Brookhaven updates project list for special tax district, including new City Hall

Brookhaven has released an updated draft list of projects that might be funded by its new special tax district, including $60 million for a new City Hall. 

At the city’s Aug. 9 City Council meeting, the city held the first of two public comment sessions for a project list to be funded by its Special Service District (SSD). The council approved the SSD, which has certain business owners pay more in property taxes to help fund infrastructure improvements, in 2021, and approved a millage rate of 4.0 mills for the SSD at a June meeting. 

“The projects were selected to promote connectivity in the city,” said City Manager Christian Sigman. “They range from way down in District 4 all the way up to the city line in Dunwoody.” 

The draft recommended project list reads as follows:

• $5,250,000 for replacement of the W. Nancy Creek Bridge. The city also approved a design contract for the replacement bridge at its Aug. 9 meeting. 
• $5,280,000 for the Peachtree Creek Greenway local match of Federal Highway Administration funding
• $60,000,000 for Brookhaven City Hall
• $2,500,000 for an intersection at Ashford Dunwoody Road and Peachtree Road
• $8.440,000 for an Ashford Dunwoody Road multi-use path
• $400,000 for a sidewalk at Chantilly Drive
• $780,000 for an I-85 vehicular bridge
• $4,060,000 for a Dresden Drive sidewalk
• $625,000 for a multi-use sidewalk at Apple Valley Road
• $612,500 for a multi-use path at North Druid Hills Road
• $10,000,000 for the Peachtree Road LCI
• $1,000,000 for improvements to the Buford Highway streetscape 
• $5,000,000 for streetscape improvements along the North Druid Hills Road corridor 
• $1,900,000 for a land purchase on Johnson Ferry Road and a Nancy Creek multi-use path
• $600,000 for right-of-way and state route beautification efforts

In public comment, multiple residents asked the city to consider adding efforts to fix stormwater and flooding issues at the intersection of Cartecay Drive and Ellijay Drive. On Aug. 1, Fox 5 Atlanta reported that flooding in the Brookhaven Fields community and along Cartecay Drive became so bad recently, some residents were able to kayak in the streets. 

The recent flooding has caused property damage, said multiple residents. They said that they understood the fix might not be a simple one, but hoped the city could offer some relief. 

“We’ve raised this issue a number of times to the council members, and unfortunately, I just haven’t seen a lot of action taken,” said resident Michael Smith. “The other thing that we would ask is the stormwater issue be added to the special project list.” 

In an emailed statement, city spokesperson Burke Brennan said the city is not responsible for stormwater issues on private property. 

“The City of Brookhaven was incorporated less than 10 years ago. Since then, the City has aggressively addressed multitudes of stormwater improvements to the runoff areas under the City control. That does not include water runoff between private properties,” he said. “While Brookhaven is sympathetic to the plight of homeowners with property damage caused by natural events, the City is not responsible for and has no control over stormwater damage to private property.”

Brennan also said the city has budgeted for a sub-basin watershed study, which is out for bid. The entire meeting can be watched on the city’s Facebook page, and the recommended project list for the SSD can be found on the city’s website.