Dunwoody Real Estate; The Library; City News

The Branches

While this continues to be a trying time for homeowners to sell property (and an unbelievable time for first-time home buyers to purchase, as well as those moving-up to bigger homes), it is especially trying for Dunwoody homeowners.  Currently, there are only five Dunwoody single family homes in the 30338 zip code that are under contract; compare this with 163 active listings.  The good news is that in the past 30 days, 21 homes have sold.

The active listings range in price from $1,568,000 to $179,900.  To view any of these listings, in descending order, click on the Buyer Short Report below.  To view an easy-to-read list of all active listings, click on the CMA Buyer link. 

Buyer Short Report
CMA Buyer

Want to know how much that home down the street just sold for? Email me at bobfiscella@kw.com and I'll be happy to place you on a Gateway that will track all the activity in your neighborhood (a new item on the near right-hand column).  I've also included a link to the page on my website that will give you give you a daily look at home listings in Dunwoody, broken down by price range.  If you know of anyone buying or selling a home, please call me at 404.644.5220 or email me at bobfiscella@kw.com and I'll be happy to provide them with exceptional service.

Library Appreciation Day

This Saturday the Friends of the Dunwoody Library will celebrate "Library Appreciation Day" from 10am - 3pm.  Activities include a children's treasure hunt at 1:15pm, children's story telling at 1:45pm and a car show from 12:30pm-2:30pm.  The Friends of the Dunwoody Library donate to the branch, on average, $60,000 per year.

City of Dunwoody News

The City of Dunwoody will honor local military men and women in a Veteran’s Day ceremony held at Brook Run Park on November 11 at 3:00 p.m. The city is paying homage to all those who have served or are currently serving in all branches of the United States Military.  The event will be hosted by Dunwoody Councilman and retired Marine, Gen. Denis Shortal. Several speakers have been invited to participate including retired Army Sgt. Maj. Ray Jones and veteran Army 1st Lt. Robert Hopkins. Special musical performances will be provided by Greg McLean, Associate Professor of Music and Michael McClary, Assistant Professor of Music from Georgia Perimeter College.  The event is open to the public.  For more information, click here.

Dunwoody City Council release its agenda for this coming Monday night's meeting.  For more information go to Councilman Heneghan's Dunwoody North site.

DCPC Meeting; Chestnut Book Fair; Mark Rudder

DCPC Meeting

24 hours after election day, with Nancy Jester and Jim Redovian set to square off in a runoff for the DeKalb County School, District 1 seat, I attended the Dunwoody Chamblee Parents' Council meeting at Dunwoody Elementary School with interim superintendent Ramona Tyson as the featured speaker.  I was under the assumption that Ms. Tyson was going to concentrate her time on redistricting.  And while she did touch on the subject during the time I was there (Ms. Tyson showed up late and I had to leave early), she said it was way too soon to talk specifics.  For a terrific recap of the meeting, go to DunwoodySchoolDaze.
Regardless of which candidate you supported in District 1, a bigger issue is the District 7 runoff where the woefully ineffective Zapora Roberts faces off against impressive challenger Donna Elder.  There are interesting comments worth reading on DeKalbSchoolWatch.  A change in this seat could make a major difference in the success of the board.
Back to the DCPC meeting, among those in attendance was Nancy Jester, who says she looks forward to the next 4 weeks, as well as state senator-elect Fran Millar and state representative-elect Tom Taylor.  Congrats to both on their Tuesday night wins!

Chestnut Book Fair

I made a quick run over to Chesnut Charter Elementary Wednesday afternoon to help move stock a few books for their book fair, which starts Thursday and continues through next Wednesday.  For more information on the book fair and this evening's Family Dinner Night click here.

Mark Rudder Wins Ironman


Mark Rudder

Congrats to Dunwoody's Mark Rudder, who recently finished 2nd in his age group (45-49) in the brutial Xterra World Championships (1.5L swim / 30K bike / 10K run) in Maui.  The man is an amazing athlete whose training schedule is nothing short of maniacal!  He's like the Army (as its slogan used to read) "we do more before 9am than most do all day."  Mark - thanks for putting Springfield on the map!



Discounted Falcons Tickets

Want to attend a Falcons game this season, but don't want to pay full price?  Click on the photo below to check out a great offer from Groupon.

School Board Race Headed to Runoff



Nancy Jester

This is probably the last thing that candidates Jim Redovian and Nancy Jester wanted to hear.  That their hotly-contested race for DeKalb County School Board, District One is headed to a runoff, which means four more weeks of campaigning.  The runoff is November 30.  This race was as close as it gets.  According to the DeKalb County election website, Jester got 45.8 percent to Redovian's 44.5.  Bobbe Gillis picked up the remaining 9.4 percent - it will be interesting to see where she throws her support (although I'm not one to put a whole lot of stock in endorsements from 3rd-place candidates). 
Interesting to note that of the other 4 incumbents running for DeKalb school board positions, three won outright with the 4th leading in her race.  The latter being the temperamental, some say might say incompetent, Zapora Roberts, who is headed to a runoff.  Roberts got 37 percent of the vote, her closest opponent 30 percent.  Usually when an incumbent can't get 40 percent, their chances of winning the runoff diminish greatly.  This is fabulous news.

The two other local races of interest saw Fran Miller handily defeat Eric Christ for the state senate seat being vacated by Dan Weber.  Former Dunwoody councilman Tom Taylor easily beat Keith Kaylor to win Miller's seat in the state house.  One other race of note, State Representative Jill Chambers, a longtime thorn in the side of Dunwoody, lost her reelection campaign.  Jill - don't let the door hit you on the way out!

I was happy to see the amendment to add a $10 tag fee for trauma care expansion fail (52-47).  While I'm not against trauma care, I'm not a big fan of a disguised tax increase.  Great to see the DeKalb County Homestead freeze pass by a 3-1 margin; ditto for the Dunwoody homestead freeze (with all due respect to councilman Wittenstein).  Again, less taxes are good!

Election Day

With the city of Dunwoody's new branding taken into consideration - "Smart people - Smart city" - I thought the above "vote" pin would be most appropriate!  Today is election day - don't forget to get out and vote.  The only way to have any say in how your hard earned money - tax dollars - are spend, is by voting! 

The most hotly contested local race is that for DeKalb County School Board, District 1.  Incumbent Jim Redovian appears to be in a neck-and-neck race with Nancy Jester.   Jim sent me the email below yesterday as he tires to hold onto the seat he has held for the past 4 years.

Bob,



Jim Redovian

I find it interesting that my opponent is so set on a comprehensive and direct approach to redistrict questions except when it might cost her some votes. She calls for competent and experienced board members, and her only experience is to work inside one schoolhouse. She has never had children higher than elementary school and has only began to attend any meetings at the district level in the last five months - that does not spell experience. When asked a yes or no answer on supporting a possible move of the magnets after both Ms. Gillis and myself answered yes, her (answer) was maybe, and now that it would be popular to say no for the Chamblee, Kitridge parents she has changed to no. I have never pushed for such a move, however if within the redistricting plan it is proven that such a move would be the best and most fiscally responsible solution I would have to leave the door open even if it would cost me the election. This is a large System with many problems, nothing should be off the table.
My job as expressed by Georgia law is to serve the whole system.
Jim

I am not endorsing either candidate, as I believe each has a passion to do what is best for our children.  I'm not concerned with the winner of this race having a positive impact on the board.  I do have concerns with many of the other board members, 4 of whom are up for re-election today.  It's too bad we only get to vote for one of the board positions!   

DeKalb Schools Have Tuesday Off




My Halloween costume:   a grumpy old man answering the door!

Hope you had a happy Halloween.  As we move into November, a reminder that Tuesday is not only election day, but DeKalb County Schools have the day off, as many voting precincts are in the schools.  I'm not sure how it worked when I was in school, but I know I didn't get the day off, and I remember elections taking place in the school building while we were attending classes.  I don't recall it being much of a distraction.

The Calm Before The Storm; City News

This weekend is the calm before the storm that is the November 2 elections, which is this Tuesday.  Being somewhat of a political junkie, I not only love keeping up with the local races, but the national races as well.  One of my favorite websites is realclearpolitics.com.  Real Clear Politics takes all the polling and averages them out to give a general idea as to how all gubernatorial, senate and house races are leaning.  And its map pages (like the one below) are fascinating.

At present, RCP has the governor's race in Georgia leaning Republican.  The average of the four polls RCP uses has Nathan Deal (R) with 48.3%, to Roy Barnes (D) at 39.7%.  RCP lists the senate race in Georgia as safely Republican, with Johnny Isakson (R) leading Michael Thurmond (D) 59.3 to 30.7

Dunwoody Open Houses for Parks & Green Space

The City of Dunwoody will host two Open House events for the Parks and Green Space Comprehensive Plan.  These Open House meetings will include an introduction of the planning team and Lose and Associates, the firm selected to aid the City in the completion of the Parks and Green Space Comprehensive Plan. The meetings will also include an explanation of the planning process, a summary of existing conditions, and information on future public participation opportunities.  For more information, click here.

City of Dunwoody Receives Golden Shoe Award

The City of Dunwoody is honored to receive a 2010 Golden Shoe Award from the Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety (PEDS) organization in recognition of efforts to make Dunwoody a pedestrian friendly City. This is the first Golden Shoe Award for Dunwoody and a strong acknowledgement of its dedication to all pedestrian safety and accessibility issues. The City will officially receive the award in a ceremony held on November 10 at Georgia State University.  For the full story, click here.

Branding Change; Chick-fil-A; School Board Race

Notice anything different about the City of Dunwoody's new brand?  Less than a week after the brand was unveiled, it has undergone a change (apparently for most residents - at least according to my informal poll - it hasn't changed enough).  The tag line "Smart people - Smart place" has been replaced by "Smart people - Smart city."  The reason for the change?  The City of Plano, Texas already had the rights to the "Smart people - Smart place" line, so Dunwoody was either had to make an adjustment or face a potential legal battle (wonder why Sky Design, the company hired by the city to come up with the brand, wasn't aware of this?  Will Sky be refunding part of its reported $50,000 plus fee).
For more on why Sky and city officials chose this as the brand, read the news release by clicking here (and when you do, you'll be greeted by the city's new website design).

Chick-fil-A Meeting

I was unable to attend the Chick-fil-A pre-submittal meeting last night at Dunwoody Community Church.  Folks that did attend tell me it was more of an informal gathering than a meeting.  Ever-present Councilman John Heneghan did make the meeting, and has much more on his blogsite including a site plan.

School Board Race

Jim Redovian

Someone who has worked very closely with the DeKalb County School Board in the past says Dunwoody should be very concerned if Jim Redovian is not re-elected to the board.  This person tells me that while Redovian should have been more proactive in oversight of superintendent Crawford Lewis, having a Dunwoody resident on the board has been a major plus for schools in our city.  He says don't underestimate what Jim did in getting Dunwoody Elementary School built, as well as for his role in the renovation of Dunwoody High School.  He says the Dunwoody schools got a lot more attention because of Jim's commitment to his home base.

Nancy Jester

Meantime, challenger Nancy Jester, who is in a neck-and-neck battle with Redovian for the seat, read my recap of Tuesday night's DHA candidate forum, and had this to say in response.

"Given the limited time we had to publicly address the various issues, I would like to give you some additional insight into my thoughts about redistricting. The process in the past was flawed and was not based on well-designed demographic studies or proper forecasting methods. Redistricting is never easy but given the flawed process that the community was faced with, I understand the reaction. I think the more important point is to ask why the system was "not in a position to redistrict right", as Mr. Redovian stated. The bureaucrats and BOE failed the communities in this regard. We need new, competent and motivated Board leadership to bring about reform."

To read the Nancy's full response, click here.

Chick-fil-A; Dunwoody Village, Councilman Wittenstein

It is a busy evening in the City of Dunwoody.  There is a pre-submittal community meeting at 6:30 pm at Dunwoody Community Church, located at 2250 Dunwoody Club Drive.  The purpose of the meeting is to present the plans for rezoning of the old Blockbuster site located at the southwest intersection of Dunwoody Club Drive and Mt. Vernon Road to allow for a proposed Chick-fil-A restaurant.  Informal polls indicate that neighbors like the idea of a Chick-fil-A, however does the addition of another drive-thru restaurant fit with the developing Comprehensive Plan?  The meeting should last about an hour. 

Dunwoody Village Meeting


Dunwoody Village

The city will be hosting the second of four community meetings to discuss the Dunwoody Village area at 7:00 p.m. at Dunwoody Baptist Church in the Chapel, which is located at 1445 Mount Vernon Road.  If this meeting is as interactive as the first one - it is definitely worth your time to attend.

The meeting is part of the development of a Master Plan for the Dunwoody Village area, which will provide a framework to guide land use, transportation, and open space improvements over the next 10-20 years. At this meeting, participants will interact in small groups to discuss land use, transportation, parking, open space, and pedestrian circulation. Your input is needed!
For more information, please visit the City’s website at www.dunwoodyga.gov and click on “Dunwoody Village” under quick links.

Update from Councilman Wittenstein

Robert Wittenstein

Dear Dunwoody Friends and Neighbors,

There is one Dunwoody city item on the November 2 ballot and I’d like to encourage you to vote NO on it. The item is as follows:

City of Dunwoody Homestead Exemption

"Shall the Act be approved which amends the homestead exemption from City of Dunwoody ad valorem taxes for municipal purposes in an amount equal to the amount by which the current year assessed value of a homestead exceeds the base year assessed value of such homestead by eliminating the automatic sunset so that the exemption continues indefinitely?" H.B. 1319 Act 562

This item is well-meaning, but in my opinion, misguided. If passed, it will set up the Dunwoody tax code so that new residents pay more taxes than long-time residents.  (click here to read the entire letter from the councilman).

Trunk N Treat

Even the nasty weather couldn't stop St. Luke's Church from holding its annual Trunkin' Treat (kids Trick or Treat out of the trunk of parents cars) on Wednesday evening.  The party was moved inside, and the kids never missed a beat!   Congrats again to Catherine Anne Thomas and Laura Singley on another job well done.

Candidates Forum; City Branding

If you were expecting fireworks from the Dunwoody Homeowners Association forum on Tuesday night at United Methodist Church - you were sadly disappointed!   There were some poignant exchanges between the candidates, but it was a civil, honest debate on the issues.    


Nancy Jester

  Almost 100 residents attended, and first heard from the candidates for the hotly-contested DeKalb County School Board, District 1 race.   Nancy Jester and Dunwoody resident Bobbe Gillis are challenging incumbent Jim Redovian.  Ms. Gillis comes across as a very likable, concerned mom, but clearly this is a race between Redovian and Jester.  And the first question dealt with the contentious issue of redistricting within Dunwoody.  
All 3 candidates agreed that it will happen.  Jester said she doesn't want it to be political (like it was 3 years ago), and that a professional demographer will play a large role in redrawing "common sense boundaries."   She said board members should not jump in.  She also said that hopefully mom's won't be dropping off children at three different schools, more than hinting that Dunwoody Elementary will likely switch from a 4th/5th grade school to K-5.

Jim Redovian

Redovian defended "jumping in" three years ago.  He said at that time "the county was no where in position to do (redistricting) right, didn't have the right numbers and information, and it would have been a disaster."  (Redovian had a large hand in changing the controversial lines originally drawn by then superintendent Crawford Lewis and his lacky Pat Pope).
Redovian defended his record over the last 4 years, saying he wasn't a member of the board when Lewis was hired, and he has said "no" more than anyone else on the nine-member panel. 
Jester spoke about how this would be a full-time job for her, and that "we're going to have to have a change of leadership if we're going to have a change of trajectory" in talking about the increase in under performing schools across the county.

State Senate, District 40

Fran Millar

The debate between Republican Fran Millar and Democrat Eric Christ, battling for the state senate seat being vacated by Dan Weber, opened with the best line of the night, courtesy of Christ playing off his last name.  "I'm the guy responsible for all the green and white signs causing you to say, 'why is he running for this seat and not jumping right to president!'" 
There are no polls on this race, but clearly it's Millar's to lose.  The district is largely Republican and in DeKalb County - Christ lives in Gwinnett.  Millar is a 12-year veteran of the state house who counts, among his top accomplishments, getting an addition $26 million in federal funding for DeKalb County Schools after the school district dropped the ball.  Each spoke of the need to intergrate the metro area's public transportation system, with Millar advocating that MARTA be taken over by the state.  Both candidates stressed the need to solve the state's water issues, Millar saying we should think out of the box.  In exchange for Tennessee giving up water rights, Millar suggested Georgia could build a high-speed railway from Atlanta to Chattanooga.


Eric Christ

On the topic of alternative energy, Christ snapping off another great one-liner.  He said "Georgia is not a great place for wind, except what comes out of the gold dome (state capitol)!"
When the topic of a proposed Milton County came up, Millar said he would not vote in favor of it unless Dunwoody was part of it.  Christ is not in favor of the formation of a new county, saying we don't need more government.

 State House, District 79



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Tom Taylor (L) and Keith Kaylor discuss issues

Former Dunwoody City Councilman Tom Taylor scored big in his debate against underfunded Democrat Keith Kaylor for the state house seat being vacated by Millar.  Taylor spoke of his successes as a member of the Dunwoody council, from spearheading the city gaining control of its parks to helping start-up the police department, which he called "the finest in the nation."   The soft-spoken Kaylor has run for this seat before, but posed only token opposition against Millar.  

The elections are next Tuesday, November 2.

City Branding Takes Beating

The City of Dunwoody's new branding contains the slogan, "Smart People - Smart Place."   But according to my unscientific poll, there's nothing smart about it.  More than 85 percent of those that weighed in said they either disliked the new brand or hated it!
Among the comments I received were, "may I just say that the fact that we spent money on this is unbelievable to me" to "this is horrible and does not in any way communicate the warmth and uniqueness of Dunwoody – it feels very institutional and cheap (reminds me of Wal-mart) and the asterisk feels like an afterthought."  But here's the comment that, perhaps, best sums it up, "I think it is obnoxious and pretentious! Ughh! Did we spend a lot of tax dollars to get that???"

Interesting to note, Plano, Texas uses the same slogan.  If we're lucky, a restraining order will force Dunwoody to make a change.

Candidate Debate

The mid-term elections are just one week away, and this evening is your chance to hear the local candidates on the stump in a debate/forum sponsored by the Dunwoody Homeowners Association.   I encourage you to attend, especially to hear the three candidates for the DeKalb County School Board position.  The winner of this seat will have a large say in how your tax dollars are spent, and where your children go to school. 



Dunwoody's new brand

So what do you think of Dunwoody's new brand?   The city, along with its branding partners, the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Dunwoody (CVBD), and the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce, launched its new brand Saturday night at the Dunwoody Music Festival. 
What is the early response from Dunwoody residents?  You be the judge.  Thus far, John Heneghan has received 38 comments on his blogsite, and most of those who responded are not impressed by the logo and slogan.  The company Sky Design was hired by the city to come up with a unique branding, but many feel they simply stole Walmart's asterisk and the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce's type set while billing the taxpayers for $60,000.
As for "Smart people - Smart place," someone asked, "are we saying that the rest of the cities in Georgia are dumb?" 
I'll have to admit I'm underwhelmed.  I think we would have been better served by asking the students at Dunwoody High School, as a project assignment, to come up with our branding.