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City reduces minimum land area required for planned developments By CATHY COBBS newsroom@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody City Council passed a text amendment May 10 to reduce the minimum land area required for a planned development. The measure includes some modifications discussed at its previous sessions. The text amendment calls for a minimum contiguous land area of 200,000 square feet – or 4.5 acres – if all or part of the land is in a suburban neighborhood or Institutional/Campus character area, such as a college campus. In all other areas, the planned development must have a minimum contiguous land area of 1.5 acres, according to the revised ordinance. The Planned Development designation in zoning provides flexibility, unity and diversity in land planning and development in order to create convenient and harmonious uses, structures and common facilities. Dunwoody Planning and Zoning Manager Paul Leonhardt said the update mirrors requirements for planned developments imposed by neighboring cities and counties. The measure also reflected several conditions recommended by the Dunwoody Planning Commission, including one that the commission could defer the matter up to three times. On the fourth deferral, the matter would be moved forward to the City Council without recommendation. In other action at the May 10 meet-
ing, the council hosted the presentation of a lifesaving award to the family of Dunwoody resident Kim McGrady by the South Walton Fire Department. McGrady died in March after saving several swimmers from a riptide at a Florida beach on April 8. The council also honored McGrady’s son, Colton, and another man, Preston Lyn, who assisted in rescuing the swimmers. McGrady, who worked at Chick-fil-A as a field operations manager, is survived by his wife, Leigh Anne, and two children. A Go Fund Me page has been set up in his honor and has collected more than $142,000. The council also listened to a presentation by Dunwoody Community Development Director Richard McLeod regarding the possible implementation of impact fees to pay for infrastructure improvements. He said the funds collected can only be used for capital investments under seven eligible categories – water, wastewater, roads, stormwater, parks and open spaces, public safety, and libraries. Impact fees would be levied on new construction of singlefamily dwellings, office and retail establishments. Next steps, according to McLeod, would involve commissioning a study. The council did not take any action on the presentation, pending discussion of how other municipalities collect and spend their impact fees.
See COUNCIL, Page 6
CATHY COBBS/CRIER
Festival organizers estimate that more than 30,000 people attended the May 8-9 Dunwoody Arts Festival at Brook Run Park.
Annual Arts Festival officials happy with event attendance By CATHY COBBS newsroom@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. – Dunwoody Arts Festival organizers say they are happy with the attendance at last weekend’s event, which was held at Brook Run Park. “It was dreamlike,” said Splash Festival President Frances Schube. “To see the crowds, the beautiful weather and the beautiful park, I couldn’t have
asked for anything better.” Schube said organizers estimated that about 30,000 people attended the two-day event, which featured about 175 vendors from all over the Southeast. She also said Brook Run Park served as the perfect “socially distant” venue. The festival had, in previous years, been held in Dunwoody Village. “Everyone was able to move
See FESTIVAL, Page 6