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this email to be of interest, please forward it to your friends and
neighbors. If you received a forwarded copy and wish to subscribe, please
email me at terry.nall@dunwoodyga.gov.
Dunwoody Village Parkway
Despite my efforts to pass
an alternative plan, the majority of Council (vote 5-2) concluded the
existing parkway plan approved by the 2011 Council is best for Dunwoody's
future. This was after careful research and deliberation by my fellow
Council Members. The deliberation phase of this project is now over and it
is time for implementation. Because of grant funds will subsidize the
city's cost, many administrative details are now underway. Construction is
tentatively expected for this August, which will avoid the Dunwoody's
Independence Day parade.
Brook Run Multi-Purpose Trail
The Dekalb Superior Court
injunction that halted this trail construction was lifted by the presiding
judge on February 4. The homeowners' lawsuit may continue, but the burden
of demonstrating irreparable damages by the trail was not met by the
plaintiffs, as determined by the judge. Construction will resume as soon as
the contractor re-mobilizes the crew, which is expected mid-February.
I attended each day of the
court hearings in order to hear the evidence and arguments of the
plaintiffs, as well as hear greater detail from the city's engineers and
trail consultants. Every design feature of the trail has a specific
rationale behind it. This includes having the trail compliant with the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in order to make the trail available
to those with disabilities, limited mobility, or other hindrances not faced
by able-bodied persons. The final design also allows access by emergency
vehicles when needed.
In contrast, the
alternative trail design preferred by those who signed a noted petition for
presentation to City Council erroneously does not result in ADA compliance
and thus, excludes park amenity access by disabled and limited mobility
citizens. Some signers noted that they preferred a mulch trail to any paved
surface. This would also preclude families with strollers or families
with bicycles from enjoying this park amenity.
I do not support citizen
exclusivity. Dunwoody is better than that. Our park amenities should be
available to all citizens, not just the able-bodied. The petitioners'
approach also prevents access by emergency vehicles. All it takes is one
medical emergency where the window of survivability is critical and the
current trail design will prove invaluable. As with the Dunwoody Village
Parkway, the deliberation phase of this project is over and now is time for
implementation.
This past week, the city
released an update on the trail that contains the latest information and
rationale. I encourage you to read it, as it contains excellent up-to-date
information. The release is at this web link: Updated Info About Brook Run Multi-Purpose Trail
False Alarm Ordinance
Council approved the city's
first False Alarm Ordinance that affects businesses and residents with
alarm company monitored alarm systems. For the last four years, Dunwoody
paid the price for having no policy about false alarms. Each year, our
police respond to over 4,000 false alarms, which is an average of over 80
per week. This is excessive. We have a modest-sized police force and false
alarms tie up officers who would otherwise by available for 911
calls. False alarms are avoidable with intentional system
maintenance and attentiveness by alarm owners. Implementation details for
the new ordinance will be forthcoming when implementation begins in a few
months.
Intersection Improvements
This is a key priority for
me. We must ease our intersection congestion as the city population
continues to grow and more vehicles are added to our streets. Each
intersection project takes an estimated 18-24 months for the entire
timeline of preliminary design, final design, bids, easements and right of
way acquisition, and finally construction.
The intersection
improvement for Tilly Mill, N. Peachtree, and Peeler is now underway with
easements and right of way work. Construction is expected to begin either
late 2013 or early 2014.
The Vermack/Womack
intersection remains in the design phase to incorporate the issues raised
during public and neighborhood meetings, as well as other public input
received. These two intersections are our first to be considered as we seek
to improve 1-2 intersections each year under our "pay-as-you-go"
policy.
With the arrival of 2013,
two new intersection improvements to start the conceptual design process
include Mt. Vernon at Vermack and Chamblee-Dunwoody at Spalding.
2013 Street Paving
Bids have not been
received, but the preliminary list of summer road paving and related
improvements from our prioritized paving list include the below listed
streets. Once bids are received and reviewed, Council will then decide if
the below list should be adjusted under our "pay-as-you-go"
policy:
- Chamblee-Dunwoody
Rd (from Cambridge to Valley View; awarded grant funds)
- Chamblee-Dunwoody
Rd (from Womack to Roberts)
- Mt.
Vernon Rd (from Nandina to Vernon Oaks)
- Perimeter
Center Pl (from Perimeter Center W to Meadow Lane)
- Crowne
Pointe Pkwy (from Meadow Ln to Perimeter Center W)
- Meadow
Ln (from Ashford-Dunwoody to Crown Pointe Pkwy)
- Peachford
Rd (from Dunbar to N. Peachtree)
- Spalding
Dr (from Chamblee-Dunwoody to Weldston)
- Redfield
Ln (from Redfield Dr to end)
- Redfield
Dr (from Redfield Rd to Redfield Ln)
- Redfield
Cir (from Redfield Ln to end)
- Mill
Gate Ct (from Bend Creek to end)
- Mill
Race Ct (from Mill Trace to end)
- Mill
Shire Ln (from Dunwoody Club to Mill Glen)
- Mill
Trace Dr (from Dunwoody Club to Bend Creek)
- Trowbridge
Dr (from East End to Ball Mill)
- Trowbridge
Cv (from Trowbridge Dr to end)
- Tamworth
Ct (from Trowbridge to end)
- Ashmont
Ct (from Mt. Vernon to end)
If you have input or
suggestions on these or other city topics, please contact me. Also, I am available
to present to organizations, church groups, neighborhood associations, etc.
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1 comment:
I mistakenly posted the incorrect link from Terry's post. Here is the press release that shows how and why the city is moving forward with the multi-use trail.
CITY OF DUNWOODY MOVES FORWARD WITH CONSTRUCTION OF BROOK RUN PARK MULTI-USE TRAIL
Dunwoody, GA – February 7, 2013 – The City of Dunwoody is moving forward with construction of phase one of the Brook Run Park multi-use trail and anticipates on-site work to commence in February 2013. Phase one of the multi-use trail is three-quarters of a mile long and will be part of a larger 3.3 mile long trail network. The trail is designed as both a recreational amenity and to promote connectivity between city parks, neighborhoods, and area businesses.
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