After appeasing neighbors worried about traffic and noise impacts, the Fountain Oaks Kroger expansion plan won approval from the Sandy Springs Planning Commission on Aug. 20.
“We’ve gone through an extensive negotiation,” said Woody Galloway, an attorney for Kroger and shopping center owner EDENS, Inc., adding that agreement was reached just days before the meeting. The agreement covers fencing, landscaping and placing more delivery functions inside the building to reduce noise, which is a problem with the existing store.
Kevin Nellis of the West Belle Isle Homeowners Association and Paul Wendlandt, representing immediate neighbors on W. Belle Isle Road, both spoke in support of the expansion and the agreement.
The Kroger at 4920 Roswell Road was built in 1987. The expansion from 61,000 to 84,000 square feet would allow for a wider selection of goods and would include a full renovation.
The developers also plan to purchase a public housing apartment building on W. Belle Isle Road and turn it into parking. But federal approval on that deal is still pending, and it is not a formal part of the approved plan.
The project still requires Sandy Springs City Council approval.