Key Points
• The Sandy Springs City Council approved a drive-through for a bank planned at a vacant bank building in the Aldi shopping plaza.
• The Fire Department will apply for a Firehouse Subs grant to buy self-rescue gear for firefighters.
The Sandy Springs City Council voted on Dec. 16 to approve paying a settlement of $790,000 for a few thousand square feet of land for the second phase of the Roswell Road sidewalks project south of I-285.
City Attorney Dan Lee said during the council’s meeting that the settlement ends the condemnation of the property by the city. The property owner had appealed the condemnation, saying that the city’s proposed $423,000 payment was inadequate.
The city will get 2,143 square feet of property at 5674 and 5696 Roswell Rd. from the Love Shack to the Shell gas station. Lee said without this property, the Community Development Block Grant-funded project would have to be modified, which would increase its cost.
Council Member Andy Bauman said he was happy to complete 12 years of service with his motion to approve the settlement, but Tibby DeJulio, whose final term is also coming to an end, had a different outlook.
“Since this is the last spending item I will be voting on, and having repeated many, many times my lack of interest in spending money, I plan on voting no on this particular item, because I just think we’re overpaid for this property,” DeJulio said.
Council approves bank drive-through
In other action, the council approved a drive-through for a bank branch in the shopping center north of Sandy Springs Circle on Roswell Road.
Cornerstone Bank once used the 4,330 square foot building in the shopping center anchored by Aldi. The building, which has an existing drive-through, has been vacant for several years.
Ronda Smith, president of the Sandy Springs Council of Neighborhoods, said she was prepared to urge the denial of the conditional use permit for the drive-through. Wording in the documentation for the application was inconsistent, Smith said. The condition that calls for bank use only was not added until Dec. 13.
“You can imagine the concern the Council of Neighborhoods has when the discussion in a public hearing about a land use request becomes open-ended, and the final use almost becomes uncertain and seemingly secondary,” Smith said.
Firehouse Subs grant sought for rescue gear
Sandy Springs Fire Chief Keith Sanders received approval to apply for a Firehouse Subs grant to buy gear that firefighters can use to escape if trapped in a multi-story house.
The Sandy Springs City Council approved an application in the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation Grant program during its Dec. 16 meeting.
Sanders said the Sandy Springs Fire Department wants a $39,648 grant to purchase 84 Rescue Tech EGRESS Escape Ropes with heat-resistant pouches and 84 fire-resistant seat harnesses. The heat-resistant pouches protect the rope from thermal damage. The fire-resistant seat harnesses provide secure anchoring and support during rescue operations, rapid escape scenarios, or when navigating hazardous environments.
Firehouse Subs created the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation in 2005 in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.