The Dunwoody City Council at its Sept. 28 passed several zoning changes that will change the city’s retail and residential landscape, but not without protest from attendees.
The council passed on second reading by a 5-1 vote a rezoning agreement from Office-Industrial (O-I) to Perimeter Center) (PC-3) to allow for the construction of 33 townhomes on a 3.42-acre site at 4891 Ashford Dunwoody Road, the current site of LifeSouth Blood Bank.
It also approved unanimously a rezoning request that would allow the construction of a small 24-detached home subdivision on land that straddles Fulton and DeKalb counties.
Pickleball protest and compromises
And the council also approved a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) to allow for the construction of a 10,000 square-foot indoor pickleball facility at the Marcus Jewish Community Center, but not without protest from citizens and a lengthy discussion among council members about noise abatement.
An outdoor facility containing 12 courts opened in June 2024 as part of an extensive renovation on the 50-acre site that included the construction of an outdoor pool and other amenities.
One woman, Ann Ahern who lives on Dunwoody Glen, during public comment, said the MJCCA consistently violates limits on hours of operation, and that cheering and the sound of play are beyond acceptable limits established by the city.
She also said the sound study conducted after the outdoor courts were completed was flawed.
When the agenda item was discussed at the Sept. 28 meeting, Planning and Zoning Manager Paul Leonhardt said the applicant has updated the application to address concerns raised by the citizens, including:
- removing rollup garage doors and installing standard storefront-style doors;
- planting 59 additional evergreen trees;
- add trees along the southern fence line;
- no public announcement system would be used, except for emergency situations;
- lowering the height of the building by four feet, and
- adding additional acoustic fencing around the existing outdoor pickleball courts.
The hours for the indoor courts will be 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, according to a staff memo about the changes to the applications.
Several council members, including Catherine Lautenbacher and Rob Price, stated that although they feel comfortable about adding the additional indoor courts, they remain concerned about the noise from the existing outdoor courts.
“The question is, do I trust you enough, based on what permissions we gave you last time, what can you do as good neighbors to limit the noises around you?” Council Member John Heneghan asked. “I really want you to live in harmony with your neighbors.”
The applicants said they are willing to work with the neighbors to mitigate the noise, saying that they plan on spending “well over six figures” to install trees and acoustic fences.
After lengthy discussion, the council voted 4-2 to approve the SLUP, with Joe Seconder and John Heneghan dissenting. Mayor Lynn Deutsch instructed MJCCA officials to immediately address the sound mitigation efforts, to which they agreed.
In other action:
- approved, without discussion, an AI policy for the city. The council had discussed several concerns in previous meetings, with the final document addressing the following principles: human oversight, public trust and accountability, lawfulness and transparency, data protection and fairness and non-descrimination;
- heard from several members of the Dunwoody Preservation Trust, asking the city to help cover insurance costs for events like Lemonade Days. Speakers said costs for security, sanitation, and insurance have risen considerably.
- passed on consent agenda a usage policy for the city’s recreation facilities;
- discussed repurposing 11 city-owned vehicles, with eight vehicles going to public auction and three being transferred to the Lawrenceville Police Department in exchange for Law Enforcement Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) training for Dunwoody Police officers;
- approved on second read a SLUP to allow a SmartMed medical practice to operate with a double drive-thru lane at 125 Perimeter Center West.
