Post from Rep. Tom Taylor

Our state representative Tom Taylor asked if I would post the message below.  As you may know, Tom is working on a bill that could give cities like Dunwoody the ability to have their own school system, although he warns don't expect that to happen in the near future. 

Fellow Citizens,

Many of you, especially those with children in DeKalb public schools have contacted me asking how you can participate in what is currently happening with our school system. The fact that SACS has placed the entire DeKalb School system on academic probation, which is only one step from loss of accreditation, is very serious. For more on this, please read my op-ed in the Dunwoody Crier here:

http://www.thecrier.net/our_columnists/article_c1eeb360-535e-11e2-8e0d-0019bb2963f4.html

I recommend that if you feel so inclined, please write a personal letter to Governor Deal and/or the Georgia State Board of Education. Emails are fine, but a personal letter, hand delivered by my office to the Governor or the State BOE guarantees that your thoughts and opinions land where they need to go.

My Chief of Staff Page Olson will be collecting letters at her home now through next Tuesday, February 19th. She lives at 1148 Redfield Ridge in Dunwoody. She'll have a box at the top of her driveway for your to deposit you letter. Make sure that it is marked to go to either Governor Deal, the State BOE or both. I'll hand deliver to both offices on Wednesday morning the 20th.

You are all encouraged to come down to the Sloppy Floyd building, 20th floor (across from the Capitol) next Thursday, February 21st at 8am to witness the hearing between our DeKalb BOE and the State Board. You will need a photo ID to get in. If you can't be there in person, watch it streamed live on the Department of Education website:

http://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/State-Board-of-Education/Pages/Live-Webcasts.aspx

Contact my office at any time should you have questions.

Respectfully,

Tom Taylor
State Representative, District 79
Office 404.656.0152

A Great Community Dinner

Need a dinner option for this evening?  Give All Saints Church World Famous Knights of Columbus Fish Fry a try - I promise it is one of the best values in Dunwoody!  The Fish Fry is now averaging over 1,100 meals every Friday night (5p-8p) during the Lenten season.  Catholics and non-Catholics are invited.

The Fish Fry, now in it's 17th year (my math could be off), has a fabulous menu that includes either crispy fried cod (similar to Long John Silver's, but better), broiled talapia or salmon seasoned to perfection, or crispy fried shrimp - all for $8 (salmon is $9).  The price includes two sides, and in the case of the fried meals - hush puppies as well! 
And if you're a clam chowder connoisseur, you've got to try the Knight's secret recipe.  It was handed down from a popular restaurant in New England - and is to die for!  Water and tea is included with the meal, soft drinks, beer and wine are available by donation.  All proceeds go to Knights' charities (Special Olympics, the Elaine Clark Center, etc).

Click on the photo below to watch a Channel 11 story on the Fish Fry.

Happy Valentine's Day; Update from Councilman Nall

The following update from sent from Councilman Terry Nall (if you are a reader of John Heneghan's blog, you know I'm a day (or two) late on this!  
I know a lot of folks are upset with council these days (and I still believe those folks are in the vocal minority), but we are better off since becoming a city.  If we remained in unincorporated DeKalb County, our taxes would be higher, we'd have less police protection and a lot fewer streets would be paved!  Do I agree with everything council does?  No, but these three points cannot be argued.

If you received this inadvertently, please click on the "SafeUnsubscribe" link at the bottom or just "reply" and let me know to remove you. If you find this email to be of interest, please forward it to your friends and neighbors. If you received a forwarded copy and wish to subscribe, please email me at terry.nall@dunwoodyga.gov.


Dunwoody Village Parkway

Despite my efforts to pass an alternative plan, the majority of Council (vote 5-2) concluded the existing parkway plan approved by the 2011 Council is best for Dunwoody's future. This was after careful research and deliberation by my fellow Council Members. The deliberation phase of this project is now over and it is time for implementation. Because of grant funds will subsidize the city's cost, many administrative details are now underway. Construction is tentatively expected for this August, which will avoid the Dunwoody's Independence Day parade.

Brook Run Multi-Purpose Trail

The Dekalb Superior Court injunction that halted this trail construction was lifted by the presiding judge on February 4. The homeowners' lawsuit may continue, but the burden of demonstrating irreparable damages by the trail was not met by the plaintiffs, as determined by the judge. Construction will resume as soon as the contractor re-mobilizes the crew, which is expected mid-February.
I attended each day of the court hearings in order to hear the evidence and arguments of the plaintiffs, as well as hear greater detail from the city's engineers and trail consultants. Every design feature of the trail has a specific rationale behind it. This includes having the trail compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in order to make the trail available to those with disabilities, limited mobility, or other hindrances not faced by able-bodied persons. The final design also allows access by emergency vehicles when needed.
In contrast, the alternative trail design preferred by those who signed a noted petition for presentation to City Council erroneously does not result in ADA compliance and thus, excludes park amenity access by disabled and limited mobility citizens. Some signers noted that they preferred a mulch trail to any paved surface. This would also preclude families with strollers or families with bicycles from enjoying this park amenity.
I do not support citizen exclusivity. Dunwoody is better than that. Our park amenities should be available to all citizens, not just the able-bodied. The petitioners' approach also prevents access by emergency vehicles. All it takes is one medical emergency where the window of survivability is critical and the current trail design will prove invaluable. As with the Dunwoody Village Parkway, the deliberation phase of this project is over and now is time for implementation.

This past week, the city released an update on the trail that contains the latest information and rationale. I encourage you to read it, as it contains excellent up-to-date information. The release is at this web link: Updated Info About Brook Run Multi-Purpose Trail

False Alarm Ordinance

Council approved the city's first False Alarm Ordinance that affects businesses and residents with alarm company monitored alarm systems. For the last four years, Dunwoody paid the price for having no policy about false alarms. Each year, our police respond to over 4,000 false alarms, which is an average of over 80 per week. This is excessive. We have a modest-sized police force and false alarms tie up officers who would otherwise by available for 911 calls. False alarms are avoidable with intentional system maintenance and attentiveness by alarm owners. Implementation details for the new ordinance will be forthcoming when implementation begins in a few months.

Intersection Improvements

This is a key priority for me. We must ease our intersection congestion as the city population continues to grow and more vehicles are added to our streets. Each intersection project takes an estimated 18-24 months for the entire timeline of preliminary design, final design, bids, easements and right of way acquisition, and finally construction.
The intersection improvement for Tilly Mill, N. Peachtree, and Peeler is now underway with easements and right of way work. Construction is expected to begin either late 2013 or early 2014.
The Vermack/Womack intersection remains in the design phase to incorporate the issues raised during public and neighborhood meetings, as well as other public input received. These two intersections are our first to be considered as we seek to improve 1-2 intersections each year under our "pay-as-you-go" policy.

With the arrival of 2013, two new intersection improvements to start the conceptual design process include Mt. Vernon at Vermack and Chamblee-Dunwoody at Spalding.

2013 Street Paving
Bids have not been received, but the preliminary list of summer road paving and related improvements from our prioritized paving list include the below listed streets. Once bids are received and reviewed, Council will then decide if the below list should be adjusted under our "pay-as-you-go" policy:

Chamblee-Dunwoody Rd (from Cambridge to Valley View; awarded grant funds)
Chamblee-Dunwoody Rd (from Womack to Roberts)
Mt. Vernon Rd (from Nandina to Vernon Oaks)
Perimeter Center Pl (from Perimeter Center W to Meadow Lane)
Crowne Pointe Pkwy (from Meadow Ln to Perimeter Center W)
Meadow Ln (from Ashford-Dunwoody to Crown Pointe Pkwy
Peachford Rd (from Dunbar to N. Peachtree)
Spalding Dr (from Chamblee-Dunwoody to Weldston)
Redfield Ln (from Redfield Dr to end)
Redfield Dr (from Redfield Rd to Redfield Ln)
Redfield Cir (from Redfield Ln to end)
Mill Gate Ct (from Bend Creek to end)
Mill Race Ct (from Mill Trace to end)
Mill Shire Ln (from Dunwoody Club to Mill Glen)
Mill Trace Dr (from Dunwoody Club to Bend Creek)
Trowbridge Dr (from East End to Ball Mill)
Trowbridge Cv (from Trowbridge Dr to end)
Tamworth Ct (from Trowbridge to end)
Ashmont Ct (from Mt. Vernon to end)

If you have input or suggestions on these or other city topics, please contact me. Also, I am available to present to organizations, church groups, neighborhood associations, etc.

Terry Nall
Dunwoody City Council (At Large)
Email: terry.nall@dunwoodyga.gov

A Long Time Coming

Wow - it's been almost two months since my last blog post, which is the longest period between posts since I started blogging in 2008.  A few things have surfaced since my last post.

Dunwoody Village Parkway

The Dunwoody Village Parkway Project has hit a crescendo - Save Dunwoody signs are everywhere and "redshirts" on a mission flock to city council. 

I don't get it.  I don't get the backlash.  The city is going to spend approximately $2.4 million, which it has in the budget and NO taxes have to be increased, and, of which $1.1 million of that total comes from a federal grant.  The idea of the project is to jump-start the village - make it a vibrant city center that has a park, sidewalks and yes even bike paths (I don't ride a bike very often, but in the bigger, long-term picture, I get it).

I keep hearing the argument that the project will increase traffic flow, as four lanes are narrowed down to two.  You know what - it will increase traffic flow - but on a street that DOESN'T get much traffic!  Hey, if decreasing traffic flow is our number one goal, let's turn Mt. Vernon and Chamblee Dunwoody into four-lane roads.  I don't hear much support for that.  And rightfully so.

I also hear the argument that we're cutting down trees.  Oh my gosh, wouldn't that be tragic.  Com'on - if trees weren't cut down, my house wouldn't be standing, and a strong possibility yours wouldn't, either.  Besides, Dunwoody has a No Net Loss of Trees policy.  Every tree that is cut down will be replaced.  And don't look now, but most of those trees on the parkway are short lifespan fruit trees that will grow back very quickly.

Look, I have no idea if this project will spur redevelopment of Dunwoody Village.  But I do know the chances of redevelopment are much greater if the project takes place.  I'd love to see a park in the Village one day.  But maybe that's just me.

Womack/Vermack Intersection

I have a little different view on the roundabout at Womack/Vermack.  Long-term, a roundabout may very well be the best solution.  But short term, I believe the best, most cost-effective solution (one suggested by some of the neighbors) is hire a part-time, safety-trained citizen or official to act as a traffic officer at the intersection.  One of the neighbors told me finding retired or off-duty personnel to handle the job would not be a problem (I have no idea).  He said the going rate is $35 per hour.  At a maximum of three hours per day (1.5 hours in the morning, 1.5 in the evening), the cost would be less than $20,000 a year.  It's a no brainer!  By the way, I can't help but laugh everytime I see those "Save Womack Vermack Intersection" signs.  Are you kidding me?  Save babies, save whales, save our second amendment rights.  But save an intersection?  Really.

DHA vs City of Dunwoody

Finally, recently I read a letter to the editor in The Crier by a gentleman who wrote, in part, "It is important to realize that today there is a very close and cozy relationship between the Dunwoody Homeowners Association and the Dunwoody City Council ... Many DHA Board members actively and publically promoted the $60 million bond issues advocated by the Dunwoody City Council that were defeated 2 to 1 in the city election ... Every member of the Dunwoody City Council is also an ex-officio member of the Dunwoody Homeowners’ Association board of directors and at least four of seven members of the Design Review Advisory Committee of the city of Dunwoody are also on the DHA board of directors. These are interlocking directorates that would probably be illegal under the Clayton Act if in private industry. These interlocking directorates clearly establish the very close and cozy relationship between the Dunwoody Homeowners’ Association and the Dunwoody City Council."

As a member of the DHA board and a past vice president, I can tell you the gentleman is correct, there is a very friendly relationship between the DHA and the city.  And every member of city council is an ex-officio member of the DHA.  However, no member of the city council is a voting member of the DHA.  They are not part of board-only discussions.  And while Terry Nall, John Heneghan and Doug Thompson are regular members at the DHA's monthly meetings, Denis Shortal, Lynn Deutsch and mayor Mike Davis are only there on occasion, and I don't recall ever seeing Adrian Bonser at one of our meetings.
I will also tell you that the DHA was very mixed on the park's bonds.  Personally,  I was vehemently against it and made no secret of my feelings (read any of my posts leading up to the vote and you will clearly see that).
By the way, why shouldn't the DHA and city have a great relationship.  After all, and despite what some might think, the two entities, for the part, have the same objective - the betterment of Dunwoody!

The Case for Multi-Use Trail in Brook Run

Yesterday my blog included an editorial piece by former councilman Danny Ross against the city's nearly $1 million expenditure on an impervious concrete trail in Brook Run Park. 
To be fair, today's post is by bicycle enthusiast Joe Seconder, on why this path is needed.

Why reinvent the wheel? In February 2011, I provided the (linked) material which was posted on Heneghan's Dunwoody Blog. It received plenty of comments & feedback of all sorts. I just wanted to re-post it here for a refresher and reminder. The same facts and thoughts hold true today.

I detailed an actual trail in Walnut Creek, CA -- The Iron Horse Trail. When completed, the trial will span 40 miles connecting two counties and nine communities. Interestingly, the demographics of Walnut Creek & Dunwoody are VERY similar. Yet depending on who you speak with in our town, the support or opposition of Multi-Use trails is very DIS-similar.
Click Cycling Joe to read more.

Is Dunwoody in Need of Cement Trail?

Is Dunwoody in need of the nearly $1 million impervious concrete trail that is about to be constructed through Brooke Run Park?  I really don't know.  Danny Ross, the former city councilman, was among those who initially voted to approve a $30,000 expenditure by the city for a "walking trail."  It has since morphed into an entirely different project.
Danny asked me to blog the article that he wrote in the Dunwoody Reporter.  It is certainly worth the read!

To the editor:

In just a few days, bulldozers and chain saws are scheduled to arrive at Brook Run Park, one of the last urban forests in our community, to construct the equivalent of one lane of I-285, where speeds of 70 mph are allowed, and in some areas cut down enough trees (a 50-foot-wide swath) to build four lanes on I-285. Over 330 trees will be cut to make way for this so called multi-use trail. It does not make sense!
Two years ago, the city completed a master plan with significant community input. During the development of the plan, the consulting firm conducted a survey and found that the number one desire of the citizens was to have “walking trails” through the park.

The City Council, of which I was one of the members, authorized the director of parks and recreation to seek out grant funds to construct this trail.
Before becoming a park, Brook Run had previously been home to the Georgia Retardation Center. Many years ago, six-foot trails were built to provide walking paths for the residents. Over the years, these trails deteriorated. In 2011, the city received a $100,000 grant to construct an eight-foot wide trail in the location of the original trails. This made sense. Without cutting any of the urban forest the entire trail (1.3 miles) could be completed and the city would only have to pay $30,000.
Click Dunwoody Reporter to read full opinion piece.

DHA Discusses Village Parkway - Your Chance for Input

The Dunwoody Homeowners Association holds its December meeting tonight, and there are two items on the agenda that should be of great interest to most all of us who live in the city. 
The first is discussion of the improvements to Dunwoody Village Parkway.  Click on Dunwoody Village Parkway to view the plans presented by the city.  At this evening's meeting, we will hear from the Dunwoody Village Design Review Committee (separate from the city, chaired by DHA member Bill Robinson) on the improvements it has made to the city's plans (unlike a city council meeting where public input is minimal, at DHA meetings you will have a chance to have your say).
I agree, the city has done a poor job of explaining why the redesign of the parkway is necessary.  I believe the city feels, first and foremost, the addition of sidewalks is essential to any redevelopment of the Village - not only for walkers and runners, but for events like the 4th of July parade.  If you read www.savedunwoody.com, a simple repaving and restriping of the lanes will do the trick.  And to a certain extent, I believe Save Dunwoody is correct.  However, it would be a Jerry-rigged solution, and at the end of the day, Dunwoody is a first-class community, and needs a first-class solution.  Sure, we would save about $1 million by simply restriping and pruning trees, but the money is already budgeted, and the city is not asking for a tax increase for the improvements. 
Is the Design Review Committee's plan an improvement of the city's?  I have no idea, but I will be in attendance this evening to find out (the public is welcome and encouraged to attend as well).  The DHA meeting is held in Room 4 at the Spruill Cultural Arts Center, which is the building attached to the library.  The meeting starts at 7:30pm, and is usually over in 60-90 minutes (you can leave at anytime).

The second item of interest is discussion of the proposed City of Dunwoody School system.  Is this a pie-in-the-sky idea?  Sure it is.  But so was the city of Dunwoody.  And, at the end of the day, having our own school system would increase the value of our homes and community by leaps-and-bounds.  I look forward to the discussion.

Odds & Ends

A reminder that the DHA's Light Up Dunwoody is this Sunday from 3pm to 6pm at the Farmhouse.  Santa will be there with his live reindeer (as always a great photo opportunity) as well as face painting, cookie decorating and singing of carols.  The Christmas tree and Farmhouse will be lit at 5:45pm.  Click on the photo below to watch Good Morning Atlanta at the farmhouse Friday - and yes, a guest appearance by yours truly!

Womack/Vermack Intersection & More

Kudos to Dunwoody City Council, which earlier this week voted 5-1 to continue with the design improvements for the Womack/Vermack intersection.  The vote does not mean that a roundabout will necessarily happen, but that the design work will continue as the city tries to make the intersection more traffic-friendly and pedestrian-friendly.  The project would not be moving forward without the hard work of councilman Terry Nall, who understands that council just can't "stick its head in the sand" when it comes to solving traffic congestion issues.  I also have to give credit to Terry for broaching the possibility of Dunwoody having its own school system (click on link to watch video).  Is it likely to happen anytime soon?  No, but why not get the ball rolling?  It will never happen unless someone takes the first step.  Great job Terry!

Womack/Vermack; Update from Councilman Shortal

Dunwoody city council meets on Monday night, and one of the item added to the agenda is discussion of the Womack/Vermack intersection.  Kudos to the councilor (Terry Nall, I presume) that got this item added, as it gives council a chance to redeem itself for its faulty actions at the last council meeting.
In my last blog post, I didn't do a great job of explaining what council actually did at the October 29th meeting. 
By a 4-3 margin, council voted to remove the remainder of the design funding of an intersection improvement at Vermack/Womack road.  Council did this despite the fact that the designs were not complete, and that the Comprehensive Transportation Plan called for much needed improvements as congestion at this intersection is among the worst in Dunwoody.
The four councilors reasons for voting against the funding were, quite frankly, confusing and without merit.  Two councilors said they heard from their constituents (fact is, the only folks they likely heard from was the small, vocal group of neighbors who live near the intersection, that spoke at the Oct. 29th council meeting), another said let's "kick the can down the road," while the last said it was for financial reasons.  Apparently all four have little interest in fixing "what needs to be fixed."   Why else would they vote against funding that was already in the budget, and on a project that was noted as a "priority" in the Comprehensive Plan? At the very least, let's hire an off-duty safety patrol official for 3 hours a day at $35 an hour.
Let's hope council has the courage to make the right decision on Monday night.

Update from Councilman Shortal

Below is an email update from councilman Denis Shortal.  I appreciate the General sending out these updates, but it would have been nice to hear why he voted against the funding above!

My fellow citizens …, the following is an update of some items of interest ...

1. Recycling Fees ... Correction/clarification .... Below is the info I sent out on my last update. It is true that the "blue box" and the initial 100 "blue bags" are free. After you use up your initial two year supply of "blue bags" you can contact DC for a resupply but, there will be a charge of $15 for an additional 100 "blue bags" ... these additional bags will be delivered to your home within about 10 days. Recycling is still a bargain.
"The DeKalb County (DC) Commission voted last week to remove the $30 recycling fee thus making recycling free. The Blue Box Recycling Brigade should now grow by leaps and bounds. You still must sign up for recycling so that DC can properly route the truck to you area on "recycling day." To sign up for recycling service call 404-294-2900 or email to ... sanitation@co.dekalb.ga.us. It takes about a week or so for DC to drop off your Blue Recycling Box and a 100 Blue bags. A 100 bags should last you about two years and when you start to run low on bags just call DC and reorder. I am a late convert to recycling but I can tell you it is a win/win situation. Your current annual DC sanitation fee is $265 - this has been the fee since 2006 and as you know you pay this when you pay your annual property taxes."
2. Veteran's Day ... Dunwoody will celebrate Veteran's Day this coming Monday, 12 NOV 2012, at the Brook Run Park Veterans Memorial at 1:00 PM. The ceremony features the Marine Color Guard from H&S Bn, 4th MLG, Marietta, GA, guest speakers ... COL Charles Guta, USA (RET) and our very own Corporal William "Blake" Yeargin, SCNG - you may also know him as Officer Yeargin of our Dunwoody Police Department - who has recently returned from a deployment in Afghanistan. I hope to see a large number of our patriotic citizen attend to give thanks for our freedom by honoring our Veterans.

3. Marine Corps Birthday ... Keeping with a military theme, tomorrow, 10 NOV 2012, Marines around the globe will be celebrating the 237th Birthday of the U. S. Marine Corps. Have no doubt that this is a special day for me and all Marines. I attended a celebration last night and today at 1130 and will be at a Marine Corps Birthday Ball in west Georgia tomorrow night. Happy Birthday to all you Marine Warriors and Semper Fidelis.
5. Paving ...With the completion of the paving on Mt Vernon Rd last week all the paving projects for 2012 are now complete. Acadia Builders came to the city and offered to pay 2/3 of the cost of installing new curb, gutter and sidewalk to Layfield Dr and we accepted the offer. (My note ... to me that was an easy and sound financial decision.) This enabled us to widening Mt Vernon Rd all the way to Layfield Dr which is just a few feet from our western city boundary. In paving the name of the game is quality and in my opinion again this year we received a quality paving job across the spectrum. My thanks to our Public Works Director, Michael Smith and his staff for another outstanding job. Michael, you are a tremendous asset to the citizens of Dunwoody.
6. More Paving ... We were recently awarded a $640,000 grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission for the infrastructure and paving funds for Chamblee Dunwoody Road between Cambridge and Valley View. This grant came up on a short notice and thru the professional work of Michael Smith with the assistance of Ted Rhinehart of DeKalb County we were awarded the grant. To be eligible for this grant the project had to be on the planning schedule and be a multi-mode transportation project (cars, pedestrians and bicycles). We are anticipating funding for construction for next year.
A personal note on grants ... if I ran the federal government there would not be any grants especially in light of the fact the government is financially broke. However, I don't run the government and there are grants available and I think it is financially prudent to aggressively pursue ever available grant. Remember if we don't get the grant then some other city will and I can assure you the grant money will be spent .... not saved. At least this way our citizens would get some return of the tax dollars we pay to higher government levels.
7. More Paving ... At our last City Council Meeting a citizen who lives on Vernon Oaks Dr chastised the City Council and Public Works Dir. for the method and the paving of his street. I don't know if he was speaking for all the neighbors or just himself. Now folks, I have heard a lot of outlandish things in the 4+ years we have been working to make this a better city but that was the most astonishing and surprising statements that I have heard. Suffice to say, if your street is on the paving list please notify us if you don't want it paved. I assure you there are hundreds of street where thousands of our citizens live, including me and my neighbors, that would give their "right shoe" to have their street paved.
8. Light Up Dunwoody ... The annual family friendly event, Light Up Dunwoody Christmas Village, takes place on Sunday, 18 NOV, from 3 PM to 6 PM. The lighting of the tree will take place at 5:45 PM. The center of the activities will be in the area of the Farm House. Santa and the Elves will be there and there will be plenty of photo opportunities … so bring your camera. Admission is free ... you can't best that deal. There are plenty of community volunteer opportunities ... please contact Pam Tallmadge @ 770-393-9647 or pam.tallmadgega.us.
9. That is all for today. Please pass this on to all your friends, neighbors, members of your HOA or anyone else you think maybe interested. If anyone would like to be added to my email list please let me know and I will make that happen. Thanks for your continued support and input.

Let Us Continue To Build Our City Together

Denny Shortal
Dunwoody City Council, District One, Post-1
Mayor Pro Tem
denis.shortal@dunwoodyga.gov
PH (O) 678-382-6700 (C) 678-246-9006

Vote; Womack/Vermack Intersection

Tuesday is Election Day - don't forget to vote!  There is much more on the ballot than the presidential race.  To view a sample Dunwoody ballot, click on the image below.

Womack/Vermack Intersection

Despite the recommendation from staff, last week Dunwoody City Council voted to do nothing to alleviate the congestion at the Womack/Vermack Intersection.  It was a 4-3 vote against the improvements, with Councilors Deutsch, Bonser, Heneghan and Shortal voting to keep this hazardous, congested intersection like it is.  For the life of me, I cannot figure out why.  Hopefully they didn't cave to the pressure applied by a small, but vocal group of neighbors who spoke before council prior to the vote.
The roundabout project proposed by staff will not only minimize the congestion at this intersection, but make it safer for pedestrians and bikers (folks at a dangerous intersection near Emory University had the same concerns a few years back, but since a roundabout was constructed, they have become believers and now extoll the virtues of the improvements).
Council Terry Nall has done more homework on this than any other council member, and is pushing for the project to be funded next year. The Dunwoody Homeowners Association unanimously approves the city's continuing of the design process of this intersection, and the roundabout has the support of Dunwoody High School principal Noel Maloof, as well as Dunwoody resident and former mayoral candidate Bob Dallas, who is the former Director of the state's Office of Highway Safety. 

For more on council's head-scratching actions on this intersection, read I'm Just Sayin' Dunwoody, Dunwoody Farmer Bob and Dunwoody Talk's blog posts.  They are much more direct in their indictment of council on this vote.