By Phil Sadd

As a 20-year resident of the Lockridge Forest subdivision, I have strong interests in the possible move of a Walmart grocery store into the shopping center located at the intersection of Winters Chapel and Peeler Roads in District One of Peachtree Corners.  

I wanted to get the city of Dunwoody’s view on this project, so I attended the Dunwoody City Council meeting on Monday, February 13.

The City of Dunwoody is involved in the Walmart project because the shopping center is located in both Gwinnett and DeKalb counties. The building, except a very small portion of it, is located in Gwinnett County. 

A significant portion of the parking lot, and the right of ways, are located in DeKalb County. This Walmart location will not be a traditional Walmart Superstore that stays open 24 hours. Instead, this will be a Walmart neighborhood market, which is a smaller, grocery-focused store.

During the Dunwoody Council meeting, I presented a three-minute public comment to the Mayor and City Council. As part of my comments, I expressed  the level of interest that our neighbors have in this shopping center. 

The anchor store has been vacant for over a year providing an eyesore to this area of Peachtree Corners. The previous tenant (a grocery store) closed its doors and boarded up its windows without proper notice to its customers. The community needs a long-term tenant that will help provide jobs to local residents and economic stability to the area.

As part of Dunwoody’s meeting, the Mayor and City Council discussed and voted on the approval of an Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Dunwoody and Gwinnett County. 

The agreement passed unanimously giving Gwinnett County the responsibility for permits, zoning and code enforcement. Gwinnett County will also receive the tax revenue. One of Dunwoody’s concerns was the potential increase in traffic on that section of Winters Chapel Road. Walmart agreed to provide Dunwoody with funds to be used for conducting a traffic study, pedestrian improvements or similar activities.     

A view from one of the Dunwoody City Council members was that the area could use a boost, and that Walmart could invigorate the shopping center. Mayor Davis commented that this is a “game changer” for the area. An attorney representing Walmart was also at the meeting and shared with me that this agreement was the last major hurdle to work through. The plans are not final yet, however Walmart’s construction could begin as early as May. 

I look forward to future projects that help improve District One of Peachtree Corners and the possibility of representing the Peachtree Corners City Council as we work with the Dunwoody City Council on initiatives that involve both our cities.

Click here for additional information on Walmart's plans which were published on Dunwoody Patch.

Editor's note: Phil Sadd is a candidate running for the Peachtree Corners Post 1 city council seat. The opinions expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Peachtree Corners-Berkeley Lake Patch.