The Medlock Area Neighborhood Association website has released a new letter from Scott Selig, which details many of the next steps as Suburban Plaza is redeveloped.  You can read the full letter HERE, but a few of the highlights include (as noted by MANA)…

demolition of parts of existing structures: in the coming weeks (summer 2014)
facade renovations: fall 2014
anticipated redevelopment completion: summer 2015
new tenants open for business: fall 2015

As for physical transportation improvements around the site, Mr. Selig states in the letter that the new traffic signal at the Suburban Plaza entrance on N. Decatur Road has been approved and should be installed “next summer”.  Also the installation of a left turn lane median on Church Street has been approved.  Additionally, “median islands” for Medlock Road and Sycamore Drive has been approved, and they’ve “initiated the process for the 25MPH speed limit for the two streets.”

The MANA site also notes that Selig is inviting community feedback on a Special Land Use Permit for a drive-through Starbucks at Suburban Plaza, and will host a meeting Tuesday, June 24, 7pm, at North Decatur Presbyterian Church (611 Medlock Road).

A splurge of press releases yesterday announced the ending of the two year dispute between Selig Enterprises, which owns Suburban Plaza and wishes to redevelop it, and a group  citizens concerned about building a Walmart on the site.

Selig’s release reads in part…

“Selig Enterprises, Inc. is pleased to announce that after an almost two year legal delay over the redevelopment of Suburban Plaza, all litigation between Good Growth Dekalb (GGD) and Dekalb County has been resolved and the redevelopment can resume. During lengthy discussions with GGD, Selig was able to address most of GGD’s concerns in a manner that will only improve our planned redevelopment of Suburban Plaza, including agreeing to the installation of additional sidewalks along Medlock Road, as well other improvements such as landscaping and fence repair next to the neighborhood of homes located directly to the rear of the shopping center.

You can read their full release on the Medlock Area Neighborhood Association website HERE.

Good Growth DeKalb also issued a release stating in part…

Faced with increasingly limited legal options, we accepted an invitation to meet with Selig Enterprises, owner of Suburban Plaza, on April 17. This was a difficult decision and a difficult process and, while we continue to believe a Walmart is wholly unsuited to this location, our legal battle is now over.

In exchange for agreeing not to pursue further legal action against DeKalb County over the granting of the Walmart building permit, we were able to obtain some relief for the individual plaintiffs whose homes are adjacent to the plaza. We also negotiated gains for the community, including a commitment from Selig to contribute a significant amount of money for a sidewalk along Medlock Road between North Decatur Road and Church Street. In addition, Selig Enterprises will arrange a meeting between Good Growth DeKalb and Walmart to discuss issues of importance to the community.

You can read the full release from Good Growth DeKalb at the end of Decaturish’s post on the subject.

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The Medlock Area Neighborhood Association website posted this letter from Selig Enterprises…

Yesterday, a DeKalb County Superior Court judge ruled that Good Growth DeKalb does not have standing to appeal DeKalb County’s decision to issue Selig a building permit to construct a Walmart at Suburban Plaza.  Good Growth DeKalb had claimed that it had standing to appeal DeKalb County’s issuance of Walmart’s building permit.  The Court disagreed.  As a result, the building permit is valid and the project is now cleared to move forward.

Good Growth DeKalb filed an internal DeKalb County administrative appeal in January, contending that the County issued the building permit for the Walmart Supercenter in error. Their appeal was addressed to the Technical Board of Appeals. However, because the appeal challenged issues such as trees and hydrology that fell under the jurisdiction of the Zoning Board of Appeals, the County assigned the appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals.  In its lawsuit, Good Growth DeKalb contended that the Zoning Board of Appeals did not have authority to hear the matter.  In an eleven-page ruling, Judge Barrie rejected Good Growth DeKalb’s claims and declared that it did not have standing under the County ordinances to file the appeal.  

Selig is pleased with the outcome and believes the Judge came to the correct conclusion given the law and the facts in the case.  Selig would like to thank Dekalb County Attorneys, Duane Pritchett and John Jones, for doing such an excellent job in defending the County’s issuance of the permit and in responding to Good Growth DeKalb’s claims.

Further, Selig is excited about the continued tenant interest in the project – including LA Fitness (which will include a daycare facility), HomeGoods, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, and Ross Dress for Less.  We hope to be under construction by the end of the year.

As always, we thank you for your continued involvement and support in this project and we will continue to update the community as we progress.

Sincerely,
              
Scott Selig

AJC reports that Good Growth DeKalb has filed a lawsuit on Friday against DeKalb County “claiming the county didn’t follow its ordinances in granting a building permit.” A bit more detail…

Good Growth DeKalb said a Jan. 9 appeal it filed against granting a building permit to Selig Enterprises, which will tear down the plaza to make room for the Walmart, was improperly directed to the Zoning Board of Appeals instead of the county’s Technical Board of Appeals.

If you’ve noticed the blue “Public Notice Board of Appeals Notice” signs surrounding Suburban Plaza recently, you may have wondered “What’s that all about?”.

Well, the Medlock Area Neighborhood Association website has the answer.  Deanne sent around a note pointing to this latest post…

MANA has received clarification on the basis of the appeal, filed January 9th by Good Growth Dekalb’s (GGD) attorney on behalf of GGD and Kristina and Abhay Mishra. The appeal states that:

1. Medlock Road is not an authorized truck route, and therefore Walmart’s use of this road violates DeKalb Code Section 17-94
2. various hydrology requirements were not met, and
3. there are various violations of the county Tree Protection Ordinance

DeKalb County thoroughly reviewed the redevelopment plan and determined that all criteria were met before granting the building permit. Selig is confident they’ve met the criteria and is prepared to address the appeal at the Feb. 13th hearing.

According to Deanne, the hearing will be held on Feb 13 at 1pm in the DeKalb County Auditorium at 1300 Commerce Dr. in Decatur.

Photo courtesy of MANA website

Selig has secured all permits to build the Walmart at Suburban Plaza according to the Medlock Area Neighborhood Association website, ad they are scheduled to begin construction early next year.

In related news, the long-time Suburban Plaza tenant, Decatur Estate and Wayback Antiques, reports they have found a new spot for their store at 2272 Lawrenceville Highway, which is the location of the old Jake’s Roadhouse, next to O’Reilly Auto Parts and across from Home Depot, according to MANA site.  They plan to reopen in the Spring of 2013.

The Medlock Neighborhood’s blog has an informative update regarding design, permitting/scheduling, leasing, and traffic/transportation of the pending Suburban Plaza renovation.

Rendering courtesy of Selig via MANA