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Hey, Brookhaven / Chamblee! This week: mayor John Park touted falling crime and billion-dollar development at his State of the City address, even as a 40-year Clairmont Road institution serves its last plates. There's plenty to chew on beyond that too — from a Trader Joe's rumor at Oglethorpe Crossing to Taste Brookhaven's much-anticipated return on Thursday.

- News — Mayor Park's crime-and-cash victory lap headlines a week that also brings a testy PTA legal dispute, more West Nile-positive mosquitoes, and a church's 200th birthday.
- Business — Donnie's Country Cookin' closes its Clairmont Road doors for good just as word spreads that Trader Joe's may fill the old Publix at Oglethorpe Crossing.
- Events — Taste Brookhaven headlines a packed week alongside a farmers market, a caviar tasting, a murder mystery dinner, and plenty of library fun for the kids.
- Government — Chamblee's DDA weighs a loan for the big Greystar downtown project while DeKalb commissioners debate a data center moratorium and a wave of rezonings.
- Construction — A $630K bank branch overhaul on Buford Highway and multiple restaurant permits signal new life along the corridor, even as nearby road projects grind on.

Let's dive in.

NEWS

Park reiterates theme of 'Better Together' during state of the city speech
Speaking to about 120 attendees at City Centre during the Sept. 24 Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Mayor John Park said all eight FBI Index crimes decreased in 2025, with overall criminal activity down 12 percent and violent and property index crimes down 20 percent. He also cited the $605 million Northbend mixed-use development replacing Corporate Square, a $150 million BMW investment including $8 million for the Peachtree Creek Greenway corridor, and noted Brookhaven holds double AAA bond ratings from Moody's and Standard & Poor's while maintaining the second-lowest millage rate among DeKalb County cities.

Taste Brookhaven brings big flavors to City Hall
Taste Brookhaven returns to Brookhaven City Centre on Thursday, Oct. 1, featuring unlimited food and drinks from 16 local restaurants along with cocktails, mocktails and live music. General admission tickets are $125 for the 6:30-9:30 p.m. event, while $250 VIP tickets add a 5:30 p.m. rooftop cocktail hour, full bar and gift bag, with proceeds benefiting Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Strong4Life program.

DeKalb PTA officials threaten legal action against Chamblee Middle School parent
Chamblee Middle School parent Margaret Wright Boylan said she began seeking financial records and officer names for the school's PTSA on Aug. 13 after finding little information on its website, filing nine open records requests to DeKalb County School District. Region 1 PTA Council President Ashley Head sent a cease-and-desist letter dated Aug. 27 to district and PTA officials alleging Boylan's "repeated communications have become excessive, disruptive, and constitute a pattern of harassment," and asked DCSD and Georgia PTSA to conduct a formal review of her conduct.

More mosquitos test positive for West Nile in DeKalb County
According to a Sept. 23 DeKalb Public Health release, lab-confirmed positive mosquito samples have now been found in Lithonia, Stonecrest, Tucker, Chamblee (ZIP 30341) and unincorporated areas including Belvedere Park and Candler-McAfee, adding to prior positives in Brookhaven and North Decatur for a total of 14 positive trap locations since July. No human cases have been confirmed in DeKalb County, though the state has reported eight human cases and one death statewide.

Past Tense: Chamblee First United Methodist Church celebrates bicentennial
On Oct. 3 and 4, Chamblee First United Methodist Church will hold a bicentennial celebration weekend under the logo "Deeply rooted, ever growing," marking 200 years since settlers founded Prospect Methodist Episcopal Church in 1826. The congregation's building history spans a split-log house at the Shallow Ford crossing, an 1847 frame structure, an 1885 building at 5706 Peachtree Road, and the current sanctuary at 4147 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, which opened in 1967 following a 1965 groundbreaking.

Chamblee named UGA Watch Party location
The City of Chamblee has been designated an official University of Georgia Alumni Association watch party site, hosting its "3rd Spot Watch Party" series for four games at 3518 Broad St. in Downtown Chamblee: Georgia vs. Oklahoma on Sept. 26, Georgia vs. Alabama on Oct. 10, Georgia vs. Florida on Oct. 31 at 3:30 p.m., and Georgia vs. Ole Miss on Nov. 7. The events will include halftime performances by the Chamblee High School Band.

DeKalb County unveils school zone map
DeKalb County School District presented three draft redistricting options at a Tucker High School forum aimed at easing overcrowding in the Tucker, Druid Hills and Lakeside clusters ahead of new facilities opening between 2027 and 2029. Parents strongly opposed Option 3, which would split Cary Reynolds Elementary students among Pleasantdale, Hightower and Doraville United while moving some Evansdale homes to Livesey, with Interim Superintendent Norman Sauce III saying student experience remains central to the process.

BUSINESS

Donnie's Country Cookin' closing Brookhaven location after nearly four decades — The meat-and-three restaurant, run by owners Dongrae and Miae Byun in the Skye Hill shopping center on Clairmont Road, will close after nearly 40 years in business, with its last day set for September 25.

Trader Joe's in talks to open Brookhaven store at Oglethorpe Crossing — The specialty grocer is expected to take over space formerly occupied by Publix at the Oglethorpe Crossing shopping center in Brookhaven.

EVENTS | Presented by

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Monday, September 28
- Spooky Scavenger Hunt | Brookhaven Branch Library
- Babbling Babies Storytime | Doraville Branch Library
- Mah-Jongg Mondays Free Play | Chamblee Branch
- Circus Vazquez | Plaza Fiesta

Tuesday, September 29
- Adult Life Skills Class | Chamblee, GA
- Conversation in English! | Chamblee Branch

Wednesday, September 30
- English as a Second Language (ESL) | Chamblee Branch
- Business Resources 101 | City of Chamblee

Thursday, October 1
- LEGO Day at Chamblee | Chamblee Branch
- Adopt a Creepy Cuddly Creature | Brookhaven Branch Library
- Autumn Leaf Labyrinth | Chamblee Branch
- Money Matters - Financial Education and Budgeting Workshops | Chamblee, GA
- Networking Over Lunch at Pure Taqueria: Oct 1 | PURE Taqueria
- Comprehensive Program Services (CPS) Ribbon Cutting and Celebration Party | 2700 Apple Valley Road NE
- Mindfulness for Everyday Life | Chamblee Branch
- Shadows and Secrets: A Coraline Reading Club Adventure | Doraville, GA
- Taste Brookhaven Returns with an Evening of Signature Tastings, Live Entertainment and Local Flavor | Brookhaven City Centre

Friday, October 2
- Creative Caviar by Eventful | A Guided Caviar Tasting Experience | Distillery of Modern Art
- SPIRIT HORSE at Moon Dog Pub & Grub - Chamblee | Moon Dog Pub & Grub - Chamblee
- Preschool Storytime | Doraville Branch Library
- Murder Mystery @ Petit Violette | 2948 Clairmont Rd

Saturday, October 3
- Children's Tumor Foundation NF Walk | Blackburn Park
- Brookhaven Farmers Market | Brookhaven Farmers Market
- FREE Puppy Hour at Central Bark Brookhaven | FREE Puppy Hour at Central Bark Brookhaven
- Magic: The Gathering for Teens | Chamblee Branch
- Food Drive | Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church

Sunday, October 4
- Paint the Park | 4001 Peachtree Road NE
- Skylight Gallery Concert Series | Oglethorpe University Museum of Art
- Save The Date-Oktoberfest | Brookhaven Fields Community Association

GOVERNMENT | Presented by

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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

Chamblee Public Arts Commission met to talk through the city's growing public arts programming, and the agenda hasn't posted minutes yet, so outcomes aren't confirmed. Commissioners took up an update on the 2026 Chalk Walk & Artist Market, the community event that brings vendors and foot traffic to Chamblee each year. They also revisited the 2026 Arts Master Plan, which will guide where future murals and installations go across the city, along with ongoing upkeep of the Free Little Art Gallery, the small box where neighbors swap handmade art. None of this involves big spending yet, but it shapes what public art you'll see around town in the coming years.

Chamblee Downtown Development Authority took up a loan agreement tied to Greystar Development East's Chamblee City Center project, a major mixed-use development planned for the heart of downtown. Since only the agenda is posted, it's not yet clear how the board voted, but the financing decision could directly affect construction timelines and how quickly new retail and residential space comes online downtown. The board also reviewed its August financial report covering downtown project funds and revenues, and it opened a public comment period for residents and business owners to weigh in on parking, walkability, and the pace of downtown growth before any loan gets finalized. If you live or shop near Broad Street, this is the project to watch.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners had a packed week, with a special called meeting on infrastructure spending and a separate zoning session covering a long list of rezoning requests. Commissioners took up a resolution that would require an independent health and environmental study before the county could lift its data center moratorium, a move that could slow new data center construction countywide. They also considered big infrastructure contracts, including $3.2 million for new sidewalks on Flat Shoals Parkway, $4.1 million to design a Michelle Obama Trail extension, a $15.85 million multi-year paving contract, and accepting a $17.89 million state loan for sewer upgrades at Shoal Creek. On the zoning side, the board took up a wave of rezoning requests to convert office and single-family lots into townhomes and multifamily housing, plus daycare, alcohol sales, and drive-through permit requests, along with a plan to guide future development in the Embry Hills-Presidential Parkway corridor. None of these agenda items have confirmed outcomes yet since minutes haven't posted, but taken together they signal a county pushing harder on housing density and pedestrian infrastructure.

DeKalb County School District Policy Committee met virtually to review eight district policies, but the meeting produced no recorded votes or formal actions. Topics on the table included a new Artificial Intelligence policy, updates to the Internet Acceptable Use policy, school property disposal procedures, board member compensation rules, and purchasing guidelines. Since these are still in the review stage, none of them affect your school or student yet, but they'll likely come back for further discussion at the committee's next meeting on October 28. Parents interested in how the district handles AI in classrooms or board spending should keep an eye on that follow-up session.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

City of Chamblee
- Chamblee City Center Project Area — Financing agreements for loans to Greystar Development East, LLC were on the agenda to support mixed-use downtown construction.

Meetings This Week
- City of Brookhaven — City Council Work Session | Sep-28, 4:30 PM | key topics: Electric Vehicle Charger Program update, preview of regular meeting agenda items
- City of Brookhaven — City Council Regular | Sep-28, 6:30 PM | key topics: nonconforming structure zoning updates, Peachtree Creek Greenway engineering contracts, GDOT street resurfacing grant
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners | Sep-29, 9:00 AM | key topics: data center zoning regulations, street drifting and unauthorized camping penalties, Flat Shoals Parkway sidewalk design contract
- City of Brookhaven — Advisory Audit Committee | Sep-29, 11:00 AM | key topics: Capital Projects Program Assessment, Enterprise Risk Audit, internal auditor report
- City of Chamblee — Design Review Board | Sep-30, 6:00 PM | key topics: multi-parcel rezoning and design review along North Shallowford Road and East Johnson Circle
- City of Brookhaven — City Council Regular | Oct-03, 6:30 PM

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Permits
- 3630 Peachtree Rd NE — Crews pulled multiple fire sprinkler permits this month, relocating a combined 51 sprinkler heads across suites 1085 and 200. Add in a low voltage cabling permit for computer systems, and it's clear this building is mid-renovation on multiple floors.
- 5001 Buford Hwy — A $630,000 permit for a medium scope interior renovation of an existing financial center building. Expect non-bearing partition work, ceiling changes, and lighting upgrades. That's a serious investment for a bank branch overhaul.
- 1251 Perimeter Summit Pkwy — Apartment complex pulled a permit for an irrigation meter. Routine, but signals ongoing grounds work at the property.
- 4075 Buford Hwy — Business filed for a FOG (fats, oils, and grease) review, standard for a restaurant or food service tenant getting ready to open or renovate.
- A Chamblee restaurant location (address listed as Ste 210A) needed county water department review covering FOG, backflow prevention, and water and sewage, tied to a City of Chamblee route sheet permit. That's typical groundwork before a food business can open its doors.

Road Work

Under Construction
- Atms/ Sys Optimiz Peachtree Ind Blvd Fm P'tree to New P'tree — The project includes signals work. GDOT lists DeKalb as affected county.
- SR 13 from Fulton County Line to Cs 757/Chamblee Tucker Rd — This project, selected by the District Maintenance Office, is the resurfacing of SR 13 to improve the roadways current low PACES rating. GDOT lists DeKalb as affected county.
- Ashford-dunwoody Road Eb Ramp @ I-285 — At the intersection of Ashford Dunwoody Road and I-285, a third lane is proposed on the eastbound ramp which connects with I-285 northbound. GDOT lists DeKalb as affected county.
- Path 400 Trail Ext Fm Windsor Pkwy to N of Baroque Cir-ph Ii — This project is the middle section (Segment 2) of the PATH400 Trail Extension project that was previously designed, reviewed and approved under PI 0015023. GDOT lists Fulton as affected county.

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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.