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Hey Brookhaven and Chamblee! It's a big week for walkability, as a long-anticipated pedestrian bridge over I-85 is now becoming a reality. Also, a city council seat just opened up unexpectedly. Plenty more below worth your time.

- News — A Brookhaven councilwoman resigns for family reasons, triggering a special election to fill the seat, while a $15.8M bridge deal advances the Peachtree Creek Greenway and Atlanta Magazine gives Chamblee's Antique Row a spotlight.
- Events — The Atlanta Ice Cream Festival hits Piedmont Park Saturday, and the Brookhaven Farmer's Market goes full Christmas-in-July mode.
- Government — Brookhaven scored a new park via land donation, Chamblee floated a data center moratorium at its July 16 session, and DeKalb County approved a $25M affordable housing bond.
- Construction — A $223K office buildout is underway on Century Pkwy, SR-13 is getting resurfaced from the Fulton County line to Chamblee Tucker Road, and a third lane is coming to the Ashford Dunwoody ramp at I-285.

Let's dive in.

NEWS

Brookhaven City Councilwoman resigns for "purely family reasons"; council to refill seat
A Brookhaven City Council member has stepped down citing personal family reasons, and the city will now undertake the process of filling the vacant seat.

Brookhaven, Emory University, GDOT and DeKalb County collaborate to advance Peachtree Creek Greenway
Local authorities and Emory University have finalized a $15.8 million agreement to construct a 14-foot-wide pedestrian bridge over Interstate 85. The bridge will connect the Peachtree Creek Greenway to Emory's Executive Park.

DeKalb Schools reinforcing new Georgia phone-free school law
The DeKalb County School District is preparing to implement Georgia's new phone-free school policies ahead of the upcoming academic term. The policy will restrict mobile device usage during the school day for students attending local public schools.

A love letter to Chamblee's Antique Row
Atlanta Magazine spotlights the historic stretch of Chamblee's Antique Row, which has anchored the community since the 1970s. Several long-standing shops continue to operate there, preserving the district's distinct character despite shifting retail trends.

DeKalb Schools owes Decatur and Atlanta $12 million
A figure has now been attached to an accounting discrepancy involving the DeKalb County School District, which reportedly owes a combined $12 million to the City Schools of Decatur and Atlanta Public Schools.

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EVENTS | Presented by

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The Atlanta Ice Cream Festival hits Piedmont Park on Saturday, and even though it’s outside the neighborhood, it's one of the bigger draws of the summer worth flagging here.

Monday, July 20
- Adventures in Excavation | Chamblee Branch
- Fossil Frenzy Scavenger Hunt | Brookhaven Branch Library
- Mahjong Mondays - Session 3, Part 1 or Part 2 | Chamblee Branch
- Edge Missions Camp | Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church
- Preschool Storytime | Doraville Branch Library
- Civic Season is Here | Chamblee Branch

Tuesday, July 21
- Diamond Painting | Brookhaven Branch Library
- Chair Yoga for Adults | Chamblee Branch

Wednesday, July 22
- Crafty Wednesdays | Chamblee Branch
- Drop-In Tech Support Sessions | Doraville Branch Library
- English as a Second Language (ESL) | Chamblee Branch

Thursday, July 23
- The Floor Is Lava! | Brookhaven Branch Library
- LEGO Day at Chamblee | Chamblee Branch
- The Crew List Collective MeetUp | The Plug ATL

Friday, July 24
- Food Truck Fridays | 4001 Peachtree Road NE
- It Had To Be You - On Stage July 10 - 26 | Merely Players Presents
- Preschool Storytime | Doraville Branch Library

Saturday, July 25
- Brookhaven Farmer's Market - Christmas in July | 4001 Peachtree Road NE
- Summer Vibe at Chamblee & Vine | Chamblee & Vine Wine Shop and Tasting Room
- Beyond Juicery + Eatery Grand Opening in Brookhaven! | Beyond Juciery + Eatery
- FREE Puppy Hour at Central Bark Brookhaven | FREE Puppy Hour at Central Bark Brookhaven
- It Had To Be You - On Stage July 10 - 26 | Merely Players Presents
- Blooms Art Class: Chinese Watercolor Orchids | Atlanta Chinatown
- Magic: The Gathering for Teens | Chamblee Branch
- Heart Posture | Atlanta Marriott Northeast/Emory Area
- Atlanta Ice Cream Festival | Piedmont Park

Sunday, July 26
- Back to School Day - Regreso a Clases | Plaza Fiesta
- Big League Wiffle Ball Playoffs | Assembly Studios Gate 2
- It Had To Be You - On Stage July 10 - 26 | Merely Players Presents
- What's Your Favorite Fox Theatre Memory? | Chamblee, GA

GOVERNMENT

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 Brookhaven City Council met on July 14 and approved a land donation at Lenox Overlook Road, with the city designating the property for a new public park and green space. The council also granted seven sewer easements to DeKalb County's Watershed Management department to support a major regional sewer trunk project along several city-owned parcels, and separately approved a $375,556 contract to inventory and assess the city's stormwater system. Budget amendments closed out completed projects and returned surplus funds to city reserves. As covered in today's news section, the council called a special election to fill the vacant District 2 seat. Separately, the Brookhaven Board of Appeals is scheduled to hear four residential variance requests on July 15, three of which involve homeowners seeking to reduce the city's mandatory 75-foot stream buffer, and another requesting removal of a protected specimen tree, though no outcomes have been confirmed since minutes aren't yet posted.

City of Chamblee

Chamblee had a full week, starting with a Public Hearing and Work Session on July 16, followed by a two-day City Council Retreat in Dawsonville on July 17 and 18. Because minutes aren't posted for any of these meetings, no outcomes are confirmed and any items may have been tabled, deferred, or withdrawn. The July 16 session included a proposed data center moratorium, several rezoning cases, a guaranteed maximum price vote for Fishbolt Park construction, a citywide road resurfacing bid award, and both a mid-year budget amendment and a discussion about expanding a Special Service District. The retreat sessions were scheduled to cover updates to Chamblee's Comprehensive Plan, a review of the city's Unified Development Ordinance (the rulebook governing what gets built and where), an economic development assessment, and planning for community programs and special events.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved a $25 million bond program on July 14 to fund affordable housing across the county, backing programs like down-payment assistance and multifamily acquisition. Commissioners denied a rezoning application that would have allowed smaller, denser single-family homes on property in Districts 3 and 7. On the infrastructure side, the board approved a $21 million multi-year contract for on-call water and sewer repairs countywide, along with design contracts totaling over $4 million for two trail projects including the North Fork Peachtree Creek Trail. Several contentious items were deferred to late August, including a proposed data center baseline assessment, a control blasting ordinance, and a mental health pharmacy sublease, while two ordinances targeting chronic nuisance properties and vacant structures were withdrawn entirely.

DeKalb County School District Board of Education

The DeKalb County School Board approved a $15 million contract on July 13 to purchase updated K-12 social studies curriculum materials, the single largest expenditure of the meeting. The board also approved a $3 million district-wide roofing repair contract, a $2.5 million renewal for student assessment systems, and nearly $2.7 million in public safety technology renewals including wearable staff panic buttons and security software. A $750,000 private donation was accepted to fund a full lighting upgrade at Lakeside High School, and non-resident tuition for the 2026-2027 school year was set at $9,443.66. The board also adopted a new policy specifically governing the use of artificial intelligence in classrooms, a sign that AI in schools is moving from conversation to formal rule.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

City of Brookhaven City Council
- 1578 Lenox Overlook Rd — The council voted 4-0 to accept a land donation at this property for development into a new public park and protected green space.

City of Brookhaven Board of Appeals
- Hampton Hall Dr — A variance request to reduce the city's 75-foot stream buffer is on the agenda
- Ragley Hall Rd — A variance request to reduce the 75-foot stream buffer is scheduled to be heard
- Granger Dr — A variance request to remove a protected specimen tree and reduce the rear property setback is on the agenda
- Saint Clair Ct — Multiple variances are scheduled to be heard, including requests to reduce the stream buffer, shrink the interior side setback, and decrease the required separation between an accessory structure and the main home.

Meetings This Week
- City of Chamblee — City Council Regular | Jul-21, 7:30 PM
- DeKalb County School District — Board of Education | Jul-22 | key topics: executive session action items scheduled for vote

CONSTRUCTION

Permits

- 3630 Peachtree Rd NE — Commercial tenant buildout filed and under review. The entire floor is coming down first, with new walls and fresh space to follow. Expect some noise while this one gets underway.
- 2600 Century Pkwy, Ste 100 — $223K permit closed for the addition of two offices totaling 450 square feet. A relatively modest footprint, but the price tag says the finishes won't be.
- Fencing, retaining wall, and driveway addition permitted at a residential address for $100K. That's a serious landscaping and hardscape investment by any measure.

Beyond those, there's routine activity in the area: fire sprinkler and alarm work tied to tenant buildouts at Century Pkwy, plus a handful of tree removals and arborist visits scattered across the neighborhood.

Road Work

Under Construction
- Peachtree Industrial Blvd Signal Optimization (DeKalb County) Crews are working on signal upgrades along Peachtree Industrial Boulevard between Peachtree Road and New Peachtree Road. If you travel this stretch regularly, expect some delays while the work is underway.
- SR-13 Resurfacing, Fulton County Line to Chamblee Tucker Rd (DeKalb County) SR-13 is getting a full resurfacing to bring the road up to standard. The work runs from the Fulton County line up to Chamblee Tucker Road, so give yourself extra time if that's part of your daily route.
- Ashford Dunwoody Road EB Ramp at I-285 (DeKalb County) A third lane is being added to the eastbound ramp where Ashford Dunwoody Road connects to I-285 northbound. The goal is to ease the congestion that backs up there regularly. Expect construction activity at that interchange until the work is complete.

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Until next week,
Brookhaven / Chamblee Busybody

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.