The city of Dunwoody is considering a new study that would identify ways to improve transportation around two of the city’s main commercial areas.
At the Dunwoody City Council’s June 20 meeting, city Community Development Director Mike Tuller asked the council to look at a Livable Center Initiative supplemental study to improve access to Chamblee Dunwoody Road from Dunwoody Village and the Georgetown/North Shallowford area.
“We’re looking at the location of existing driveways or curb cuts to figure out where they should be in the future as redevelopment occurs,” Tuller said. “Not the area in between, but just those commercial districts.”
Tuller said the goal of the study is to better place shopping center driveways so their location makes the most sense.
“Sometimes they put these driveways near the intersections where they impede traffic,” Tuller said. “In the plan we may look at inter-parcel connections where you connect one development to another.”
The grant to fund the study would be $100,000, of which the city would be responsible for matching $50,000. The LCI grant is funded through the Georgia Department of Transportation, Tuller said.
The supplemental study is contingent upon City Council approval.
“I think they were supportive of the initiative, a little concerned about the matching moneys, certainly something we’ll have to budget for,” Tuller said.
Councilman Robert Wittenstein said he thinks it is a concept the council should stand behind.
“I’m very supportive of the LCI concept—particularly for Dunwoody. We should be looking for ways to create more walkable, bikeable communities. We should be providing the planning needed to help developers who will be doing redevelopment in Dunwoody to gear that redevelopment in a way that benefits the entire community,” Wittenstein said in an email. “The supplemental study is a good idea. It will help us develop the plans for Chamblee-Dunwoody Road so that future development can be done in accordance with the long-range plan.”
Tuller said the city could find out if it received the grant money within one to two months, allowing the study to begin in the fall if awarded.
He said the supplemental study puts the city in position to apply for implementation funding for the LCI master plans.
In 2010, the Atlanta Regional Commission awarded Dunwoody a Livable Center Initiative grant to create a master plan for the Dunwoody Village area. In March, the City Council adopted LCI-style master plans for the Dunwoody Village area and for the Georgetown / North Shallowford area. The Atlanta Regional Commission in April accepted the Dunwoody Village Master Plan as having been completed in accordance with LCI standards and grandfathered the Georgetown / North Shallowford Master Plan as adequately reflecting the goals and intent of an LCI study.
Tuller said it will be a long process, but the master plan looks to eventually transform the Chamblee Dunwoody Road areas into more of a “Main Street look.”
“It may take realistically 10 years for some of this stuff to evolve but it’s an incremental process as redevelopment occurs,” Tuller said.