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Community Briefs CITY SEEKS D R ESDEN V I L L AG E L AWS UI T DI S M I S S A L
“St. Anne’s Terrace is the best place for retirement living. Take a tour and see for yourself. We did!!
Dona and Lew Keller Residents since 2014
Enjoy retirement by living your way at Saint Anne’s Terrace in the heart of Buckhead! Call us to schedule your visit 3100 Northside Parkway, NW Atlanta 30327 www.saintannesterrace.org • 404-238-9200
SOU TH E R N FOOD SOU T H E R N CH A R M
The city of Brookhaven denies it did anything illegal when it rezoned a parcel on Dresden Drive for a mixed-use development and says added activity in the area one resident predicts in a lawsuit is part of “normal, urban growth and development.” In its April 11 court filing in DeKalb County Superior Court, the city says a lawsuit filed by resident Steve Pepmiller should be dismissed because his allegations that his neighborhood will be inundated with traffic, that schools and utilities will be overburdened and that his property values will be lowered are “mere inconveniences that are insufficient to establish standing as a matter of law.” Pepmiller’s attorney did not return a call seeking comment. Pepmiller, who lives on Caldwell Road adjacent to Dresden Drive, sued the city in February alleging the city illegally zoned the nearly 4-acre parcel of land where the DeKalb tag office is currently located. The rezoning makes way for the construction of a 5-story complex with 169 apartments and retail shops on the ground floor. The development will also include a six-level parking deck, seven for-sale townhouses facing Caldwell Road and the Dixie Moon restaurant on Caldwell Road. The city, in its motions to dismiss, denies the allegations and says Pepmiller does not have standing to sue. The city’s attorneys further say that Pepmiller fails to identify in his lawsuit how the development would directly affect him differently than his neighbors. They say his lawsuit should be dismissed. “In short, Plaintiff’s interest amounts to nothing more than that of a ‘champion of a community’ who seeks to have regulations strictly enforced for the ‘benefit of the general welfare of the community or general enhancement of property values.’ … His claims should therefore be dismissed,” according to the city.
CO NTR ACT AWA R DED FO R NO R T H FO R K PEACHTR EE CR EEK WAT ER S HED C L EA NUP
JOIN US MOTHER’S DAY for brunch, lunch or dinner
OPEN 10:30 - 5:00
4969 Roswell Road Atlanta, GA 30342 | 404-497-9700 | www.food101atl.com
Rise and Shine
with the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce! Date: Thursday, May 11 Time: 7:30-9 a.m. Place: DoubleTree by Hilton 1061 North Druid Hills Road, Brookhaven This month’s Chamber Breakfast features Terri Denison, District Director of The U.S. Small Business Association. Come hear about how they work with a number of local partners to counsel, mentor, and train small businesses.
$15 members, $25 non-members. www.brookhavencommerce.org
The City Council recently awarded a $187,022 contract to Sustainable Water Planning and Engineering to come up with a plan to clean up the North Fork Peachtree Creek watershed. The study and plan is slated to be completed by May 2018 and includes several projects: evaluate and characterize watershed conditions; identify problems, impairments and threats; identify causes and sources that may impact the watershed’s health; hold two public meetings to discuss the project; determine strategies to maintain and restore the health of the watershed; identify funding sources; and develop the watershed improvement plan. North Fork Peachtree Creek is considered “impaired waters” due to, among other issues, the presence of fecal coliform bacteria. Arrow Creek, a major tributary to North Fork Peachtree Creek within the city of Chamblee, also is listed as impaired for fecal coliform bacteria. The watershed study will assess potential sources for water quality impairment and develop a prioritized list of capital improvement projects intended to improve water quality and maintain the high quality of life enjoyed in Brookhaven. The study will coincide with the recently approved Peachtree Creek Greenway Plan.
R ECO R D -SETTING $4 .7M PAV ING C O NT R A C T A P P R O V ED The City Council on April 12 approved a $4.7 million contract to C.W. Matthews for paving of 59 streets, the most in the city’s four-year history. Paving of more than 10 miles this year is expected to begin in June. Since Brookhaven’s founding in 2012, 18.8 percent of the city’s 120 miles of roads have been repaved. With an additional 10.7 miles of resurfacing, rehabilitation or reconstruction planned in 2017, nearly 28 percent of Brookhaven’s city roads will be less than 4 years old. Brookhaven uses a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) to determine the quality of the asphalt of the road on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the best condition possible. This approach uses a scientific criteria for prioritizing road repairs and improvements. The approval of the $4.7 million contract to C.W. Matthews means paving work should begin in June, shortly after the end of the school year, to minimize traffic impact. Weather permitting, paving on all 59 streets should be substantially completed in September, with final repairs and punch-list items completed by November. BK