Issuu

OPINION

Talk Back: Residents write on city issues ► STARTS ON PAGE 3

December 25, 2025 | AppenMedia.com | An Appen Media Group Publication | Ser ving the community since 1976

Padrick appointed chief of DeKalb County Police By DAN WHISENHUNT dan@appenmedia.com DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson has found her next police chief and she didn’t have to look far. On Dec. 10, she announced that Interim Chief Greg Padrick is no longer interim. “Chief Padrick brings an extraordinary depth of experience, proven leadership, and an unwavering commitment to public safety,” CochranJohnson said. “For 28

years he has served this county with integrity, and I am confident that under his leadership, the DeKalb County Police Department will continue to advance police excellence, innovation, transparency, and community-centered policing.” Padrick took the job after Cochran-Johnson dismissed the previous police chief, Mirtha Ramos, and he has been tasked with implementing her public safety agenda.

See PADRICK, Page 10

CARTER ENGINEERING/PROVIDED

A rendering shows Zaxby’s plan for its flagship location at 125 Perimeter Center West, featuring a double drivethru, a heated patio area, sidewalk connections and limited parking spaces. The Dunwoody City Council denied a drive-thru permit Dec. 15, sending Zaxby’s and Ashford Lane property owners back to the drawing board.

Dunwoody denies Zaxby’s bid for drive-thru By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA

Interim DeKalb County Police Chief Gregory Padrick loads a box of food into a vehicle during the county’s Thanksgiving drive-thru food distribution at Rehoboth Baptist Church in Tucker Nov. 15.

DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody City Council denied its second drive-thru permit of the month Dec. 15 with a 4-3 vote, sending a message to developers about the city’s long-term plans. Local governments in Georgia control land-use decisions and zoning, and the City of Dunwoody is making its preferences for walkability clear in the core of Central Perimeter. While the Planning Commission and city staff recommended denial of a drive-thru permit for a Raising Cane’s at 4570 Ashford Dunwoody Road, they supported Zaxby’s application for one at 125 Perimeter Center West.

The council denied the Raising Cane’s application Dec. 1. Both sites feature shuttered drive-thru banks, which are virtually defunct in the postpandemic market. Ultimately, the City Council broke with staff and the citizen-led board to deny the Zaxby’s drive-thru application. CTO Realty Growth, the property owners of the roughly 17-acre Ashford Lane outdoor mall in Central Perimeter, and Zaxby’s Properties launched the permitting process before the Dunwoody Planning Commission in May. Seven months later, and they are back to the drawing board.

See ZAXBY’S, Page 10

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PUBLIC SAFETY

DeKalb County cracking down on illegal tire dumping By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com

770-442-3278 AppenMedia.com 319 N. Main Street Alpharetta, GA 30009 HANS APPEN Publisher DICK WILLIAMS Publisher Emeritus CONTACT NEWS TIPS Contact reporters directly or send story ideas to newsroom@appenmedia.com. LETTERS, EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Send your letters, events and community news to newsroom@appenmedia.com. See appenmedia.com/submit for more guidance. ADVERTISING For information about advertising in the Dunwoody Crier or other Appen Media properties, email advertising@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278. CIRCULATION To start, pause or stop delivery of this newspaper, email circulation@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.

DECATUR, Ga. — DeKalb County is cracking down on illegal tire dumping after recovering more than 37,000 tires from residential and commercial properties this year. “It is the unauthorized disposal of scrap tires in locations not permitted for waste processing or storage, such as public rights-of-way, undeveloped private land, park spaces and stream banks,” Policy Analyst Marcus Allen said during a County Commission committee meeting on Nov. 24. During a press conference on Dec. 12, CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson announced a $250,000 initiative to clean up eight of the most severe dumping

POLICE BLOTTER All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

Window tint violation leads to felony arrest DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody Police arrested a 35-year-old man from unincorporated DeKalb County Dec. 11 after a traffic stop turned up a felony amount of marijuana and a firearm in his vehicle. Officers said they spotted a silver Lexus GS 350 at Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Cotillion Drive with “extremely dark tinted windows” and performed a traffic stop. While speaking with the driver, officers said they smelled marijuana and found probable cause to search the vehicle. A search yielded 72 grams of marijuana, an additional 163 grams of alleged edible THC products and a

sites, which she said will reclaim the county’s communities. She added that the current effort has been the county’s largest clean-up initiative, and includes some of the worst sites DeKalb has seen. For example, about 9,000 tires were removed from the Brannon Hill community, 7,500 off of Northeast Expressway, and thousands from abandoned buildings and wooded ravines. “To put this into perspective: if the 37,000 tires we have removed were laid end to end, they would stretch 20 to 25 miles — the equivalent of the entire Atlanta Beltline loop or the distance from Midtown Atlanta to HartsfieldJackson International Airport,” CochranJohnson said. “That is the scale of what our communities have been forced to

deal with.” Sanitation and Beautification Supervisor Ricky Crockett added that the total was 31 loads on 53-foot trucks. The tires are eventually taken to a recycler, and some recyclers, like TireTrek, help the county clean up the material. During an Employee Relations and Public Safety Committee meeting on Nov. 24, county staff noted that some businesses and haulers are the primary drivers, as they may be trying to avoid disposal fees. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division manages scrap tire transportation by permitting generators, haulers and processors.

Glock 17 pistol. An officer said he obtained warrants for felony possession of a Schedule I controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and a window tint violation. The suspect was transported to DeKalb County Jail. According to jail records, the man was bonded out Dec. 16 for an undisclosed amount. — Hayden Sumlin

Chamblee Dunwoody Road. Shortly after, the detective told officers he had stopped the suspects’ vehicle and detained two men. An officer said he interviewed the victims. One, a 21-year-old Loganville man, said he and his father were lying in the pine straw when a black SUV arrived in front of the property. When someone quickly got out and grabbed one of their leaf blowers, the Loganville 21-year-old said he sprang to retrieve it, but the suspect ran to the vehicle. As the 21-year-old was approaching, he said the driver pointed a pistol at him and drove off. The leaf blower was returned to the victims. The suspects were taken DeKalb County Jail. The 19-year-old Lithonia man who allegedly pointed the gun was charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Both were charged with armed robbery. As of Dec. 17, both remain at DeKalb County Jail. — Hayden Sumlin

See TIRE, Page 15

Officers arrest 2 teens linked to armed robbery DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody Police arrested two 19-year-old Lithonia men Dec. 8 after they allegedly robbed a landscaping crew at gunpoint. Officers said they responded to a home near Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Magnolia Walk Circle around 1 p.m. for an armed robbery call. A Dunwoody detective, first on scene, radioed officers that two landscapers had just been robbed, and the suspects fled in a large black SUV northbound on

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OPINION

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | December 25, 2025 | 3

Honoring a teacher’s legacy One never knows who will have the greatest impact on their life. Beyond a person’s parents, will it be a religious figure, a coach, a relative - or perhaps a teacher. From what I have observed in our city, more often than not it is a teacher, and that teacher is Mr. Steve Fortenberry. I was honored when a prominent admirer of Steve’s asked me to write this letter. I believe they asked me because I’ve known Steve since preschool. Consequently, I got to know his parents and observe how they shaped him into the man we know today. Only Robert (Bob) and Florence, Steve’s parents, could have created and molded this particular individual who exemplifies humility, caring and determination. Bob possessed a staggering intellect (he was a Mensa member) and was revered as a major player at Southern Bell. Yet, his humble nature, quiet demeanor and dedication to family is what defined him. Florence, Bob’s perfect partner and foil, was a force of

Talk Back to the Crier The Crier is committed to its role as Dunwoody’s community thread. As readers have reminded the paper, part of that role means budgeting premium space for letters from residents. Talk Back to the Crier by Sunday night and your note will be on page 3 that week. Email letters to newsroom@appenmedia.com. The Crier won’t publish it without explicitly getting your approval.

nature. She belonged to and often led a substantial list of organizations. Like Bob, she was dedicated to her family and balanced that with caring for friends and the community she loved. Thus, Steve is the product of the attributes and characteristics of his wonderful parents and the environment they created. Steve and his wife Anne have raised two of the most wonderful young people you could ever meet, yet Steve has given nearly as much of himself to countless other children. This includes not only the thousands of students he taught at Dunwoody High School (including both of my

kids) but also the scores of young people he has mentored through church and other aspects of his life. Not a week goes by in my practice or my time around Dunwoody that I don’t speak with a student, administrator, fellow teacher, parent or community member who has been touched by an act of kindness, a pearl of wisdom or thoughtful advice from Steve. I have had a multitude of students tell me that they are in their career because of him or pursued some dream or followed a path because of his influence. Without exception they describe Steve as the greatest teacher they’ve

ever had. I have even met young people he mentored through a church youth program who say he saved them in some way, gave their lives purpose, or pointed them in the right direction. Because Steve is humble - like his father - he will not be comfortable with praise-being heaped upon him. But it is earned, deserved and I feel appropriate in a tribute letter. Moreover what I write here is not a final memorial; Steve’s life and good work continue. In fact, while I could easily make the case that he has been more impactful in the lives of so many than nearly anyone else in Dunwoody’ s history, I believe that with the extra time retirement affords him, the best may lie ahead. Finally, there is so much more that he has done - or continues to do - to improve Dunwoody and from one old friend to another, thanks and good luck in retirement.

DeKalb County Georgia

Water Rate Assistance Program “Ensuring Water Affordability For All DeKalb Residents.” 10% Water Rate Increase August 2025

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4 | December 25, 2025 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

TALK BACK TO THE CRIER

OPINION

Clarifying the issue, not rewriting history Mr. Engelman’s response to my oped raises an important discussion, but it does so by attributing arguments to me that I did not make. At no point did I suggest that Dunwoody should be frozen in time or that the city should not evolve as it grows. Cities must adapt. Structures change. That is both necessary and healthy. The issue I raised is narrower and more fundamental. It concerns governance, accountability and the intent of the City Charter.

Dunwoody’s Charter did not include an assistant city manager when the city was formed. The city operated effectively without that role. When the position was later added, its defined purpose was limited to acting on behalf of the city manager when the city manager was unavailable. It was not envisioned as a parallel authority or as a role exercising broad operational influence across departments. Questioning whether the practical use of that position has expanded

beyond its original purpose is not about nostalgia. It is about clarity. When an unelected role regularly delivers financial briefings, serves as the primary spokesperson in council discussions and influences multiple departments, citizens are entitled to ask where accountability ultimately resides. Growth does not require centralized authority. In fact, Dunwoody was created precisely to move away from the kind of topheavy bureaucracy that diluted

accountability at the county level. Lean government and modern government are not opposites. They can, and should, coexist. Looking forward does not mean forgetting why Dunwoody was formed in the first place. Revisiting structure in light of original intent is not being mired in the past. It is how responsible communities ensure that progress remains aligned with their values.

DANNY ROSS

Founding member, Dunwoody City Council

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One has to wonder what Dunwoody really wants After denying a second drive-thru restaurant SLUP in as many weeks, developers and citizens are left scratching their heads about what Dunwoody actually wants. Zaxby’s agreed to extensive requirements — crosswalks, sidewalks, outdoor heating, a raised traffic island, even a “no idling” sign — before council voted to deny the permit anyway. Traffic concerns were cited for both Zaxby’s (Ashford Lane) and Raising Cane’s (Ashford Dunwoody), despite multiple traffic and queuing studies. Raising Cane’s officials noted that drivethrus account for the majority of its revenue, and no other Zaxby’s in America is without a drive-thru.

Yet both sites remain vacant former banks, eyesores that have sat empty for years. While I’m neither for nor against these specific businesses, I favor moving Dunwoody forward and capturing tax revenue over leaving properties vacant. Yes, we must consider traffic and neighborhood impacts. But many residents want these restaurants, citing convenience for families with school-age children and people with disabilities. Both chains have strong community track records. Instead, Dunwoody families will export their dollars to neighboring cities offering drive-thru convenience. I wonder if the city applies this

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same scrutiny to its own projects, including the new Dunwoody Village corridor plan. Will we see “no idling” signs there too? As budget discussions inevitably reemerge in the upcoming months, we’ll grapple with the revenue impact of these decisions. Dunwoody’s desirability attracts businesses wanting to invest here. Yet we’re sending a troubling message: make endless concessions, play the game, roll the dice — subject to individual council member’s whims. Eventually, businesses will stop trying, and we’ll lose valuable opportunities and tax revenue. There’s a stark dichotomy between what the city says it wants

— affordability, transportation options, attracting young families — and what gets approved. Dunwoody should work for everyone, not a select few. The city must make decisions in citizens’ best interest, backed by objective data and transparent criteria, not personal preferences. Developers and residents deserve clarity on what Dunwoody actually wants and consistent standards for approval. Without this, our city risks stagnation while neighboring communities capture the economic benefits we’ve turned away.

DAVID ZISKIND Dunwoody

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Puzzles

r 12/25/25 Connect-It

PuzzleJunction.com

Connect-It

Each line in the puzzle below has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 5, 5 and 4 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, with each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!

Dunwoody Crier........................................December 25, 2025 | 5

FLOWER POWER 1. New Hampshire’s state flower. Chicago team. Big fight. 2. Wine bottle measure. Valentine’s Day flower. Same. 3. Joint. Greek liqueur. Beautiful flower of unusual shapes and colors. 4. Like many a cellar. Indiana’s state flower. Calamari fish. 5. Type of daisy. Mistake. Rhine tributary. 6. Showy rayed variously colored flower. Police action. Mistique. 7. Quarrel. Charity. Old maid flower. PuzzleJunction.com

2 3 4 5 6

12/25/25 Sudoku 7

Flower Power How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle above has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is 1. Hampshire’s flower. team. letter Big fight. the New first letter of the secondstate answer, and so Chicago on. The connecting is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, which each number containing 3 clues 2.ToWine bottle measure. Valentine’s Day flower. Same. solve the Sudoku puzzle, column for the 3 answers on the line. But each here’s row, the catch! Theand clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually must contain the numbers to line. 9.flower bebox for the second or liqueur. third answer in 1that Got it?ofGood luck! shapes 3. Joint. Greek Beautiful unusual and colors.

4. Like many a cellar. Indiana’s state flower. Calamari fish.

3 6. Showy rayed variously colored flower. Police action. 3 Mistique. 8 6 1 7. Quarrel. 6 Charity. Old7maid flower. 4 3 1 1 7 8 3 4 5 1 7 4 How to Solve: Kakuro, also known as Cross Sums, is a challenging number puzzle, solved in a crossword style grid. 5 8 2 7 6 The rules are easy: A number above the diagonal line in a 5. Type of daisy. Mistake. Rhine tributary.

How to Solve: To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Solution 9 3 8 7 4 2 6 1 5

7 2 6 5 1 8 3 9 4

5 4 1 6 3 9 2 7 8

3 8 2 4 7 6 9 5 1

1 5 7 8 9 3 4 6 2

4 6 9 2 5 1 7 8 3

6 1 5 3 2 7 8 4 9

8 9 3 1 6 4 5 2 7

2 7 4 9 8 5 1 3 6

black square is the sum of the white squares to the right of it. A number below the diagonal line is the sum of the white squares in the sequence below it. You may only use the digits 1 to 9, and a digit can only be used once in any sequence.

Dunwoody Crier 12/25/25 Crossword

Across

1 Resinous deposit 4 Uncle of note 7 Fire remnant 10 “The ___” (Uris novel) 13 Swelled head 14 Wood sorrel 15 Buck’s mate 16 Harem room 17 Home appliances 19 Made a faux pas 21 Clothes presser 22 Gr. letter 24 Paris bisector 25 Psyches 27 Footwear 30 Greek salad cheese 32 Hang 33 Morsel 36 Ancient Greek epic poet 37 Let happen 39 Before, in poetry 41 “The Name of the Rose” writer 42 Rocky peak 44 Dudgeon 45 Drone, e.g. 46 Almond 47 Cutlery piece 49 Identical 51 Patch up 53 Actress Sommer of A Shot in the Dark 54 Maid’s target 55 Sleep disorder 57 Compass pt. 58 Have a hunch 61 Hankering 63 Misplace 67 Cook’s short cut 70 Reindeer locale

PuzzleJunction.com

22 25

36 42 47

29 33

52 55

10 16

62 70

72 Epoch 73 Debate position 74 Cheer starter 75 Wool weight 76 Engine part 77 Got an eyeful 78 ___ Baba 79 SHO alternative Down 1 Son of Leah 2 Lab gel 3 Designer Chanel 4 Old French coin 5 High points 6 Sail holder 7 Commercials 8 Peruvian coin 9 Bank job

10 Pueblo Indian 11 Yemeni city 12 Nephrite 18 Come together 20 Cancún coin 23 Genesis victim 26 Pub game 28 Scanning the browser 29 Fragrance 30 Photog’s aim 31 Ham it up 32 Type of board 34 Picture puzzle 35 Pick up the tab 36 Egg protector 38 Garden intruders 40 Aquarium denizen 43 Dentist’s request

48 Approve 50 Suppress, as an uprising 52 Type of cycle 56 Henhouse sounds 57 Escargot 58 Trade punches 59 Hence 60 Require 62 Born Free lioness 64 Pledge 65 Kind of appeal 66 Taro root 68 Coach Parseghian 69 Haul 71 Pressure unit (Abbr.)

See puzzle solutions on Page 15

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NEWS

DeKalb County's proposed data center regulations explained By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com Throughout the year, DeKalb County has been working to put regulations in place that address land use and where data centers can or cannot be located. The current draft ordinance restricts facilities to industrial areas and requires a special land-use permit in most cases. Here are the latest developments. • The commission will consider a special land use permit for a proposed data center at 4280 and 4358 Loveless Place and 2281 Pineview Trail in South DeKalb on Jan. 13. • Commissioners will consider voting on an ordinance regulating the land use for data centers on Jan. 27. • A moratorium on new applications and expansions of data centers is in place. The commission extended it until June 23, 2026. Ellenwood proposal PCC-DeKalb is proposing to build a data center campus in Ellenwood in South DeKalb County. PCC-DeKalb, LLC., is listed as a real estate, rental, and leasing company, and the registered agent is Tonya Langley in Suwanne, according to state records. Attorney Steven Jones, with Taylor Duma, represents the applicant.

According to a county staff report, the 95-acre site, located at 4280 and 4358 Loveless Place and 2281 Pineview Trail in Ellenwood, would be a data center facility with an outdoor electric substation. Three two-story buildings would be located on the site, which borders Clayton County. Since the buildings are multi-story, the facility would be 2 million square feet of server space. Currently, it’s unclear what the servers would be used for. PCC-DeKalb is seeking a special land use permit for the facility. The properties are zoned MU-1 (mixed-use low density) and RSM, and are in the Bouldercrest Overlay District. Since the county does not currently have a data center definition in the zoning code, the application says it is a utility structure for transmission of service. County staff said the facility is most similar to warehousing and storage, which is not allowed in the overlay district. DeKalb’s comprehensive plan also calls for residential use at this property. If the application moves forward, it would come with several conditions, according to a November staff report. Those include at least a 100-foot buffer from adjacent properties, no more than 2.1 million square feet of two-story building

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space, no property access via Loveless Place, preservation of 40 acres of existing greenspace, and sound regulations. In the application, Jones said that with the 40 undisturbed acres and the 100-foot buffer, the data center would be set back from surrounding properties. “Likewise, the proposed use will not generate any perceivable impacts on adjoining land uses such that the manner and hours of operation will not create any adverse impacts upon such adjoining land uses,” Jones said. The county planning staff recently recommended denial of the application at the Nov. 20 zoning meeting, but the commissioners have said they need regulations in place to make a decision. “I am concerned about what happens in and around my community, my district and my county,” Deputy Presiding Officer Nicole Massiah said at the Dec. 15 County Commission meeting. “When people ask the question ‘why are we addressing data centers,’ we don’t have a choice but to, at this point.” She added that DeKalb has to make sure there’s language in place to protect constituents. “For me and my position, I welcome extending [the moratorium] further to make sure that we have research in place so we can make the main thing, the main thing, which is protecting the constituents, so we can have a text amendment that has verbiage that’s important and direct,” Massiah said. “Then we can make determinations later on whether we support and we approve or whether we deny. But first things first, let’s get the

protections in place.” DeKalb County sent two zoning certification letters to developers in 2024. The letters indicate that a data center would be allowed, but are not binding. The proposed locations are 2235 Bouldercrest Road and 3600 International Park Drive. Both properties are zoned light industrial. The zoning certification letters said the proposed data centers would be a permissible use in the light industrial zoning district and on those two properties. These projects have not moved forward. Data center ordinance The goal of the ordinance is to establish land-use regulations for data centers. It includes requirements about permitted locations, plans to be submitted with an application, architecture, noise and maintenance. The draft consists of a use table listing four permitted classifications for industrial areas. With any data center application, developers will have to provide a noise impact assessment, water consumption and sustainability plan, energy consumption and sustainability plan, stormwater management plan, lighting plan, transmission line impact assessment, tree preservation and reforestation plan and a sewer update plan. A special land use permit, however, would not be required if an industrial property is redeveloped, reused, renovated or reconstructed to be a data center.

See DATA, Page 10

OPINION

PAST TENSE

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | December 25, 2025 | 7

Mary Briggs Court, Orleans Court and other street names In October, I shared the stories behind a few local road names submitted by local residents to Jim Perkins in 1997. Perkins had a list of street names he continued to research. The 2025 Dunwoody Crier readers answered the call and shared what they know about road VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF names, including new ones not on Perkins’ list. Columnist Developers often pick a name that has meaning to them and that is the case for Mary Briggs Court and Brandy Turk Way, located off Happy Hollow Road. Dunwoody resident Gary Barnett knew the story behind these names. “Buster Humphrey of Buford, Georgia, developed that little subdivision back in the 1960s” he said. Barnett recalls the names came from Humphrey’s grandchildren. The story behind the street names Briers North Drive and Brierwood Drive were shared by Joe Bowen. Builder Duane Brownlow first developed and built streets with these same names in Stone Mountain near the intersection of East Ponce de Leon Avenue and Hambrick Road. Brownlow told Bowen he chose the names because he liked the Uncle Remus stories told by Joel Chandler Harris. When Brownlow developed Briers North in Dunwoody in 1986, he used Briers North Drive and Brierwood Drive again. Bowen and his wife bought

PROVIDED

Chateau Woods was advertised throughout 1962, including this Oct. 14 ad in the Atlanta Journal.

the first home in Stone Mountain’s The Briers and the first home in Briers North in 1986. Scott Nichols grew up on Orleans Court in Chateau Woods, along with his parents and brothers. His parents bought the home in 1964 while it was still under construction. Jim Cowart developed and built homes in the neighborhood, while his cousin John Cowart worked as a real

estate agent for Chateau Woods. R.W. Tillis also built homes in Chateau Woods. Street names in Chateau Woods include Chateau Drive, Chateau Court, Orleans Drive, Orleans Court, Rochelle Drive and Rochelle Court. Nichols was told the neighborhood and street names with a French influence were chosen because someone had an affinity for Tulane University. David Long of Dunwoody remembers that Pernoshal Court was derived from the words “Perimeter, North and Shallowford.” The street name goes back to the early 1970s when condominiums were first constructed along the road. The developments were named Shallowford North, Pernoshal Court and Wellington Place condominiums. A 1980 ad for Wellington Place Condominiums gives an address of Pernoshal Court in Chamblee, 30341. Pernoshal Park was officially named in 2015 after a contest was held for the community to vote between the names Pernoshal Park, Hightower Trail Park, Muscogee Park, Magnolia Park and Old Buck Park. (Dunwoody Crier, Aug. 4, 2015, “Dunwoody contest to name new park”) Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.

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December 25, 2025 | Dunwoody Crier | 8

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10 | December 25, 2025 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

Zaxby’s: Continued from Page 1 Before the final hearing and vote, Zaxby’s agreed to several conditions including the installation of crosswalks, sidewalks, outdoor heating, a raised traffic island and a “no idling for longer than 30 seconds” sign in the drive-thru lanes. Madalyn Smith, senior planner in the Community Development Department, said Zaxby’s agreed to and supports all proposed conditions. “This is the project site that is adjacent to where the Chipotle and Sweetgreen are located in the Ashford Lane development,” Smith said. “The only difference between the site plan and the [one] you saw last meeting is that they have updated the crosswalk based on feedback.” The applicant also conducted a traffic and queuing analysis and increased

Padrick: Continued from Page 1 That includes boosting police pay and allowing officers to use more aggressive enforcement tactics, like chasing vehicles and using precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuvers if they are trained to do so. Padrick’s first year on the job has been marked by tragedy. One of the county’s officers, David Rose, died responding to an attack on the Centers

Data: Continued from Page 6 Other highlights of the ordinance include: • Requiring a closed-loop water system. • Requiring a 500-foot buffer from surrounding residential properties, and a 300-foot buffer if a property borders an interstate, state highway, or major arterial, the buffer could be at least 300 feet from a residential property. • Allowing a maximum of one parking space per 2,500 square feet of floor area would be allowed. • Setting the maximum building height at 75 feet. The Ellenwood proposal would be considered a data center campus. “While this SLUP application is not subject to the proposed standards of the data center text amendment since that amendment has not been adopted by the Board of Commissioners, it should be noted that the proposed text amendment would require all “Data

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its double drive-thru capacity before bringing the application to elected officials. After a motion to approve the permit failed and the City Council moved on to the next item, City Attorney Ken Bernard reminded elected officials that they needed to formally make a zoning decision. Mayor Lynn Deutsch and council members Stacey Harris, Rob Price and Joe Seconder voted to deny the permit, citing opposition from surrounding residents and incompatibility with the Ashford Lane outdoor mall, which is strained for parking spaces. Price and Seconder were the only elected officials to publicly state their opposition Dec. 15. Deutsch did not weigh in heavily on the application, having spoken about her concerns Dec. 1 during the first hearing. Seconder, who requested the noidling condition, said his comments in opposition are not about the specific restaurant operator but about whether a

drive-thru is appropriate in the specific location. “Based on the parking constraints I’ve personally observed at lunchtime, I’m concerned that reducing parking from 23 spaces to four, while adding an 18car double drive-thru, will significantly disrupt existing businesses today,” Seconder said. “I do not believe drivethrus are compatible with this location or the character the city has intentionally cultivated here.” Seconder said the drive-thru permit is attached to the property, not a specific restaurant operator, like Zaxby’s. Other elected officials in opposition to both drive-thru permits emphasized that fact in response to residents’ supporting comments. “Zaxby’s has an opportunity here to be visionary and succeed here without a drive-thru, just as neighboring restaurants already do,” Seconder said. With the denial, this could be the first Zaxby’s location in the United States without a drive-thru. Following the vote,

Cameron Long, a senior project manager representing CTO Realty Group, said his team will continue to work with Zaxby’s on a use at the site. Council members John Heneghan, Tom Lambert and Catherine Lautenbacher voted against the denial. Heneghan said he thinks the no-idling condition is “silly,” later asking how it could be enforced. Community Development Director Richard McLeod said his team does not have the staffing to monitor compliance, but there is an established process to revoke a permit if a violation or nuisance is reported. Dunwoody resident Gary Girasole said he and his family thought the Zaxby’s drive-thru would pass. “It looks like the City Council would not approve any drive-thru application if any neighbor opposes it,” Girasole said. “But if they did not approve the Raising Cane’s application, I don’t see how they could have approved the Zaxby’s. It would not have been fair.”

for Disease Control and Prevention, an event that rattled the department and the community. Padrick spoke at Rose’s funeral. “During his tenure with DeKalb County Police Department, Chief Padrick has served in key roles across multiple divisions, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to protecting and strengthening the community,” the news release from the county said. He’s a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and rose through the ranks of the uniform division from patrol officer to assistant chief. As uniform division

commander, he supervised patrol operations. He worked in the criminal investigations division, where he served as a detective and supervisor in the homicide, auto theft and drug trafficking units. He has also worked with internal affairs, a division that promotes accountability within the department. “His demonstrated skill and leadership led to his appointment as criminal investigation division commander, where he supervised major case investigations and strategic crimereduction operations,” the news release

said. He’s a graduate of the FBI National Academy and has participated in other leadership programs. “I am deeply honored to continue serving the residents of DeKalb County,” Padrick said. “The DeKalb County Police Department is made up of exceptional men and women who exemplify professionalism, integrity, and a steadfast commitment to service. I look forward to advancing our mission of keeping every community in DeKalb County safe while strengthening public trust and embracing innovation.”

Center, Campus” land uses to locate in industrial zoning districts (M & M-2) with a [special land use permit],” the staff report says. The commissioners have said that regulations are necessary. “Strict regulations are so important in the process if you want to limit what’s built in DeKalb and to have a voice in what happens,” Commissioner Ted Terry said in a news release. At a Dec. 10 town hall, Commissioner LaDena Bolton added that the ordinance would protect the county. “If we say no data centers whatsoever and there is no legal standing for that, when they sue, then we lose all of our rights to regulate what we want,” Bolton said. “They can sue and get what they want. This way, when we regulate on the front end, we tell them what we will allow in our communities.” To see an updated draft of the data center regulations, visit engagedekalb. dekalbcountyga.gov/data-center-textamendment.

Growing opposition Residents are concerned about noise, pollution, environmental impacts and equity. About 100 residents attended the county commission meeting on Dec. 15, as they have each time data centers are discussed. “We need to make a clear distinction between traditional data centers and the prospect of major, large-scale and hyperscale data campuses in DeKalb County,” resident Gina Mangham said. “The problem with the data center ordinance as written is that it will allow major, large-scale and hyperscale data centers to be built in our community.” Mangham and others have urged the commission to ban data center campuses. She is also concerned about the enforcement of the regulations. “An overwhelming majority of your constituents oppose the development of data campuses in DeKalb,” Mangham said. “The people have spoken. It is your job to represent our interests, not yours.”

During the Dec. 10 town hall, about 20 people lined up to speak. A couple of them criticized Terry and the commission for discussing environmental justice, but then seemingly backing data centers. “It felt insincere to hear you acknowledge that and then in the same breath talk about how we’re going to continue to put data centers in South DeKalb,” the resident said. “Everything that I have seen, the community has said resoundingly that they do not want data centers. So my question to the commissioners is, why do you guys keep talking about installing data centers and regulating data centers when the people have said they don’t want them at all?” Resident Erin Parks agreed and said she’d like to see the commission set the bar so high that it cannot be reached. “I know that you’re saying that we can’t put a moratorium in place, but I think the disconnect is that these meetings feel like soft marketing for the data centers,” Parks said.

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In DeKalb County, there are 150 businesses permitted to generate tires and 15 haulers. There are only five disposal facilities across the state, and the closest one to DeKalb is in Fulton County. A business must work with a carrier to transport the material to a disposal facility, but there may be a fee for delivery to the processing center. During the Dec. 12 press conference, Cochran-Johnson also emphasized the intentional nature of many large-scale tire dumps. “We must confront a difficult truth,” she said. “This is not accidental. We want you to know that if you are a perpetrator, we realize that it is organized. Illegal tire dumping is an unfunded mandate on the people of DeKalb County and it has to stop.” The county staff didn’t have a specific number but said DeKalb has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on remediation. A few arrests have been made recently. Police Chief Greg Padrick said the issue is not just a crime but also public health and safety concerns. “This is something that will not be tolerated,” Padrick said. “It is disrespectful to our community and we definitely do everything we can through overt measures, covert measures and through surveillance measures to identify and hold those responsible for this act.” The county identified nine tire dumping sites, and one of them, on Presidential Parkway, was remediated earlier this year. Four sites have been cleaned and scheduled for final inspection. The remaining locations are in hard-to-reach places and need more complex retrieval efforts. The eight priority areas are • 5986 Marbut Rd., Lithonia (Behind residence) • 3041 Northeast Expressway, Atlanta (State Farm property – steep slope) • 4221 Covington Hwy., Decatur (Former tire store) • 3590 Covington Hwy., Decatur (Burned building) • 3486 Covington Hwy., Decatur (Behind rehabilitation facility) • 6941 Brannon Hill Rd., Clarkston (Neighborhood) • 1785 Continental Way SE (Commercial landscaping area) • 1700 Corey Blvd., Decatur (Church property) Remediation solutions In 2026, the county plans to launch a tire surrender program to allow residents and businesses to dispose of the material properly.

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Officials added that tires can be taken to the DeKalb County landfill, where they will be taken to a recycler. Companies like Solution TireTrek and some tire stores will also collect used tires. H A J A S H S A M L A C Cochran-Johnson is also advocating O D A D O E O C A E G O for strengthened remediation laws at S L I P P E D the state level, including increasing the V A C U U M S penalty from a misdemeanor to a felony, S E I N E E T A I R O N and providing more state funding for B O O T S I D S large counties to combat the issues. O R T P E N D F E T A She would also like counties to be able E R E A L L O W H O M E R to seek reimbursement on behalf of B E E I R E T O R E C O municipalities, according to a news E Q U A L S P O O N N U T release. D U S T E L K E S E W State Rep. Omari Crawford (D S S E A P N E A Decatur) said constituents can expect L O S E Y E N S E N S E to see debates and legislation about tire L A P L A N D P R E H E A T Dunwoody Crier 12/25/25 Connect-It dumping during the legislative session T O D S I S P R O A G E next year. H B O A L I S A W R O D “We want to make sure our Connect-It Solution communities and all of our districts Copyright ©2025 PuzzleJunction.com Copyright ©2025 PuzzleJunction.com throughout the state have a better 1 B R A W L I L A C U B S quality of life and make sure this issue is addressed because it is an environmental 2 R O S E Q U A L I T E R hazard, so I’m very proud to carry this legislation this upcoming session,” Crawford said. 3 O U Z O R C H I D I V E

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Tire dumping ordinance DeKalb County is also working on local legislation to impose fines and penalties for this type of littering. If the litter is left on public property, the county assumes responsibility for cleaning it up. A sanitation-beautification crew can collect them within three to five days if it is a small amount, but heavier equipment is needed for large amounts of tires, Allen said. He added that more resources are needed if they are in ravines or stream banks. For private property, those owners are responsible for the cleanup. “There are fines they will hand out, there are certain enforcement mechanisms that are utilized by the department, and those tire dumps are adjudicated in the courts,” Allen said. Regarding amendments to the county code, the resolution, sponsored by Commissioner Robert Patrick, recommends establishing criminal penalties for the unlawful dumping of egregious litter. County staff suggests setting a cap of 25 tires for personal use and imposing a fine of up to $1,000 or up to six months’ imprisonment for violations. In addition to actions filed by DeKalb, any state or federal agency could also seek its own charges. Public works would continue to be responsible for the enforcement because it’s a solid waste issue, Allen said. “The key is that enforcement does need to happen,” Allen previously said. “No matter the department that will take responsibility, as long as we have a strong apparatus for that enforcement, it can be public works, it can be code enforcement, but as long as those parameters are in place, we can move forward.”

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