Officials approve Dunwoody trails master plan

DUNWOODY, Ga. -- In a 6-1 vote, the Dunwoody City Council approved the Dunwoody Trail Master Plan -- a blueprint for multi-use trails for decades to come.

The approval comes after months of talks between Dunwoody officials and residents, including a meeting in April when the plan was tabled so city staff and representatives of the PATH Foundation could collaborate on final touches.

At the City Council's May 22 meeting, officials were presented with a final draft, without the originally proposed "model project" for the plan which called for a greenway trail through the Nancy Creek area and minor trail sections in the Brook Farms subdivision and on the city's border with Doraville.

Even with those exclusions, the revised plan still contains 68.7 miles of multi-purpose walking and biking trails connecting countless Dunwoody neighborhoods, nine city parks, 11 schools, seven shopping centers and two MARTA stations.

The 88-page draft divides Dunwoody into four sections; North, West, Central, and East. It breaks down how the construction of side paths, raised one-way cycle tracks, and traffic calming measures on existing streets might impact each area.

Officials said when the trail system is completed, over 70 percent of Dunwoody residents will be within a 10-minute walk of a trail connection.

Like all the meetings up to this point, the City Council heard varied public about the master plan. Council members also spent a considerable amount of time asking more questions about the plan.

Post 6 Councilman John Heneghan, who cast the lone dissenting vote, said even with the changes made by the PATH Foundation, he still has serious concerns about details like the recommended sidewalk width, the plan's approach to the Nancy Creek area, and how the city would calm certain local streets.

"This plan sets standards, and in 10 years I won't be here," Heneghan said. "So, I want to make sure I discuss some of the things that I'm not 100 percent happy with in this plan."

But, other council members and Mayor Lynn Deutsch emphasized that the master plan is not a construction-ready document and will have numerous opportunities for fine-tuning and revisions over its life.

"Adoption of this plan does not approve a single segment of trail for construction," Post 3 Councilman Tom Lambert said. "There are no bulldozers lined up outside of City Hall, ready to hit the streets tomorrow and start building these trails. Nor does it allocate a single dollar and city funding to any of these projects."

Lambert said that each segment of trail will need to be designed and engineered during a process that will include community engagement and feedback and require City Council approval.

For more information about the Dunwoody Trail Master Plan, visit dunwoodyga.gov and click on Dunwoody Trail Master Plan in the Community Development and Master Plans tabs.