City News
PRODUCED BY THE CITY OF BROOKHAVEN
Celebration of cultures returns
Brookhaven International Festival & 5K returns to Peachtree Creek Greenway
An assortment of cultures will be woven together on Saturday, Oct. 19, and Sunday, Oct. 20, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., to celebrate for a second year Brookhaven’s International Festival along the Peachtree Creek Greenway.
In 2023 the inaugural festival was the City’s first major event along the Buford Highway Cultural Corridor. The Brookhaven International Festival will again feature a variety of live cultural performances and music, international cuisine, a Kidz Zone, health screenings and vendors. A 5K walk/run benefiting We Love Buford Highway will take place Sunday, Oct. 20. For the first year, a lowrider car show will be part of the mix.
In 2022, the City officially designated the vibrant community of Buford Highway as the Buford Highway Cultural Corridor to highlight the rich heritage and support the diverse arts and cultural initiatives and public art that are accessible for and representative of all residents. This celebration brings all cultures on the Corridor and region into one area to encourage multicultural exchanges.
“Last year we watched this important celebration for the corridor, all of Brookhaven, the region, and state come to fruition, and I am proud that we are bringing back an event aimed at strengthening ties amongst the many different cultures,” said Mayor Pro Tem and District 4 Council Member John Funny.
For the second year, a 5K benefiting We Love Buford Highway will kick off Sunday festival festivities. We Love Buford Highway is a 501(C)3 non-profit whose mission is preserving the multicultural identity of the Buford Highway corridor.
“We’re thrilled to be the beneficiary nonprofit,” said We Love Buford Highway Executive Director Lily Pabian. “There’s literally no 10-mile stretch like Buford Highway - immigrant communities are here for its sense of belonging through authentic representations in languages, cultures, and commerce; preserving this place takes coalitions, partnerships, and yes, celebrations. This weekend is a giant step in that direction.”
The 5K is a qualifier for the AJC Peachtree Road Race and is a USATF-certified course. It takes place along the Peachtree Creek Greenway and adjacent parking lots, making it safe for runners and walkers of all ages and abilities. For registration, visit www.BrookhavenGA.gov/intl-fest and click on the 5K button.
For festival and 5K updates, visit www.BrookhavenGA.gov/ intl-fest and follow the City of Brookhaven on social media at @BrookhavenGAgov and @CiudadDeBrookhaven.
Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 19-20
Peachtree Creek Greenway
www.BrookhavenGA.gov/intl-fest @BrookhavenGAgov @CiudadDeBrookhaven
Brookhaven International Festival & 5K
Letter from the Mayor
Happy autumn, Brookhaven! Fall is proving to be an exciting time for our City. With the return of beloved events like Doggy Dip Day in September and the International Festival, Paint the Park, and Touch A Truck in October, there will not be a better time to get out and mingle with your neighbors while enjoying everything our City has to offer. While you’re at it, check out the sidewalk gap that our Public Works Department filled in on Canmont Drive, allowing John Lewis Elementary School students a safer walking route. Hat tip to the team for also finding a creative way to save a beloved neighborhood tree in the process. Read more about this project on Page 4 of this newsletter.
We’re nothing if not sustainable in Brookhaven, and the region is taking notice. I’m proud of City staff for being invited to take part in the Clean Energy Road Show and ConnectATL to showcase our Sustainable Brookhaven efforts.
Please stay tuned to Brookhaven news by following the City’s Facebook, Instagram and X pages @BrookhavenGaGov and by signing up for The Brookhaven Blast weekly email at www.BrookhavenGA.gov/Communications.
You can always contact me at John.Park@ BrookhavenGA.gov or on my cell at 404-822-7059 with any questions or concerns.
Brookhaven City Council Meetings
The Brookhaven City Council generally meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. at 4362 Peachtree Road. Visit www.BrookhavenGA.gov/Calendar for schedule changes.
To access meetings and videos, go to the Meetings & Agendas tab near the bottom of the homepage.
Brookhaven Vision and Mission
Vision
Brookhaven will be nationally recognized as a beautiful community where multiple generations can live in safety, flourish in business and succeed in a historic, sustainable environment with exceptional education and transportation options.
Mission
In support of the Brookhaven vision, the City government shall: encourage and maintain a beautiful community, meet public safety needs, develop an environment for business success, promote sustainable projects and activities, identify and preserve historic and neighborhood resources, facilitate educational opportunities, and improve transportation conditions, connectivity, and options while listening to and communicating with the public.
Michael Diaz District 1
Jennifer Owens District 2 Jennifer.Owens@BrookhavenGA.gov
Madeleine Simmons District 3 Madeleine.Simmons@BrookhavenGA.gov
John Funny, Mayor Pro Tem District 4 John.Funny@BrookhavenGA.gov
John Park Mayor John.Park@BrookhavenGA.gov
Around Town
The City of Brookhaven’s Juneteenth celebration at Skyland Park included live performances, food, vendors and activities for the entire family. Pictured on the left - Sgt. Carlai Moore participates in a double-dutch demonstration. Above right, Mayor Pro Tem and District 4 Council Member John Funny and District 1 Council Member Michael Diaz join the festivities.
Brookhaven’s Cone Crew, along with Mayor John Park and District 1 Council Member Michael Diaz, made an appearance at the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce’s Red, White and Blue-Haven Car Show.
The Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce, Brookhaven Mayor John Park, Council Members Madeleine Simmons and Jennifer Owens, and volunteers donned aprons to cook up a delicious breakfast for the Brookhaven Police during National Police Week in May.
The Garden at Brookhaven Park is officially open! Garden members, community stakeholders, District 3 Council Member Madeleine Simmons and City staff held a small ribbon cutting and ceremonial planting ceremony in June.
The Brookhaven Police Department hosted residents at its National Night Out event at Northeast Plaza. National Night Out is a nationwide initiative to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement, bringing back a true sense of community.
Sustainable Brookhaven on tour
The Brookhaven Police Department’s Mustang Mach-E and one of the City’s Ford F150 Lightnings were on display at the Clean Energy Road Show in Cartersville recently, pictured alongside Sgt. Carlai Moore (left).
Also making the rounds was City Manager Christian Sigman (below, center) who shared a wealth of knowledge gained thus far as Brookhaven continues its course toward 100% EV and hybrid fleet. Sigman was invited to speak at the Atlanta Regional Commission’s annual ConnectATL Summit on all things EV.
Did you know the adoption rate of electric vehicle (EV) ownership in Brookhaven is higher than the state and national averages? 1/4 of our City-owned fleet is either fully electric or hybrid! The City invests in sustainability and has installed 19 ports for charging at 8 locations throughout the City. Anyone with a ChargePoint account can utilize these resources at no cost.
Learn about sustainability and our initiatives for a Sustainable Brookhaven at www.BrookhavenGA.gov/ SustainableBrookhaven.
Public Works fills in sidewalk to school while saving a beloved tree
Just in time for the new school year, Brookhaven Public Works crews filled in the last leg of sidewalk along Canmont Drive to John Lewis Elementary School.
The existing sidewalk on Canmont Drive, east of the South Garden Court subdivision, required pedestrians, including many school-age children, to walk along the edge of Canmont Drive for over 400 feet before reaching the corner of Skyland Drive where there is no pedestrian crosswalk through Skyland Drive to John R. Lewis Elementary School.
As part of the City’s Annual Infill Sidewalk Program, this gap is now filled with a new 5-foot-wide sidewalk, an ADA-compliant ramp, and a new, striped crosswalk over Skyland Drive.
Due to the proximity of the sidewalk to a cherished redwood near the South Garden Court property line and existing slopes, special sidewalk designs consisting of a boardwalk and a turndown sidewalk section have been incorporated in the project to save the tree.
City News
Dresden corridor designated an ‘entertainment district’
In an effort to promote economic development and increased social and pedestrian traffic along Dresden Drive, the Brookhaven City Council has established a Dresden corridor entertainment district from Peachtree Road to Camille Drive, known as the Dresden District.
The Dresden District is a specific area in which one can purchase an alcoholic beverage from a participating restaurant or bar and walk within the open spaces in that area. The Dresden District officially began May 24.
Within the Dresden District, consumers are generally exempt from the Open Container Law during the hours of 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., if 1) the drink has been purchased from a participating business within the Dresden District, 2) the drink is contained and consumed in an official Dresden District cup, and 3) the consumer is 21 years of age or older and is otherwise legal to consume alcohol.
“The goal of the district is to add to the appeal of the Dresden corridor as a neighborhood destination,” said District 2 Councilwoman Jennifer Owens. “Encouraging our residents to enjoy all the amenities this vibrant area has to offer strengthens our community as a whole.”
Under the new ordinance:
• Alcoholic beverages available for removal from the premises must be in a clear Dresden Alcohol Cup with the business logo as well as a designated sticker.
• Distilled spirits can be contained in a Dresden Alcohol Cup no greater than 12 fluid ounces.
• Malt beverages or wine can be contained in a Dresden Alcohol Cup no greater than 16 fluid ounces.
• Any licensed establishment that allows patrons to leave the establishment with an alcoholic beverage shall have an 11- by 17inch sign posted at the front door within public view so that a patron entering or exiting the establishment can read the statement: “Patrons leaving this establishment with an alcoholic beverage are required by law to dispose of the beverage before 10:00 p.m. (unless in an approved container) and before leaving the Dresden District. Any person who possesses an open alcoholic beverage outside the District, or after 10:00 p.m. within the District, or in an unauthorized container, is in violation of the City Code and may be subject to a citation and/or fine.”
Businesses can contact Brookhaven Finance Director Oscar Medina to obtain “Dresden District” stickers at Oscar.Medina@ BrookhavenGA.gov or 404-637-0479. See full ordinance at www. BrookhavenGA.gov/Finance/page/Dresden-District.
Brookhaven aquatics have record attendance; pools open through Sept. 29
Thanks in part to the new pools and the hot summer weather, record numbers visited Brookhaven Parks to cool off with a dip in the water this summer.
More than 32,000 people made a splash at one or more of Brookhaven’s three pools from May 24 to July 21, 2024.
“This is the biggest year for Brookhaven pools ever,” said Michael King, Brookhaven Parks & Recreation Director. “Our Lynwood and Briarwood pools are brand new, we hired a new aquatics manager and brought on a new pool maintenance and lifeguard contractor. Considering the extended hours approved earlier this year by Council, we had very few closures this year and the weather cooperated, too.”
Brookhaven pools are now open on a modified schedule through Sept. 29. The pools will be open only on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Open through Sept. 1 (Sat. & Sun.)
• Murphey Candler Pool, 1551 West Nancy Creek Drive
Open through Sept. 29 (Sat. & Sun.)
• Lynwood Park Pool and Splash Pad, 3360 Osborne Rd NE (Splash pad opens at 10 on Sundays.)
• Briarwood Park Pool, 2235 Briarwood Way NE, Brookhaven.
On Labor Day, Sept. 2, all pools will be open from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
The Lynwood Park Splash Pad will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Ashford Park Splash Pad
• The Ashford Park Splash Pad at 2980 Redding Road NE will remain open through Sept. 29, seven days a week 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
For more information, visit https://www.BrookhavenGA.gov/ parksrec/page/aquatic-programs-and-information.
Brookhaven officials and business owners celebrate the opening of the Dresden District in May
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BROOKHAVEN, GA
Brookhaven Connect
The City of Brookhaven is excited to provide residents improved access to issue reporting and other helpful city information. Visit the city's website or search for 'Brookhaven Connect' in your opp store to download today.
