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Hey, Brookhaven / Chamblee! This week: Chamblee is rolling out curbside composting for $19 a month, while Isaias's aftermath left about 50,000 Georgia homes without power, including a tree down on Oconee Pass in Brookhaven. Plus, Saturday the 17th is stacked with the Brookhaven International Festival and A Taste of Chamblee, so clear your calendar.

- News — Isaias's outages and a fallen tree on Oconee Pass sit alongside Chamblee's new CompostNow program, DeKalb's new permanent superintendent, and layoffs in the county law department.
- Events — Saturday, Oct. 17 is the big one, with the free Brookhaven International Festival, A Taste of Chamblee, and a St. Francis blessing of the animals, plus a spooky open mic at Wild Aster Books and Wrestler Storytime midweek.
- Government — Brookhaven's Planning Commission looked at a Woodrow Way rezoning to smaller lots, DeKalb commissioners advanced an $11.1M water plant contract, and Brookhaven's council meets Tuesday on a Blackburn Park fire station agreement.
- Construction — A $3.5M fire-damaged apartment restoration at 5070 Peachtree Blvd is now closed out, and GDOT's list of ramp and resurfacing projects around Chamblee and Dunwoody is worth a scan.

Let's dive in.

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Isaias knocks out power to tens of thousands across metro Atlanta
Isaias made landfall Friday as a Category 2 hurricane, then weakened and moved north through Alabama as a post-tropical cyclone. As of 2 p.m. Saturday, about 50,000 Georgia households were without power, including 4,300 in DeKalb County, 2,500 in Gwinnett and 2,000 in Fulton. A high wind warning and flood watch remain in effect for North and Central Georgia until Sunday morning, and a state of emergency is in effect through Oct. 15.

Chamblee launches new curbside composting program for residents
Through a city partnership with CompostNow, residents can sign up for curbside pickup for $19 a month and receive a bin for items such as food waste, paper towels and grass clippings. Nearly 70 people have registered so far, and the finished compost is returned to local gardens and farms, including Food Well Alliance and the Grant Park Community Garden.

DeKalb County Board of Education votes Dr. Norman C. Sauce as permanent superintendent
The board voted at its Oct. 5 meeting, with Allyson Gevertz, Andrew Ziffer, Whitney McGinnis and Deirdre Pierce in favor. Tiffany Hogan voted against, citing a non-competitive hiring process, Awet Eyasu abstained, and Diijon DeCosta was absent. Sauce is the first Italian-American superintendent in the district's 153-year history.

DeKalb County law department undergoes 'restructuring'
Former senior assistant county attorney Becky Dobras said about 10 of the county's 18 attorneys and three administrative staff were laid off Friday, Oct. 9, and that seven open positions will go unfilled. A county spokesperson said the law department is not being eliminated and that the in-house team will work alongside outside counsel.

Community meetings planned for DeKalb 2055 land use vision
The DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability Department's "Visioning Series" runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at each session, starting Oct. 22 at Mason Mill Recreation Center for District 2 and continuing through Nov. 18 for District 4. The input will inform the 2055 Unified Plan Update, and a virtual open house survey closes Oct. 15.

Tree falls on Brookhaven home damaging water lines
Winds from the remnants of Isaias brought a large tree down onto a home on Oconee Pass in Brookhaven. The fall damaged the house, pulled down electrical lines and broke water pipes, prompting emergency utility repairs.

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Monday, October 12
- Discussion: Last Bus to Wisdom: A Novel | Chamblee Library
- Autumn Leaf Labyrinth | Chamblee Branch
- Spooky Scavenger Hunt | Brookhaven Branch Library
- Coffee With A Cop | City of Chamblee

Tuesday, October 13
- Adult Life Skills Class | Chamblee, GA
- Family Storytime | Brookhaven Branch Library
- Tour of the Church | Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church

Wednesday, October 14
- Spooky Literary Open Mic | Wild Aster Books
- Wrestler Storytime | Brookhaven Branch Library
- Middle Grade Book Club | Chamblee Branch

Thursday, October 15
- Women's Business League Coffee and Connections! | Kin Coffee Co.
- LEGO Day at Chamblee | Chamblee Branch
- Chair Yoga for Adults | Chamblee Branch
- Escape Flipper Festival at The Escape Gamebar | The Escape Gamebar
- Mindfulness for Everyday Life | Chamblee Branch

Friday, October 16
- Designed for Ease: Dialog Between Gravity and Your Bones | Chamblee Branch
- Movie Night at Clack's Corner | Brookhaven Fields Community Association
- Murder Mystery @ Petit Violette | 2948 Clairmont Rd

Saturday, October 17
- Electronics Recycling | City of Chamblee
- Brookhaven Farmers Market | Brookhaven Farmers Market
- End of Life Seminar | Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church
- The Floor is Lava: Scary Swamp Edition! | Chamblee Branch
- International Festival | 4001 Peachtree Road NE
- FREE Puppy Hour at Central Bark Brookhaven | Central Bark Brookhaven
- The Seeds You Sow Red Carpet Premiere | LOOK Dine-In Cinemas
- Magic: The Gathering for Teens | Chamblee Branch
- Chainmail Jewelry Workshop | Brookhaven Branch Library
- A Taste of Chamblee | City of Chamblee
- Halloween Costume Swap | Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church
- St. Francis Day Celebration & Blessing of Animals | Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church

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Note: our information comes from posted meetings documents (agendas and minutes when available) — latest source document hyperlinked to each meeting.

Past Week Roundup

City of Brookhaven
The Planning Commission's regular meeting on Oct. 7 had one rezoning request on the agenda. An applicant asked to change four parcels on a single residential street from RS-100 to RS-85, which cuts the minimum lot size from 15,000 to 12,000 square feet. The request came with concurrent variances, and a public hearing was on the agenda before the commission took action. A smaller minimum lot size can make room for more homes on the same land, so the case matters if you care about density, traffic and tree cover nearby. The commission also canceled its work session that evening. Minutes aren't published yet for either meeting, so the outcome of the rezoning vote isn't available.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners
At its Oct. 6 Committee of the Whole meeting, commissioners moved dozens of contracts toward final board action. The biggest was an $11.1 million construction management contract for upgrades at the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant. Commissioners also advanced nearly $15 million in road, manhole and pavement marking contracts, plus $4.63 million in federal HUD grants for park and facility renovations around the county. Other items included $4.42 million in roof replacements for county buildings, $2.19 million for public safety radios and 911 upgrades, and a plan to transfer 30 vacant county-owned properties to the DeKalb Regional Land Bank Authority. A data center moratorium resolution, a data center zoning ordinance and two contested rezonings along Briarcliff Road remain pending, so you'll want to watch for those at the full board.

DeKalb County School District
The Board of Education met Oct. 5 and took up several large spending items. The biggest was a fuel supply contract renewal with the North Georgia Fuel Cooperative, capped at $10 million, followed by a $6 million renewal for facility maintenance and repair vendors. Trustees also considered $2 million for bleacher replacements, $1.5 million for roofing maintenance, and a $1.58 million Microsoft software subscription that includes AI tools. On the school-level side, the agenda included a stadium project at Dunwoody High School at no cost to the district, donor-funded sports lighting at Lakeside High School, and facade repairs at Miller Grove High School. The board also held a second reading of a new policy on how schools use artificial intelligence. As covered in today's news section, the board voted to name Dr. Norman C. Sauce permanent superintendent.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

City of Brookhaven
- 2973, 2979, 2981, and 2881 Woodrow Way — A rezoning from RS-100 to RS-85 with concurrent variances is being proposed to allow smaller residential lot sizes and increased housing density.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners
- Sylvan Circle NE — The committee approved advancing a property and permanent easement transfer to the City of Brookhaven for Special Services District Project 10.

Meetings This Week
- City of Brookhaven — Brookhaven Development Authority- Special Called | Oct-12, 11:00 AM
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Board of Commissioners | Oct-13, 9:00 AM | key topics: Briarcliff Road rezonings, data center regulations, park improvements
- City of Brookhaven — Mayor John Park Town Hall | Oct-13, 5:00 PM
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Committee of the Whole | Oct-13, 5:30 PM
- City of Brookhaven — City Council Regular | Oct-13, 6:30 PM | key topics: Blackburn Park fire station agreement, North Druid Hills trail easements, park commercial activity ban
- City of Brookhaven — Arts and Culture Commission Regular | Oct-14, 5:30 PM | key topics: North Druid Hills mural, Brookhaven Park cow sculpture, 2027 cultural work program
- City of Chamblee — City Council Public Hearing & Work Session | Oct-15, 6:00 PM | key topics: studio streetscape waivers, Buford Highway bakery variances, Peachtree Road and Johnson Circle rezonings

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 5070 Peachtree Blvd Bldg B: $3.5M apartment restoration, now closed. The permit covered 57 units damaged by fire and water, plus the elevator, across three floors. If you've noticed the building sitting quiet, the work is done and those homes are ready to come back.
- 4360 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd Ste 400: $180K commercial renovation, now closed. A vacant second-generation tenant space got minor demolition, new construction, and new finishes. Expect a new tenant to move in soon.

Road Work

Under Construction
- ATMS / System Optimization on Peachtree Industrial Blvd (DeKalb County) — Traffic signal and traffic management system upgrades along Peachtree Industrial Boulevard between Peachtree and New Peachtree roads.
- SR 13 Resurfacing from Fulton County Line to Chamblee Tucker Rd (DeKalb County) — Resurfacing of SR 13 between the Fulton County line and Chamblee Tucker Road to improve the road's low pavement rating.
- Ashford-Dunwoody Road EB Ramp at I-285 (DeKalb County) — A third lane is being added to the eastbound Ashford Dunwoody Road ramp onto I-285 northbound to relieve evening rush-hour backups.
- PATH 400 Trail Extension: Windsor Pkwy to N of Baroque Cir Phase II (Fulton County) — This is the middle section (Segment 2) of the PATH400 Trail extension, which Sandy Springs left out of earlier construction bids because of limited funding.

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Until next week,
Brookhaven / Chamblee Busybody

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Disclaimer: We use advanced data retrieval and analysis techniques across hundreds of sources, and may be prone to occasional error. Independently verify information with a secondary source, and please let us know if we got anything wrong via the feedback form.