For only the third time in its history as a city, Dunwoody is drafting a road map for the next decade of policy decisions.
The city announced last week it is beginning the process of revising its 20-year “comprehensive plan,” which was first written in 2010 and edited in 2015. The document aims to forecasts shifts in the the city’s landscape and identity and define the community’s vision for Dunwoody’s future.
The process is starting as Dunwoody grapples with an increasing population, a boom in development around Perimeter Center and a proposed project that could add I-285 toll lanes along its southern border. The comprehensive plan is aimed at helping officials make decisions related to transportation, economic development, housing, land use and more.
“There’s no denying the fact that we are growing,” Dunwoody Community Development Director Richard McLeod said Wednesday.
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Officials are seeking the public’s input on their priorities for the next five years in Dunwoody, and is hosting two public input sessions. The first is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 8, 1-3 p.m. at Dunwoody City Hall. Residents can also provide feedback at an informational booth during the Lemonade Days festival on Saturday, April 25, 1-3 p.m. at Brook Run Park.
“It’s such a long term plan that it’s generally going to survive the politics of the moment,” McLeod said.
The Atlanta Regional Commission is managing the comprehensive plan process in Dunwoody by helping to gather input and provide analysis and research. A group of city staff members and stakeholders are working with the ARC to put together the plan. The group includes McLeod, several other department heads and the chairs of the planning commission and zoning appeals board. That committee plans to meet three times this year before the revised plan is passed by the Planning Commission and City Council.
McLeod said he doesn’t expect to make many “major changes” to the 20-year plan, but said it will likely spark discussions among officials and residents about traffic and transportation around Perimeter Center in southern Dunwoody.
A number of large-scale development projects are bringing new residents and jobs to the area around Perimeter Mall and I-285. McLeod said the number of people in Dunwoody more than doubles every weekday as metro Atlantans commute into the city for work.
As for the boom in development, which includes towering new office buildings and mixed-use proposals in Perimeter Center?
“There’s nothing that says we’re going to stop doing it,” McLeod said.
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