Dunwoody City Council considers zoning change for shopping center to attract more businesses

The Dunwoody City Council on Dec. 9 held a public hearing on a polarizing rezoning request for a mostly empty shopping center.

Branch representatives say they want to change the Mount Vernon Shopping Center’s zoning designation from Neighborhood Shopping to C-1 to allow for a greater diversity of uses beyond a grocery store, which has seen a revolving door of failed retail ventures in the last 10 years.

Most of the speakers at the meeting were in support of the zoning change, with one person expressing concerns about the possible uses that the C-1 designation may allow.

Joe Martinez, who lives about five houses down from the center on North Peachtree Road, said he commended the “purposeful rezoning” of the space, but wanted to make sure that existing city ordinances regarding lighting and signage be upheld.

Other speakers living near the center say they support the change in order to bring more activity and entertainment for young families relocating to the city. Others expressed concerns that the approximately 320 parking spaces may not be adequate for the demand a new tenant may require.

In November, Dunwoody’s Planning Commission recommended the C-1 zoning change, with several conditions, including the types of uses that would be allowed, operating hours, and minor changes to the parking lot.

However, Dunwoody Senior Planning Madayln Smith said at the Dec. 9 meeting that staff did not recommend one of the conditions that the planning commission placed in its recommendation: a change in weekend hours that would dictate that the end user close at 11 p.m. on Sunday. 

At the Nov. 20 meeting, Dunwoody Senior Planner Madalyn Smith said Branch has agreed to restrict several of the allowed C-1 uses, including capping the square footage for schools and special event facilities to 5,000. 

The planning commission discussed the rezoning at its October meeting, but deferred it after hearing complaints about the variety of uses that a C-1 designation could bring to the center. 

Discussions at the November and December meetings were a sharp contrast to a contentious neighborhood meeting in late July during which a majority of  attendees opposed most of the ideas proposed by its owners. 

Branch officials at the July meeting said that the company has had interest from “eater-tainment” or lifestyle-focused uses like food halls, pickleball courts or entertainment arcades like PuttShack or Main Event, which would have a sporting element to them as well as food and alcohol options. 

Branch officials said the possibility of putting in yet another grocery store has been shut down by all of the companies they have approached.

The February closing of Lidl is the fourth time that the anchor tenant in the Mount Vernon Shopping Center has been shuttered in the last 10 years. It was once a Harris Teeter, then an Ace Hardware, followed by a Sprouts Grocery before its three-year stint as a Lidl. 

Sprouts was open from 2014-2018 before disappointing sales and the looming end of the five-year lease prompted its closure. Lidl opened in August 2020 to great fanfare, but regular shoppers said they noticed that the store’s business had never been robust nor well-staffed.

In other action, the council: 

• Heard Dunwoody City Manager Eric Linton’s monthly report, which detailed recently held community events, department achievements, and upcoming projects;
• Approved seven facility agreements for entities that operate out of Brook Run’s Dunwoody Senior Baseball fields for 2025;
• Approved a contract amendment not to exceed $138,198 with Practical Design Partners, LLC for the final design of Peeler Road shared use path.