Brookhaven residents will get a new pocket park on Lenox Overlook Road after the City Council voted Tuesday, July 14, to accept a donated parcel at 1578 Lenox Overlook Road for public use.
The council also adopted an ordinance creating a formal audit committee, unanimously called a Nov. 3 special election to fill the District 2 seat vacated by Jennifer Owens' resignation, and approved a memorandum of understanding with Emory University, according to the city's official meeting wrap-up published Wednesday, July 15.
Pocket park land donation
The resolution authorizes Mayor John Park or his designee to execute all documents necessary to accept a portion of the property at 1578 Lenox Overlook Road. The city has not disclosed the size of the donated parcel or the identity of the donor. The vote follows a recent string of park acquisitions; in June, the council approved a $1.5 million purchase of a 0.95-acre property at 1277 Goodwin Road, with $1 million donated by the J.J. Gebbia Family Foundation.
Audit committee ordinance
The new ordinance establishes policies and procedures for a City Council audit committee and directs the city manager to support its work. No details on committee membership or meeting schedule were included in the city's wrap-up.
Special election and Owens resignation
District 2 Council Member Jennifer Owens resigned at the July 14 meeting. The council then unanimously approved a resolution calling a special election for Tuesday, Nov. 3, to fill the remainder of her term through 2029.
Candidates must file a notice of candidacy at the City Clerk's office at City Centre, 4001 Peachtree Road NE, between Monday, Aug. 17, and Wednesday, Aug. 19, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and again from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The qualifying fee is $936.
Conor Sen, who chaired Brookhaven's Planning Commission for the past two years and served on it for a decade, was appointed by the mayor to hold the District 2 seat until the election. "I'm honored to have the opportunity to serve Brookhaven in a higher capacity and to represent District 2 residents," Sen said after taking the oath of office at the same meeting.
Other actions
The consent agenda included a $375,556 contract with Rummel, Klepper & Kahl LLP for storm sewer inventory assessment services and a resolution granting temporary construction and permanent sanitary sewer easements on Drew Valley Road, Poplar Springs Drive, and Burch Circle to the DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management for the North Fork Peachtree Creek sanitary sewer project.
The council also approved an amendment to the 2026 Capital Improvement Program Fund, SPLOST II Fund, and Urban Redevelopment Agency Fund budget.
The next Brookhaven City Council meeting is Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 6:30 p.m. at City Centre, 4001 Peachtree Road NE. Residents can submit public comment by email to [email protected].
