DEKALB COUNTY: Hidden Hills residents develop green-space plan for golf course

Residents of south DeKalb County’s Greater Hidden Hills community are finalizing a proposed guide for new development that envisions new walking and bike trails, architectural standards and community facilities.

The study, developed with the county Planning and Development department, includes residents’ request that the county purchase for green space a dormant 18-hole golf course that winds through the community’s center.

Jan Costello, coordinator of the Greater Hidden Hills Overlay District, said residents met a dozen times over the past year to develop a unified vision for an area bounded by Redan Road, Covington Highway, Panola Road and South Hairston Road.

“We are seeking to put concrete details in the zoning codes so that we conserve precious green space, create a walkable community with pleasing streetscapes and nature trails, and provide the guidelines for attractive mixed-use commercial areas with desirable businesses,” Costello said.

Similar studies and plans have been prepared for other DeKalb communities, including Candler Road, Scottdale, downtown Tucker and the Stonecrest area. Community input is being accepted on the Hidden Hills plan, which is expected to go before the county commission by early spring.

Hidden Hills’ draft plan calls for consideration of establishing the area as a tax allocation district, or TAD, to make redevelopment sites more attractive to investors.

Cities and counties across Georgia have used TADs to revitalize underdeveloped or blighted areas by tapping future increases in property tax revenue to finance bonds that help pay for new construction.

Preserving green space —- particularly the former golf course, which closed in 2005 —- is among the plan’s top priorities.

James L. Davis of Miami bought the golf course land for $1.8 million in a foreclosure sale last summer. He has been involved financially with the property, along with other partners, for about seven years, he said.

Now the sole owner, Davis said he has no plans to reopen the golf course, but has not decided its fate. “I just thought I’d hold on to it until the economy comes up and we’ll see what happens,” he said.

Residents who want to see the area preserved for green space are looking into creating partnerships that could provide recreational and educational activities there, Costello said.

The draft plan can be found at www.co.dekalb.ga.us/planning/pdf/overlay/hiddenHillsStudy.pdf. Send comments to Tanya Hedgepeth, a county senior planner, through Friday at thedgepe@co.dekalb.ga.us.