Thursday, July 30, 2015

I bought my tickets to Mary Poppins at the MJCC, the show opens next Thursday.

Please allow me to give a personal recommendation for the late summer theater production at the JCC as it is one of my favorite performances of the year.  It is always quite impressive as the actors are area theater students honing their chops over the summer before school starts back.  There are Children's prices so please feel free introduce your over dramatic, drama tweens to true professionals, maybe they will be inspired?

Two of my favorite young Dunwoody actors that I have had the pleasure of seeing at the JCC are Savannah Stein & Ryan Walden both of whom are extremely talented and well on their way to the footlights of Broadway and beyond.  

Bring the whole family to see the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta's "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" production of Mary Poppins, August 6-16, featuring the irresistible story and unforgettable songs from one of the most popular Disney films of all time!

Get your tickets now! atlantajcc.org/boxoffice
 
Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta - MJCCA's photo.


Dunwoody is very lucky to have both the Stage Door Players and the JCC putting on productions, please support both.

My shadow for the week will be my father, John Heneghan Sr.

John Heneghan Sr.

Grandpa Heneghan is coming in from Chicago to visit the boys before they start school as he wants to see what keeps this family hopping, including hanging with me at a few of my civic and social events.  I've scheduled some time off work so if you run into me in the next week there is a very good chance that my Dad will be with me.  If you see us, please give him a warm Dunwoody welcome.

We will probably be at Food Truck Thursday, the Dunwoody Homeowners Association Meeting, a Special Called City Council Meeting, Sunday Mass, a Knights of Columbus meeting, various school open houses & registrations, tax free school shopping, watching high school football practice, viewing a production of Mary Poppins, seeing the Stone Mountain Laser Show, Dunwoody North Driving Club for Water Volleyball, numerous trips around the neighborhood walking the dog, probably a trip downtown for a ride of the street car to the Farris wheel as my wife won tickets in an auction that we haven't used, as well as maybe have lunch at the top of the Westin to see the city sights.

We might also do a Braves game and if all goes well Dad might like to hit a few golf balls & take a nap or two.

Anyway, figured I would share what I am doing for the last week of Summer (at least according to the DeKalb County School System Calender).  I hope you enjoy your freedom as much as I am looking forward to mine because even if you don't have children is school; you may still be experiencing the school traffic on Monday August 10th.  Like I said, enjoy the last week of Summer as it is almost over.

John

The most desired housing choice in Dunwoody is currently the Master on the Main.

I have had many conversations with Dunwoody Residents who currently have the need to downsize from the four bedroom single family home sitting on a half acre where there are three empty bedrooms and they are forced to walk the stairs every day.  These residents want to downsize but they want to stay in Dunwoody close to restaurants, shopping and family but can't find a suitable home or living arrangement meeting their needs.   Masters on the Main & single level living whereby the kitchen, living room, bath room and at least one bed room are all together, are the items I hear the most but recent developers wanting to build in Dunwoody keep suggesting three level town-homes as "Senior Friendly Housing".

Back a few months ago, we had the opportunity to approve 81 town-homes in Dunwoody Village that were suppose to meet the needs of this segment of the community but it was rejected by the City Council as not being Senior Friendly enough.  The bedrooms were away from the living area and there were numerous sets of stairs with limited options for an elevator.

The Dunwoody Homeowners Association is meeting Sunday to listen to an updated plan for Dunwoody Village Parkway that will now include what I believe to be some town-homes with the Masters on Main.

I would welcome anyone who is looking for a new housing arrangement which would allow you to age in place here in Dunwoody to please attend the meeting on Sunday and the same goes for Dunwoody Real Estate Agents. 

We need need to hear your feedback on this issue as the City Council is trying to wrap its head around the concept of what is Senior Friendly Housing and the residents can help shape the conversation by directly telling developers what housing amenities and conditions that you are looking for.   Thanks


Draft Dunwoody Perimeter Center Zoning Code to be discussed at DHA meeting on Sunday and at Special Called City Council Meeting on Monday.


http://www.jkheneghan.com/city/meetings/2015/Aug/08032015_Draft_Perimeter_Center_Zoning_Code.pdf

(I have questions into staff as the District colors shown above and the inconsistencies in the zone descriptions in the document, but this is a draft so please attend the DHA on Sunday night and/or the Monday City Council Meeting for more information.  Below is copied from the City memo.)

ITEM DESCRIPTION

The Perimeter Center Zoning Project has been ongoing since Fall 2014, and staff is before City Council to present a working draft of the code. The purpose of the meeting is to present the draft and continue in work session format so Council has an opportunity to provide in-depth feedback before any details are considered appropriate.

BACKGROUND

At the onset of the Perimeter Center Zoning project, the exact zoning tool had not been determined, but through the process, we have recommended a two-part approach: an overlay code that addresses streetscape and design standards and a distinct zoning district that regulates land use and bulk standards. The recommendation is to adopt and require the overlay standards for all properties in the Perimeter Center boundaries. Additionally, the Perimeter Center Zoning District would be adopted fully as a parallel code to the districts that exist on each parcel today. Each of these processes entails a city-initiated rezoning for the affected properties. The effect would be that property owners have the ability to choose between the codes but would be required to comply with the overlay standards, regardless. This method preserves the rights of each property owner for the zoning they have in place today, but it also encourages the option to use the parallel code.

The character of development stipulated in the Perimeter Center Code reinforces Perimeter Center to be the more walkable, vibrant place envisioned through the City’s planning efforts, so the incentives and requirements in the code are being carefully crafted to strike a balance between incentivizing property owners to choose the preferred district and maintaining adequate control over quality and development standards.

The project has proceeded, and there is currently a draft outline circulating for public comment. All documents to this point have been posted on the website, and the content is maintained and updated regularly. The adoption process is anticipated to begin early 2016, but the timeline will be adjusted as necessary.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

The sounding board has convened twice to discuss the goals of the project and to provide feedback on the draft outline. Two public meetings have been conducted with limited attendance. The consultant team returned in May to host a series of focus groups, similar to the original stakeholder meetings, to solicit feedback on the drafts as they evolve. The team met with design professionals and property owners, in particular, and has continued to engage the development community through Council for Quality Growth, property owners, and residents at large. Most recently, the consultant team is scheduled to meet with Dunwoody Homeowner’s Association on August 2 for a similar working session. Due to timing, the results of the DHA meeting will be summarized the evening of the City Council meeting.

DUNWOODY SPECIAL CALLED MEETING
August 3, 2015 - 6:00 PM
41 PERIMETER CENTER EAST
DUNWOODY, GA 30346

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Dunwoody Homeowners Association meeting Sunday to discuss Perimeter Zoning Master Plan & revised townhome plan for Dunwoody Village.

Dunwoody Homeowners Association

Board of Directors Meeting
Sunday, August 2, 2015 @ 7:30 P.M.
DeKalb Cultural Arts Center (Room 4)
5339 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road
Dunwoody, GA 30338

1.                Announcements and introduction of distinguished visitors

2.                Approval of minutes for July 12, 2015 meeting—Joe Tuttle

3.                Presentation/Discussion PCID Master Plan – Leslie Oberholtzer and Kirk Bishop

4.                Revised plan for condos on Dunwoody Village Parkway – Lonnie Moss
 (Mr. Moss reached out to me to discuss revised plans whereby 30% of new development originally presented in December would now have Master's on the Main in order to be more Senior Friendly as he said he was coming back in front of City Council on August 10th.  I asked that he present publicly instead of meeting in private (no appearance of impropriety that way) in front of the DHA where he presented once before.  Once it was announced that he would meet with the DHA on Sunday, I asked for specific drawings or details to help inform the public and he stated "Thanks John, I'm trying to get that together now. The footprint of the buildings will be the same as the current plan. Just the widths of the individual units will increase by ten feet to accommodate masters on the main level. I appreciate the opportunity to meet with citizens, and look forward to Sunday.")
5.      Discussion of holiday decorations and collaboration with the city – Robert Wittenstein

6.      Request for sponsorship for Dunwoody Elementary School – Megan Cann ($300 included in 2015 budget)
                                     
Board only session: Votes as needed on any motions including:
 Authorization to fund Dunwoody Elementary School

Dunwoody Food Truck Thursday - July 30 @ Brook Run Park 5:00 PM until Dark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=13&v=3iYpKc8Yd3A

July 30 @ Brook Run Park  5:00 PM until Dark
We are SO excited about this week's Dunwoody Food Truck Thursdays! Only one more week before school starts so let's party! We have music by Chris Stalcup and The Grange, beer from Moondog Growlers + a truly delicious menu! And thank you to our sponsors PNC Bank of Dunwoody.

ANGELFIRE7 BBQ
Chef Rob's Caribbean Cafe
Crepe Suzette Food Truck
Freckled and Blue Kitchen & Catering
Hail Caesar
Mac the Cheese {Comfort} Food Truck
The Mobile Marlay Food Truck
WOW! Food Truck
Banjo Cold Brew Coffee
King of Pops
SnoBayou Handcrafted SnoBalls
Vintage Frozen Custard

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Canceled - DeKalb County Boil Water Advisory - Countywide

Just before 3 p.m. on Saturday, DeKalb’s Department of Watershed Management announced a “precautionary boil water advisory” for the entire county.

http://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/pdf/07-25-15BoilWaterAdvisory.pdf

Dunwoody Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Event on Sunday at GPC

 
Task on Saturday, clean out garage and basement of chemicals not needed.  Sunday dispose of them.
 
Georgia Perimeter College - Dunwoody Campus
2101 Womack Road
Dunwoody, Georgia
Sunday, July 26
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

WHEN: July 26 (1 p.m.-4 p.m.)--please do not arrive early--materials will not be accepted until 1 p.m.
WHERE: Georgia Perimeter College-Dunwoody Campus (2101 Womack Road)
PARKING: Parking Lot 11:  Traveling east on Womack Rd, turn right in to the first GPC entrance

Items Accepted
  • Aerosols
  • Adhesives, resins, and epoxies
  • Mercury debris/articles/devices
  • Lawn care products
  • Automotive products
  • Fluorescent bulbs
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Photo chemicals
  • Hobby and artist supplies
  • Paints and paint-related products
  • Cleaners and swimming pool chemicals
  • Poisons (rat, rodent, and insect repellents) (updated item)
  • Pesticides (updated item)
Items Not Accepted
  • Agricultural wastes
  • Ammunition
  • Bio-hazardous/bio-medical waste
  • Explosives
  • Radioactive materials
Important Additional Information
  • Disposal is limited to Dunwoody residents ONLY
  • To be served, please bring your driver’s license or other proof of residency.  Other documents may be accepted at the discretion of on-site City staff
  • Acceptance of materials is at the discretion of on-site associates
  • Event is rain or shine
  • No commercial disposal
  • We reserve the right to charge for materials that appear to exceed customary residential quantities, at the discretion of on-site City staff
  • Paint disposal is limited to the equivalent of 20 gallons per household
Can't make this event?  Check back later for more information on other similar events (relative dates are subject to change)
October 2015--Electronics Recycling Event
November 2015--HHW Recycling Event
April 2016--Paint Recycling Event with Dunwoody Nature Center

Dunwoody Kids are giving it their all this weekend in national spotlight sporting events.



Brianna Harris, winner if the Dunwoody Soap Box Derby in the Super Stock Division is in Akron, OH and ready to take on all comers on Saturday to become the Grand Champion.  Based on the Heat Sheets, Brianna will need to win five rounds to take the big prize but no matter what, she has done Dunwoody proud.

Live coverage to watch the Soap Box Derby is available here with the first heat slated to start at 9 am.

Pictured, L-R: Nate Chambers, Peyton Leonard, Leyton George, Will Hillegass, Dawson Stevens, Charlie Kapp, Dylan Reid, Adam Frederick, Tyler Sun, Tim Hillegass, Colton Jimenez. Coaches: Steve George, Jon LeDoyen, Tony Sun and Tim Hillegass.

The last time a Murphy Candler team won a state championship was in 1989 but that record started fresh again last weekend when a group of 9 & 10 year old's won the Georgia State Championship. Those boys are now at the Tournament of State Champions which is an annual Little League baseball tournament held for the Southeast States in Greenville, North Carolina. The tournament starts on Saturday with the championship game on Wednesday, July 29. The qualifying state championship teams are from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Saturday, July 25 (9-10 year olds)
6:15 EST - West Virginia vs. Georgia
Sunday, July 26 (9-10 year olds)
6:15 EST - Georgia vs. Virginia
Monday, July 27 (9-10 year olds)
3:30 EST - Georgia vs. North Carolina

Webcast at:

TV station segment:

Friday, July 24, 2015

Dunwoody community bike ride on Sunday Aug 2nd starting at 2:45 at Village Burger

My son Declan and I participated in May.

Join us for the next community bike ride SUNDAY AUGUST 2nd at 2:45 pm starting at Village Burger on Dunwoody Village Parkway. We'll have a short pre-ride safety speech and leave by 3. Helmets are required and we recommend a bicycle with gears to handle the hills. The route is a 4.5 mile loop around Dunwoody - mostly right turns. We will not ride in inclement weather or hazardous road conditions.

Dunwoody City Council Agenda for Monday July 27th

Monday, July 27, 2015
Dunwoody City Hall

41 Perimeter Center East
Dunwoody, GA 30346

6 pm Agenda - Watch Live at 6:00 p.m.

Presentation from Dunwoody Senior Baseball.

CAD-to-CAD Interface Update. (goes live on August 10, 2015)

Comprehensive Plan Update of the City of Dunwoody. (interesting read - large file)

RZ 15-072: Pursuant to the City of Dunwoody Zoning Ordinance, applicant Atlanta Office
Investment, LLC, c/o KDC AH Investments One, LP, seeks permission to rezone property
currently zoned Office-Institution (O-I) District to Planned Development (PD) to allow for
construction of a mixed-use commercial/retail/restaurant PD development. The subject
property is located at 245 Perimeter Center Parkway, Dunwoody, GA 30346. The tax parcel is
18-329-04-003. (Deferred until August)

Approval of Memorandum of Agreement for FEMA Flood Study. (Past flood map work)

Update of Weather Alert Policy. (Should blinking lights warn baseball coaches at Dunwoody Senior that lightning is in area?)

Approval of a Construction Contract for the Tilly Mill Road at North Peachree Road Intersection Project.

Atlanta Regional Commission Public Art Grant Resolution. (Looking for a statue / art piece in Georgetown Park - any suggestions?)

DeKalb County requires a property line cleanout to the sewer be present, could be expensive if missing.

 Typical sewer drawing, though I am many are missing the property line clean-out.
As a sitting Dunwoody City Councilman, I see quite a bit of correspondence between governments attempting to explain jurisdictional and legal issues and as this sewer line issue has crossed my desk a number of times, I thought I would share. A resident is upset because sewage from her home (and maybe others) will not flow down into the sewer main as there is blockage and the waste backs up into her home.

The blockage appears to be close to the street between where the property line is and the sewer main. In this case there is no property line sewer cleanout and because of this fact the county is notifying the resident that they responsible for replacing the entire line, including the section from the property line to the sewer main. If the clean out was there, the County would have accepted that responsibility but because the clean out is not there the owner has the full responsibility to repair and restore flow.

By the way, my house does not appear to have a property line clean out and I am guessing that my cast iron sewer line going to the street could to fail any day now. That being said, when it happens, I know a good plumber who replaces lines on a regular basis.

Below is the text from a letter from Mr. Charles Lambert, the Interim Director for the DeKalb Department of Watershed Management addressing the issue from the County's perspective. The resident will not be happy. 


As requested I am responding to the various questions that have raised about the issue with the constituent sewer line at the above address.

As background to the issue the lateral line from the house to the main sewer line belongs to the homeowner and was installed at their expense by either the sub-division developer, the home builder or the owner via a self-installation, hired help or plumber at some point in the past. This line only benefits the homeowner and remains as private property of the homeowner.

It is virtually impossible for the County or Dunwoody to regulate these lines on a 24-7 basis over their entire life as the entities listed above do many things on their own and with contractors they may hire at any time. Too often the work is done without the benefit of a permit or licensed contractor/plumber.

As private property only benefiting the owner it is not up to the County or City to upgrade or bring to code any line such as this. The state constitution gratuity clause prevents us from spending public funds on private projects that only benefit a single business or entity.

In this case the sewer line is outside the street in a dedicated easement. This easement is only for the sewer main and does not include any attachments to the line such as laterals for house connections. At some point permits are secured and laterals are connected from the main to the house by entities as noted above. The permit allows the entity access to our main for purposes of sewage disposal though their line.

If the line was installed to code the County would maintain the portion of the line from the property/easement line cleanout to the public sewer main, which in this case would be about 5 feet from the center of the sewer main. The Building/County Code has always, as far back as I can determine, required a property line cleanout to be present. The changes to the codes in the past have not compromised that requirement. They have been changed over time as owners consumption of water has increased. Originally the code was for a 4 inch line from the house to the main with private cleanouts at the house and at prescribed distances along the sewer line and to have a property line 4 inch cleanout installed at the utility easement. The code was changed to have a 6 inch property line cleanout as the transition point of the 4 inch line to the 6 inch line form that point to the main. The connection to the main is also sometimes an issue and is still on the homeowner to bring up to code by the appropriate repair or replacement.

In the late 1980’s the plumbers brought suit against the County for doing plumbers work and this was upheld by the state supreme court to prevent the County from doing plumbers work. Plumbers work is installing the sewer laterals from the house to the main to include installation to code. Remember, the lateral belongs to the homeowner and is private property only serving the owner which furthered the case in favor of the plumbers.

The County code was changed in the past so that the County would maintain the portion of the line in the utility easement that was to code with code being that in place at the time of construction be it 4 to 4, 4 to 6 or 6 to 6 inch line sizes. The maintenance requires the presence of an exposed property line cleanout the size of the larger line it connects to. Maintenance does not include bringing the line up to any current code only to maintain in an as-is type of condition which typically includes removing blockages in the line by accessing the line at the property/easement line cleanout. The County would replace sections of line that had failed at our discretion in the utility easement as part of our maintenance.

What has brought this issue to a head is the presence of sewage coming from a line that is not to code with a property line cleanout. Under the publicly adopted building code of the County including those portions of the state building code is the “grandfather clause” section 7-27 which is:
Sec. 7-27. Applicability.

(b) Existing installations. Buildings, structures, plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems lawfully in existence at the time of the adoption of this ordinance shall be permitted to have their use and maintenance continued if the use, maintenance or repair is in accordance with the original design and no hazard to life, health or property is created by such building, structure or system.
Under the current County Building Code Section 7-27 lack of a Property Line Cleanout is considered a health and property hazard which makes the current code applicable. If your sewage backs into your house it is potentially a health hazard to the occupants and could cause property damage rendering your structure uninhabitable.

This same code is echoed in Dunwoody Code Section 8-24. Existing Buildings (d);
Existing installations. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, buildings, structures, plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems lawfully in existence at the time of the adoption of the ordinance from which this article is derived shall be permitted to have their use and maintenance continued if the use, maintenance or repair is in accordance with the original design and applicable codes at the time of its installation, and no hazard to life, health or property is created by such building, structure or system.
As noted in both codes, the usage is permitted (grandfathered in) to continue for no set length of time until a problem occurs and the owner addresses the repairs. When the issue goes unaddressed or as in this case affects the public health the owner must bring the non-complying system up to current code with all applicable permits, inspections and at the owner’s full expense. Dunwoody code is much more specific in how the repairs are to be made in this same section of code and the Dunwoody code inspectors are the enforcement entity.

The County does not have rights in the City and the health department functions only for the unincorporated area of DeKalb County and will support the City as an expert witness. We will support Dunwoody by turning the water off to stop the problem until such time as the owner makes the needed repairs if requested.

The County will take over maintenance of the new, code compliant system in the utility easement after one year of a warranty period to assure the installation is proper and sound. The one-year period is required of all of our developers and contractors in any work we do.

As the citizen noted this by specifically pulling out this line of the code related to maintenance in the easement which is only a portion of the code section and does not stand alone. The whole section is the installation process for code compliant connecting to the sewer system and is a sequential, step by step guide on how to do this connection, who pays for it and how, after permitting and inspection the maintenance is transferred to the County.

Many of our citizens (with erroneous advice from a plumber) try to get around bringing the whole line in the utility easement up to code by installing a cleanout (often improperly done, sized wrong and not permitted or inspected) on a non-compliant line and then expect the County to make the repair they should have made under the code. Current code is a 6 inch connection from the main to the property/easement line with a wye in place for a straight connection from the house to the lateral and the installation of a cleanout stack and cap to allow for future access for maintenance. In this case since the roots from the trees on or near the property have compromised the line integrity the whole lateral from the main to the easement will need to be replaced.

Finally, the County is under a Consent Decree with the EPA/EPD and these terms are included in the approved programs and considered to be private issues. There is a further stipulation that the County cannot take over any systems that are known to have an existing problem or have the probability of spilling sewage.

We have explained this to a variety of entities over the length of this issue and to the owner when we inspected the County portion of the line to ascertain that the County lines were not causing this problem under our consent decree. As noted in the email the owner was given our information sheets related to this.

At this time it is an owner issue to repair and restore flow.

Should you have any additional questions please email me for a response at CLLAMBERT@DeKalbcountyga.gov.

Sincerely,

Charles Lambert
Interim Director
DeKalb Department of Watershed Management


Dunwoody's Village Burger is now serving breakfast - please give it a try.

Village Burger opened for business 7 years ago on Dunwoody Village Parkway by several Dunwoody families and they focused on friendly service offering great food at a fair price.  The restaurant has opened a second location in John's Creek and they recently expanded their hours and menu in Dunwoody to now include breakfast.  There are many places in Dunwoody to spend your dining dollars, please keep a few of those here in the community by visiting Village Burger.  Breakfast on Saturday opens at 8 am and I am looking forward to my next visit.




My friend Audra wrote a nice piece on Village Burger and it is worth a read here.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Dunwoody Elementary Teacher holds new Baby Girl and an Adoption Auction to defray costs. Please review the auction items.

A new Mom once again as Ms. Mattison holds her baby girl!

Parents, over the course of your children's education you have the pleasure of meeting some great teachers but few touch you so deeply that they become close friends.  Jenn Mattison (nee Spence) taught my son Riley in the third grade at Chesnut Elementary School and my wife Kristin was the room mom.   The two hit it off and they have kept in touch through the years.  When Jenn was about to be married to wonderful young man named Brett we held a wedding shower in our home and then attended wedding.
 
When Dunwoody Elementary School opened (at the time a fourth and fifth grade academy) Ms. Mattison went with her students and left Chesnut where she had been since 2003.   Let me tell you that Jenn Mattison is a phenomenal teacher both in and out of the classroom.   She took her love of skiing and opened a ski & snowboard school at DES and has hosted numerous ski trips in the last five years.  She is in charge of running the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Program at DES and teaches the Gifted Program in all five grades within the school.

Dunwoody Elementary and for that part the entire City of Dunwoody is blessed to have such a wonderful teacher taking care of our children and instilling the into their lives so much more than what ever could be read in a book.

The Mattison's were blessed with the adoption of their son Kai but when he was just 7 months old he was diagnosed with a rare kidney cancer. Eight weeks later Kai lost his battle at Children's Hospital of Atlanta.

There isn't a day (minute) that goes by that they don't miss their amazing son.  They made Kai a promise when they were in PICU. That promise was to continue on with their family plan. They would start the adoption process once again and bring home his baby brother or sister.  When a great friend from the adoption community reached out to the Mattison's wanting to help with an adoption auction they hesitated.....a lot as they believe the community has supported them SO MUCH in the last year.

The expenses in the last year have racked up for this school teacher and her hard working husband, so please review the auction items to see if there is something of interest to bid on as it closes on Sunday July 19th.   They would also like you to share the auction with your Facebook community. Help them spread the word.

Read the rules of participating in the public auction here.
https://www.facebook.com/auctionfun/posts/710581229070603

Join here
https://www.facebook.com/events/1571507996444810/

ALL AUCTION ITEMS ARE IN AN ALBUM- LINK HERE:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/…

Album contains pictures of each item available. You can CLICK PICTURE FOR A DESCRIPTION, MINIMUM BID and SHIPPING COST, if applicable, in the description for each. If shipping has been donated, it will be indicated as well.

Please join Kai's Prayer page and help us spread the awareness about Childhood Cancer.
www.facebook.com/prayingforkai

With love from my friends,

Jenn, Brett, Kaili and our Angel Warrior Kai

Dunwoody Wildcats Football Mattress Sale Fundraiser - Saturday at the high school.


Saturday July 18th
10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Dunwoody High School

Please join the Dunwoody Wildcat Football teams for our Annual Mattress Fundraiser on Saturday , July 18th from 10:00AM until 5:00 PM at the high school. A full showroom displaying top brands such as Simmons Beautyrest will be available to test. Many models have won the Consumer Best Buy Award multiple times. Factory direct prices with savings of up to 50% off retail in all sizes and mattress types. Credit card, checks, cash and lay away accepted. Profits support the Wildcats so come out and help the teams and enjoy a better nights sleep as well.

Tonight's Dunwoody Food Truck line up with music provided by Josh Jeffords


7.16.15 @ Brook Run Park  5:00 PM until Dark

Don't miss this week's Dunwoody Food Truck Thursdays! This week will enjoy music from Josh Jeffords Music + local craft brews + dinner from this killer lineup!

The Bento Bus
Cousins Maine Lobster
Fry Guy
Ibiza Bites
Mac the Cheese {Comfort} Food Truck
Nectar
WOW! Food Truck
Yumbii
Banjo Cold Brew Coffee
DaddyO's Irish Ice Cream Pub
King of Pops
Tracy's Tasties

Another accident at Chamblee Dunwoody & Spalding - looking forward to the upcoming improvements.

Too many accidents occur at this intersection and the City of Dunwoody will be putting up a light and improving the safety of the intersection.  We are currently in the final design phase and will need to purchase some right of way for Option A and it should be constructed in 2016.


Public Works

Chamblee Dunwoody Road at Spalding Drive

The intersection of Chamblee-Dunwoody Road and Spalding Drive is a vital gateway into the City of Dunwoody. The intersection is a major decision point for regional commuter traffic from and into residential and commercial areas within Dunwoody and Sandy Springs. Additionally, this corridor provides connectivity for reverse-commuting Dunwoody residents to the GA 400 corridor.

The primary objective of the proposed intersection improvement project is to address safety concerns. Undesirable intersection geometry is the root cause of the safety problems at the intersection. Primary southbound commuting traffic cannot see oncoming traffic from along eastbound Spalding Drive for a sufficient distance to make safe turning and gap decisions. The lack of visibility is due to a combination of vertical and horizontal curves in Spalding Drive. The severe skew of the intersection further limits visibility along the approaches. Given the intersection alignment, a high number of angle crashes occur, which supports the need for a safety improvement at this intersection.

Efficient and safe traffic operations are fundamental project objectives and essential to the success of the project. Strong commuter time of day traffic patterns and intersection geometry both dictate traffic operations at the intersection. Access to and from the side street neighborhoods must be maintained while also accommodating the regional traffic that moves through the intersection. Careful, detailed analysis will be performed to quantify potential benefits of several design alternatives and provide a basis for cost/benefit comparisons between those alternatives.

Additionally, the City of Dunwoody places emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle safety and connectivity. That goal is embodied in the City of Dunwoody’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan and has been included in every capital improvement project. Pedestrian safety is the other major safety challenge in the project area. The intersection lacks signalized pedestrian facilities, with no pedestrian signals or push buttons at any crossing.

Current Project Phase – Final Design
After presentation of three options at a public meeting, followed by direction from the City Council, staff is working with the project consultant to complete the design work for a modified version of the Option A presented at the public meeting. The resultant intersection improvements will improve the safety for vehicles and pedestrians, traffic operations, and way-finding improvements.  Additionally, this improvement will respect and maintain the character of the surrounding existing neighborhoods and minimize impacts to property owners.

The planned intersection improvement will add left turn lanes on the Chamblee Dunwoody and Spalding legs of the intersection.  Pedestrian enhancements would include bike lanes and sidewalks would be added along Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Spalding Road as well as signalized pedestrian crossings.  The planned intersection improvements construction zone will be entirely within the City of Dunwoody municipal limits. The construction will likely cost around $1M and will be locally funded.

Next Project Phase – Right-of-Way
The next phase in the project is acquisition of easements and right-of-way necessary to complete the intersection improvements. The city anticipates acquiring any needed right-of-way in 2015 with construction anticipated for 2016.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Georgetown Community in Dunwoody proposed to receive park land in townhome deal.


Arcadia homes has been in communication with adjoining neighbors on this project and it will now be discussed at several more meetings this week.  Sunday night at 7:30 the Dunwoody Homeowners Association will be hearing of the proposal and then on Tuesday the Dunwoody Planning Commission will be formally reviewing the project.

The major question that I have heard from the Georgetown neighbors to the project is "Will Old Spring House & Lincoln Parkway be connected to allow vehicular traffic to flow from Perimeter Center through the Georgetown Community?   The answer is No it has never been contemplated to allow automobiles to connect these two sections of the city.    As part of the City’s vision for a connected trail system, the applicant is proposing to dedicate and construct a twelve foot concrete path that runs parallel to the eastern lot line of 54 Perimeter Center East. This path could eventually become part of the trail that may extend from Brook Run Park through the Georgetown area.  Some have suggested that this is an odd place for a trail, why there?  Just north of the trail at the proposed development is an undeveloped City of Dunwoody park (Perimeter Center East - not shown on city website) and this trail is being paid for by the developer (not the city) as an amenity for the entire community. 

The site is located at 54 Perimeter Center East, Dunwoody, GA 30346 on the eastern side of Perimeter Center East, just north of Lincoln Parkway (private), and 4340, 4348, 4356, 4364, 4372, 4380 and 4388 Old Georgetown Trail, Dunwoody, GA 30338 on the west side of Old Georgetown Trail at the west end of Old Spring House Lane. The property consists of approximately 9.84 acres of land on eight vacant parcels. The applicant is proposing to develop 7.544 acres and dedicate the remaining 2.3 acres to the City for use as public park space.

Here is the main overview document and to see all of the documents regarding this project, please click here to see the Planning Commission Agenda, then click the items under unfinished business and the pdf documents will be on the right.


Dunwoody City Council agenda for Monday July 13th

Monday, July 13, 2015
Dunwoody City Hall

41 Perimeter Center East
Dunwoody, GA 30346

6 pm Agenda - Watch Live at 6:00 p.m.

Administer Oath of Office to Officer Brian Hall and Officer Yaakov Baum.

Presentation of Certificate of Recycling. (Alan Mothner)

Presentation of Bicycle Assessment Draft.

Presentation of State Certification by Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police

PUBLIC HEARING: Transmit the Comprehensive Plan of the City of Dunwoody to ARC and
DCA.  Deferred until the July 27, 2015 City Council meeting

PUBLIC HEARING & FIRST READ: RZ 15-072: Pursuant to the City of Dunwoody Zoning Ordinance, applicant Atlanta Office Investment, LLC, c/o KDC AH Investments One, LP, seeks permission to rezone property currently zoned Office-Institution (O-I) District to Planned Development (PD) to allow for construction of a mixed-use commercial/retail/restaurant PD development. The subject property is located at 245 Perimeter Center Parkway, Dunwoody, GA 30346.  Deferred until the July 27, 2015 City Council meeting

ACTION ITEM: Contract Amendment with JAT.

ACTION ITEM: Tax Assessement Freeze Refunds - 12% ?

Discussion of HOST-like Homestead Exemption

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Georgians for Local Area School System needs your financial assistance to push for Constitutional Amendment.

http://www.glassnow.org/

Please consider taking a quick moment to donate now to Georgians for Local Area School System and support HR 4 and the future of independent school systems in Georgia. Together we can make a difference.
http://www.gofundme.com/yr8qhk

Georgians for Local Area School System is a grassroots effort to amend the Georgia State Constitution to allow for the creation of independent school systems. HR 4, a Georgia House Resolution carried by State Representative Tom Taylor, will bring this important reformation to the Georgia constitution.

Nearly 70 years ago, Georgia (under extreme financial, organizational, and learning outcome mismanagement) consolidated many of their school systems and prohibited the creation of independent school systems from forming in the future.  What was yesterday's solution is today's liability.

State wide our school systems are growing in population at a tremendous rate.  This growth is leading to the formation of mega school systems that are either at risk of or are currently disconnected to the diverse needs of their learning communities.

What Georgia needs are school systems attuned to the specific needs of their students, parents, teachers, and communities.  We need school systems that are preparing our students for a competitive and global economy and work force.  We need school systems that are responsive to their tax paying constituents.  We need school systems that are able to preemptively make adjustments to their programs rather than respond re-actively as crisis after crisis appears before them.

Georgia needs to reintroduce dual flexibility in the organization of their school systems.  Just as school systems can be too small to survive - school systems can be too large to ensure that each of their students are being given the best opportunity to achieve to their own highest potential.  Educational outcomes and financial efficacy is lost.

Help GLASS change the Georgia State Constitution and allow for the creation of independent school systems - school systems that are close enough to the communities that they serve to allow for their students to thrive and walk into their future prepared with an exceptional education.

Through supporting GLASS you are helping with the effort of sharing this important message through: education of our state legislature and communities throughout Georgia, community events, print material, website management, and basic needs of grass root efforts such as insurance.

For more information on GLASS, please visit our website at: www.glassnow.org

GLASS and the future of Georgia thank you.

Dunwoody Expedites Homestead Exemption Refunds

City Continues Coordination with DeKalb County to Advance Property Assessment Freeze Refunds for Select Homeowners

Dunwoody, GA – July 8, 2015 – The City of Dunwoody and the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office examined residential tax records from 2012 to 2014 and will expedite refunds for Dunwoody homeowners who qualified for a residential property assessment freeze exemption for the purpose of city taxes over the three year period.

Initial examination of tax records from 2012 to 2014 indicate approximately one in five residential parcels within the city were not properly credited with the property assessment freeze exemption. The city is coordinating refund distribution with DeKalb County and plans to issue individual refunds over the next 30 – 45 days.

Dunwoody homeowners who filed and qualified for a homestead exemption and received an increased property assessment during 2012, 2013 and/or 2014 above what their assessed home value was in 2009 will receive a refund. Refund payment amounts will vary according to individual property assessment increases incurred over the three year period.

Qualifying Dunwoody homeowners will receive refunds according to individual annual tax payment methods. Refund payments will be distributed either directly to the taxpaying homeowner or to the homeowner’s mortgage company escrow account. All affected homeowners will receive a letter from the City of Dunwoody indicating refund amounts and distribution method.

Approximately 2,748 residential parcels were affected based on initial analysis of the Dunwoody residential tax records for the three year period. The city plans to issue a total of approximately $150,000 plus interest in property assessment freeze refunds for affected residential parcels.

The city will continue working with the DeKalb Tax Commissioner’s Office on expedient refund distribution to all qualified and affected parcel owners.

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For more information regarding the City of Dunwoody, please contact Bob Mullen, Marketing and PR Director, at 678-382-6700 or bob.mullen@dunwoodyga.gov.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Dunwoody Residential Trash Pickup Days are either Tuesday & Wednesday

1 day a week pick up.

I also noticed a story highlighted at the Dunwoody Working Girl blog that a new law requires drivers to slow down and move over when passing a garbage truck, full story is here

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Chesnut Elementary Parents in Dunwoody are exploring the renewal of the DeKalb County School Charter - two meetings this week.

I am a current Chesnut Charter Elementary School parent and have been almost continuously since 2004 when my now 15 year old son entered Kindergarten.   The school is a wonderful learning environment with caring teachers and a dedicated cadre of parents who volunteer on a regular basis to allow the teachers and the administration to be focused providing the quality education. 

The school has been a DeKalb County Conversion Charter for much of that time but it appears that the rules are changing and the odds of renewal by DeKalb are slim, as the renewal would also now authorize the School Governing Board (Parents and Teachers) to have a level of control that the entrenched DeKalb bureaucracy does not want to let go of.

I fully support Chesnut's effort for renewal for many reasons and hope that the meeting rooms are packed with parents to help push this initiative forward.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Dunwoody 4th of July Parade kicks off Saturday at 9 am


On Saturday, July 4, 2015 at 9:00 a.m., the Dunwoody Homeowners Association and the Dunwoody Crier Newspaper will host the annual Fourth of July Parade featuring marching bands, floats, clowns, animal units and local celebrities. Last year the parade attracted over 2,500 participants and 32,000 spectators!

This year's theme is Honoring Our Educational Stars and the Grand Marshals will be the Principals of Dunwoody Schools (Dunwoody HS, Peachtree CMS, Austin ES, Chesnut CES, Dunwoody ES, Kingsley CES, Vanderlyn ES)
Join the Dunwoody 4th of July Parade on Facebook.

The parade route is ~2 miles and steps off from the intersection of Mount Vernon Road and Jett Ferry Road at 9:00 a.m., proceeds west on Mt. Vernon to Dunwoody Village, turns right onto Dunwoody Village Parkway and left into Dunwoody Village (Jiffy Lube) across from Village Burger. Volunteers will guide parade participants to parade parking (Walgreens side). The Festival Area will be to the left of the Dunwoody Village entrance. It takes approximately 1 hour to walk the entire parade route.

Viewing Information:
Parade spectators are encouraged to setup chairs along Mt. Vernon and Dunwoody Village Parkway up to the shops on the right and the parade entrance into Dunwoody Village. Spectators will be blocked from viewing on the east side of Jett Ferry on Mt. Vernon due to the staging and setup for parade participants. Viewing will start on the west side of Jett Ferry on Mt. Vernon.

Mt. Vernon Road, between Jett Ferry Road and Dunwoody Village, will be closed from 8:40 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. [times are approximate; contact the Dunwoody Police Department for specific questions about road closures and traffic information].


Please join the Dunwoody community after the 4th of July Parade in front of the US Post Office in Dunwoody Village for family fun and great food.
The ceremonies begin at 11:30 a.m.
  • Invocation from Dan Brown, Senior Minister, Dunwoody Methodist Church
  • Presentation of the Colors - Dunwoody High School Color Guard 
  • Pledge of Allegiance - TBA
  • National Anthem - TBA
  • Concert - 116th National Army Guard
  • Parade Awards
Food:
  • BBQ - Dunwoody Boy Scout Troop 266
  • Hotdogs - Rotary Club of Dunwoody
Fun:
  • Kids Zone - Calvary Church