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Creekside Village modification and adjacent rezoning deferred for two cycles as DRI review continues
Summary
Commissioners deferred two related applications affecting Creekside Village and adjacent Pleasant Hill parcels while the Atlanta Regional Commission's DRI review is completed; residents raised concerns about blasting, stormwater and traffic.
DeKalb County commissioners voted to defer two companion items — a major modification for a 2018 rezoning (D‑2) and a rezoning request (N‑1) related to the Creekside Village area near Pleasant Hill Road — for two full cycles while the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) completes a required Development of Regional Impact (DRI) review.
Staff said the rezoning work traces to a 2007 Creekside Village rezoning and a subsequent 2018 approval that allowed up to 182 single‑family detached dwellings; the new modification would reduce number and change unit types in response to steep topography, rock outcroppings and other site constraints. Planner John Reed said the ARC determined the project requires a DRI and staff therefore recommended deferral until the DRI report is complete.
Residents organized through the East DeKalb Community Coalition and several nearby homeowner associations urged denial or substantial changes, citing years of stop‑start proposals, concerns about blasting and bedrock on site, the potential for damage to adjacent homes, sinkholes, retention pond impacts and the lack of a nearby fire station. Gina Mangum, speaking for several subdivisions, said community members had earlier agreed to conditions tied to a prior rezoning and opposed efforts to undo those protections. She urged commissioners to require stronger guarantees before approving any changes.
Applicant representatives, including attorney Michelle Battle and developers, told the commission they had reduced the number of units, adjusted layouts to avoid steep slopes and were preparing updated traffic studies required by reviewers. Battle also said state law prevents final action until the DRI process is complete.
After discussion, commissioners voted to defer both items for two cycles to allow the DRI process, updated traffic analysis and continued community engagement to be completed. Staff said the deferral will allow the ARC and GRETA comments to be addressed and the county to obtain a full technical record before making a recommendation at a later date.
