About Dunwoody reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 20??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 9, 2013)
COMMUNITY .OPENING Sandy Springs 5975 Roswell Rd. Sandy Springs Next to Lowes 404-600-2484 FREE Bobby’s Classic Single Cheeseburger with purchase of fries and a drink Valid at Sandy Springs location only. Cannot be combined with any other coupon. Expires 8/22/13 Is your home or business alarm system registered with the City of Dunwoody? Beginning August 1, 2013 the City of Dunwoody Police Department will track false alarms to businesses or residences that use a monitored alarm system. REGISTRATION IS FREE FOR RESIDENTS $25 FOR BUSINESSES Register at: www.crywolf.us/oss/dunwoodyga/ All monitored alarms are required to register. There is a $100 fine for not registering. Following two (2) or more false alarms users are assessed a graduated fine ranging from $50 to $500 based on the number of false alarms. Residents and businesses have until October 1,2013 to register their alarm systems. Residents and businesses are required to renew registrations annually. If residents and businesses are unable to access the Internet or have questions on the registration process, please call the toll free number 866-889-2365 or email DunwoodyGA@publicsafetycorp.com. Police . Department I Department i Dunwoody *Smart people - Smart city/ 41 Perimeter Center East, Suite 100 Dunwoody, GA 30346 678-382-6900 Follow Us: Reporter Newspapers Email updates Be in the know ReporterNewspapers.net 4 | AUG. 9—AUG. 22,2013 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net Council weighs in on new zoning, building regulations CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 line and offer suggestions. “We’re asking for recommendations. Were looking for other eyes to look at these documents.” When Dunwoody became a city nearly five years ago, city officials ba sically adopted the existing DeKalb County zoning map and zoning ordi nance, city officials say. City staff mem bers began working on a rewrite of the ordinances about 18 months ago in an effort to tailor them to Dunwoody resi dents’ needs and desires. Reworking the ordinance will not change any zoning now in place in the city nor change any zoning classifica tions, officials have said. It will reorga nize the information in what city offi cials are calling easier-to-read formats such as charts and graphics. And it may provide answers to ques tions that already have arisen in debate, such as how many pets can a person have in Dunwoody? The answer, now, appears to be three. “It seems to me we are making a lot of law-abiding citizens into law break ers,” said Councilwoman Lynn Deutsch, who noted that once you start adding up dogs, cats, guinea pigs, birds and other household animals, “you can hit three pets pretty quickly.” “What is the problem this is trying to resolve?” Councilman Terry Nall asked. Other problems raised during the council discussion seemed to already have been thrashed out by several city panels, including the Planning Com mission and Community Council, and a citizens’ “sounding board,” that worked through the proposed new ordinances and made recommendations. “This is a lesson in how to do it and how to do it right,” Thompson said to open the discussions of what he said was a 400-page document. “We’re down to a couple of dozen issues. We’ve gone a long way.” On Aug. 4, the Dunwoody Home- owners Association board voted to op pose two controversial provisions of the zoning rewrite. The board opposed al lowing operators of home-based busi nesses to bring customers to their home unless they received a Special Land Use Permit. The board also urged City Council to reject a proposal that would allow the council to hear zoning variances as part of a rezoning package, rather than hav ing the variances argued before the Zon ing Board of Appeals. City staff members say allowing the council to consider the proposed zoning variances would speed up the process and have the important decisions made by the council. Some council members argued the city’s variance procedure should be left alone. “Why do we need it? Is there a problem with what we’re doing now?” Councilman Denis Shortal asked. Mayor Mike Davis said the current practice forces projects to be consid ered piecemeal. “These projects come to us more or less fully formed. It seems [considering them] concurrently makes sense,” Davis said. “What we’re doing now forces you to break it apart.... To have it broken into pieces doesn’t make sense. Council members said that before they’re done, they want to take up sub jects ranging from bicycle parking to home occupations to gardens. And, of course, the definition of a “household pet,” which now says Dunwoody resi dents cannot keep pet chickens, pit bulls or snakes. NOTICE OF QUALIFYING FOR POSITIONS OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS Qualifying for candidates in the November 5, 2013 municipal election is August 26 - 30, 2013 Candidates may download the application from the city’s website (www.sandyspringsga.gov/vote), or pick up the application at Sandy Springs City Hall between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The qualifying fee is $750/mayor and $360/council member. All applications must be submitted in person by 4:00 p.m., August 30, 2013 to the City Clerk’s Office located at Sandy Springs City Hall, 7840 Roswell Road, Building 500, Sandy Springs Ga. 30350. Required qualifications: No person shall be eligible to serve as mayor or council member unless that person shall have been a resident of the area comprising the corporate limits of the City of Sandy Springs for a continuous period of at least 12 months immediately prior to the date of the election for mayor or council member, shall continue to reside therein during that persons period of service, and shall continue to be registered and qualified to vote in municipal elections of the City of Sandy Springs. In addition to the above requirement, no person shall be eligible to serve as a council member representing a council district unless that person has been a resident of the district such person seeks to represent for a continuous period of at least six months immediately prior to the date of the election for council member and continues to reside in such district during that persons period of service. 7840 ROSWELL RD, BUILDING 500 WEB: SANDYSPRINGSGA.GOV/VOTE TELEPHONE: 770-730-5600
