The Sandy Springs City Council on July 21 approved routine contracts for 12 new police SUV cruisers, a gap-fill sidewalk, and a Roswell Road safety study.
Before the regular meeting, elected officials received an update from a consultant team developing the city’s 2027 comprehensive plan and recreation and parks updates.
Comp plan and police cruisers
Council Member Melody Kelley, a member of the plan’s advisory committee, confirmed that consultants plan to meet with local developers and utilize a soon-to-be-published housing needs assessment.
“It seems like there’s opportunity with the redevelopment and repurposing angle to use P3s (public-private partnerships),” Kelley said. “When we say ‘acquiring parkland,’ are you guys considering the potential to leverage commercial development to put [in] recreational spaces?”
Consultants told Kelley that they are looking at ways to incentivize green space and connectivity as part of the redevelopment of older commercial areas (like the North End shopping centers) with city staff.
The city council approved the purchase of 12 new 2026 Ford Explorer SUVs for the police department. The $597,900 contract with Cobb County-based Wade Ford is within the city’s 2027 budget and fleet fund.
Sandy Springs Police Capt. James McNabb said the department’s fleet manager has notified him that the vehicles are available on the lot.
“The price is set until the end of the month,” McNabb said. ”Expedited approval would be appreciated, so we could maintain the quote that we currently have. And upon approval, we will move forward with the application procurement policies and procedures set forth by the city.”
Roswell Road safety
Later, elected officials approved a $223,750 contract with Gresham Smith to engineer and design a Roswell Road (State Route 9) safety study.
The specific study area is just north of Interstate 285, from Cliftwood Drive to Hammond Drive on both sides of the state route. Cliftwood Drive at Roswell Road ranks as the second-highest high-injury intersection, and the stretch of state highway is one of the most dangerous, according to a city memo.
Public Works Director Marty Martin said the study will inform safety and traffic flow enhancements, allowing the city to request federal funds from the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Georgia Department of Transportation for specific, analyzed projects.
“Building on those recommendations, the Roswell Road Safety project will identify specific access management treatments at key locations to evaluate their safety and operational benefits, and prepare a comprehensive corridor-wide implementation plan,” Martin said.
While the city has plans to expand the Hammond Drive corridor from Roswell Road to the Central Perimeter business district, Roswell Road (SR 9) is controlled by GDOT. City officials want to expand the percentage of frontage along Roswell Road with wide sidepaths, pedestrian crossings, lighting, and limited driveways.
Gap fills and sidewalks
Sandy Springs officials approved $150,000 to fill a gap in a sidewalk on the east side of Glenridge Drive just south of I-285, splitting the cost with the Fulton County side of the Perimeter CIDs.
Martin said city and Perimeter CID staff identified the need for a continuous sidepath from Johnson Ferry at Glenridge Drive underneath the I-285 bridge toward Hammond Drive.
“There’s this gap that somehow did not get included in Transform 285,” Martin said. “The CID will execute the design of the project … [and] the city will execute construction of the project.”
Council members also approved a roughly $400,000 contract with Kimley-Horn for a fiber optic cable backup in the city’s North End at Roswell Road and Fire Station.
Council Member Andrew Chinsky celebrated the acquisition of the last parcel along Lake Forrest Drive, necessary to construct the remaining sidewalk from Mount Paran Road to Chastain Park in Atlanta. The homeowners dedicated the strip of land at no cost to the city.
“This is the last right-of-way needed on Lake Forrest to proceed with phase two of the sidewalk project,” Chinsky said. “Excited to see that move forward. Still, construction underway, but I’m glad our team was finally able to meet that milestone.”
