. Councilor Lynn Deutsch agreed.

It “blows my mind” that this character area is still in the plan, said Deutsch who had asked that the area be removed at the previous council meeting in late July. “The fact that it’s in here is disingenuous.”

Deutsch was concerned that including the area in the plan was communicating to residents of a single family home area that the city is looking to change their neighborhood.

“We’ve never had a meeting about this for the North Peachtree residents,” said Deutsch.

The council vote to approve the plan without the North Peachtree character area was 5-1. Heneghan voted against approval and Councilor Doug Thompson was absent from the meeting.

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