The Brookhaven City Council scrapped a controversial multi-use path on Windsor Parkway and approved a rezoning for multifamily housing on Ashford Dunwoody Road at its Tuesday, Aug. 25, meeting.
The council also accepted a nearly $588,000 grant to advance the Peachtree Creek Greenway Connector Bridge, appropriated $50,000 for the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce and awarded a $140,790 sidewalk contract.
Windsor Parkway path removed
In a move that followed weeks of organized neighborhood opposition, the council approved a resolution removing the planned multi-use path along Windsor Parkway from city planning documents and from the Ashford Dunwoody Road/Windsor Parkway intersection improvement project. City Manager Christian Sigman brought the resolution.
About 100 residents packed a community meeting on Aug. 18 to protest the path. A citizen-led group urged attendees to wear yellow shirts. Opponents argued the project would remove roughly 206 mature trees, and the price tag had ballooned from about $4 million to $7.3 million due to rising property values and higher material and labor costs, according to Rough Draft Atlanta.
The resolution still directs the city to incorporate separate bicycle facilities into the intersection design for future implementation. A sidewalk along Windsor Parkway to Lanier Drive remains in the plan, and the larger intersection safety project continues, including a single-lane roundabout projected to reduce fatal and injury crashes by 78%, according to city project data cited by the Brookhaven Brief. The city confirmed the path removal in a press release Tuesday evening.
Ashford Dunwoody rezoning
The council approved a Special Land Use Permit at 4170 Ashford Dunwoody Road allowing multifamily residential use within the existing Office-Institution zoning. Ashford Green Ventures, LLC applied for the change. Community Development Director Linda Abaray presented the item after a public hearing.
Greenway bridge grant
The council approved a development agreement accepting Tax Allocation District grant funds from Decide DeKalb for soft costs on the Peachtree Creek Greenway Connector Bridge. Economic Development Director Aaron Szarowicz presented the item. The Decide DeKalb Development Authority approved the $588,168 grant in late July to advance design of the pedestrian bridge over Interstate 85, WSB-TV reported.
The bridge already has $15.8 million committed from Emory University under an agreement the council approved July 14. No residential property taxes will fund design or construction. Mayor John Park praised the multi-agency collaboration when that agreement was announced, saying the bridge would only happen because partners were willing to look beyond their individual boundaries. Final design is expected in late 2027, with groundbreaking planned for 2028.
Other actions
The council appropriated $50,000 from the General Fund for the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce Strategic Plan and another $50,000 for accounting firm Mauldin and Jenkins to conduct a citywide risk assessment. Deputy City Manager Steve Chapman presented both items.
A $140,790 contract went to Blount Construction Company for ADA-compliant sidewalk work, presented by Public Works Director Jeff Littlefield. The council also appointed David Felfoldi to the Planning Commission and approved a Live Nation contract for the 2027 Cherry Blossom Festival on the consent agenda.
Mayor Pro Tem John Funny scheduled a District 4 community meeting for Wednesday, Aug. 26, about the proposed Brookhaven Southern Connector Bridge connecting Chantilly Drive and Executive Park to Buford Highway.
