Low-income senior housing project rejected by Dunwoody City Council
The Dunwoody City Council at its Sept. 8 meeting voted unanimously to deny a rezoning application that would allow the construction of a low-income senior housing complex on Ashford Dunwoody Road, despite the fact that the developers at the last minute reduced the height and density of the complex.
Dominium, a property management and development company, had requested to rezone a three-acre property from O-I (Office Industrial) to PD (Planned Development) to allow the site to be redeveloped into an age-restricted, income-restricted housing community with 215 rental units, with an approximate 240-space underground parking garage, and eight surface visitor parking spaces.
The proposal has been met with overwhelming opposition from people who objected to the density, height and location of the project.
Before the matter was discussed, two representatives from Dominium spoke during public comment saying that the plan has been significantly altered in order to adhere more closely to zoning that is being proposed in the city’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan for that character area, referred to as Ashford.
A memo in the city council presentation packet submitted by Dominium and discussed by the representatives attorney Julie Somers and company vice president Shaun Rhinehardt during public comment said that the site plan was revised to reduce the overall height of the building.
“Approximately two stories, or 50 residential units, were removed from the site
plan, which resulted in a reduction of the building’s height from 95 feet to under 70 feet,” the memo said. “The revised ODP [Official Development Plan] proposes a maximum building height of 70 feet, which aligns with the PC-3 maximum height requirement for buildings 100 feet or greater to a lot line adjacent to a single-family zoning district.”
The maximum impervious cover in the ODP was also reduced from 85 percent to 70 percent to align with PC-3 zoning regulations, the memo said.
“The building height on the Ashford Center Parkway now appears as mostly four stories when it was previously close to seven stories,” the memo said. “The reduction in building height is also now consistent with the allowable height for senior living facilities (up to four stories) in [proposed zoning for] the Ashford character area. “
After Dunwoody Senior Planner Madalyn Smith described the Dominium changes, with little discussion, council member Tom Lambert made a motion to deny the application, which was seconded by Rob Price, and passed 7-0.
The vote was met with a sustained round of applause from the 101 or so attendees, who have been a constant presence during the rezoning process – from the application to the Dunwoody Homeowners Association to the planning commission to the city council.
Related stories:
• Planning Commission recommends senior housing rezoning
• City council members express concerns about senior housing proposal
Susan Mitchell, who was part of a group opposing the plan, said she was “gratified that the city council unanimously agreed with the citizens.”
“It’s a tribute to the remarkable foresight of our city founders who recognized the need to balance growth with respect for the character of our neighborhoods,” Mitchell said.
John Heneghan, who has served on the council since its inception, said he voted against the proposal because of the “level of impact on the community.”
Council Member Rob Price said even with the changes that Dominium made at the Sept. 8 meeting, the proposal “still didn’t meet the hurdle.”
“It was too much for the part of the city where it is located,” Price said. “”I think senior housing is appropriate for the city, but not where it was to be located.”
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