A DeKalb County Superior Court judge extended a temporary restraining order Friday prohibiting the city of Dunwoody from proceeding with plans to build a multiuse trail through the city’s Brook Run Park.
Judge Tangela Berrie said she wanted to hear from expert witnesses before rendering a decision on whether the project should be allowed to proceed or whether it should be revamped.
The petition for a restraining order was filed by two nearby homeowners, Beverly Armento and Rebecca More, who have voiced concern over potential water runoff from the proposed 12-foot-wide concrete trail running three-quarters of a mile.
In mid-December, the court ordered a stop to any further construction, including the cutting or clearing of vegetation, just days before the city and its contractors were scheduled to begin clearing about 330 trees from the park’s urban forest.
City leaders began studying the new trail two years ago and were awarded a $100,000 state grant to kick-start the project. They approved a plan in 2011 that called for an 8-foot-wide path with minimal disturbance to existing trees because it would follow an existing path. Since then, the project has broadened in width by 4 feet, shrunk in length from 1.3 miles to three-quarters of a mile and tripled in cost from the original $130,000.
The issue has given rise to a loosely formed citizens’ group made up of nearby homeowners, naturalists and tea party members who oppose the larger trail.
The homeowners hired their own hydrologist to challenge the city’s contention that the larger trail would not threaten nearby homes.
The city maintains that, after more than a dozen public meetings and input from residents, the new trail will provide opportunities for walking, running and cycling on a path solely designated for those uses.
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