Dunwoody opens doors to refine future land-use strategy (2025)

DUNWOODY, Ga. — The City of Dunwoody is streamlining development rules and updating its vision for the city’s future as part of a state-mandated overhaul.

City officials and representatives from consulting firm TSW Design, which was tasked with creating a plan, gave a two-hour presentation about the changes April 1 during a special meeting at Vintage Pizzeria on Chamblee Dunwoody Road.

Residents received and discussed the creation of a unified development ordinance and changes to the city’s comprehensive plan.

Dunwoody is updating its comprehensive plan as part of a state mandate that requires an overhaul every five years, said Allison Stewart-Harris, an associate principal and planner at TSW. Stewart-Harris presented the changes to about 30 residents who attended the meeting.

The plan, which looks 20 years ahead, will guide city leaders on suitable future development for specific areas. It will incorporate existing city studies like the Edge City and Village plans.

Dunwoody also plans to create a Unified Development Ordinance to consolidate rules for land use, development, building and zoning into one document, said Richard McLeod, Dunwoody Community Development director. The new code will incorporate rules found over more than 600 pages of city ordinances.

The updated plan and new ordinance aim to streamline the development process while promoting growth and protecting the character of the city’s districts.

“You've got a really complicated code,” Stewart-Harris said. “So, one of our goals is to really make this process a lot easier for staff, elected officials and developers to come in and do really quality projects.”

The April 1 presentation was the latest in a series of community outreach events that invite residents to review ideas, ask questions and make recommendations. A public workshop to review changes to the plan is scheduled for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. April 22 at the North Shallowford Annex, 4470 N. Shallowford Road.

An updated plan could be adopted by early summer. The Unified Development Ordinance could be adopted in mid to late 2026.

In surveys and conversations with TSW, residents have highlighted a half dozen recurring themes, Stewart-Harris said.

Residents say Dunwoody needs additional housing, a walkable downtown and thriving community centers. They also want city planners to address vacant retail and office spaces, traffic congestion and the preservation of green spaces and neighborhoods’ characters.

Currently, about 25 percent of the city’s office spaces are vacant, McLeod said.

Stewart-Harris said her firm proposes dividing the city into several areas, each with different needs, priorities and development recommendations.

For example, the Perimeter area should be open to redevelopment opportunities, take advantage of MARTA station development, encourage a broad range of housing types and invest in green spaces.

Neighborhoods should preserve residential character, consider infill development, fill in sidewalk gaps and review stormwater and stream buffer regulations.

A “stoplight” policy identifies suitable development for each area, classifying projects as appropriate, appropriate with conditions and inappropriate.

The stoplight policy also recommends the creation of “missing middle” housing such as townhomes and cottage courts to bridge the gap between single family homes and multiunit apartments.

Areas like Dunwoody Village would prioritize townhomes, multiunit apartments, senior living, parks and light commercial development. Low-density housing options like large- and small-lot residential neighborhoods would be inappropriate.

Different rules would apply to a buffer area along the edges of Dunwoody Village, allowing small-lot neighborhoods, cottage courts and townhomes.

Jonathan Sangster, chairman of the Dunwoody Development Authority, said he found the information and discussion important to the future of the city.

“There are so many positive things about Dunwoody,” he said. “There are exciting things going on.”

Located at the crossroads of I-285, Ga. 400 and a MARTA rail line, the city is thriving, and space has become increasingly limited, making redevelopment essential, he said.

“The future is how do we redevelop those properties to benefit the city, and a big part of that is housing,” Sangster said.

Dunwoody sits in an area facing numerous competitors, and removing barriers could help entice developers and businesses, he said. A simplified development process with the city could be a “big win” for residents.

“One of the factors is going to be how easy is it for me to do business,” he said.