Brookhaven City Council voted 3-1 Tuesday, Oct. 13, to lease approximately 1.35 acres of Blackburn Park to DeKalb County for a new fire station, despite residents’ requests for another delay.
Councilmember Madeleine Simmons cast the lone dissenting vote, Rough Draft Atlanta reported.
Under the approved intergovernmental agreement, DeKalb County will construct, own, operate and maintain Station 34 at 3493 Ashford Dunwoody Road. The lease runs for 50 years at $1 annually, according to the city’s announcement.
The council had deferred the agreement Sept. 8 to allow more community engagement and review of alternative locations. Before the October vote, more than 40 residents signed a petition seeking another 60 days to consider sites or designs that could reduce parkland loss and effects on neighboring homes.
Agreement includes neighborhood protections
During the deferral, city staff prepared a written comparison of alternative locations, DeKalb Fire Rescue reviewed the Blackburn Park site again, and officials revised the agreement to address neighborhood concerns.
The city says the agreement includes emergency signal preemption and roadway markings, lighting standards intended to reduce effects on nearby homes, landscape screening and tree replacement. It also calls for reasonable efforts to minimize nighttime siren use when conditions permit.
Approximately 50 public parking spaces would replace parking affected by construction. A multi-use path along Ashford Dunwoody Road, a community meeting room and space for a Brookhaven Police Department vehicle are also included.
Mayor John Park described the agreement as a “practical, forward-looking partnership” that would strengthen emergency response in Brookhaven and North DeKalb County.
District 1 Councilmember Michael Diaz, who represents the area, said the earlier deferral allowed officials to strengthen protections addressing lighting, noise, trees, parking and other neighborhood effects, according to Rough Draft’s pre-vote reporting.
Diaz said officials held meetings with Cambridge Park and nearby residents at the Brittney Club, followed by a smaller working session with neighborhood representatives.
Residents question parkland and traffic impacts
Residents continued to raise concerns at the Oct. 13 meetings about the station’s location, traffic and the process used to notify neighbors.
Former District 1 Councilmember Linley Jones objected to using parkland. Other residents favored a Donaldson Drive location.
After the vote, nearby resident Eric Hovdesven told Rough Draft he remained concerned about grading and tree removal along Ashford Dunwoody Road. He also questioned whether alternative sites would receive further consideration now that the agreement identifies the Blackburn Park parcel.
City and county officials said the agreement is an initial step and that they would work with residents to refine the plans.
County identified the need in 2016
DeKalb County Fire Rescue planning identified the Ashford Dunwoody Road and Johnson Ferry Road area for a future Station 34 in 2016, citing growth, traffic congestion and the need to improve coverage.
Officials reported travel-time performance of 12 minutes, 52 seconds in the area, according to Rough Draft. The report did not specify whether that figure was an average or included other components of emergency response.
The city’s announcement does not provide a construction start date or opening schedule.
