North Decatur: School List Drama, a Trail Glow-Up, and Sewer Shutdowns

Good morning, North Decatur—hope you're staying dry after that wild weather week! Today, we're diving into the latest school closure flip-flops, a major "glow-up" coming to our favorite creek trail, and some road closures you'll want to know about.

- Big Stories — Between revised school closure lists and a sewer main shutting down North Druid Hills, it's been a week of keeping our eyes on the dashboard.
- Upcoming Events — Dust off your baskets and your walking shoes because cherry blossoms and legendary egg hunts are taking over your weekend plans.
- Local Government Discussion — We're tracking everything from new "blasting" rules to a high-stakes zoning vote on a controversial new gas station on North Decatur Road.
- Development & Construction Nearby — Between pricey plumbing at the new Lulah Hills and a bridge replacement over the CSX tracks, your GPS is about to become your best friend.

Let's dive in.

BIG STORIES

DeKalb County Schools makes changes to closure list (March 23, 2026) Heads up, parents—the "final" school closure list just changed... again. The district dropped a revised plan that has families in a frenzy over which campuses are staying and which are getting the boot. If you've got kids in DeKalb, consider this your official "eyes on the dashboard" moment.

Popular South Peachtree Creek greenway scores money for expansion (March 16, 2026) Our favorite walk through the woods just got a major glow-up fund. New money is headed toward extending the South Peachtree Creek Trail, meaning more off-street access between Emory and I-85. Time to dust off the walking shoes, because the commute is about to get a lot greener.

DeKalb County water department to close part of North Druid Hills for sewer main repair (March 18, 2026) Hope you weren't planning on taking the "scenic" route through North Druid Hills this week. A major sewer main repair is shutting down parts of the road, so plan your alternate routes now. Seriously, check your GPS before you even think about putting the car in gear.

Tucker city council weighing pet breeder restrictions, litter registry (March 22, 2026) If you live near Northlake or Scottdale, keep an eye on the city council's move to crack down on "parking lot" puppy sales. Tucker is weighing new rules for pet breeders and a potential litter registry to keep things above board. Basically, they're trying to make sure your next furry friend comes from a legit spot, not the back of a van.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Spring has officially sprung, and this week brings the heavy hitters: the Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival is taking over Blackburn Park, and the legendary Decatur Easter Egg Hunt is back! Clear your calendars—between the live music, the hunts, and the blooming trees, this is the week you've been waiting for.

Monday, March 23
- Weekday Winning: Mega Mondays | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
- StoryWalk® at Mason Mill Park | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Books and Babies Storytime | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Toddler Storytime | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Oscar Film Festival | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- English as a Second Language (ESL) | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Tai Chi/Qigong Midlevel Practice | Legacy Park

Tuesday, March 24
- Weekday Winning: Toco Tuesdays | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
- Tuesday Trivia @ Toco Hills | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
- Preschool Prom | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Jean Becker & Collamore at the Carter Presidential Library | Eagle Eye Book Shop

Wednesday, March 25
- Weekday Winning: Wicked Good Wednesday | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
- Preschool Storytime | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- AI and Pediatrics Mini-Symposium | Emory University
- Drop-In Technology Support | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Oscar Film Festival | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Decatur Farmers Market | First Baptist Church of Decatur

Thursday, March 26
- Weekday Winning: Thirsty Thursday | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
- Resistance Bands Exercise Class | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Singing Workshop in the Pavilion | Woodlands Garden
- Itzhak Perlman | Cherry Logan Emerson Concert Hall

Friday, March 27
- Friday Movies | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- March Front Yard Friday - Chris Rapalje and Keith Petroni | Sagamore Hills Civic Association
- THE EPICS | Napoleon's Grill
- An Evening with Cory Booker | First Baptist Church of Decatur
- Agnes Palooza Spring Fest | Agnes Scott College Science Quad

Saturday, March 28
- JIMMY B 70 | Napoleon's Grill
- Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival | Blackburn Park
- Decatur Easter Egg Hunt | First Baptist Church of Decatur
- Pound the Pavement for Peter - Family Fun Run | Capital City Country Club - Brookhaven
- Morning Hikes | Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Sunday, March 29
- JOHN DUGAN "BENEFIT" | Napoleon's Grill
- Free Yoga | Wild Heaven Beer
- Mister John's Great Big Eggstravaganza | Avondale Estates Town Green

LOCAL GOVERNMENT DISCUSSION

DeKalb County School District

Discussion from the Past Week

The Policy Committee had several key policies on its agenda this week, covering how the district operates behind the scenes and how it impacts your household. These items were reviewed and discussed but not voted on—expect formal action at a future meeting.

The headliner was Board Policy JBCC: Student Assignment. This is the framework that determines how attendance zones are drawn and how transfers are handled. While no one was moving boundary lines on a map this specific afternoon, the committee reviewed the rules that govern those future decisions. For families in areas like Oak Grove and Sagamore Hills, this policy is the "north star" for school capacity and redistricting logic, so seeing it back on the agenda means the district is sharpening its approach to where students sit.

The agenda also included how the district handles "Gifts and Bequests" and "Solicitations." Essentially, they're clarifying who can give money or property to schools and how groups can sell things or distribute materials on campus. It sounds like standard red tape, but it's actually about ensuring that outside influences (and their wallets) play by the same rules across the county. A late addition to the agenda was an Equity Policy, which aims to ensure resources and opportunities are distributed fairly, regardless of a student's zip code. Finally, the committee reviewed administrative records management—vital for anyone who has ever had to hunt down a transcript or public document.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners

Discussion from the Past Week

The county is currently engaged in a bit of "soul searching" regarding its infrastructure. Most notably, the commissioners are putting $300,000 toward a study to decide whether DeKalb's Water and Sewer system should stay under the current county management or spin off into its own independent "Water and Sewer Authority." The hope is that an independent board might provide more stability (and fewer headline-grabbing billing issues). Meanwhile, the board is moving forward with over $40 million in contracts for actual sewer rehabilitation—specifically for the Shoal Creek area—to satisfy federal requirements.

In a move to get ahead of the tech curve, the committee discussed new, stricter regulations for data centers. Residents have been raising red flags about the noise and environmental impact of these massive facilities, so the county is looking to require a "baseline assessment" of a neighborhood's health and environment before any new construction permits are handed out. Also on the futuristic front: Commissioner Ted Terry is pushing for an "AI Tech Dividend Fund" to see if the county can use artificial intelligence to help balance the books.

On the local front, the county is tightening the rules on "unauthorized camping" and public nuisance behaviors through a new ordinance aimed at addressing vagrancy. They are also looking at a new "Control Blasting and Safety Ordinance," which would mean developers can't just blow things up to clear land without much stricter county oversight and safety monitoring.

Most notable to your neighborhood:
Playground upgrades are officially on the way for Cedar Park (3165 Cedar St, Scottdale), which is good news for families in the Scottdale area. The board also moved forward with a hefty $835,000 maintenance contract for DeKalb Peachtree (PDK) Airport to repair and seal airfield cracks. While the airport is technically in Chamblee, the upkeep (and noise) is always a major topic for our neighbors in North Druid Hills and surrounding areas.

Meetings in the Next Week
- Board of Commissioners March 24, 2026 at 9:00 AM: This is the "voting meeting" where the board will finalize many of the items discussed last week, including the $45 million sewer overhaul and the new ordinances regarding blasting and unauthorized camping. They will also consider a residential deannexation request at 5499 Woodsong Trace and playground modifications for Cedar Park (3165 Cedar St, Scottdale).
- Committee of the Whole March 26, 2026 at 9:00 AM: No agenda is available yet for this mid-week strategy session.
- Board of Commissioners - Zoning Meeting March 26, 2026 at 5:30 PM: This is a high-stakes meeting for North Decatur residents as the board weighs a controversial proposal from Scope Builders to build a convenience store, gas station, and drive-through pharmacy on North Decatur Road—a project the Planning Commission has already recommended for denial. Other items include proposals for cottage homes and townhomes across the county.

DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION NEARBY

Permits
- Auguste Ave & Greco Pl — The Lulah Hills transformation is getting real. Four separate $215,000 permits for water meters just cleared for Lots 8, 9, 30, and 32. That is some very pricey plumbing for what's sure to be a massive new footprint in the old mall area.
- 3861 N Druid Hills Rd — A business here is dropping $56,450 on a serious 4-ton HVAC system and duct modification. We're guessing they're planning to keep things very cool this summer.
- Briarcliff Rd — A $62,500 residential addition is officially in the works. Expect the usual North Druid Hills construction hum for a while.
- N Decatur Rd — A warehouse is finally getting a $50,000 upgrade for new restrooms and a sewer injector pump. Overdue, from the sounds of it.
- 1800 Clairmont Lk — More commercial climate control work! A condo unit here is getting a full heat pump and air handler replacement.
- Work on the Mezzanine Level — A retail spot is installing new water piping for an HVAC rack system. It's a busy week for North Decatur mechanical contractors.
- North Decatur Area — Heads up: there are 12 more notable permits totaling over $2.7 million in the pipeline, mostly for retail and mercantile upgrades. The neighborhood is definitely getting a facelift.

Road Work

Under Construction
- SR 236 EB @ SR 155 Left Turn Lane Extension — Crews are busy lengthening the turn lanes at the big Lavista and Clairmont intersection. It's already a notorious bottleneck for anyone heading toward Toco Hills or Oak Grove, so expect a little extra "hurry up and wait" energy during your morning coffee run.
- Bridge Preservation on SR 10, SR 13, and SR 410 (DeKalb County) — This is a multi-route project involving polymer overlays and joint repairs to keep our bridges sturdy. For our area, the work on SR 410 (Stone Mountain Pkwy) is the big one to watch; keep your eyes peeled for lane closures if you're commuting through Scottdale or up toward Northlake.

Construction Work Program
- SR 236 (LaVista Road) Resurfacing — This stretch from the Fulton line all the way to I-285 is slated for a fresh coat of asphalt to fix that low pavement score. It's definitely needed for those potholes, but brace yourself for lane closures through the heart of Oak Grove once crews arrive.
- SR 8/US 29 (Lawrenceville Hwy) Resurfacing — GDOT is prepping to smooth out the ride from the Fulton line all the way to the Gwinnett County line. It's a long stretch of road through Medlock Park and Scottdale, so expect the rolling work zones to move with you on your morning crawl.
- US 29 @ North Druid Hills Road Operational Improvements — Big changes are coming to the intersection near the US 78 ramp. They're planning to signalize the westbound exit and widen North Druid Hills to provide three eastbound lanes. It'll be a headache during construction, but it should (hopefully) untangle that bottleneck.
- North Druid Hills Road CSX Bridge Replacement — This is a major 2,600-foot corridor project between Spring Creek Drive and Willivee Drive. Since it involves bridge work over the tracks, keep an eye on this one—bridge projects usually mean serious "find a new way to work" energy for Clairmont Heights residents.
- SR 155 (Clairmont Road) @ SR 236 (LaVista Road) Restriping — A restriping project is on the books for this major intersection. It's a smaller-scale job, but even a single closed lane at this crossroads can back things up for miles in every direction.
- US 78 Sign Upgrades (DeKalb & Gwinnett Counties) — Spanning multiple counties, this project will upgrade signage at nine different locations along the corridor. It's a low-impact project, but watch out for bucket trucks if you're merging onto the highway near Northlake.
- US 78 @ North Druid Hills Road Lane Extension — Crews will be extending the eastbound shared through/right-turn lane by about 245 feet. It's a small tweak that aims to help the flow for everyone heading toward Valley Brook and Scottdale.
- SR 155 (Clairmont Road) Operational Improvements — A 1.5-mile stretch of Clairmont between the I-85 ramp and LaVista Road is getting an upgrade. For those in Briarcliff Woods and Sagamore Hills, this is the main artery to the interstate, so stay alert for upcoming work crews.
- Clairmont Road @ North Druid Hills & Azalea Circle Intersection Improvements — Great news for the walkers among us! This project intends to build a shared-use path on the south side of North Druid Hills and a 6-foot-wide sidewalk on the north side. It's a massive win for pedestrian safety in a very car-heavy area.
- I-285 Bridge Preservation (DeKalb County) — Four bridges along the Perimeter are getting some TLC, including "polymer overlays" (fancy bridge protection) and new paint. If you use the top end of the Perimeter to get to Northlake, expect some weekend lane pinches once this starts.