The City Council votes Tuesday on a $1.275 million settlement for Peachtree Creek Greenway Phase II land, plus $490,000 to design two failing culvert repairs.
Brookhaven would pay $1,275,000 to settle a land case that has held up the next stretch of the Peachtree Creek Greenway. The City Council votes on the deal Tuesday.
The money buys a permanent easement and a temporary construction and staging easement at 2021 N. Druid Hills Road. The city needs both to build Phase II of the trail. The terms are in a resolution in the agenda packet for the Oct. 27 meeting.
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Brookhaven City Centre, 4001 Peachtree Road NE. The city listed the main items in its meeting notice on Monday.
How the land case got here
The city could not buy the land rights by negotiation, the resolution says. So it went to court to take them by condemnation, in DeKalb County Superior Court (case No. 25CV9069).
Talks with the property owners carried on after the case was filed. They reached a total payment of $1,275,000. The deal needed the approval of the Georgia Department of Transportation first, and the resolution says GDOT has now approved it. A council vote is the last step.
What Phase II is
Phase II would run 1.1 miles from the Atlanta city line to the North Druid Hills Road trailhead, where the existing greenway starts. The city’s Phase II page describes it this way:
- a 14-foot-wide concrete path for walking and biking
- seven pedestrian bridges, with most of the route on boardwalk beside and over the creek
- a link to the Atlanta Beltline, PATH400 and the South Fork Conservancy trails
- a spur to a MARTA bus stop on Buford Highway
The Atlanta Regional Commission recommended federal highway funds for the project, the city says. It received federal environmental approval in 2024 and is buying right-of-way. The page says construction is scheduled for 2026 and should take about 24 months.
The first mile, from North Druid Hills Road to Briarwood Road, opened in December 2019. Our walking and biking trails guide covers where to park for it.
Two failing culverts
The council will also consider $490,000 for engineers to design two stormwater repairs. The money comes from the city’s 2026 stormwater infrastructure budget.
Dresden Drive, near Thompson Road: $330,000 to Dewberry Engineers. An inspection found the downstream headwall of the culvert under Dresden Drive “showing signs of failure,” the public works memo says. It warns that could affect the sidewalk and the road. A sewer line crosses the pipes, which makes them prone to clogging.
Dewberry’s proposal says the crossing is two corrugated metal pipes, one 36 inches across and one 54 by 42 inches. FEMA’s flood model shows water topping the road in a 25-year storm. The design will also look at ways to slow traffic on Dresden Drive and make room for a future trail on its north side.
The city asked two of its on-call firms for prices:
| Firm | Quote |
|---|---|
| Dewberry Engineers | $305,083.30, including an optional $44,520 for detour and signal plans |
| RK&K | $302,048 |
Staff recommend Dewberry. The memo does not say why it was picked over the slightly lower quote. The $330,000 total includes a $24,916.70 contingency. The aim is construction plans ready to bid by the second quarter of 2027. Dewberry plans for a single lane closure or an on-site detour during the work if possible, and a full closure with a signed detour if not.
Duke Road: $160,000 to RK&K. A service request this year asked the city to look at a stream bank eroding in the 1700 block of Duke Road, below a city culvert. Staff found the concrete apron at the end of the culvert undermined and at risk of failure, the memo says.
The culvert is a pair of 60-inch metal pipes carrying Poplar Creek. RK&K’s proposal says the bank had failed by Sept. 30, and a large part of a homeowner’s parking area was lost. The firm quoted $140,396.60, with a $19,603.40 contingency on top. The goal is plans ready to bid by April 2027.
An award for the parks department
The meeting opens with a recognition of the Brookhaven Parks and Recreation Department. On Oct. 14, the Georgia Recreation and Park Association’s District 6 gave it two awards, the parks memo in the packet says:
- Agency of the Year for cities of 40,001 to 80,000 people
- Special Event of the Year for Light Up the Haven, the city’s holiday celebration
This year’s tree lighting at Blackburn Park is set for Dec. 3.
What it means for you
- Trail users: a settlement removes one of the land disputes in the way of Phase II. It does not by itself set a construction start date.
- Dresden Drive drivers: nothing changes yet. These contracts pay for design only. Construction, and any lane closure, would come after the plans go out to bid in 2027.
- To comment: email PublicComment@brookhavenga.gov with your name, address and phone number so the city can enter it into the record. The meeting is streamed on the city’s meeting portal.
- To follow up: the city posts the agenda, a meeting summary and video afterward on its Agendas and Minutes page.
Have your say