The Dunwoody City Council, in a 4-3 vote, approved a text amendment at its Aug. 26 meeting that would provide streetscape design standards for areas of the city that undergo significant redevelopment.
Specifically, the ordinance amendment addresses an area around a nearly empty shopping center at the corner of Mt. Vernon Road and Jett Ferry Road that has seen constant turnover during the last decade.
The text amendment, which would require the installation of landscaping and paths on both sides of the road around the Mt. Vernon Shopping Center, would only be put into effect if the entire center is redeveloped, something that its owners say is unlikely to happen.
The cost of the streetscape improvements would be borne by the developers in accordance with the amendment.
Several speakers, including Bob Hickey and Tom Simon, who have opposed the installation of walking trails around the city, asked the council to defer the item so that affected residents could study it further and provide feedback.
They accused the council of “springing” the amendment on them without proper notification, a contention that several members later refuted.
The shopping center has been a hot topic of discussion since a July community meeting hosted by its owner Branch about future use turned into a complaint session by existing tenants and citizens who were opposed to many of the uses the owners proposed.
At a contentious community meeting in July, Branch Partner and Chairman Nick Telesca said the company has had interest from “eater-tainment” or lifestyle-focused uses like food halls, pickleball courts or entertainment arcades like PuttShack or Main Event, which would have a sporting element to them as well as food and alcohol options.
The February closing of the center’s latest anchor tenant, Lidl, is the fourth time that the largest retailer in the Mount Vernon Shopping Center has been shuttered in the last 10 years. It was once a Harris Teeter, then an Ace Hardware, followed by a Sprouts Grocery before its three-year stint as a Lidl.
At the council meeting, several other speakers said they were in favor of the text amendment, remarking that a more pedestrian-friendly landscape might draw tenants and customers to the area.
“I studied the plan and I think it’s beautiful,” Brooke Farm resident Melanie Williams said.
Another speaker, Lauren Sok, a physical therapist, said “sidewalks bring community.”
“It’s important to move forward with this [amendment],” said Sok, who helped found Active Dunwoody, a family-friendly social fitness group.
Council member Tom Lambert said that the proposal had not been “swept through,” noting that the measure had been advertised several times in the city’s legal organ.
“We need to get the east side up to par with the rest of the city [regarding walkability],” he said.
The council discussed deferring the streetscape amendment, but a motion had already been made to approve it, so Mayor Lynn Deutsch called the vote. Councilors Catherine Lautenbacher and John Heneghan, along with Deutsch, were against the measure, while Rob Price, Stacey Harris, Joe Seconder and Lambert recorded affirmative votes.
In other action, the council:
- Heard the results of its 2023 comprehensive financial report audit, which indicated that the city’s finances were in robust order.
- Commended police officer Jakori Edwards and fleet manager J.B. Tate as its employees of the second quarter;
- Approved funding for a stormwater master model for the Marsh Creek Basin.
