The Dunwoody City Council heard words of support and encouragement for the passage of a $60 million parks and greenspace bond referendum on Nov. 7.
At the Sept. 26 meeting, speakers said they believed that passing the bond referendum is the only way to move the city forward as it relates to infrastructure improvements.
Rich Reed, a Dunwoody resident and practicing architect, said passage of the bond will make Dunwoody “a destination place” for those living in surrounding areas.
“This is not a matter of ‘if,’ it’s a matter of ‘when,’” he said. “We need this for Dunwoody.”
Others commented that building out parks and adding multi-use trails would be a healthy investment for property owners and businesses.
During his public comment, Kingsley resident Matt Wagner quoted Doris Day, saying, “Gratitude is riches and complaint is poverty.”
“First of all I want to express my gratitude for being able to live in this city and gratitude for the bond opportunity,” Wagner said. “I want to make Dunwoody the active community that it needs to be, but we need the bond referendum in order to do this.”
Michael Rock quoted the city’s charter as his inspiration for supporting the bond referendum.
“The primary goal is to make Dunwoody a better community,” he said. “It’s right there in the charter.”
He said the lack of adequate youth sports facilities is hurting Dunwoody economically.
“We can’t keep telling hundreds of families with youth sports needs that they need to drive to another city,” Rock said.
Recent Dunwoody City Council meeting comments have been dominated by those in opposition to the vote, but nobody spoke against the measure at the Sept. 26 meeting.
Supporters and opponents of Dunwoody’s upcoming parks referendum bond have been posting signs around the city urging voters to take a stand.
Both sets of signs point to websites laying out arguments for and against the passage of a $60 million bond referendum, which will be on the Nov. 7 ballot.
The Dunwoody City Council voted 6-1 at its May 22 meeting to let voters decide if they want to finance major improvements to their city’s parks and trails. The proposed list of improvements includes the buildout of two parks and additions to several existing parks, acquiring land for a softball field, and constructing four multi-use trails around the city.
The “A Better Dunwoody” group, which is in favor of the passage of the bond referendum, is a grassroots effort by several dozen residents, while the “Vote No on Dunwoody Bonds” committee is comprised of five members, led by Tom Simon, a longtime resident of Stephen’s Walk.
During the brief meeting, the council disposed of routine matters, including funding stormwater repairs on Equestrian Way, Buckline Crossing, Fountainbleu Court, Glenrich Drive and Mill Gate Court.
The council also passed on its consent agenda a measure to expand the Perimeter Center Entertainment District to include the Park Place Shopping Center on Ashford Dunwoody Road. It will join four other entertainment districts – Campus 244, Perimeter Mall, High Street, and Ashford Lane.