FEMA Flood Zone review for City of Dunwoody based on City of Doraville project near Nancy Creek - very small negative impact expected near Tilly Mill.

Awhile back, Doraville constructed town homes along the flood plane of Nancy Creek directly adjacent to the City of Dunwoody and in doing so placed fill within the 100 year floodplain which may have negatively impacted Dunwoody single family residences (at the end of Vintage Lane), condos (Chateau at Dunwoody Condos) and businesses (Life Orthopedic & Spine Center) therefore I requested a formal study and the results came back negligible where the increase in flooding might be 1/10 th of a foot of flood water upstream near the Chateau Condos.  Downstream, near Vintage will not be impacted.

Here is the overview memo explaining circumstances with results and here is the raw data with maps.

New Greek Orthodox Church slated to fill vacant space on Tilly Mill near Dunwoody / Doraville Border. @frnateg

Doraville Application for Conditional Use Permit. was approved in April and Church signs are up today.

Welcome to the Community St. Mark's

Dunwoody City Council agenda for January 24, 2022

DUNWOODY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
January 24, 2022
6:00 PM – DUNWOODY CITY HALL
4800 ASHFORD DUNWOODY ROAD
DUNWOODY, GA 30338

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Agenda - City Site Agenda

Invocation

PUBLIC COMMENT - in person or raise hand in Zoom.

Emergency Ordinance Declaring Local Emergency of the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2021/2022 Omicron Variant Global Pandemic to Allow City Council and City Boards to Conduct Public Meetings via Teleconference.

SECOND READ: RZ 21-02: Rezoning for 11 Ravinia Drive to Amend the Conditions of the Current PC-2c District to Allow a Furniture Retail Showroom and Concurrent Variance from Chapter 27, Section 98 of the City Code of Ordinances to allow relief from street frontage requirements on Ravinia Parkway.  

ESRI Mapping Software for GIS 3-Year Renewal.

FortifyData Renewal.

Request to Sell Surplus Technology to the City of Doraville.

Al Fresco Grant Request - Shops of Dunwoody in Village

Contract Approval for the Brook Run Park Lighting Project with Georgia Power.

Approval of a Contract Amendment with Blount Construction for Additional Pavement Marking.

Discussion of Vermack Road Shared-Use Path Adjacent to Dunwoody High School.

Discussion of Replacement of Taser X2's with Purchase of Taser 7's.

Discussion of Additional Human Resources Position Funded by CARES II.

Discussion Rules and Procedures for City Council Meetings & Public Hearings

85 new townhomes proposed in Doraville (on the Dunwoody Border) on Van Fleet Circle & PIB Access Road

 See full Development Plans here.

Tonight at 6 pm the Doraville Planning Commission will be discussing a new residential development consisting of 85 town homes located on Van Fleet Circle and accessible by only the Peachtree Industrial Access Road near Tilly Mill.  This area is zoned for single family homes but there are many vacant properties in this little isolated nook between PIB & 285 therefore it was just a matter of time for an assemblage and redevelopment of the Van Fleet area plus with the Carver Circle development being built out, this is not surprising.

This proposal directly abuts the City of Dunwoody and the Dunwoody North community where I live and the only question that jumps out to me is the possible impact on flooding of Nancy Creek as it appears they are planning on building in the 100 year flood zone but not impacting the stream buffers so this concern to Dunwoody is minimal.  I also see a storm water easement that Dunwoody shares access to that pipe therefore I would want Doraville to be assured that clean outs are still possible in the area. 

Knowing that some residents would want to know, my research shows that this area is served by Chesnut Elementary School.

Redevelopment opportunities discussed for the Southeast side of the City of Dunwoody.

Full Presentation & Market Study 

This evening there was a presentation on the financial market forces affecting future re-development of the aging apartment complexes on the Southeast side of Dunwoody along Peachtree Industrial Blvd and abutting 285 at North Peachtree Road.  There was also a list of suggested improvements for the meeting attendees to vote upon which ranged from redeveloping the Winters Chapel area, adding mixed use to some apartment complexes, having public trails added through the large apartment complexes and other sidewalk and beautification suggestions.  Some of these ideas might sound great but know that the landowners have full control as to when they want to redevelop and where the trails will be allowed, therefore based on the current profitability of the apartments and the rate of return, the expectations are that change to these large parcels will be slow in coming.  That being said, these meetings are setting the stage for an action plan when redevelopment is eventually proposed.

Dunwoody City Council Agenda for Monday March 27th

Monday, March 27, 2017
Dunwoody City Hall
41 Perimeter Center East
Dunwoody, GA 30346
Watch Live at 6:00 p.m.

Agenda

Proclamation - 2017 National Service Recognition Day.

FIRST READ: Review and Consideration of Proposed Perimeter Center Overlay and Districts

FIRST READ: Review and Consideration of Proposed Text Amendments to Chapter 27.

SECOND READ: Updates to the City's Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance.

Resolution Amending the 2016 Operating Budget.

Resolution Amending the 2017 Operating Budget.

RFQ 16-01 Change Order- North Shallowford Building Pre-Design Services

Adoption of a Stormwater Inspection and Maintenance Policy.

Approval of $2,500 Membership Fee for Peachtree Gateway Group (Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville, Dunwoody).

Doraville to hear proposal on Monday for 50 single family homes & 198 townhomes abutting Dunwoody. Flooding and traffic concerns are repeat items from 10 years ago.

Doraville Carver Circle Z-16-08.pdf

Carver Circle in the City of Doraville sits on 36 acres just above the intersection of I-285 and Peachtree Industrial and the only way to access the property is via the South Bound PIB access road just south of Tilly Mill.  This property directly abuts the Broadstone (now called Dunwoody Village) apartment complex in Dunwoody and the Ridgeway / Van Fleet neighborhood of single family homes also in Doraville.  The property in this little hidden neighborhood has been quite vacant for a number of years with many of the homes being purchased by developers.  

In fact ten years ago, when I was President of the Dunwoody North Civic Association there were plans to place 255 townhomes on the same property and my board raised numerous concerns including the possibility of increased neighborhood cut though traffic as the property is currently zoned for Chesnut Elementary.  There was also a great deal of concern with the possibility of increased flooding into the Dunwoody North neighborhood as it appears that flood zones are being built upon.

 New Development in Flood Zones worries Dunwoody North neighbors.

On Monday August 15th at 5:30 pm, the City of Doraville is holding a Public Hearing and possibly voting on the project.     I have little other information at this time but hope to make it to Monday's meeting at Doraville City Hall.

Z-16-08 for Carver Hills Neighborhood (outside of I-285) APPLICANT: Century Communities of Georgia, LLC. REQUEST: Applicant seeks to rezone 34 properties in the Carver Hills Neighborhood from the R-1 (Single-family Residential) district and the O-I (Office/Institutional) district to the Livable Community Code Special District (SD-2), sub-districts T-3 and T-4 for a new residential development comprised of 50 detached single-family homes and 198 townhomes.

Does the data say that it’s time for a new Doraville High School in order to alleviate DeKalb School overcrowding?

• Red for schools that are currently at 105% of capacity or higher
• Green for schools between 70% and 105%
• Blue for schools that are under 70% of capacity

"The Owl's Nest" says It's Time (for a new Doraville High School).

Please read the full article on the "The Owl's Nest" blog which has been focused around DeKalb County School System issues but it says that it will provide commentary on random topics, with a focus on the City of Dunwoody, DeKalb County, Education, and Politics. I don't know who the author is but so far I am enjoying the thought provoking issues being raised.

"Over at Dunwoody School Daze, Kirk Lunde makes a very strong case for the need to redistrict to help solve the overcrowding in the Cross Keys cluster.

The visualization above reinforces Kirk’s statement that we need to address more than just Cross Keys’ overcrowding.  One third of our high schools are overcrowded.  And almost all of them are clustered in the Druid Hills/Lakeside/Tucker corridor.  This can’t be solved by simply carving out a neighborhood here and there.  The fastest way to alleviate this is a southward shift in attendance.

There’s a section that is not within 2½ miles of any high school, yet has overcrowded schools around it.  As we enter the discussion for eSPLOST V, It’s time to think about something different.

A new high school in Doraville can alleviate overcrowding in Cross Keys, as it will draw off the northeastern end of that bizarrely shaped attendance zone.  It can alleviate crowding at Lakeside and Tucker by drawing off of some of their attendance zones.  It can even alleviate overcrowding at Dunwoody, as that attendance area borders Doraville.

It’s time for Doraville High."

Dunwoody City Council agenda for Monday May 11

Monday, May 11, 2015
Dunwoody City Hall
41 Perimeter Center East
Dunwoody, GA 30346

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

Announcement by Community Development Director Steve Foote.

Update on Lake Hearn and Peachtree Dunwoody Intersection Improvements Project. (Yvonne Williams)

Presentation of Internal Audit Report. (Bill Mulcahy)

YTD Financial Report for March 31, 2015.

2015 General Assembly Legislative Update.

Cypress Communities; 81-unit townhome development

Resolution Appointing a Member to the Dunwoody Board of Zoning Appeals.

Resolution Appointing a Member to the Dunwoody Planning Commission.

Intergovernmental Agreement with Doraville to Install a Mid-Block Crosswalk on Tilly Mill Road.

Approval of an Intergovernmental Agreement with DeKalb County for Storm Water Repairs at 5450 Bunky Way

Discussion of Vendor Selection for Municipal Service Providers

Dunwoody Police makes Pedestrian Safety a priority as City Council plans for a new crosswalk on Tilly Mill.

Video

Discussion of Agreement with Doraville to Install a Mid-Block Crosswalk on Tilly Mill Road.
             Stonington / Tilly Mill - Heneghan Request from 2011

Dunwoody area news - Trees gone, Factory going away, Doraville Strippers might be on way out and more Police Wanted in Chamblee

Trees clearcut to improve billboard visibility along Savoy Drive

The negative effects of Georgia’s billboard law have hit home for residents and visitors in the cities of Chamblee and Dunwoody as trees and vegetation were recently completely clear-cut along I-285 on Savoy Drive. (2011 HB 179 - Millar, Taylor & Jacobs all voted No.)

Residents were stunned when all of a sudden the trees and vegetation serving as natural visual, sound and air pollution barriers were gone. To make matters worse, the cleared land was filled with tons of litter and trash, previously obscured from sight by all the ground vegetation.

Doraville GM Plant Demolition officially begins to make way for a ‘city within a city’

The Doraville General Motors (GM) Assembly Plant demolition officially began in earnest Friday.   A ceremony was held to commemorate the event where a group of Federal, State, County and Local Government Officials – as well as citizens who once worked at the assembly plant – joined Integral Group Chairman and CEO Egbert Perry who talked briefly about the projects history and its future. Doraville Mayor Donna Pittman spoke to attendees about the great promise the new development holds for her city and the region.

Oasis and Doraville argue their cases in Georgia’s Supreme Court

Doraville’s counsel holds tightly to their claim that “nude conduct in sexually oriented businesses is not protected speech under the Georgia Constitution.” Bergthold argues that the regulations Doraville has imposed on Oasis are almost identical to those Brookhaven imposed on the Pink Pony.

The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled on Oct. 6 that Brookhaven had the right to ban adult entertainment businesses that sell alcohol. Bergthold says that Doraville has the same right to impose those provisions in their Sexually Oriented Business Ordinance that Brookhaven did.

Help Wanted - Chamblee Police Officer positions open

The City of Chamblee Police Department is now accepting applications from P.O.S.T. Certified Officers. Chamblee Police Department prides itself on being a progressive agency with very high standards that serves a diverse community. To apply, go here.

For more information contact: Michael Beller, Assistant Chief of Police Ph: (770) 986-5005

Macauley+Schmit named new developer for Doraville’s former GM site to create a livable, mixed-use, transit-oriented development.

Mayor Donna Pittman of Doraville

After sitting idle for six years, it appears that the former General Motors site in Doraville has found a new owner. At her annual State of the City address Monday night, Doraville Mayor Donna Pittman announced that the development firm Macauley+Schmit, along with its partner, The Integral Group, has made a commitment to redevelop the 162-acre tract running along I-285.

“We are very excited to be working with a group of developers that support our Livable Communities Initiative (LCI) vision and we look forward to an August closing,” noted Pittman. In the meantime, there is still much work to be done fine-tuning the details of the agreement. “From the creation of a tax allocation district to coordination with county and state entities, our long-range goal is to create a livable, mixed-use, transit-oriented development that will be beneficial to Doraville residents and businesses,” Pittman said.

According to the Macauley+Schmit website, their single objective is to create a sense of balance and harmony in community development in all of their projects – new or revitalized. This is accomplished by taking a holistic view of the social environment, a commitment to intuitive design, a reverence for nature and a focus on the many components that comprise the economics of community. This approach is most successful, they note, when balanced by a combination of marketplace dynamics and public-private partnerships.

The GM assembly plant’s closure in 2008 due to the recession ended a 61-year relationship with Doraville and overnight the city lost 10 percent of its revenue base and 36 percent of its overall employment base.

Other accomplishments for this past year, chronicled in the mayor’s presentation, included the hiring of a new city manager; the addition of more than 300 small businesses over the past two years; the recent creation of a Downtown Development Authority; increased focus on the LCI and design-oriented architectural standards and a major overhaul of city operations and technical capabilities.
 
The mayor’s keynote address was preceded by presentation of colors by the Dunwoody High School Color Guard and choral selections by the DeKalb School of the Arts song ensemble, Highleit.

City of Dunwoody, GA collectively states "Google Fiber, I want my high speed access !!"

In early February 2010, I learned of the Google Fiber Initiative and pushed for the City of Dunwoody to apply but based on Google’s requested city size to complete the application, the City of Dunwoody would need to partner with neighboring cities in order to meet the minimum requirements. I brainstormed and saw a joint application with Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Chamblee & Doraville being a very viable one and posted my thoughts on my blog of February 11, 2010 entitled Imagine the top end of Atlanta as a technology hub tied together with the fastest internet. Let's ask Google to help make it happen.

From there the City Manager and City Staff took my request seriously and started talking to our neighboring cities. In the end, I believe that Sandy Springs was big enough to submit a single application therefore Dunwoody then partnered with Decatur, Avondale Estates, Chamblee and Doraville as well as Emory University and Georgia Power on the final application submission under the name “Atlanta Urban Area Partnership for Google”.

Besides the application which was submitted along with Resolutions of Support from each of the participating cities, a video was produced and submitted along with the application and it is shown below.

 Video

I know that ultra-high speed internet service will be the future life blood of a community and that businesses and tech savvy individuals would be drawn to that infrastructure. Besides Google Fiber, I have pushed for other expanded internet options like UVerse which is Fiber to the Neighborhood (Node) vs Google’s plan which is to complete the last mile and go Fiber to the Home.

Today Google announced that the Atlanta area is in the running for the next wave of investment and in doing so named eight surrounding municipalities by name but did not specifically include the City of Dunwoody, even though we were in direct partnership with several of the cities that were specifically named. My guess is that Google is ready to start with any viable area in the Atlanta market and I can tell you that the City of Dunwoody is ready, willing and able to complete the next stage of the process in working with the provider to bring the service to our community.

From the moment that Google announced possible expansion cities, my inbox was lit up with information as to why the City of Dunwoody was not named and if I could summarize the collective message of those inquiries it would be "Google Fiber, I want my high speed access !!"

If you are interested in this project, please do me two favors.  First go to this link and click the blue CHECK ADDRESS box or the blue GET UPDATES box to register your address as being interested in the service; second if you are a Facebook user, please go to the “Atlanta Urban Area Partnership for Google” page and like it for future updates.

The City of Dunwoody is reaching out to Google as to specifics and we look forward to working with them in the very near future.

Friday's Plaza on Till Mill to open two new restaurants.

The plaza formerly known as FRIDAY'S Plaza at Tilly Mill & Peachtree Industrial will soon welcome two new restaurants.

Click here to read about it on Tomorrow's News Today.

Wreck-it Ralph Movie to be shown in Doraville's Honeysuckle Park - Saturday at dusk

Honeysuckle Park

3037 Pleasant Valley Dr

Doraville, GA 30340 ‎ 

Doraville swallows up islands abutting Dunwoody and includes Friday's Plaza and Oasis Goodtime Emporium

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.

Dear Governor Deal, we need your assistance in correcting a mistake.

Video

Dear Governor Deal,

As a citizen, mayor and a former public safety officer, I am extremely disappointed to learn that Detective Shane Wilson's name is being left off the Georgia Public Safety Memorial.  As you are well aware, Detective Shane Wilson was tragically killed in November 2011 while en route to a home invasion call.

While Detective Wilson was killed "on duty," he did not meet the Memorial committee's criteria of being killed "in the line of duty," according to Mr. Tim Bearden.  To say Detective Wilson was killed "on duty" but not "in the line of duty," is offensive and arbitrary.  For the family of Detective Wilson, our police department and the entire City of Doraville, it is completely unacceptable to leave this young man's name off of a slain officer's memorial because of a preposition.

On behalf of the City, I would like to take this opportunity to strongly urge you and the Georgia Public Safety Training Center to add Detective Wilson's name as soon as possible.  I trust you will share this letter with the governing body of that fine institution.  This mistake, notwithstanding, I do applaud your many efforts to honor our State's brave men and women in blue, and I have the utmost confidence in your ability to rectify this situation.  In doing so, you will be bringing much needed solace and a sense of closure to the family of Detective Shane Wilson.

Sincerely,

Mayor Donna Pittman

Doraville Mayor Donna Pittman visits Lemonade Days

Mayor Donna Pittman of Doraville

This evening I had the distinct pleasure of running into Doraville Mayor, Donna Pittman and her husband Winston as they strolled the promenade of Lemonade Days. We had a lovely chat on various topics and I could tell that she is really excited for the future of the City of Doraville as she danced around the future of the GM Plant and the recent annexation which expanded the city's borders. We discussed more joint ventures and partnerships between our two cities as with the annexation there are no longer any "Unincorporated Islands" between us.

Finally we also discussed the proposed crosswalk at Stonington which has been discussed at three City Council Meetings and she was very upbeat that this would come to fruition. The financial details and the the formal IGA (inter-governmental agreement) has yet to be hammered out but when that is finally complete it would then need to be ratified by both councils.

Look at the wonderful smile on the Mayor of Doraville, as she knows that great things are in store.

City of Brookhaven and Doraville Annexation approved by the Legislature

Brookhaven HB636 and Doraville SB532 are now both on the Governor's desk.

The area to be annexed by Doraville is shown at the top in this map are the two red striped areas.

The new City of Brookhaven map is shown here.

Unincorporated islands between Dunwoody and Doraville proposed to be annexed by Doraville

Video

On Monday March 19th at the DeKalb Delegation Meeting, Rep Elena Parent discussed issues related to some citizen opposition of several small islands of unincorporated DeKalb County that are proposed to be annexed by the City of Doraville. The issue being raised by these citizens has to do with the ongoing code enforcement problems related to an Islamic Mosque that is currently being handled by DeKalb County whereby those opposed to the annexation do not believe that the City of Doraville will adequately handle the ongoing enforcement of the issue.

If SB532 is approved in the legislature this year, Doraville will take over two separate islands of unincorporated land. The first starts at the Dunwoody border on Tilly Mill at the creek just north of PIB whereby the Texaco and that entire intersection will then be under the control of Doraville (now they only have the liquor store / gas station on the east side up to the dry cleaners near Stonington). Doraville will also take over the unincorporated Ridgeway Drive neighborhood to match up with the Carver Circle neighborhood which is already within the City of Doraville. The city line would then cross over PIB and Doraville would control the Adult entertainment establishment “The Oasis”, the Friday’s Plaza and the neighborhood behind the Home Depot where the Mosque is located. The second area proposed to be annexed is an industrial area with apartments South of PIB at Winters Chapel (near QuickTrip).

The unincorporated islands are definitely a police problem and if this legislation is approved it should be beneficial to the residents of the City of Dunwoody whereby the two city departments could partner in uniform enforcement and provide mutual aid to one another.

I wish we were able to clean up the City boundary lines whereby the City of Dunwoody would on this side of PIB and Doraville could be on the other but I guess that would just make too much sense?

The attached video was not purposely cut short on the last speaker, YouTube just has a 15 min limit.