Dunwoody’s 2011 paving project called for resurfacing busy Tilly Mill Road this summer.
But neighbors in the area of Tilly Mill and Peachtree Industrial were dismayed when they realized the paving would stop at Stonington Road, and not continue approximately two-tenths of a mile to Peachtree Industrial.
The problem: That stretch of road is in Doraville, not Dunwoody.
“We have to use this stretch of road to get to our homes,” said Jason Moss, a Dunwoody resident who lives near the intersection. “It seems like it would be in the best interest of Dunwoody to pave this piece of road.”
Fortunately for Moss and others in the area, some city and county officials agreed.
Dunwoody had already contracted with Allied Paving Contractors Inc. to pave more than 4,000 feet of Tilly Mill, from Peeler Road to Stonington Road. The estimated cost of paving that stretch of road was $210,000, according to a memo to the city council.
Moss and many of his neighbors, including members of the Dunwoody North Civic Association, thought the city could pave the remaining piece of road without much, if any, additional expense. They couldn’t get the Dunwoody City Council to see things their way.
The issue was simple for Councilman Denis Shortal. The piece of road in question, no matter how short, isn’t in Dunwoody.
Not all took such a hard line. Councilman John Heneghan asked the new mayor of Doraville what it would take to get the piece of road paved.
Eventually, DeKalb County got involved because it is responsible for resurfacing roads in Doraville. Ultimately, the county negotiated a price of $54,000 for the extra stretch of Tilly Mill, said Bob Lundsten, chief of staff for DeKalb County Commissioner Elaine Boyer, who represents the area.
“Everything was already in place,” Lundsten said. “The equipment, the workers, everything was in place, and the county was able to save money and make residents happy.”
Soon after Dunwoody completed its work on Tilly Mill, Allied paved the Doraville portion of the road for DeKalb County.
“However it happened, I’m just glad it did,” Moss said. “That piece was in pretty bad shape.”
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