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Doraville council approves funding to advance Peachtree Boulevard intersection realignment design
Summary
Doraville council voted to fund the next design phase for a Peachtree Boulevard intersection realignment and an elevated pedestrian bridge intended to improve safety near Assembly and retail destinations. The resolution passed on a 5–1 roll call; funding by other partners (CID, GDOT) was discussed but not guaranteed.
The Doraville City Council voted April 8 to advance 60% design work for a proposed Peachtree Boulevard intersection realignment and an elevated pedestrian bridge aimed at improving pedestrian safety near Assembly and the H‑Mart plaza.
Councilmembers debated the plan’s merits before the roll call. Councilmember John Ray (Councilmember Ray) argued the bridge would provide a safer connection for residents walking to retail and Assembly, saying the area is seeing substantial new housing and heavy traffic and that an elevated crossing is the safest option. “There’s a lot of traffic coming through there, and if there’s a safer way for pedestrians to cross,” Ray said, “this is something I would recommend.”
Councilmember Simmons (Councilmember Simmons) also backed the project for safety reasons and noted that advancing the design package could help secure federal and state grants. Opponents cautioned about long-term costs: Councilmember Naser (Councilmember Naser) said he was concerned about spending for a bridge and urged prioritizing the city center instead, voting "no" on the measure.
The motion to approve the resolution was made during the meeting and seconded; the council then took a roll-call vote with these results: Ray — yes; Simmons — yes; Naser — no; Henshaw — yes; Evans — yes; Armistead — yes. The motion passed and the council authorized moving forward with the design step. Mayor Gwytherin noted the resolution language anticipated Chamblee’s concurrence on shared costs and that the larger construction estimate of roughly $10 million would depend on CID and GDOT participation; Doraville’s immediate outlay is limited to the design funding the council approved (a figure discussed in the meeting as about $46,000 to $47,000 for the next design milestone).
City staff and council members said advancing the design keeps the option open to pursue grant funding from ARC, federal sources and Georgia DOT; they stressed that the vote was to fund the design phase rather than to commit the city to full construction costs. The resolution’s language also conditions some funding on agreement by neighboring Chamblee.
Next steps: staff will incorporate design work into grant applications and continue coordination with the CID and GDOT; councilmembers and staff indicated they will report back as grant opportunities and partner commitments develop.
