Smoke and mirrors?
June 18 — It’s Cathy from Rough Draft with my weekly newsletter on Dunwoody. Lots of intrigue going on this week in the blast furnace/rain forest we call our fair city.
🏠 We report on projects moving forward on the city front, including establishing a millage rate, upgrades to the Brook Run Veterans Memorial, and an annual report on how we are doing with keeping Dunwoody’s streets safe.
🪄 There’s also some late-breaking info about an low-income age-restricted apartment rezoning request that people thought was dead in the water, but suddenly seems to be very much alive. There is also news on an affordable art experience at Spruill Gallery, election declarations, and the opening of a coastal-inspired restaurant at High Street.
Enjoy your Wednesday,
Cathy
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Bits and pieces at council
🎖️ The Dunwoody City Council at its June 16 meeting approved a $489,000 contract with Headley Construction to renovate a veterans memorial at Brook Run Park.
The Veterans Memorial at Brook Run Park was dedicated in 2004 while the park was still under the control of DeKalb County. Discussion has been going on for several years about upgrading the memorial.
Construction costs of the concept designed in 2022 exceeded the project’s budget, so a revised, downsized plan has been in the works.
🛣️ The panel also discussed the city’s millage rate, safe streets program, and other odds and ends. Here is the story.
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Like a phoenix rising from the ashes
🤥 At a June 10 Dunwoody Planning Commission meeting, a rezoning request request that would allow a developer to build 220 income- and age-restricted apartments on Ashford Dunwoody Road seemed to be dead in the water, but that may not be the case.
A dozen speakers who spoke in opposition to the plan cited issues with its proximity to single-family housing, the density of the complex, the potential for traffic congestion, the limited number of parking spaces compared to the number of units, and the need for owner-occupied units within the city rather than rentals.
After the panel seemed to be leaning towards deferring the project to address some of the issues brought up by the residents and commission members, the developers demanded a definitive decision, saying that federal financing deadlines will have passed before the next meeting.
The commission, however, instead of denying the application, passed unanimously a deferral of the request until the July 8 meeting, which most took as a death sentence for the project.
Au contraire, Pierre. The Dunwoody Homeowners Association published its agenda for next Sunday’s meeting, and Dominium, the developer, will be there making a presentation about the project. Sources say that circumstances may have changed with the filing deadlines. That means the project may be back on the July planning commission agenda. We are tracking.
🕵🏻♀️ P.S. I peeked at Dominium’s ratings on the Glassdoor and the Better Business Bureau websites, and while people are generally happy to work there, residents have issues with management.
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New show at Spruill Gallery
🖼️ Spruill Gallery will premier its Summer Line-Up Show on June 20
featuring a diverse range of Atlanta-based artists showcasing original works on paper, each five-by-eight inches in size.
According to an Spruill announcement, the show “features works by many of Atlanta’s best emerging and established artists, presented to collectors at an entry-level price point.”
The exhibition was curated by Ranecia Pitts, a student at Georgia State University who interned at the gallery this spring. An opening reception on June 20 will be held from 6-9 p.m. I’ll be there – join me!
👨🎨 Check out more information about the gallery here.
The Hampton Social opening June 20
🌊 Parker Hospitality, a Chicago-based hospitality group founded by Brad Parker, announced The Hampton Social, a coastal-inspired restaurant and bar, will open its 14th and newest location on June 20 in Dunwoody’s High Street.
“Atlanta presents a dynamic tapestry of culinary innovation and has experienced significant growth in recent years, so we wanted The Hampton Social to be part of the evolving changes and positive energy in this great city,” said Brad Parker, founder and CEO of Parker Hospitality, according to a release about the opening.
👵🏼 I went to a sneak preview last Friday, where there were a LOT of 30-somethings, influencers with fancy selfie sticks and lights, and two people I actually know IRL – Mayor Lynn (pictured above with some afore-mentioned attendees) and Dunwoody Communications Director Jennifer Boettcher. To say I felt “kinda old” is putting it mildly.
😜 Here’s my story about the upcoming opening.
The race is on
✅ All three incumbents on the Dunwoody City Council have announced their intention to run for another term in the upcoming Nov. 4 election. Catherine Lautenbacher (District 1), Rob Price (District 2), and Tom Lambert (District 3) all revealed at the June 16 council meeting that they will throw their hats into the ring.
Only one challenger, David Ziskind, has stepped up, running for Price’s seat. Like Lautenbacher, Price is seeking his second term, and Lambert has served in his seat since 2017.
Qualifying takes place at Dunwoody City Hall, 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Rd., in the city clerk’s office, beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 18 and ending at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20.
👓 Lautenbacher’s campaign is here. Info about Price can be found on his campaign website here and Lambert’s reelection website is here.
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