Nearly 100 Dunwoody residents shared their thoughts Feb. 12 on the second phase of the Winters Chapel Path, which will eventually connect neighborhoods in east Dunwoody to nearby commercial areas and city parks.
Phase two, set to begin construction in 2029 with federal funding, will extend south from the existing Winters Chapel Path (from Dunwoody Club Drive to Charmant Place) to a planned multi-use trail along the north side of Peeler Road.
Public Works Director Michael Smith said Dunwoody is working with Peachtree Corners in southwest Gwinnett County because a 0.2-mile section of the path is in its city limits.
“They’ve worked with us throughout the planning and design of the project,” Smith said. “Whatever the construction costs, we’ll apply the federal funding first, and then the local match will be split between the two cities.”
Because most of the path’s second phase is within Dunwoody, the city will cover around 70 percent of the local match to federal funding. To date, Dunwoody has received $2.25 million for design and construction.
While federal funds free up city dollars for other projects and initiatives, transparency and compliance requirements extend the timeline. Phase two of the Winters Chapel Path is significant because it will connect two paths in the city’s trail network near the Gwinnett County border.
Dunwoody plans to begin construction on the Peeler Road shared or multi-use path this year, ideally completing the connection from the Winters Chapel intersection to Lakeside Drive before construction on phase two begins.
Gwinnett, DeKalb partnership
Council members Joe Seconder and Tom Lambert attended the Feb. 12 open house at Winters Chapel United Methodist Church, chatting with neighbors, city staff, and consultants.
Lambert said he’s excited about the Winters Chapel Path because it will make the busy corridor safer for pedestrians and improve aesthetics in an under-invested area.
“I think it’s going to be great. From an aesthetic viewpoint, it’s going to really beautify the area,” Lambert said. “We’re hoping that, in turn, it can help be a catalyst to revive this whole area.”
Lambert said he hears from residents opposed to the project, but most comments have been positive. He also said Dunwoody officials are working with their counterparts in Peachtree Corners to improve community programming in the Winters Chapel commercial area.
Phase two of the Winters Chapel Path is significant to the city’s trail network because it connects northeast Dunwoody to Peeler Road and eventually, Brook Run Park.
Intersection improvements are slated at Sumac Drive, which will have its own pedestrian crossing. Design consultants said the 12-foot-wide path will taper its width to avoid cemeteries and trees throughout the corridor.
Shared- or multi-use paths in Dunwoody have been controversial to some residents since the adoption of a citywide trail plan and failure of the 2023 bond referendum to fund their buildout, along with parks.
Support and opposition
Wendi Taylor, who ran against Lambert for a council seat last fall, was one of several residents who attended the open house to share their opposition. Concerns revolve around the width of paths (often 12 feet), impacts to trees, and how the city prioritizes spending.
Taylor, a resident of the Four Oaks neighborhood opposed to a planned path on Peeler Road, said she ran out of room on her comment card explaining her opposition.
Another resident opposed to the path mentioned the existing sidewalk on the east side of Winter Chapel Road. The 4- to 5-foot-wide sidewalk is battered with no buffer between pedestrians and vehicles traveling the corridor, which has a 40-mph speed limit. The resident said she is opposed because the roadway is too dangerous for pedestrians.
City officials and supportive residents argue that pedestrian facilities on both sides of Winters Chapel Road will make it safer and more aesthetically pleasing.
Dunwoody resident Kathryn Sundloff, who lives with her husband and toddler in a neighborhood that would connect to phase two, said the existing conditions along Winters Chapel Road are dangerous.
“There are so many neighborhoods that would have access to the Walmart shopping center, the restaurants over there, and even Windwood Hollow Park,” Sundloff said. “If they finished the path [from Dunwoody Club Drive to Peeler Road], it’d be much safer.”