Several months ago Governor Deal signed Senate Bill 532, which expanded the City of Doraville's borders by roughly a half square mile on January 1, 2013. As featured in the map above, the areas situated to the east and west of Doraville’s northern point, have existed as islands of incorporated DeKalb County since the City of Dunwoody formed in 2008. This annexation did not require a vote unlike the 2008 attempt which included a larger Southern area and failed.
Surrounded on all sides by the City’s existing borders and the City of Dunwoody, the western area includes the old Fridays Plaza and the Van Fleet Circle and Ridgway Drive residential neighborhoods west of Peachtree Boulevard. This annexation also directly affected the Texaco Station on the Dunwoody side of PIB at Tilly Mill which was within unincorporated DeKalb, but now will be governed and paroled by the City of Doraville.
Across Peachtree Industrial Blvd, is the Tilly Mill Crossing shopping center (old Friday's Plaza) and the Oasis Goodtime Emporium which was also transferred over to Doraville which necessitated them to make numerous ordinance changes on sexually oriented businesses and where those types of businesses should be allowed to be located.
Based on my cursory reading of the ordinance passed just weeks ago, it appears that the Oasis may be allowed in a M-2 heavy manufacturing district (page 94) which seems very different than the commercial district it currently appears to be zoned for?
I haven't talked to Doraville Councilwoman Pam Fleming in a while but I can tell you that she will fight hard to turn the Friday's Plaza into a "Family oriented shopping center". In fact, you can read her own words and watch her in a video I taped where she fought against another nightclub going into that location.
I am very glad that this annexation went through and it will be interesting to watch what the City of Doraville does with this island where little oversight was given in the past and then see what happens near Friday's Plaza as that area has so much unrealized potential.
Maybe they will tear it down to put in baseball diamonds :)
ReplyDelete"This annexation also directly affected the Texaco Station on the Dunwoody side of PIB at Tilly Mill which was within unincorporated DeKalb, but now will be governed and paroled by the City of Doraville."
ReplyDeleteFreudian slip? ;-)
It seems a lot of nightclub and "good time emporium" owners counted on the "lack of oversight" you mentioned (you're being WAY too polite, IMHO) to put their enterprises so close to Hightower Elementary. I hope Doraville will invest more in this area - there is no reason why it can't be another center like the Forum on Peachtree. Because Oasis has been there a while, expect a legal fight on the zoning. It's going to take a while to overcome that precedent and polish up that area.
Ken are you singling out all of those hard working women? Maybe we can do a joint bond issue with Doraville and share the ball fields
ReplyDeleteSDOC I will be surprised if the Oasis moves. They were there as a result of a consent agreement in DeKalb and I do not think they can be forced to move. There is no precendent as DeKalb has fought ever other establishment that has tried to open in the Plaza, The citizens of Dunwoody North have been extremely diligent in monitoring the area ( Thanks Gerri Penn)
All other "clubs" were rejected becauee of their location and proximity to Hightower.
Joeshines is currently involved in a lawsuit with DeKalb, fighting the efforts to close them down, and the Pool Hall has had their late night license turned down at every application.
The major decline of that center occured when Home Depot was going to move across and take the space. With that the landlord did little to improve the property with the idea it was going to be razed. HD changed their minds and the center never repopulated.
The area annexation area (Texaco) was set up during the creation of the City of Dunwoody. The leaders of at the time decided the area would be better serviced bu Doraville,
Unfortunately the voters in Doraville did not want to go along with that idea.
Chief King and the Doraville city Council will do a much better job servicing this area, which had become an island when Doraville voters rejected the Annexation proposition.
The people of this area spoke at their last opportunity and rejected being annexed. These residents did not ask to become an "island". The small group that pushed Dunwoody ignored state law and drew boundaries that created these islands. The state legislature then forced these residents into Doraville without their consent. It's sad when government starts over riding the expressed vote of the residents. The county serviced this area well. It was Doraville that allowed the human excrement facility to set up shop almost across the street from the school. That situation is more concerning than any strip club.
ReplyDelete