Dunwoody City Council to hold special executive session meeting on Tuesday to discuss real estate.

 

Agenda   8 a.m. Tuesday

Zoom - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89863466181 

FYI - Please be aware the meeting will open as public on zoom and will go behind closed doors to discuss possible real estate transactions and then will dismiss without much public information transacted. 

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 calls for Special Called City Council Meeting on Wednesday October 5th, 8 am for Real Estate item.

The Dunwoody City Council was going to hold a special called meeting on Tuesday the 7th but that has been changed because of a holiday to now Wednesday morning at 8 am.  A special called early morning City Council meeting followed by a yet to be named "Action Item" doesn't happen very often therefore I wanted to bring it to your attention in case you are interested.

Agenda (same as above) & watch live on Wednesday can be found on the link.  The video will break for executive session but it will restart if we present a business item immediately following.

I am not allowed to say much else on an executive session item until it is publicly announced but if this meeting is about purchasing real estate, there is policy that will be followed.

• Policy states that "City staff will negotiate for “Letters of Intent” with land owners on properties the City Council has provided direction staff with direction on “terms and price”.
• City staff will make the “Letter of Intent” public on the city website and through a press release within 48 hours of the city receiving a fully executed copy of the “Letter of Intent”. 
• City staff will present the “Letter of Intent” at a public meeting, and at that time request a Resolution from the City Council authorizing the City Manager to execute a sales contract to purchase the property using the Letter of Intent as the guidelines for a contract. (PUBLIC HEARING REQUIRED) 
• City staff will publish the executed sales contract on the city website. 
• City staff will conduct due diligence on the property including at a minimum but not limited to: i. Environmental testing (Phase I required, Phase II and specialized testing if warranted) ii. Production of an ALTA survey of the property iii. Production of a MAI appraisal of the property iv. Complete title work on the property v. Other reasonable due diligence activities as warranted 
• City staff will present the findings of the due diligence on the property at a public meeting and request a Resolution from the City Council authorizing the City Manager to execute any and all closing documents to complete the purchase of the property. (PUBLIC HEARING REQUIRED)

Looking at the City meeting schedule, I see an odd "Other Public Meeting" added to the schedule for Wednesday October 12th at City Hall at 6 pm?   I wonder if these things are related?

Another crazy thing (besides me talking in code on what is probably a very open secret to some), if this is a real estate deal honed and moved forward by the City Council it was probably done in the best interest of most residents but because there are Public Hearings, the City Council members can not lobby heavily for or against the item until which time the public process is complete and the public hearings are over.   That being said Council wouldn't push forward an item from executive session unless a majority of Council were in favor.  If the City of Dunwoody announces a "Letter of Intent" on Wednesday we would like you to fully review all aspects of what ever is announced, study the details and to provide feedback when appropriate.  Thanks

If I have confused a few readers, I apologize but I need to walk the tightrope of confidentiality as a City Council member, yet as a blogger disseminate public information to have you informed of public meetings and involved on what we are doing.  Long story short, everything will be fully apparent soon.

We live in interesting times!

Is Dunwoody ready for legal home-based businesses? Preliminary City committees say Yes, Homeowners say No; City Council discusses it tonight and votes in several weeks.

 What is best for the Dunwoody community?

Is Dunwoody ready for legal home based businesses allowing customer contact?  Piano teachers & tutors add intrinsic value to the residential community but others may not, therefore should we allow the process to move forward as presented or should we create special exemptions for a small class of special businesses?

Should the City Council be allowed to have the ultimate power on all new large scale construction or would it be better to have more community involvement? 

Trees, how much regulation should there be for protection against of clear cutting or removal of large specimen trees or should the city code keep hands off your property rights in this area? 

If your neighbor can't see your boat parked on your property because of a fence, does it matter how close it is to your property line?

What is the harm if someone has more than four fish or houses a pet snake, should code enforcement really be involved in such petty things that will never be enforced? Are "pit bulls" bad or are the trainers of the animal the real issue?  Again, can the proposed zoning code be modified on the fly to "protect" the community from "undesirable" pets while not being overbearing?

Three separate City committee's have reviewed these documents and made suggestions for the next step in the process which takes place tonight at the Special Called City Council meeting at 6pm.  

Last night I attended the Dunwoody Homeowners Association meeting and it looks by the news article below that they also have some reservations on the zoning proposals being presented.  Do you?

I have listened to previous hearings, attended meeting and read many emails but please feel free to voice your opinions on the proposed zoning code if you feel strongly one way or another on the proposed changes.

Comments are open and my email address is John.Heneghan@DunwoodyGA.gov and the entire Dunwoody City Council can be reached at  councilmembers@dunwoodyga.gov

Thanks.

John

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DHA board votes to oppose two provisions of Dunwoody’s zoning rewrite

The board of the Dunwoody Homeowners Association is opposing two controversial provisions in a proposed rewrite of the city’s zoning and building codes.

Board members on Aug. 4 voted to oppose a proposal to allow the Dunwoody City Council to hear required zoning variances for a project as part of a rezoning package. The variances now are considered by the city Zoning Board of Appeals after the zoning is approved.

The DHA board also sided against a proposal to allow operators of home-based businesses to bring customers to their homes without a Special Land Use Permit.

Dunwoody city officials are considering an extensive revision of the city’s zoning and building codes. Dunwoody’s present codes were copied from DeKalb County when the city was creaed, city staff members say, and the rewrite is intended to make the codes reflect the needs and opinion of Dunwoody residents.
Proposed revisions to the code have been debated by several city commissions and a citizens’ “sounding board.” Dunwoody City Council is scheduled to debate the revisions Aug. 5, in a meeting set to begin at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall, 41 Perimeter Center East.  (See more in link above - Dunwoody Reporter)

Zoning Code Rewrite: More Absolute Power for the Council and Businesses in Your Backyard.

The rights and protections of single family homes and our residential neighborhoods out weighs the right for a person to run a business with customer contact in those neighborhoods. The argument about property rights is misplaced as ZONING itself limits ones use of their private property. If you bought or live in a single family home, you have the RIGHT that the neighborhood will stay that way.

The second issue involves a process called variances. Under the current code a landowner get a property rezoned by going through the public process, Community Council, Planning Commission and finally the City Council. Zoning changes what uses that you can develop on your property.

Variance on the other hand, alters the development guidelines for the projects that are being designed and ultimately built on these sights. Currently the City Council rezones and the Board of Appeals grant any variance. Having to Boards, both with some level of judicial powers allows a project to be considered and reviewed by to separate commissions each following different criteria in their respective review.

Without boring everyone, the new code will allow the city council to take over the power of the Board of Appeals.  (See more in link above - Dunwoody Farmer Bob).

Section 27-10.40 Household Pets
No more than 3 household pets may be kept on any lot in a residential zoning district, except that on lots exceeding 2 acres in area, one additional household pet may be kept for each additional acre of lot area in excess of 2 acres, up to a maximum of 10 household pets. Litters of animals of not more than 6 months of age are not counted for the purpose of calculating the total number of household pets on a lot in a residential zoning district.

Household pet means a domestic companion animal that is customarily kept for personal use and enjoyment including domestic dogs, domestic cats, canaries, parrots, parakeets, domestic tropical birds, hamsters and guinea pigs. Household pet does not include livestock, poultry, pot belly pigs, pit bulls, or snakes.

Dunwoody real estate prices are moving up as demand rises, check list of all homes available.

4868 Mill Brook Drive

The information below from my good friend Bob Fiscella and I am always happy to share good financial information as well his informative lists of what houses are on the Dunwoody market.  I have referred a number of friends to Bob and will happily do so again.

Someone asked me this weekend, "so, how is the (real estate) market?"  For almost five straight years I would answer "fantastic" as I tried to stay positive. Fact of the matter is, and as most of us know, the Dunwoody market, like the rest of metro Atlanta, struggled mightily.  Prices reached their peek in the summer of 2007, and had been on a steady decline. 

However, the first quarter of 2013 bears all positive news.  I'm a big believer in statistics, and the stats for the first three months of 2013 compared with 2012, are all improvements.  Again, this is something we couldn't say the last five-plus years.

From January 1 through March 1 of 2012, a total of 35 single-family homes sold in Dunwoody (30338, 30360).  The average list price was $349,000.  The average sales price was $331,000.   The average days-on-market was 146. 

From January 1 through March 1 of 2013, a total of 43 single-family homes sold in Dunwoody (30338, 30360).  The average list price was $360,000.  The average sales price was $349,000.   The average days-on-market was 114.   That's an increase of 5.2 percent sales price, in 32 less days.  In normal market conditions, a homeowner can expect a 4-to-5 percent increase in their home value from year-to-year.  All the signs are good.

Currently, there are 78 active listings in Dunwoody, ranging in price from $924,900 to $215,000.  There are 58 other homes under contract (an excellent ratio of active listings to pending listings).
To view any of the active listings, click on the first link below (that includes my newest listing at 4868 Mill Brook Dr. in Springfield.

For more information on this home, click on the photo above).  To view these listings as a line item report, click on the 2nd link.  If you wish to view any of these homes, please contact me bobfiscella@kw.com or 404-644-5220.

Active Listings in Dunwoody

Active Listings - Line Item Report

Dunwoody listed as most expensive real estate market in Georgia with an average price of $349K

 Dunwoody

Atlanta Business Chronicle by Jacques Couret

College Park has the most affordable single-family housing market in Georgia and second most affordable market in America, according to new data from Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC’s annual Home Listing Report.

In College Park, a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home costs an average of only $62,080.
Jonesboro ($79,686), Augusta ($83,936) and Ellenwood ($97,850) also were among the 20 most affordable cities in the United States.

The most expensive Georgia market is Dunwoody, where a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home costs an average of $339,835.

Atlanta is the state’s ninth most expensive market with a price for the same size property averages $230,043.
Click here to see how your area in Georgia fared.

The average price for a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Georgia is $169,625, compared with the national average of $292,152. The Peach State is the third most-affordable in the union.

Dunwoody real estate market - houses are moving and prices may have stablized?

Map and CNN Money Article

My good friend Bob Fiscella is a real estate broker here in Dunwoody and I am happy to hear the good news regarding the Dunwoody real estate market on Bob's blog.  The New York Times also had an interesting piece on Atlanta which tied weak housing demand to the lack of new people moving into the area for jobs and that is one the reasons work is being done by the city to foster economic development in order to retain the businesses that we do have, and to fill the vacant offices available within our community.

According to Bob's numbers, in the metro Atlanta area, there were 15.1 percent more homes sales in the 4th quarter of 2011 than in the 4th quarter of 2010. In Dunwoody, the increase was even greater.

In the 30338 and 30360 zip codes, 51 single-family homes sold in the 4th quarter, up from 31 homes in the 4th quarter of 2010. However, the median sales price dropped from $314,000 to $306,000, which is less of a drop than most cities in the metro area experienced. But the bottom does appear to be very near (we really won't know it until it's in our rear view mirror).

There currently are 147 active single family homes listed in Dunwoody (30338, 30360), priced from $94,900 to $1,200,000, with an additional 50 homes under contract. The 3-to-1 ratio is very promising.

To view any of the active listings with photos, click on the top link below. To view in a line item report, click on the bottom link.

Buyer's Report
CMA Line Report 

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home, or know someone who does, please give Bob a phone call at 404.644.5220, or send him an email at bobfiscella@kw.com.

Dunwoody tidbits and other items that have crossed my desk.

http://www.thecrier.net

I read most of my news on line and am excited to see some upgrades to the Dunwoody Crier webpage. It has rss feeds, twitter & Facebook sections along with much more, including an e-edition just for tablets like the I-Pad. It looks like a work in progress but I really look forward to the changes.

During a recent walk through Brook Run with the family, I stopped by Skate Park to check out the conversion from a pay facility to a use at your own risk - free facility. I talked to Mr. John Kurg the former Manager who took over the concession contract and moved his Woody's Halfpipe Skateboard Shop into the facility. Everything is going smoothly, but the biggest news is that he has a full snack bar in the facility available to anyone in the park. He has coffee in the morning for the parents at the playground, 40 types of bottled drinks for the joggers running by, 8 different ice cream bars for the kids on a hot summer day, as well as candy bars, pizza and hotdogs for you junk food junkies. Tuesday June 21st is "Go Skateboarding Day" with a contest for those who know what they are doing, as well as an excuse for me get back on my long board to try not to kill myself.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reported that Dunwoody was the most expensive home market in Georgia with an average price of $379,866.  The data was pulled from a Coldwell Banker site and when you scroll down to the bottom of the second page of the list, there is a link for listings.  Upon clicking that, then removing the price limits, I see flaws in the information as there are houses are outside our city boundaries.

Public comment is actually one of my favorite segments of a City Council meeting as we have a few colorful regulars, surprises that no one expects and it allows everyone the opportunity to communicate freely and openly to your elected officials. My friends over at the DeKalb Officers Speak blog posted a doozie of a comment showing a citizen communicating freely and openly to the DeKalb Board of Commissioners.

The Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon officially shut its doors on Sunday after 15 years. The museum will return some items in its 31,000-piece collection to donors who want the items back and return other artifacts that were on long-term loan to the hall. Other items will be loaned to other museums to put on display before the hall's staff will begin taking inventory to put the items in storage in archives at three universities.

Kudos to Brian and Page Olson the owners of Cafe Intermezzo who will now be opening their fifth European coffee house in the Atlanta area, as well as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Int'l.

Tuesday must have been a slow news day because Peach Pundit pulled a Georgia Gang trick out of the bag and had a special DeKalb County Segment.

I hear Georgetown Kroger redevelopment is starting soon.

Save Our Skin 5K race in Dunwoody on Sat June 25th

Could this work here?  The City of Decatur has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to upgrade, operate and maintain the city’s existing municipal WiFi network. The network currently serves educational, residential, commercial, and municipal customers within the City of Decatur boundaries.

Dunwoody Real Estate Trends??

After yesterday's snide remark regarding Realtors, let me show them a little love today. I know several people selling houses and have witnessed my neighbors house go under contract in about 30 days, so that they can trade up into a bigger Dunwoody home. It seems that Dunwoody remains a hot market even in these slow times, but maybe I'm just guessing? The AJC says that we have lost some median price but I was told that is was caused by the high number of sales in the condo and town home market along with drastic price reductions to move those units but I couldn't confirm that statement. If there are any real estate professionals out there reading this, please feel free to comment on the over all Dunwoody market conditions and feel free to give yourself a plug.

The photo above is from Zillow and shows houses currently on the market and this link shows those who recently sold. When I was selling my first home in Dunwoody and researching for my current home, I used Zillow first and then moved over to Realtor.com for the usually better pictures.

There are many fine places to live in Dunwoody and my family is very happy in the Dunwoody North Subdivision which is in South East corner of town, close to I-285, North Peachtree Road, Tilly Mill & Peachtree Industrial. Amenities besides the great transportation links, we walk to Brook Run Park, Peachtree Charter Middle School & Chesnut Charter Elementary School; have an active Swim/Tennis and as the father of three boys who enjoy baseball & football, it is also relatively close to Murphey Candler Park.

My friends Mike & Diana who live on my old culdesac are selling their beautiful 4 BR home with a pool so if you know someone who is looking to buy, I highly recommend this house as well as the street because the neighbors can't be beat.  The short culdesac is also hopping with activity with numerous young families and they would enjoy seeing a little boy or two move on to the block to equal out the little girls.

Looking for a house in Dunwoody, there are a few available.

While surfing the net for all things Dunwoody, I saw a page hosted by my good friend Bob Fiscella which listed all of the available single family homes currently listed in Dunwoody as being for sale.  As someone who sold one house in Dunwoody to buy another one just two blocks away; I believe that the Dunwoody market is holding its value and is a great place to live and raise a family.  Check out the interesting list of houses being offered, research on Zillow.com and then Realtor.com to get an idea of what is available before you contact the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce at 678-244-9700 to find a local real estate professional for personal assistance.

From Bob's Real Estate Blog; As we close out 2009, the number of houses on the market continues to decline, which is normal for this time of year.  In Dunwoody in the 30338 zip code, there are currently 139 active listings ranging from $150,000 to $1.29 million.  To view all of these listings, click on the Buyer’s Brief link:

Buyer Brief Page

To learn more about any of these listings, give Bob a call at 404.644.5220 or email bobfiscella@kw.com.