Presented By Neil Hediger Real Estate
Druid Hills / North Decatur
Hey y’all. Before we get into it this week, wanted to announce that we are running another giveaway / referral contest between now and 10/5! This time, there are three ways to win, and each winner gets a gift card to the Rocket Farm restaurant of their choosing (Superica, Beetlecat, Marcel, Little Sparrow, the Optimist and more). Here’s how to win:
$50: Refer the most new readers of anyone between now and 10/5 (we will publish a leaderboard every week)
$25: Random draw, where each referral counts as one entry
$25: Random draw, where answering this survey counts as one entry (we want to get to know our readers better! It will help us make the newsletter content more relevant)
Referral link below - note that for a referral to count, whoever you refer has to respond to the opt-in email they’ll receive from us:
Hey, Druid Hills / North Decatur! This week: a school bus crash on Briarcliff sent five Lakeside students to the hospital, DeKalb's Planning Commission drew a hard line against commercial creep into neighborhoods, and Blue Donkey Coffee is brewing up plans to take over the old Atlanta Coffee Roasters spot in Toco Hills. There's also a heated data center appeal working its way through the county, plus a full slate of author events at Eagle Eye.
- News — A bus crash on Briarcliff hospitalized five students, a data center dispute pits a film studio against the county, and Emory welcomes its newest Woodruff Scholars.
- Business — Blue Donkey Coffee is set to pour into the former Atlanta Coffee Roasters space on Lavista Road.
- Events — Catch Hamilton at the Fox, forensics after dark at Fernbank, or a pair of author launches at Eagle Eye Book Shop this week.
- Government — The Planning Commission backed new housing but shot down a drive-through, cell tower, and daycare rezoning, with final votes at the Board of Commissioners on September 24.
- Construction — A $500K electrical rewire wraps up near Clairmont, new LED signage hints at a Northlake tenant, and LaVista Road upgrades are underway.
Let's dive in.
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Contact Neil Hediger today for your real estate needs.
NEWS
Bus crash sends five Lakeside students to hospital, plus a data center fight heats up
Five Lakeside students hospitalized after bus crash
A DeKalb County school bus carrying 30 Lakeside High School students was struck by a vehicle that ran a red light at Briarcliff Road and Fisher Trail. Five students were taken to local hospitals for observation with no serious injuries reported, and the rest were moved to a relief bus to continue on to school.
DeKalb County commissioners to host tree canopy meetings
DeKalb County officials are organizing community meetings to gather public input on the county's tree canopy policies and environmental ordinances. The sessions will address how to balance residential and commercial development with preservation of mature forests and urban greenery.
DeKalb County Schools conducting student screen time survey
The DeKalb County School District is asking parents, students, and staff to share feedback on digital device usage both inside and outside the classroom. Results from the district-wide survey will be used to evaluate current technology initiatives and shape future screen-time policies.
Data center fight pits film studio against DeKalb County
Shadowbox Studios is appealing to the DeKalb County Zoning Board of Appeals to overturn the county's denial of its proposed large-scale data center facility. The case involves the county's existing data center moratorium and touches on power infrastructure demands and commercial tax revenue.
Emory's newest Woodruff Scholars bring extensive academic achievements, leadership and service
Emory University has welcomed its newest cohort of Robert W. Woodruff Scholars to its Druid Hills campus as part of the incoming class. The scholarship covers full tuition and room and board for students recognized for academic excellence and community engagement.
BUSINESS
Blue Donkey Coffee brews up a Toco Hills takeover of Atlanta Coffee Roasters' old spot
Blue Donkey Coffee Opening — Local craft roaster Blue Donkey Coffee is set to open a new location at 2205 Lavista Road in Toco Hills, taking over the space recently vacated by longstanding tenant Atlanta Coffee Roasters.
EVENTS | Presented by
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Hamilton hits the Fox, Fernbank goes after dark, and book launches fill Eagle Eye
Tuesday, September 8
- Bingo | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Victoria Aveyard & Rebecca Ross- Tempest | Eagle Eye Book Shop
- Julie Olivia- Love Felt Like This Launch Event | Eagle Eye Book Shop
- Hamilton (Touring) | Fox Theatre - Atlanta
Wednesday, September 9
- Preschool Storytime | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Story Time | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Thursday, September 10
- George Porter, Jr. & Running Pardners | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
- Jewelry with Gin Live! | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Dino Talk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Friday, September 11
- Fernbank After Dark: Forensics | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- The Only Light in Reno | OnStage Atlanta
- Beatnik Cowpokes | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
- Friday Movies | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Live Animal Encounter | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Devon Gates with Harpist Charles Overton: 2026 Jazz on the Lawn | Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
- SPAGHETTI JUNCTION | Napoleon's Grill
Saturday, September 12
- 2026 Beloved Community International Expo | The King Center
- Patrick Warburton | Variety Playhouse
- Ryan Banks | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
- Mother's Are Special Gospel Comedy Stage Play | Gym Studio
- Tennessee Vols at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Football | Bobby Dodd Stadium
Sunday, September 13
- Live Music: Cyrus at 3 pm | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
- Morning Hike | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Sep 13th The Heck with linocut by @tenderslug | Heck House
GOVERNMENT | Presented by
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Planning Commission favors housing growth but shuts down commercial creep into neighborhoods
Note: our information comes from posted meetings documents (agendas and minutes when available) — latest source document hyperlinked to each meeting.
Past Week Roundup
DeKalb County Planning Commission
The Planning Commission spent its September 1 meeting drawing a clear line between residential growth it supports and commercial creep it doesn't want in neighborhoods, and its recommendations now head to the Board of Commissioners on September 24 for final votes. Commissioners backed a new townhome community and a large single-family expansion for an existing subdivision, both moving forward with conditions attached. But they pushed back hard on commercial uses encroaching into residential areas, recommending denial of a restaurant drive-through, a cell tower facility, an alcohol retail outlet, and a daycare expansion that would have required a zoning change to office-institutional. A separate proposal to rezone commercial land for medium-density housing got punted to November for a fuller review. Commissioners also approved a placemaking strategy amendment to guide future development patterns in one part of the county, and a smaller in-home daycare request sailed through unanimously. If you've got a project waiting on a zoning decision, the real action happens at the Board of Commissioners meeting later this month.
Notable Neighborhood Mentions
DeKalb County Board of Commissioners
- 729 Old Briarcliff Road — The Planning Commission recommended approval of a rezoning from Office-Institutional to Medium Density Residential to allow construction of a single-family attached townhome community.
Meetings This Week
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Committee of the Whole | Sep-10, 9:00 AM
CONSTRUCTION
A $500K electrical overhaul, new LED signage, and LaVista Rd upgrades underway
Permits
- Clairmont Rd area (address off main road) — $500K single-family electrical overhaul just got closed out. Crews installed a new 200-amp service, 100 lights, and 130 outlets and switches, including eight 220-volt circuits. That's a full rewire, not a small job.
- 1440 Clifton Rd NE — Permit filed for inspection purposes only at this Emory-area commercial building. No actual construction work involved here.
- 2512 Blackmon Dr, Ste 910 — New illuminated LED sign going up on three sides of this Northlake-area building. Restaurant signage like this usually means a new tenant is about to open.
- Wineleas Rd — $58,500 residential permit closed for exhaust fan and dryer vent installation, four fans and two vents. Bigger scope than your typical bathroom fan swap.
Road Work
Under Construction
- SR 236 / LaVista Rd & Shepherds Ln Signal Upgrade — This project is upgrading traffic signals on SR 236 / LaVista Rd at Shepherds Ln, with construction underway now in DeKalb County.
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Until next week,
Druid Hills / North Decatur Busybody
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