News … Past News … January 2004

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DHA Report
By Ken Wright, President, Dunwoody Homeowners Association, Inc.

During the pass thirty-four years, the Dunwoody Homeowners Association has helped shape our community. To understand today what a difference it has made, let’s go back to 1960 as the area began to develop. In Downtown Dunwoody we had one traffic light, two gasoline service stations, a grocery store and a small post office. At the intersection of Winters Chapel and Peeler roads, we had a Grocery and Feed Store. There were a number of stables where you could board a horse, and our children were safe to ride any place they wanted to go. It was a common sight to see chickens strolling in the middle of the road, and farm animals were all about. Vegetables were bought from local farmers. Ashford-Dunwoody Road had two lanes with ditches on each side. Many streets were not paved and the trees were beautiful. Traffic was so light, it was safe riding a bicycle all the way to Sandy Springs! Get the picture? Life was good.

As Dunwoody began to develop in the late 1960’s it wasn’t long before developers saw Dunwoody as a good location for high-density development. No thought was given to the impact on homeowners or the community. In 1975, a national magazine called “rustic Dunwoody” one of the best places in the country to live and raise a family. Developers were willing to pay thousand of dollars for land for subdivisions, and they offered tens of thousands for land zoned for apartments. Six-figure price tags were not uncommon for a prize gas station location.

What if the Dunwoody citizens of the 1960’s had not cared about their community enough to challenge the developers?

Our first fight started over a request for high-density development behind Dunwoody Elementary School (now the library/Spruill Center for the Arts), we said No! and the battle began. Others followed. Some of the first requests were for a service station on the corner of Spalding and Roberts Drive, a roller skating rink at the same location, a service station and hot dog stand along Mt. Vernon Road, and a shopping center at North Peachtree and Tilly Mill. We quickly realized this wasn’t going to stop, and how right we were. The list grew, we continued to say No! and the community won. Today you may be living where our efforts were successful.

The Dunwoody Homeowners Association was formally incorporated under the state laws of Georgia in June 1970. Created as a non-profit organization, its main goal was to encourage, foster and preserve the rights of its citizens to home ownership and occupancy in Dunwoody. Accomplishing this task and working to retain the residential character of the area are still paramount. In addition, the organization’s main objectives are to protect and improve the quality of life, property values, cultural activities, education, and the safety and welfare of citizens. In its more than 34 years of existence, one would be hard pressed to find another homeowners association more vigilant in the protection of the quality of life it holds so dear.

The DHA has helped shape a community different from any other in the Atlanta area. Along the way, members have suffered many blows, gained much experience, and forged themselves into a strong social and political force, always working for the same goals. By constantly challenging those who threatened our way of live, even so-called defeats became victories as developers modified plans to counter our opposition.

Money Magazine, in its January 2004 issue, ranked Dunwoody as a "hot town" where people want to live and raise families. DHA will continue to be a positive force in protecting the residents of Dunwoody while promoting local merchants to preserve our status as the premier residential community in the metropolitan Atlanta area.

The twenty-seven men and women who collectively have served as president, along with thousands of caring citizens, devoted millions of hours as they fought the good fight. Each person who has served in an office or worked on a project has done so as a volunteer.
As we enter the 21st century, our job is on going. Hopefully the Dunwoody community will get the amenities our citizens deserve. We should be able to support the arts, enjoy green space, and have places to play, bike and jog. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a place in the community where we could gather for an event or a concert, which isn't in a parking lot, and not have to worry about the rain?

Working together it will happen, because the magic of Dunwoody is the people. You are invited to become part of this magic by joining forces with the DHA, DPT, and all of Dunwoody’s great civic organizations.