Residents express dissatisfaction with Windsor Parkway project; mayor leaves door open to modifications

About 100 people at a community meeting regarding the proposed Windsor Parkway multi-use path and roundabout intersection that will realign the road and result in the removal of 200 trees heard that the fundamental elements of the first phase of the plan will probably not change.

But officials left the door open to possibly eliminating or modifying the multi-use path portion of the project.

The Aug. 18 meeting, held at the Brookhaven City Centre, opened with a presentation by John Littlefield, the director of public works, who explained the timeline of the project, the reasons behind the decision to realign the road, and the number of trees that would be affected by the construction.

According to Brookhaven’s website, the project “will convert the conventional minor-stop intersection at Ashford Dunwoody Road and Windsor Parkway into a single-lane roundabout with a 10-foot shared-use path on the east side of Ashford Dunwoody Road. Windsor Parkway between Ashford Dunwoody Road and Lanier Drive.”

The project details

A shared-use path will be installed on the south side of the street and a curb and gutter, the website said. It was one of the mid-term projects recommended in the Ashford Dunwoody Road Corridor Study adopted by the council in 2017.

This project is included in the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) 2018 Transportation Improvement Project (TIP) funding. Preliminary engineering is authorized with federal funding of $595,680 secured with a local match of $148,920.

Littlefield said the focus of the project is safety, citing that between 2016-2020, there were 27 crashes in the area involving injury and property. The changes are projected to reduce injury accidents by 78% and property crashes by 38%.

He said taking out the roundabout and instead installing a signalized intersection wouldn’t significantly reduce the number of trees that would need to be removed.

Littlefield revealed the results of a detailed tree survey, saying that 206 trees will be impacted. About 63% of the trees are 14″ or less in diameter, while 17% are 20″ or more. The goal, he said, with replanting trees, would be to restore the canopy within 15 years.

“We can make some targeted refinements to this plan and we will look for opportunities to reduce tree impacts,” he said. “But major changes during final design would require revisions of completed milestones.”

Citizens vent, offer alternatives

Most of the people commenting about the project expressed their frustration with a variety of elements of the plan. Some were against the removal of mature trees, while others said the multi-use path isn’t necessary.

Several people who identified themselves as cyclists said they wanted the wider paths and would use them. Still others advocated for a three-way stop or a traditional signalized intersection, saying that they feel a roundabout is no safer than traditional street signals.

Former Brookhaven Mayor J. Max Davis said he saw an array of people attending the meeting representing every political party and said he wanted to “commend [the city] for uniting the citizens of Brookhaven.”

He added that he found it insulting that the city “changed the name of the project by inserting the word ‘safety’ in it. It nullifies any public engagement when you change the scope, name, and focus.”

Del Ross, who has circulated a petition opposing the Windsor Parkway project that has been signed by hundreds of people, said the city “is sacrificing trees under the illusion of safety.”

Others said that while he commended the mayor and council for holding the public hearing, they felt that the city had no intention of making significant changes to the overall plan.

“We appreciate that you have said you have heard us, but we want you to listen to us,” Ross said. “You had this meeting, and that’s great, but we want you to listen.”

However, Mayor John Park said the door is open to modifications, including possibly eliminating the multi-use path portion of the project. He said the MUP has not yet been funded and would need its own planning, design, funding, and public engagement.

After the meeting, Park said he was concerned about several of the issues that were brought up at the meeting, and that the city would continue the evaluation process. The project, which was to begin in 2027 “is in a natural pause,” he said.

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