The Dunwoody City Council voted 7-0 to pass a modified ordinance to define community residences and recovery communities that addressed concerns voiced about buffered areas between existing centers and area schools.
At the July 22 meeting, Dunwoody Planning & Zoning Manager Paul Leonhardt said, based on community and city council feedback, the ordinance has increased distance buffers for recovery communities from a half-mile to one mile from existing recovery communities and community residences. The increased school buffers for recovery communities is now 2,000 feet.
“Staff proposes regulations that balance access to treatment without overwhelming the city’s neighborhoods,” Leonhardt said. “This text amendment also addresses recent changes in state law.”
Mayor Lynn Deutsch discussed the possibility of extending the moratorium beyond the established Aug. 13 date so that city staff would be prepared for a possible influx of applications, but was assured that the department was fully informed of the procedures.
In addition, the council’s attorney, Ken Bernard, advised against extending the moratorium past the expiration date.
“I think the gap would be problematic if we extend it to Sept. 1,” he said. “I am under the impression that the staff is ready for this because they have been working on this for a long time.”
In other action, the council heard a second quarter economic update from Dunwoody Director of Economic Development Michael Starling, who said that recent leases in the Perimeter area have decreased Dunwoody’s office vacancy rate to about 24%.
The council also heard from representatives from TSW and staff members about an update to its comprehensive planning and codes.
Allison Stewart-Harris from TSW likened the process to “cleaning out a closet and reorganizing it.”
The two-year process would involve nine meetings of an appointed steering committee, two pop-up events, stakeholder interviews, an online survey, and other events to gather public input. Deutsch asked that the number of public events be increased.
“There’s not enough touchpoints on this for public input for a two-year project,” she said. “We have to be transparent and provide the public the opportunity to learn with us.”
The council also:
- Congratulated the latest graduates of the Dunwoody Police Teen Academy who recently completed a five-day course under the guidance of Sgt. Anwar Silah;
- Heard about an update to the Americans with Disabilities Transition Plan;
- Discussed a $116,000 Department of Energy Award that would allow the city to buy two electric vehicles.
