City keeps tax rate flat for ‘25 ► PAGE 4
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City denies drive-thru, approves missing middle subdivision By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden.sumlin@gmail.com SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs City Council denied a permit to allow a Whataburger drive-thru facility at 8721 Roswell Road Aug. 19 after a discussion about future land use and planning priorities. Sandy Springs Council of Neighborhoods President Rhonda Smith told elected officials that residents have serious concerns about the 24-hour drive-thru restaurant on the south end of the Dunwoody Place shopping center. She asked elected officials to deny the application. “I hope you’ve taken a very hard look at this application and that these remarks precipitate you taking an equally hard look at drive throughs in general as future requests come forward,” Smith said. “Future proliferation of drive-thrus will continue to inflict more impact that pushes Roswell Road in the wrong direction in the effort to create a more walkable, or simply just a more desirable public realm anywhere on Roswell Road.” The 1.36-acre site is zoned for commercial use up to three stories (CX-3) and the new fast-food chain requires the approval of a permit for its drive-thru facility. Placing a popular 24-hour drive-thru restaurant on one of the city’s busiest roadways raised initial alarm at a series of community meetings the city held with developers in March. But company representatives say motorist access to the restaurant will be via a side street off Roswell Road. Whataburger is a unique and growing fast-food chain based out of Texas with 24-hour drive-thrus at its locations,
ANSLEYRE.COM | 404.480.HOME 3035 PEACHTREE| ROAD, SUITE 202, ATLANTA, GA 30305 ANSLEYRE.COM 404.480.HOME 3035 PEACHTREE| ROAD, SUITE 202, ATLANTA, GA 30305 ANSLEYRE.COM Equal housing opportunity. If you404.480.HOME have an existing brokerage relationship, this is not intended as a 3035housing PEACHTREE SUITE 202,relationship, ATLANTA, GA 30305 solicitation. All opportunity. data believed to ROAD, be accurate but not warranted. Equal If you have an existing brokerage this is not intended as a solicitation. All data believed to be accurate but not warranted. Equal housing opportunity. If you have an existing brokerage relationship, this is not intended as a solicitation. All data believed to be accurate but not warranted.
Fulton Commissioners approve $1.2 billion jail facility investment by HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
revitalization and redevelopment plans, which look to build more sidewalks and connectivity between commercial areas and neighborhoods. Adrianne Murchison, a longtime North Fulton reporter and resident of the Huntington Place townhome community abutting the southern end of the proposed Whataburger location, said she and her neighbors are concerned about drive-thru noise and headlights disturbing them overnight.
ATLANTA — Four members of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted Aug. 20 to approve a $1.23 billion package to renovate the Rice Street jail and construct a new 1,800-bed facility. The Fulton County Jail system is under its second federal consent decree of the century, requiring the county to improve the facility’s reportedly inhumane and unconstitutional conditions. Commissioners Khadijah Abdur-Rahman, Bob Ellis and Bridget Thorne voted in favor with Chairman Robb Pitts, who announced the proposal during an Aug. 18 press conference at Assembly Hall. During public comment, some county residents said they are opposed to an increase in the footprint of the county’s jail system, placing blame on either Sheriff Pat Labat’s management of jail operations or the Board of Commissioner’s lack of funding allocations. Other speakers said they have concerns about what will happen to existing inmates while jail renovations are occurring, opposing any plan to ship incarcerated people to neighboring states. While the county has been housing some inmates at the Atlanta City Detention Center since 2023, that partnership is set to end in 2026. Meanwhile, Atlanta has not indicated it will renew the agreement with Fulton County for use of 700 beds at its jail.
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A map of a proposed 24-hour Whataburger drive-thru at 8721 Roswell Road shows car circulation options from Ga. 9 and Dunwoody Place. Sandy Springs council members voted 3-3 to deny the permit application Aug. 19 with Mayor Rusty Paul casting the deciding vote. according to the applicant. Some residents of the Huntcliff neighborhood across Roswell Road (Georgia 9) from the site are opposed to drive-thru because of existing traffic concerns at the Dunwoody Place shopping center. Council members Jody Reichel and Melody Kelley also said they had concerns over traffic flow through the parking lot of the shopping center during the mid-August public hearing. Kelley said a drive-thru on the site is in compatible with ongoing North End
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