November 2025 Council Meeting Recap

Jimmy Furst
Nov 25, 2025
7 min read

Below is my recap of the latest Council Meeting with my thoughts, which don't represent the Mayor or the rest of the Council.

Click HERE for the agendas and videos for this month's Council meetings.

TL;DR

Announcements and Presentations

Council Dog of the Month

Meet Kylie, the queen of kisses! She has wonderful manners and is easygoing. She loves to cuddle or curl up in her own cozy spot and dress up! Kylie loves watching the world go by from a window perch, flashes the cutest corner-mouth smile, and does great in the car. She is such a gentle, energetic, sweetie girl!

Adopt Kylie today at LifeLine Animal Project!

New Business

Resolution Approving Moratorium on Consumption on Premises Alcoholic Beverage License Applications

Due to several questions, comments, and criticisms that have arisen in the last several months concerning the City’s alcohol code as it pertains to consumption on premises licenses, the City Council decided to adopt a moratorium on initial applications for such licenses so that it can conduct a comprehensive review and update of the code. Note: this is a city-wide moratorium.

The Council APPROVED this moratorium.

Staff Action Items

1) Spruill Center for the Arts – Old City Hall Use Proposal

The City is exploring an exciting partnership with the Spruill Center for the Arts, a well-known nonprofit arts organization based in Dunwoody. Spruill’s mission is all about sparking creativity and bringing people together through the arts — from classes for all ages to artist exhibitions and hands-on community programs.

Earlier this year, Spruill reached out to the City to see if the old City Hall building could become a new home for some of their programs. We think this could be a great way to bring more arts, activities, and community events right here to Chamblee.

The next step is for the City Manager to work with Spruill on a possible lease agreement for the space. We’ll share updates as the details come together, but we’re excited about the potential for more art, creativity, and community in our city!

Council APPROVED authorizing the City Manager to negotiate a lease agreement between Spruill Center for the Arts and the City of Chamblee for the use of the old city hall building.

2) Facilities Use Agreement with Albion SC Atlanta

Chamblee Parks, Recreation & Arts Department is looking to renew its partnership with Albion SC Atlanta — the organization that’s been helping us grow and improve youth soccer in our community since 2021.

Over the past few years, Albion has played a key role in expanding our recreational, academy, and select soccer programs. Their coaches, organization, and overall expertise have helped strengthen Chamblee’s soccer offerings, and our Parks & Recreation team has been very pleased with their performance.

Under the proposed new four-year agreement, Albion SC Atlanta would continue to:

Offer a high-quality soccer program for Chamblee youth
Provide scholarships for families who qualify
Review program outcomes at the end of each season to make sure goals are being met
Manage registration and coordination for all youth soccer activities covered in the agreement

The previous agreement with Albion expired in June 2025, and since then, the City has been operating under a temporary field rental arrangement. This new agreement would formally renew the partnership and outline updated financial terms, including fees for using the soccer fields and responsibilities related to the permanent lighting at Dresden Park.

Council APPROVED this item.

3) Amendment to the Q3 2025 Budget

Staff requested City Council approval of the Q3 2025 Budget Amendment, which included updates to the General Fund, State American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Fund, Series 2025 Park General Obligation Bond Fund, and Dresden Plaster Special Services District Fund.

The amendment addressed several items: a transfer from the General Fund to the ARPA Fund to cover non-reimbursable professional service expenses related to Village Park improvements; recognition of remaining ARPA funds to be spent in FY 2025; and acknowledgment of bond proceeds from the $30 million Parks Bond issued in September 2025, following strong voter approval in November 2024.

Additionally, the amendment established the FY 2025 budget for the Dresden Plaster Special Services District, funded by a 2-mill rate, to support economic development, infrastructure, and maintenance at Dresden Park.

Council APPROVED this item.

4) Playe Cafe Mural Application & Mural Grant Application

The Public Art Commission (PAC) recently received its very first application for the new Mural Grant program, which is an exciting step toward bringing more public art to Chamblee. Although the business had to withdraw its application because some information was missing, this still shows that interest in the program is growing.

We expect to see more applications come in soon and look forward to supporting local businesses and artists who want to help brighten our community with creative and colorful murals.

More public art is on the way!

5) Professional Services Agreement with Lowe Engineers for a Stormwater System Survey & Assessment

Public Works recommended that the Mayor enter into a contract with Lowe Engineers to conduct a full survey and assessment of our stormwater system. The work is expected to take approximately thirteen months and will help the City better understand how the system is performing and identify areas where long-term improvements are needed.

Earlier this year, the City requested proposals from qualified engineering teams. Eleven firms applied, and after a detailed review process, four finalists were invited for interviews. Each finalist then submitted updated cost proposals based on additional guidance from the City.

Here are the proposed fees from the finalists:

Freese and Nichols with Terramark: 332,548 dollars
Lowe Engineers with Atlas: 538,782.21 dollars
CDM Smith with SAM: 719,166 dollars
Ardurra with CES: 1,011,041.25 dollars

After interviews, the evaluation team determined that the lowest cost proposal was not the best fit due to concerns about team alignment and capability. The remaining three teams were all strong candidates, but Lowe Engineers stood out as the best match for the City’s needs.

The good news is that this project will not create any new financial impact for residents since it is already fully funded through the Stormwater Enterprise Fund. 6) PZ2025-1324: 5039 Buford Highway

A business owner recently submitted a request to open an Amoco gas station at the current site of the Holiday Package Store. The applicant has since asked to DEFER the request, and the City Council agreed to that delay.

7) PZ2025-1464: 3012 Villa Esta Drive

Proposed construction of a circular driveway in the front yard of a single-family residential home with a secondary curb cut onto Villa Esta Drive. Council DENIED this item.

8) PZ2025-1529: 5525 Peachtree Boulevard

Curry Honda submitted plans to update its property with several improvements. The proposal included demolishing a portion of the existing one and two-story showroom and office building and constructing a new 12,836 square foot addition made of architectural metal panels and glass. The new space was planned to continue serving the same dealership functions.

The project also called for enhancements to the site, including new landscaping within the parking lot, a reconfiguration of parking and vehicle display areas, and updated signage.

The Council APPROVED this application with conditions.

9) PZ2025-1538: 3535 Ashton Woods Drive

Pruitt Health requested an expansion of its rehabilitation center facility, along with an expansion of its surface parking lot. This proposal drew significant interest from residents and from Keep Chamblee Beautiful. The concern centered on a variance request that would have allowed part of the project to encroach into the Keswick Forest Preserve, a portion of which is owned by Pruitt.

After strong pushback from the City Council, Pruitt revised its plans to remove the encroachment entirely. This was an important win for the preservation of the forested area.

However, it is important to note that plans for the parking lot expansion were approved in 2018, before I was elected, and those approvals cannot be changed. Even so, we worked to include as many protections and mitigation efforts as possible to reduce the impact on the Keswick Forest Preserve. The Council APPROVED this application with conditions.

10) PZ2025-1564: 1871 Chamblee Tucker Road

Walmart submitted a request to install several new ground signs at its shopping center. Because the proposed signs did not meet the City’s zoning rules, the company requested two variances.

The first variance asked to exceed the maximum allowed height for a miscellaneous ground sign. The second variance asked to install more ground signs than are permitted on a commercial property.

After reviewing the request, the City Council DENIED both variances.

11) PZ2025-1588 3525 Broad Street

The Chamblee City Center project included plans for a major mixed-use development in the heart of our city. The proposal called for the construction of a 340-unit multifamily community made up of two residential buildings. One was a 352,165 square foot building with five to six stories, and the other was a 62,184 square foot building with four stories. Both buildings were designed to sit over a podium structure with twenty thousand square feet of space.

In addition to the residential buildings, the project included thirty thousand square feet of retail, restaurant, and commercial space across four separate commercial buildings. A seven-level parking garage with 599 spaces, wrapped by a residential building, was also part of the plan. The development featured a one-acre public town green to serve as a central gathering space for the community.

The applicant also proposed enhanced streetscapes on all sides of the property, twelve-foot-wide Rail Trail segments along Peachtree Road and Ingersoll Rand Drive, and on-street parallel parking on every frontage. The project pursued Silver certification under the NAHB NGBS green rating system. This was DEFERRED by the applicant's request.

Please send me your questions, comments, or concerns.

Email: Jfurst@chambleega.gov

Mobile: 770-901-1121

The legal stuff: The views expressed represent the views of the author and may not reflect the views of the Chamblee City Council. Comments posted in response to a Councilmember-initiated communication may be subject to public disclosure under the Open Records Act. If you are a resident of Chamblee and would like to discuss city business, please go to chambleega.gov or contact me at the email above.