Council approves two Pleasantdale variances, accepts bike‑parking withdrawal and defers streetscape decision; Doraville Art CUP approved with conditions

Doraville’s City Council on Oct. 15 approved two variances for a proposed redevelopment at 4300 Pleasantdale Road (a project split across the Doraville/Gwinnett County line) and acted on several other land‑use items after public hearings.

Applicant representatives said they plan to demolish an aging cold‑storage complex and build three modern office/warehouse buildings. They requested four variances affecting driveway width (increase from 24 to 40 feet), building height (allowing a 55‑foot parapet to secure 40‑foot interior clear height), bicycle parking, and streetscape/sidewalk requirements along the Pleasantdale frontage. In response to staff and planning commission feedback, the applicant withdrew the bicycle‑parking variance after indicating they can provide required bicycle parking inside the building.

Council voted to waive first‑read formalities and then approved V‑25‑10 (driveway width) and V‑25‑11 (building height) after staff and the applicant described traffic, grading and topographic constraints that affected the streetscape build‑out. Shane Lanham, the applicant’s attorney, said strict streetscape standards would require extensive grading, utility relocations and removal of mature trees and offered a compromise: install decorative lighting on existing poles (subject to Georgia Power approval), plant supplemental landscape buffers per an exhibit, and, if sidewalk construction were truly infeasible at the county line, contribute roughly the cost estimate for sidewalk work into a city fund to support pedestrian improvements elsewhere.

Council accepted the withdrawal of V‑25‑12 (bike parking) and deferred V‑25‑13 (streetscape) to give staff and the applicant time to negotiate site‑sensitive mitigation and to quantify any city‑held contribution for connectivity to transit. Council members repeatedly emphasized pedestrian safety and asked staff to develop a more concrete plan so employees and shift workers could access the site by walking or transit where feasible.

Separately, council approved CUP 25‑04 (Doraville Art — accessory alcohol permit for events at DART) with conditions added since first read, including that no alcohol may be served while the Doraville library is open and that the CUP runs with the property (meaning if the tenant changed, the permit stays attached to the property unless rescinded). Council discussion clarified that state law restricts sale of donated alcohol and that servers must be properly licensed.

Votes at a glance: - V‑25‑10 (4300 Pleasantdale driveway width): approved (motion passed on roll call). - V‑25‑11 (4300 Pleasantdale building height): approved (motion passed on roll call). - V‑25‑12 (bicycle parking): applicant withdrew; council accepted the withdrawal. - V‑25‑13 (streetscape/sidewalk relief): deferred to next month for further negotiation. - CUP 25‑04 (Doraville Art accessory alcohol CUP): approved with staff conditions; recorded roll‑call included one dissenting vote (Council member Evans).

Council members said they favor redevelopment that creates jobs and modernizes obsolete industrial parcels but want better pedestrian connections, lighting and buffer planting where development abuts roads. Staff will work with the applicant on specific streetscape conditions before V‑25‑13 returns to council.