Dunwoody GA is a suburban city that sits on top of Atlanta GA just outside the I-285 perimeter. Dunwoody includes Perimeter Mall, a large commercial mall. that also includes hotels, apartments and office space. It includes strip-malls scattered between subdivisions with grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, shops and doctor’s offices. Many subdivisions have their own Swim and Tennis clubs. Early Dunwoody subdivisions were built in the 1960s. Many more subdivisions were built in the 1970s and 1980s.
We moved to Dunwoody in 1983 to join the electronics boom. My wife Marlene wanted to go to Dental Hygiene School and it was in Dunwoody on the Dunwoody Community College campus. I worked in Norcross in “Tech Park”, a 15-minute drive. The kids walked to Austin Elementary a block away. The kids worked in Dunwoody Village a block away. We joined the subdivision Swin and Tennis club. Later the kids went to Dunwoody High School 6 blocks away and took the school bus. When Marlene graduated from Hygiene School she worked for a Dentist in Dunwoody Village.
The watchword in Dunwoody was “convenience. It was 5 minutes from I-285 and access to both East and West Metro was easy. It was “location, location, location. The premium for this was that homes were $20,000 higher in price. Dunwoody’s signature architecture was Williamsburg. Homes and businesses were Williamsburg.
Dunwoody Ga elevation above sea level is 1129 feet. Atlanta Ga elevation above sea level is 1050 feet. We continue to look down on Atlanta. We are above the gnat line and have fewer bugs. We have lots of trees struggling to produce oxygen and anxious to consume carbon dioxide.
Dunwoody had been part of unincorporated DeKalb County, but in 2009 it became a small city of 13.25 square miles with 50,000 residents, most living in subdivisions. Dunwoody had a large 100 acre Park and residents had other parks close-by. Our kids went to Murphy Candler Park in Brookhaven for sports. Nearby Sandy Springs had a hospital complex and Roswell had lots of parks and activities.
When Dunwoody became a city in 2009, UN Agenda 21 was being implemented. Homeowners were ready for better road maintenance, but Agenda 21 wanted “transit villages”. The Dunwoody City Council members were on the boards of the non-profits who had been squatting on DeKalb park land. The Council protected the non-profits and were anxious to fund them. They were also eager to grow their commercial “citizens” at Perimeter Mall. The City Council pursued development at the Mall and formed a “development” group to concoct tax holidays and incentives to attract businesses. Before Agenda 21, businesses did their own “development” and didn’t receive “bribes” to locate in suburbs. The Council was intent on building their commercial property tax base and placating Marta transit, not fixing the roads. The Council had adopted Agenda 21 planning that included a “master plan” for everything.
Regency Centers owns commercial property in Dunwoody Village. They apparently approve of the “master plan”. The plan seeks to double the width of Dunwoody Villate Parkway and eliminate parking lot spaces. The businesses that operate in Dunwoody Village are not in agreement. The “master plan” for Dunwoody Village is similar to the failed Atlantic Station model with parking on the street that has failed over and over.
Dunwoody Village was built in 1972, 52 years ago. The businesses that operate in Dunwoody Village have had problems with roof leaks and other problems that have eventually been repaired. They are sensitive to their monthly rent prices. Some businesses have left Dunwoody Village because or high rents. They certainly know that a newly constructed Dunwoody Village would require substantial rent hikes. They all live in homes built in the 1970s and don’t plan to knock their homes down to build new ones.
The DeKalb County School Board voted to replace Austin Elementary in Dunwoody. We saw Austin Elementary torn down. It was built in 1975 and demolished in 2020. It functioned for 45 years. The cost to replace it was $20 million, but Bond financing doubled the cost to $40 million. Bond financing costs double. School Boards should use accrual accounts to build new schools, not bonds. We voters were not impressed with the way school boards waste money. Schools can be maintained to function over 100 years. Dunwoody home owners are using maintenance and upgrading to make their homes last over 100 years.
Timing is not good in 2024. We are experiencing 20% stagflation with energy inflation due to low oil and natural gas production. Food costs are up 30% because of high energy prices. Dunwoody taxpayers just turned down a $60 million Bond vote for more parks. Restaurant prices are up 30%. Participation is down in “community recreation” and events. 4-foot sidewalks are not crowded enough to need widening. There are no bikers using the bike lanes. We are not inclined to walk or bike to the grocery stores. We are not inclined to walk to our strip malls to sit on a bench or wander around. We are not inclined to ride a bike to our strip malls.
Traffic in Dunwoody is high on the main roads that serve as entry roads to GA-400 from 7am to 9am and from 5pm to 7pm. This includes main roads like Mt. Vernon Hwy and Roberts Road to enter GA-400.
Apartment rent near Perimeter Mall and MARTA in Dunwoody ranges from $1400/mo to $1700/mo.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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