Developers push through rezoning applications with DeKalb County prior to the City of Dunwoody being created.

Every first Sunday evening of the month, I attend the Dunwoody Homeowners Association meeting in order to be informed on community events and to find out what redevelopment is being proposed by developers. Every month it is basically the same issue, apartments, apartments and more apartments. Developers come before the DHA board and want more density, more stories, and lower construction costs in order to make the biggest buck. The DHA does what they can to work with the developer and the community to get to a workable agreement but in the end the DHA has little real power.

There is such a current glut of apartments that have been approved in Dunwoody yet still not built that it will take years to fill the proposed capacity, unfortunately that doesn’t stop the developers from filing their rezoning applications anyway. These Dunwoody developers are currently rushing to file applications into the DeKalb County pipeline before Dunwoody can become a city, since they believe (and are probably right) that the County will be less restrictive then the proposed new city.

If it were up to board members and those in attendance at the Dunwoody Homeownwers’ Association meeting, the incorporation of Dunwoody couldn’t come soon enough. You see another developer has filed a rezoning application which would put 200 apartments on Old Spring House Lane, behind the Georgetown Kroger. This is the only street that feeds into subdivision and the residents of the community are very upset that this large proposed housing project will negatively affect their community.

As the credit crunch deepens, mortgage defaults climb and the housing market turmoil shows no signs of letting up, rental apartment building owners are smiling because of the higher demand for their rental products. Georgetown, Chamblee Dunwoody Road and the abandoned Emory Shallowford Hospital properties on North Shallowford Road are all prime areas for redevelopment yet without a master plan individual parcels will attempt to do whatever they feel is right for their investors, without looking at what is best for the community as a whole.

What is the answer? After seeing first hand on the way DeKalb County operates, I believe a more responsive city government will handle these kinds of local zoning issues far better than DeKalb County. With a city of Dunwoody we could actually have a workable plan for our community. It will be a guide for our future - drawn up by our neighbors. Most of all, it will reflect the aspirations of Dunwoody citizens. Our city council members will know the details of all projects, how they fit into the community and all zoning hearings will be held locally so that there is community involvement.

I see that as a large improvement over the current circumstances and like the members of the community who attended the Dunwoody Homeowners Association meeting on Sunday, it couldn’t happen soon enough for me.