Dunwoody Moves to Acquire 24 Acres in Georgetown Area
City Continues Implementation of Master Plans
Dunwoody, Georgia – August 15, 2011 – The City of Dunwoody has concluded negotiations with American Medicorp and plans to acquire several key parcels, totaling 24 acres, in the Georgetown / North Shallowford area of Dunwoody. These purchases will move forward the implementation of the Parks, Transportation, and Georgetown Master Plans, which were all adopted earlier this year.
The City plans to conduct a public hearing as part of its regularly scheduled Council Meeting on Monday, August 22nd and will consider a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a sales contract for the purchases.
Peachford Road Extension
- Location: 4471 North Shallowford Road
- Price: $1,436,000 ($278K per acre)
- 5.173 acre parcel contains 12,067 sq. foot office building
- Purchase is the first acquisition of several that are necessary to extend Peachford Road to a new terminus point at Dunwoody Park Drive
- Part of Transportation and Georgetown Master Plans
Park Land Acquisition
- Location: 4553/4555/4575 North Shallowford Road (anchored by the former Emory Hospital site)
- Price: $5,532,000 ($289K per acre)
- Parcels total to 19.084 acres
- Purchase adds needed park land acreage
- Part of Parks and Georgetown Master Plans
- Purchase contingent on Parks Acquisition Bond Referendum
Funding for the Peachford Road Extension purchase will be funded from existing cash reserves and the transaction is expected to close by the end of 2011. The purchase of the park land is contingent on the passage of the bond referendum on the November 2011 ballot. Should the bond fail to pass the City can withdraw from the contract without penalty.
At closing, the City has agreed to reimburse the seller $600,000 for demolition costs at the former Emory Hospital site.
A full press release is forthcoming; for additional information regarding either of these acquisitions please contact City Manager Warren Hutmacher, at 678-382-6700.
I really do hope the citizens of Dunwoody, with a median household income double that of the average Georgian, will find it in their hearts and personal budgets to "Pay it Forward" and vote for the bonds to improve our quality of life and increase property values. Both to acquire park land, and to improve the parks themselves. To better convey this message to the public, I recommend to the council & staff that they publish clear guidance and policies that will dictate how the bond funds will be spent and hold several public open house meetings. For the Cobb County SPLOST, the Commissioners created a Citizen Oversight Committee which met quarterly (I believe) with staff and elected officials. Also, they held numerous public hearings and published a detailed line-item budget of the funds in advance of the vote.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately at this stage, we cannot reverse the milleage rate increase from DeKalb County. However, we can petition our state lawmakers to enact a change to the form of government (eliminate the CEO position, reduce the number of commissioners --and also with the School Board).
I live in a self-taxing HOA. We have freely chosen to pay into a common fund to maintain and improve our community, which is 30 years old. You'd barely know the homes were that old, as the neighborhood, streets (private), yards and common areas are so well maintained. This ABSOLUTELY helps with the ability to resell our homes and attracts new residents. What applies in my neighborhood certainly applies to our community as a whole. Rather than looking narrowly at your monthly cash flow, look at the future value ROI in approving the bonds. Let's take on a sense of "Generational Responsibilty" in what we do today, and pass on a legacy that our actions in 2011 will be respected and appreciated by all of our fellow citizens for decades to come.
Since council thinks it's wise to ask voters permission to spend millions on parks, why don't they use the same logic before spending millions on a road extension?
ReplyDeleteThe press release describes the land purchase for extending the road as necessary - for extending the road. But it's not a necessity. Participants in the Master Plan discussions were certainly not a cross section of Dunwoody residents sharing their voices.
Great tract of land to purchase.
ReplyDeleteBut don't waste money on building baseball fields there.
The city can address a glaring need for soccer fields and lacrosse fields. Sports that are growing in numbers of particpants and serve the needs of our community in the future
Love it!
ReplyDeleteJohn:
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly is the perceived value of extending Peachford Road over to Dunwoody Park? This doesn't appear to be a real "high priority" acquisition.
I know that the City has received a proposal to improve the intersection of N.Peachtree, Peeler, and Tilly Mill Roads. There undoubtedly will be purchased right-of-way required for this intersection. This is a more pressing issue that Peachford Road.
Your thoughts?
Chip, not allowed to go into detail because of a public hearing on this Monday evening but this has been discussed in both the Georgetown and Transportation plans.
ReplyDeletePg 36 of Georgetown plan.
The most significant roadway recommendation is to extend Peachford Road through Dunwoody Park to the intersection of Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Old Spring House Lane. This local roadway connection is envisioned as a “complete street” with on-street bicycle lanes, on-street parking, landscape strips, lighting, and wide sidewalks. The roadway would create a local alternative to Cotillion Drive, which could be inversely impacted by future I-285 and/or transit improvements, and help distribute traffic to reduce pressure on the areas major intersections (North Shallowford Road at Cotillion Drive, North Shallowford Road at Chamblee Dunwoody Road, and Chamblee Dunwoody Road at Cotillion Drive). Finally, the roadway would significantly enhance the accessibility and visibility of the area between Chamblee Dunwoody Road and North Shallowford Road and enhance the area’s potential to accommodate higher-quality redevelopment with a high degree of walkability, access to future transit services, and increased community open space.
Chip, I saw value for the reasons stated in the GT Plan, namely opportunity for increased East / West connectivity as well as a catalyst to redevelop the Perimeter Park Office Complex. Cutting new streets into the patchwork of Dunwoody cul-da-sacs is almost impossible therefore minor improvements even if done over long periods of time, is a benefit to the community.
ReplyDelete