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Stormwater improvements help shore up Nature Center By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
City officials and contractors with Dewberry Engineers stand on the new deck at the Dunwoody Nature Center’s Crean Eco Classroom May 20, marking completion of stormwater improvements. The “green infrastructure” project involved creating a system of plunge pools, concrete piping, retaining walls and native species to slow water flow.
DUNWOODY, Ga. — A person gains momentum during a walk from Roberts Drive down to the Dunwoody Nature Center’s Crean Eco Classroom, and so does stormwater. Members of the Dunwoody City Council and the city’s Public Works Department joined with the Nature Center’s leadership team May 20 to celebrate completion of an important stormwater improvement project. In January 2020, the Dunwoody Nature Center dedicated the Eco Classroom to Dennis and Marie Crean,
long-time supporters of the nonprofit’s community programs and preservation initiatives. Since the dedication of the classroom, stormwater runoff from surrounding areas has increasingly jeopardized the stability of the land at the end of Dunwoody Park Road. Javier Sayago, stormwater capital projects manager for the city, explained May 20 why the improvements were needed. The area around the classroom building collects offsite water from a neighboring subdivision, the Nature Center parking lot, Roberts Drive,
See WATER, Page 6
Four Oaks residents seek talks with city Homeowners fear path will raise drainage issue By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody Trail Master Plan has drawn mixed reviews from residents since it was adopted last year. The Master Plan, created with
assistance from the PATH Foundation and Perimeter Community Improvement Districts, includes 68 miles of existing and proposed trails. Critics of the Master Plan point to a majority of residents rejecting a $60 million greenspace bond last year, saying the appetite for adding multi-use trails should not be a city priority. The bond referendum, voted down 53-47 percent, included money for parks, greenspaces and trails.
Because the referendum failed, the city is now forced to adjust its plans for capital projects without the revenue from general obligation bonds. With such an even divide in the city on an increasingly contentious issue, it’s not clear how the city will proceed. The first phase of the Dunwoody Trail Master Plan shows a bulk of multiuse paths through commercial areas like the Dunwoody Village and Perimeter, with other trails along Winter’s Chapel,
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Mount Vernon and North Shallowford roads. When the City Council approved the blueprint for multi-use trails, Councilman John Heneghan cast the lone dissenting vote, citing concerns about recommended sidewalk width, the approach to the Nancy Creek area and how the city would calm residential streets.
See OAKS, Page 7