Brookhaven has been awarded a PlanFirst designation by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, one of only 14 communities in the state named for the 2026-2028 program cycle.
According to a city press release, communities are only eligible for this designation if they have “Qualified Local Government status; have an approved, adopted Service Delivery Strategy; are current on all required reports to DCA, including Government Management Indicators and the Report of Local Government Finances; and
have met the Minimum Performance Standards for their region as set by their regional commission.”
At the Oct. 21 meeting, Daniel Gattis, planning outreach coordinator at the Department of Community Affairs, announced the designation, saying that reviewers felt Brookhaven’s application was “a highly performing one.”
Other reviewers remarked that the city’s application showed “planning excellence even at such a young age.”
“The reviewers said that Brookhaven’s application showed a marked ability to see the forest and the trees,” Gattis said.
Reviewers were also impressed by the city’s inclusiveness during the application process, and were complimentary of the redevelopment of the Lynwood Park area, the city’s International Festival, and the development of City Centre.
As a result of the designation, Brookhaven is entitled to several financial incentives, including a lower financing rate for environmental projects like water and sewer, and bonus points for housing tax credit applications and redevelopment funds.
Other Georgia cities receiving the designation were Brunswick, Bryan County, Cedartown, Cochran, Covington, Douglas, Dublin, Gainesville, Gwinnett County, Lawrenceville, Oconee County, Sugar Hill, and Woodstock.
“Of those 14 designated communities, Douglas, Dublin, Gainesville, and Gwinnett County have achieved the PlanFirst status a record four times,” the release said.
Aronda Smith of the city’s planning and zoning committee said the application process “involved a lot of hard work.”
“This designation encourages and recognizes communities that go the extra mile,” Smith said. “It’s very helpful to be recognized by the DCA as it handles the majority of block grant awards.”