A group opposed to Brookhaven’s plan to rebuild Windsor Parkway between Ashford-Dunwoody Road and Lanier Drive made their feelings known at the city council’s June 23 meeting, calling the path unneeded or too expensive.
Before public comment, Brookhaven Assistant City Manager Patrice Ruffin described the project, emphasizing that several elements of the plan remain unfunded.
In addition, in response to questions from the council, she said that major changes to the plan could result in the Georgia Department of Transportation defunding the project or the entire community feedback and information-gathering process starting over.
According to Brookhaven’s website, the project “will convert the conventional minor stop intersection at Ashford Dunwoody Road and Windsor Parkway into a single lane roundabout with a 10-foot shared use path on the east side of Ashford Dunwoody Road. Windsor Parkway between Ashford Dunwoody Road and Lanier Drive.”
A sidewalk will be built on the north side, a shared-use path on the south side, and a curb and gutter, the website said. It was one of the mid-term projects recommended in the Ashford Dunwoody Road Corridor Study adopted by the council in 2017.
She said the original price of about $4 million has increased to $7.3 million because of rising property values, which will affect right-of-way acquisition, and higher material and labor costs.
The group, comprised mainly of residents on or around the Windsor Parkway area, says they aren’t opposed to changes to make the roadway safer, but are “deeply concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding this project, the impact to the mature tree canopy lining Windsor Parkway, the acquisition of residential property without complete public disclosure, and the significant cost overruns from the original approved budget.”
According to organizers, the petition has more than 510 signatures, with the majority saying they want the city to:
- provide a detailed, tree-by-tree survey and right-of-way impact map for the Windsor Parkway corridor before construction proceeds;
- hold a dedicated public information session on the Windsor Parkway corridor design, including tree removal, right-of-way impacts, and an alternative design that preserves the existing tree canopy where possible;
- publish an updated, itemized project budget and commit to public disclosure before and after construction bids are received this fall;
- pause the construction on the Windsor Parkway corridor segment, while allowing the intersection safety improvements to proceed on their own merits.
Several residents in the affected areas said they have not received notices about the project and said that the construction would adversely affect their property values.
Speakers called the project “a yellow brook road to nowhere” since the path that would connect it to other corridors remains unfunded and has not been prioritized by the council.
According to a status report on the website, as of June 5, right-of-way acquisitions are underway, and appraisals are complete. The city is expected to make initial offers to affected homeowners by June 30, with construction expected to begin by early 2027.
After the presentation and public hearing, no action was taken on the matter.
