Brookhaven awarded 14.5 acres to be used for greenspace

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

One parcel critical to Peachtree Creek Greenway project

Brookhaven, GA, Sept. 14, 2018 – With the stroke of a federal pen, Brookhaven has acquired 30 parcels of land, totaling 14.5 acres. The effort is the culmination of nearly two years work by City staff who initially submitted the transfer of ownership request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in tandem with DeKalb County, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
 

The properties are located on Drew Valley Road, Oostanaula Road, Burch Circle, Poplar Springs Drive, Nesbitt Drive, Bynum Road, Bynum Drive, Buford Highway, Dresden Drive and Victor Road. The acquisitions are a combination of four Hazard Mitigation Grant Program projects under three separate disaster declarations and under five of FEMA’s Non-Disaster Mitigation Programs. Use of the property is restricted to permanent greenspace.

“The City extends its appreciation to U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson and his staff for their tireless work on behalf of the citizens of Brookhaven,” said Mayor John Ernst. “The transfer of these properties to the City was a particularly long process and this timely approval is very important to breaking ground on the Peachtree Creek Greenway later this year.”

One of the properties received under the agreement, located on Buford Highway, is critical to the construction of the Peachtree Creek Greenway (PCG), according to Patty Hansen, Brookhaven Fund Development Director. “The GEMA state administrator is currently reviewing plans for the Greenway pedestrian fly over bridge and landing that would go on this parcel of land,” said Hansen.

All of the land is usable for passive greenspace purposes, but any planned use must be approved by the FEMA state administrator first, so the next phase in utilizing the various properties will include detailed planning, according to Moe Trebuchon, PCG Project Manager.

The transfer of the properties was subject to guidelines required by U.S. Code 44C.F.R. § 80.19(b) that notes “The property shall be dedicated and maintained in perpetuity as open space for the conservation of natural floodplain functions.” This may include limited outdoor recreational activities, wetlands management, nature reserves, cultivation, camping, buffer zones or other uses deemed compatible by FEMA.

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