About Dunwoody reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 20??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 2, 2025)
10 I OCTOBER 2025 ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS DUNWOODY Subscribe to Cathy Cobbs on Dunwoody at RoughDraftAtlanta.com/newsletters. City council shoots down senior housing rezoning By Cathy Cobbs The Dunwoody City Council at its Sept. 8 meeting voted unanimously to deny a rezoning application that would allow the construction of a low-income senior housing complex on Ashford Dunwoody Road, despite the fact that the developers at the last minute reduced the height and density of the complex. Dominium, a property management and development company, had requested to rezone a three-acre property from O-I (Office Industrial) to PD (Planned Development) to allow the site to be redeveloped into an age-restricted, income-restricted housing community with 215 rental units, with an approximate 240-space underground parking garage, and eight surface visitor parking spaces. The proposal has been met with overwhelming opposition from people who objected to the density, height and location of the project. Before the matter was discussed, two representatives from Dominium spoke during public comment saying that the plan has been significantly altered in order to adhere more closely to zoning that is being proposed in the city’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan for that character area, referred to as Ashford. A memo in the city council presentation packet submitted by Dominium and discussed by the representatives attorney Julie Somers and company vice president Shaun Rhinehardt during public comment, said that the ••• =.-- regie EVATION AT ASHFORD CENTER PARKWAY WOOD FRAMED DECK CLAD W/ FIBER CEMENT TRIM PREFIN. ALUM. RAILS Dominium’s revised plan for senior housing (City of Dunwoody) : WHITE COMPOSITE WINDOWS TYP. STEEL AND WOOD FRAMED PORTE COCHERE COVERED ENTRY CLAD W/ FIBER CEMENT SIDING AND TRIM CAST IN PLACE CONCRETE RETAINING WALL Til III III IE! II 11 I I'M T City of 1 Dunwoodv dunwoodyga.gov | 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Rd., Dunwoody GA 30338 | 678.382.6700 0000 October Highlights 1-31 4-19 Scarecrow Showdown Create Dunwoody | Dunwoody Village "The Cottage" Stage Door Theatre 14 4 Farm-to-Table Dinner and Silent Auction Donaldson-Bannister Farm 16-17 Groovin' on the Green: Piano Man vs. Pocket Man Brook Run Park Amphitheater \6 - 9 p.m. City Council Meeting; Budget Hearing City Hall | 6 p.m. site plan was revised to reduce the overall height of the building. “Approximately two stories, or 50 residential units, were removed from the site plan, which resulted in a reduction of the building’s height from 95 feet to under 70 feet,” the memo said. “The revised ODP [Official Development Plan] proposes a maximum building height of 70 feet, which aligns with the PC-3 maximum height requirement for buildings 100 feet or greater to a lot line adjacent to a single-family zoning district.” The maximum impervious cover in the ODP was also reduced from 85 percent to 70 percent to align with PC-3 zoning regulations, the memo said. “The building height on the Ashford Center Parkway now appears as mostly four stories when it was previously close to seven stories,” the memo said. “The reduction in building height is also now consistent with the allowable height for senior living facilities (up to four stories) in [proposed zoning for] the Ashford character area.” After Dunwoody Senior Planner Madalyn Smith described the Dominium changes, with little discussion, council member Tom Tambert made a motion to deny the application, which was seconded by Rob Price, and passed 7-0. The vote was met with a sustained round of applause from the 101 or so attendees, who have been a constant presence during the rezoning process — from the application to the Dunwoody Homeowners Association to the planning commission to the city council. Susan Mitchell, who was part of a group opposing the plan, said she was “gratified that the city council unanimously agreed with the citizens.” “It’s a tribute to the remarkable foresight of our city founders who recognized the need to balance growth with respect for the character of our neighborhoods,” Mitchell said. John Heneghan, who has served on the council since its inception, said he voted against the proposal because of the “level of impact on the community.” Council Member Rob Price said even with the changes that Dominium made at the Sept. 8 meeting, the proposal “still didn’t meet the hurdle.” “It was too much for the part of the city where it is located,” Price said. “I think senior housing is appropriate for the city, but not where it was to be located.” Art Commission Meeting City Hall | 7:30 a.m. Sustainability Committee Meeting City Hall | 8 a.m. Pizza with Police Brook Run Park Great Lawn Amphitheater \ 5-8 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting City Hall | 6 p.m. Master Gardener Talk: Soil Building Dunwoody Community Garden Diwali Celebrations Ravinia Gardens | Dunwoody Nature Ctr. 18 21 25 26 27 Perimeter Pumpkin Patch Dunwoody Nature Center Planning Commission Meeting City Hall | 6 p.m. Spirits for Spruil Spruill Gallery Blessing of the Pets & Howling Halloween Brook Run Dog Park | 2-4 p.m. City Council Meeting; Budget Hearing City Hall\6 p.m. DHA/Rough Draft to hold Dunwoody candidate forum 30 Truck or Treat Brook Run Park | 5-8 p.m. Family Field Day Spooktacular Spruill Center for the Arts DHA Farmers Market Saturdays at Brook Run Park 9 a.m. - noon Early Voting for Nov. 4 election: Oct. 14-31 By Rough Draft Staff The Dunwoody Homeowners Association and Rough Draft Staff will host an open-to-the-public candidate forum at Stage Door Theatre on Wed. Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. in advance of the Nov. 4 city council election where three seats will be decided. All of the candidates running for city council have committed to attend, including District 1’s Catherine Tautenbacher, who is running unopposed. In District 2, incumbent Rob Price will face challenger David Ziskind, and District 3 incumbent Tom Tambert is running against Wendi Taylor. Former DHA President Bob Fiscella and Rough Draft’s Managing Editor Cathy Cobbs will moderate the one-hour forum. The public is encouraged to attend, as well as send questions in advance of the event. Interested parties are invited to send an email to forum organizers. Include your name, district (if applicable), and your inquiry. Anonymous questions will not be considered for inclusion. Anyone who is unsure as to the district in which they reside can check the city’s voter information website. The election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 4. If a runoff election is necessary, it would be held on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Early voting begins Tuesday, Oct. 14.
