► PAGE 4
Planners sign off on hotel for Medley
Mark Toro, the developer who spearheaded Avalon, pitches an update in plans for the 42-acre mixed-use development Medley at the Oct. 1 Johns Creek Planning Commission meeting. His proposal, unanimously approved that night, replaces an originally planned two-story entertainment space with a boutique hotel featuring up to 175 rooms, 8,000 square feet of meeting space and a restaurant. See story Page 8
City OKs 60 townhomes for Emory workforce
Creekside Park tunnel project, new fire station move ahead
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A new set of townhomes will be constructed near Emory Johns Creek Hospital, intended to house those who work there.
The Toll Brothers project calls for 60,
three-story townhomes across a dozen buildings on a 6.74-acre lot, just north of the intersection of Hospital Parkway and Medlock Bridge Road and bound by area shopping centers.
The Johns Creek City Council unanimously approved the plans at its Sept. 30 meeting but requested that the facades and rooflines have variation.
Future residents of the townhomes, ranging from 1,900 to 2,600 square
feet, will have access to amenities like a pocket park and more passive space. Developers also plan to create a nature park near the creek at the back of the property.
The site had been zoned for a mixedused development approved in 2002, which envisioned more than 70 multifamily units above commercial space.
EMORY, Page 23
TOLL BROTHERS/PROVIDED
Johns Creek City Council approved plans Sept. 30 for Toll Brothers to build three-story townhomes along Hospital Parkway near Emory.
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POLICE BLOTTER
All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.
Someone sets up camp in future Medley building
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A woman reported to police Sept. 24 that someone had been sleeping inside a vacant building owned by Toro Development off Johns Creek Parkway.
The developer is leading Medley, a 42-acre mixed-use development slated for that area.
The woman, a company representative, told police that while the group was preparing to renovate the building, they discovered that a surveillance camera had been spray painted.
She also said an air mattress, a mini refrigerator, snacks, and a hot plate were found on the first floor, according to the incident report.
The woman said a $500 replacement lockbox along with the key had been removed from the building. The first lockbox went missing in early September, the report says.
While at the scene, police found an Alcon badge by the front entrance of the building and a bank card on the windowsill.
The scene was turned over to detectives.
Boutique owner reports theft of designer socks
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Police viewed surveillance footage at a boutique off State Bridge Road, showing a suspect stealing an item and a cash register.
Police had responded to an alarm at around 4:30 a.m.
The 24-year-old owner identified the stolen item as a $50 pair black
Supreme socks, according to the incident report. He told police the register contained less than $300 in cash.
The suspect was seen wearing dark clothing, entering and exiting the area on foot.
Resident alleges cash taken from car console
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Two individuals reported to police Sept. 28 that items had been stolen from their cars, parked in front of a residence off Laithbank Lane.
A Johns Creek man told police he noticed the door of his car slightly open, finding $80 in cash missing out of the center console, according to the first incident report. The told police his vehicle was unlocked.
At the same residence, another individual reported to police that his back passenger side window had been broken. He said a $40 backpack and a $300 tackle box were missing, according to the second incident report.
Police listed the reporting party as a juvenile and the car’s owner as an Alpharetta woman.
Police arrest three people over course of traffic stop
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Three people were arrested on drug charges after police allegedly found marijuana in their vehicle Sept. 10.
Police stopped a vehicle on Old Milton Parkway at Morris Road driven by a 20-year-old Gainesville man after running his license plate and determining it was not registered.
An officer smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle while speaking with the driver and searched the vehicle. Officers later determined the driver did not have a valid driver’s license.
During the search, officers found 58 grams of marijuana and 45 grams
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of a brown powdery substance that tested positive for THC, according to the police report.
They also found a large handgun magazine containing 30 9mm bullets.
Police determined the man intended to sell the marijuana because some of the drug had been divided into baggies. They also found a scale and cash.
Police arrested the man and two other passengers, a 19-year-old woman and 29-year-old man, both from Durham, North Carolina. All three were charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a Schedule 1 substance.
The driver also was charged with driving while unlicensed and altering a license plate for the purpose of concealing a vehicle.
Man reports Acura driver threatened him with gun
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Police investigated a report of aggravated assault in an apparent road rage incident Sept. 13.
A 32-year-old Alpharetta man told police that an Acura TL Type S sedan suddenly cut in front of him on Ga. 400 at Haynes Bridge Road and began brake checking him.
After both vehicles pulled into a parking lot near North Point Mall, the Acura driver reportedly exited his vehicle and brandished a black gun, waving it and yelling.
The Alpharetta man said the other driver told him, “I’ll beat your Huckleberry.” He said he called 911 because he felt his life was threatened.
The suspect was described as wearing a gray graphic T-shirt and cargo shorts and having light brown hair. The Alpharetta man sped away and fled into the mall.
The man provided to police a license plate for the Acura, which was registered to a Cumming man.
PHOTOS BY ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA
Teacher Rand Herbik joins the racing fun Oct. 4 with the kids while Education Director Nadja Lima captures pictures for parents.
Trike-A-Thon in Johns Creek raises funds for St. Jude’s
By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Ivy Kids of Johns Creek held their first annual Trike-A-Thon in partnership with St. Jude’s children’s hospital Oct. 4.
School owner Karim Badani had the idea for the event after learning that September is childhood cancer awareness month. He told Appen Media the hope was to unite parents for a cause “close to heart that really connects with all of our families.”
Hurricane Helene’s conditions meant Badani had to reschedule the event to this month.
Even before opening Ivy Kids Johns Creek’s doors in August, Badani was in contact with St. Jude’s to partner for the fundraiser. In the end the event raised more than $2,600.
Infants also got to participate in the Oct. 4 Trike-A-Thon, which raised over $2,600 for St. Jude’s children hospital.
City upgrades Autrey Mill Nature Preserve
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — City officials and representatives of the Autrey Mill Nature Preserve cut a ribbon on the park’s new and improved amphitheater Sept. 4.
The $407,495 project, which accommodates additional programming and facility rental options, includes site drainage and accessibility improvements. It was mostly funded through the city’s Tourism and Product Development budget in fiscal years 23 and 24.
Hotel/motel tax funds the city’s Tourism and Product Development budget, channeled through the Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau. Bureau members also attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The project stems from a master plan created for the park’s Historic
additional programming, like theater
and facility rental options.
Village, as part of the larger Recreation and Parks Strategic Plan process in 2022.
the Johns Creek Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as representatives of Autrey Mill joined.
Alpharetta Rotary mobilizes to benefit hurricane victims
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Rotary Club of Alpharetta acted quickly to collect and transport supplies to help victims impacted by Hurricane Helene. Club members drove a trailer filled with supplies to Burnsville, North Carolina, after having collected contribu-
tions Oct. 3 and 4, club President Jeff Davis said.
Helene laid waste to western North Carolina communities, killing more than 100, after bringing almost 30 inches of rain in a matter of hours in some places.
Alpharetta Rotarians collected cleaning supplies, bottled drinks and water, toiletries, gas cans, diapers, flashlights
and batteries and other items. Davis said the club is considering a second supply drive for the storm-stricken area.
Club members acted after seeing coverage of Helene’s aftermath in North Carolina.
The televised images, said Davis, a retired marine who served combat tours, reminded him of a “war zone.”
Davis said the relief aid dovetails
with the club’s mission statement. He said he hopes the help might inspire victims to help others in the future.
“It’s really simple,” he said. “Our goal in Rotary is to make the world a better place one small act at a time. If this can help someone change their life from tragedy to success, we are all in.”
To connect with the Rotary Club of Alpharetta, visit alpharettarotary.com.
CITY OF JOHNS CREEK/PROVIDED
Autrey Mill Nature Preserve Executive Director Lizen Hayes and Johns Creek Mayor
John Bradberry cut a ribbon on the renovated amphitheater at the park Sept. 4. Council members, city staff, members of
The new amphitheater at Autrey Mill Nature Preserve accommodates
shows,
ProPublica editor shares reporting on deaths amid state abortion law
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
Editor’s note: Appen Media Group owns and operates The Georgia Politics Podcast, and when ProPublica turns its attention to Georgia, it catches our eye.
NORTH METRO ATLANTA — Citing medical experts, ProPublica recently reported that the death of two Georgia women who had sought abortion treatment, were preventable.
Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, both Black, are the subject of recent reporting from ProPublica in a series entitled “Life of the Mother: How Abortion Bans Lead to Preventable Deaths.”
ProPublica is a nonprofit national newsroom that focuses on public interest and investigative reporting, exposing harm and bringing accountability as well as solutions.
ProPublica Senior Editor Ziva Branstetter joined Appen Media Group Senior Reporter Amber Perry on an episode of the Georgia Politics Podcast Sept. 27, sharing with listeners the details of reporter Kavitha Surana’s yearlong effort to bring Thurman’s case to light.
Not long after the episode aired, local media and national outlets reported that
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney struck down the law. In its coverage of the Sept. 30 decision, The Guardian cited ProPublica’s reporting.
The order comes after the state Supreme Court reversed a 2022 ruling from McBurney, according to local media. McBurney had said the law had been passed illegally, since Roe v. Wade was in effect at the time.
Gov. Brian Kemp signed the LIFE Act in 2019, though it did not go into effect until July 2022.
After deciding to end her pregnancy in summer 2022, Thurman traveled to a North Carolina clinic to receive a surgical abortion but was instead offered a two-pill abortion regimen.
That July, Georgia’s six-week abortion ban had gone into effect. Thurman’s pregnancy had advanced to the ninth week.
Thurman developed complications from the abortion pills, a rarity, and sought urgent treatment at Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge in midAugust. Through a time-stamped account of Thurman’s visit, ProPublica revealed a
Top update: Local and national outlets reported Sept. 30 that a Fulton County Superior Court judge struck down Georgia’s six-week abortion ban, allowing the procedure at up to around 22 weeks of pregnancy. The Guardian cited ProPublica’s reporting in its coverage of the new decision.
delay in a procedure that could have saved Thurman’s life, called a D&C, or dilation and curettage.
Branstetter, working closely with Surana and contributing reporters, said the team’s entry into Thurman’s story began with a review of public death certificate data.
Branstetter said around 30 cases were identified that had the hallmarks of potentially preventable deaths, with insights from forensic pathologists, maternal fetal medicine specialists and gynecologists who advised the team what they should be looking for.
Key words were sepsis alongside “retained products of conception,” relevant to both Thurman’s and Miller’s cases, as well as miscarriage and a general lack of options.
“We’re not trying to attack doctors or hospitals,” Branstetter said. “We’re just trying to examine ways that these bans
are resulting in deaths, and perhaps some solutions can come out of this, some more clear directives.”
Doctors and nurses involved in Thurman’s cases did not respond to questions from ProPublica.
“Doctors have said these bans are going to cause confusion and fear, and these exceptions are not going to be enough to prevent people from being harmed and possibly dying,” Branstetter said.
To listen to the episode, visit appenmedia.com/podcasts/ thegeorgiapoliticspodcast.
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BRANSTETTER
U of Wisconsin grad joins Appen newsroom
ALPHARETTA, Ga – Appen Media Group announced Sept. 30 that Annabelle Reiter will join its staff as a reporter. Annabelle will cover sports, local government and business in the North Fulton area. She will report to Carl Appen, director of content and development, and she will be based in Alpharetta.
Reiter grew up in Waunakee, Wisconsin, a suburb of Madison, and graduated
in May with a degree in communications from the University of Wisconsin. During her time at UW, she took courses in political rhetoric, mass communications, and sports media, and worked as a policy intern in Gov. Tony Evers’ office.
“I’m extremely excited to be joining the team at Appen Media,” Reiter said. “I’m passionate about the human experience, I love culture and connecting people through storytelling, I’m very fortunate to be able to have a place to do so in the newsroom at Appen Media.”
To contact Reiter with news tips or story ideas, email annabelle@appenmedia.com
Coverage leads to record month for Decaturish
DECATUR, Ga. — Decaturish reached a new milestone in September, recording 419,000 page views, the most of any month in 2024.
Breaking news about Hurricane Helene and a chemical plant fire in Rockdale County drove the increase in page views. Decaturish also saw the most unique visitors of the year, bringing in 245,000 readers.
Editor and founder Dan Whisenhunt attributed the increase to the recent purchase of Decaturish by Appen Media Group. The acquisition included turning over many time-consuming operational
tasks to Appen, allowing Decaturish to focus its efforts on telling the untold stories of our community.
“Having more time on my hands means more time I can spend editing and writing stories for Decaturish, creating more value for our audience,” he said.
“We are thrilled to see this amount of growth so soon after bringing on the Decaturish team,” said Publisher Hans Appen. “It is a testament to how much the Decatur area relies on Dan and his team to keep them informed on issues most important to them, like their safety.”
REITER
Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm
Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm, re-imagining how bath & kitchen remodels are done.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Alpharetta photo exhibit reveals miniature worlds
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — There’s another world hiding in plain sight on the miniature scale, photographer Elena Sullivan says.
“It’s very interesting to show tiny things to the big world,” said Sullivan, who lives in Alpharetta. “Sometimes people don’t notice when we are running around, rushing to work or rushing home. It’s easy to miss all that beauty. That’s what mesmerizes me.”
Sullivan’s exhibit, “Refreshing Whispers of Bloom,” is on display at the Alpharetta Branch Library, 10 Park Plaza, through Oct. 20. Her collection of 15 fine art photos captures the smallest details of flowers through a macro lens, revealing miniscule details like dew drops and petals.
Sullivan began her foray into macro photography in 2019 while living in Cancun, Mexico. While sitting in the garden of her home drinking coffee, she noticed a speck of rain sitting on a blooming rose.
Eager to see the detail on a larger scale, she leapt into action, capturing the image on her Nikon.
“I guess coffee is inspirational,” she said, laughing.
That photo led Sullivan on a creative journey in macro photography.
One photo in her exhibit shows brown veins forming geometric patterns on the underside of a leaf. Another, titled “The Daisy Echo,” features a drop of water resting on one daisy reflecting another.
A photo she took outside her Alpharetta home, again while drinking coffee, focuses on a droplet that almost seems to include another universe inside.
“(The photos) explore the tiny details of the world,” she said. “You have to learn to notice things you wouldn’t notice in your daily life.”
Sullivan began her professional career in photography taking commercial photos of weddings, marriage proposals and other family events. But with a master’s degree in art and culture from St. Petersburg University, she always knew she wanted to be creative with her camera.
Born in Sevastopol when the city was a part of the USSR, she said she was lucky to be raised by parents who fostered creativity in her early years.
Although neither parent was an artist, they cherished imagination
“The Daisy Echo,” by
captures a reflection of another flower in a dew drop resting on a daisy’s petals. The photo is one of 15 macro photographs in her exhibit.
in everyday tasks, like sewing the family’s clothes or photographing their moments together. Her father developed those photos in the bathroom of her family’s small apartment.
In her family, creativity was a mindset.
During the early years of her career, Sullivan found herself enriched by her work in exotic places.
In Cancun, she fell in love with the area’s colorful homes and friendly, open-minded locals. There, she did underwater photography, working on a project for television producer Christina Cindrich that let her swim with whale sharks.
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Elena Sullivan is an Alpharetta photographer whose works are exhibited at the Alpharetta Branch Library. Sullivan used a macro lens to capture tiny details on flowers and plants.
PHOTOS BY: ELENA SULLIVAN/PROVIDED
Elena Sullivan,
8 | Johns Creek Herald | October 10, 2024
Planners sign off on hotel for City Center’s Medley
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A boutique hotel may be the centerpiece of Medley, the anticipated 42-acre mixed-use development that is one facet of the Johns Creek Town Center project.
The new proposal discards original plans for a two-story entertainment space and adds a hotel featuring up to 175 rooms, 8,000 square feet of meeting space and a restaurant.
The rest of the Toro Development project is filling out. Restaurants like 26 Thai Kitchen, Ford Fry’s Little Rey and Fadó Irish Pub are part of a slate leasing agreements for Medley.
“We've signed probably almost 25 retail leases, one of which is with a boutique grocer who shall remain unnamed, but I'll allow anybody to speculate,” Developer Mark Toro told the Johns Creek Planning Commission Oct. 1. “It's interesting, the NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) that we sign with retailers…”
The Planning Commission unanimously approved Toro Development’s hotel pitch, which will now go before the City Council for a vote at a future meeting.
Approval includes a special use permit that would allow the hotel to stand six stories, or 75 feet, on the sides and in the rear. The facade, facing Medley’s central plaza, would meet the zoning district’s four-story, or 60foot, height requirement.
TORO DEVELOPMENT/PROVIDED
A rendering of the proposed Hotel at Medley shows a four-story facade facing a central plaza. A special use permit, approved alongside a rezoning, would allow the sides and rear of the building to stand at six stories.
Toro offered the success of the Hotel at Avalon with the Planning Commission as a rationale for the move.
“The hotel, specifically, has been a resounding success, and has injected new heads in beds every night and brought new energy to the property,”
said Toro, who led the development of the Alpharetta crown jewel less than 10 miles away under North Atlanta Properties. He co-founded and led the Atlanta office.
New hotels cropped up in Alpharetta after Avalon’s opened.
In July, though, investment firm
Peachtree Group bought the 119-unit Hamilton Hotel in downtown Alpharetta after foreclosure for a price of $41.9 million. The hotel opened in 2021.
Toro also spoke of the privatepublic partnership between the City of Alpharetta and Avalon owner North American Properties. He said the city wanted the Alpharetta Conference Center because of a lack of options in the area.
“In fact, at the time, the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce had to go to Buckhead for their gala because there was no other place to be,” Toro said.
In 2016, the City of Alpharetta approved an agreement with the Alpharetta Development Authority to issue $26 million in revenue bonds to fund construction of the 44,000-square-foot conference center, connected to the Hotel at Avalon.
Alpharetta Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard said the city gets two free uses of the conference center annually, excluding catering or A/V costs.
Drinkard also said the city’s bond debt for the project is cushioned by the 1 percent increase in hotel/motel tax, approved at the time. A portion of that tax also goes to the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau, which funds a $500,000 annual marketing expense related to the conference center.
See HOTEL, Page 9
Alpharetta comedy club to open in October
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A family-owned comedy club set to open soon in Alpharetta plans to feature national and local talent.
Helium Comedy Club, 3070 Windward Plaza, will host live comedy and other performance art acts weekly, Brad Grossman, company COO, said. The venue will be managed by Georgia residents. It is part of the national Helium brand with main offices in Philadelphia.
Hotel:
Continued from Page 8
Toro said the company is in the process of interviewing nine operators, adept at managing hotels of the proposed size.
But, he told Appen Media the hotel’s brand is unknown at this point. He is encouraging people to help with the selection process. Pending approval by the City Council, Toro said the company will create an Instagram post
The contemporary-styled space will offer food and drink to guests, including entrees, desserts, appetizers, cocktails and craft beers.
Grossman said Helium is proud to open the club after seven years of work.
“We pride ourselves on providing a top-notch comedy experience and nurturing the local comedy community,” he said. Construction began in 2023.
Shows will average at about an hour and 40 minutes in length and feature an opener, feature, and headliner with national entertainment credits. Guests
and ask people to chime in.
Some members of the Planning Commission questioned how the update might impact the Fire Department. Commissioner Vicki Horton emphasized the major shift from an entertainment space to an asset where people stay overnight.
“I’m not just talking the equipment, I'm talking the ability to effectively protect and serve that asset and the people in it,” Horton said, riding a question about whether the Fire Department had the appropriate apparatus to handle the proposed building
can expect to see Duncan Trussell, Craig Robinson, Shannon Ford, Randy Feltface, Jordan Jensen, Adele Givens, Drew Lynch, Pinky Patel, William Montgomery, Nick Mullen, Kelly Stafford and others.
Next summer, the club plans to introduce a Funniest in Atlanta contest, which has sister contests running in seven other markets across the country.
Notable winners have included Martha Kelly, of “Baskets” and “Euphoria”; Shane Gillis, of Netflix’s “Tires”; and Ian Karmel, who was
size.
Planning and Zoning Manager Ruchi Agarwal said every rezoning and special use permit goes to the Fire Department. She added that the fire marshal reviewed the plan, and that the accessibility of the property hasn’t changed, a typical focus.
Many Planning Commission members voiced their excitement about the hotel, including Chris Jackson.
“...Avalon was one of these things where it became, ‘If we build it, they will come,’” Jackson said. “I think the same thing is going to happen here.”
featured on the “Late Late Show With James Corden.”
Comedy has lately become increasingly popular as social media and other digital platforms have embraced the medium, Grossman said.
“Podcasts, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok have been tremendous for performers to find an audience,” Grossman said. “In the end, people want to see their favorite acts in person, in an intimate space, which is what Helium has been doing for 20 years.”
For more information or tickets, visit atlanta.heliumcomedy.com.
Women and Heart Disease: Advancing Expertise to Understand More
Brought to you by – Emory Heart & Vascular
For many years, heart disease was considered a “man’s disease.” That began to change about 30 years ago, thanks in large part to Emory Healthcare cardiologist Nanette Wegner, MD. She was one of the first doctors to focus on heart disease in women - and the first and most insistent voice to push for greater inclusion of women in heart disease research.
Today, researchers around the world are studying heart disease in women. Despite significant progress, heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women (and men), surpassing breast cancer and lung disease. It is responsible for about one in every five deaths in women.
Heart Disease Symptoms
Look Different in Women
The most common symptom of heart disease in men and women is chest pain, discomfort or pressure. Women are more likely than men to have other symptoms such as:
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating
• Arm or upper back pain
If you think you are having a heartrelated emergency, such as a heart attack, call 911 immediately.
Heart Disease Risk Factors in Women
Many risk factors for heart disease are the same in men and women such as:
• Being overweight or obese
• Diabetes
• Family history of heart disease
• High cholesterol
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Physical inactivity
• Smoking
“There are additional risk factors that are unique to women,” says Ijeoma Isiadinso, MD, director of Heart Disease Prevention at Emory Heart & Vascular. “For example, complications that may occur during pregnancy, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, can increase
the risk of heart disease, hypertension or diabetes later in life. And during menopause, a woman’s risk of heart disease rises due to hormonal changes. Also, inflammatory rheumatic conditions, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, occur more often in women than men and are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.”
Take Care of Your Heart
Most heart disease is preventable, and early detection saves lives. The most important place to start is with a heart-healthy lifestyle.
• Be physically active
• Do not smoke (or vape)
• Find ways to manage your stress
• Follow a diet with plenty of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean pro-
tein sources, such as chicken and fish
• Get quality sleep
• Limit your alcohol intake
• Limit your salt intake and avoid foods high in simple carbohydrates and fat
• Maintain a healthy weight
Routine screenings for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes can help your provider identify early signs of heart disease. Medications to treat these conditions can also help lower your risk for heart disease.
Specialized Heart Care for Women
at Emory Heart & Vascular
Emory Heart & Vascular offers a dedicated program focused on women’s heart health. Our team of physicians and nurse practitioners provide col-
laborative care for women who are at risk of or already have heart disease. Patients can also participate in clinical trials that seek to better understand heart disease in women.
Ready to Transform Your Heart Treatment?
If you are concerned about your heart health, turn to doctors at the top of their field. Emory Heart & Vascular brings together more than 150 physicians and 18 specialized programs in cardiology, cardiac surgery and vascular surgery.
Next-day new patient cardiology appointments are available at one of our 23 locations.
Visit emoryhealthcare.org/transform to learn more and schedule an appointment.
Family history of heart disease? Emory Heart & Vascular can help rewrite it.
MORE TREATMENT OPTIONS
Our expert heart & vascular team pioneers the most innovative techniques and treatments. Giving you more options and better outcomes than anywhere else. To make more “tickle monster!” moments like this possible.
The difference? Emory Women’s Center at Johns Creek uses research and innovation in health to provide exceptional care, close to home. From routine gynecology and menopause management, to high-risk pregnancies and specialty care, our team is here for your journey no matter where it takes you.
Visit emoryhealthcare.org/history to schedule an appointment.
Visit emoryhealthcare.org/women to schedule an appointment.
Personalized breast care close to home at Wellstar North Fulton
Brought to you by - Dr. Laura Pearson, breast surgeon at Wellstar
I have never met a woman who enjoyed getting mammograms, including myself. They can be uncomfortable, awkward and anxietyprovoking—especially if you have had scares in the past or are at high risk for getting breast cancer.
There are so many additional resources for risk reduction and surveillance available that go hand-inhand with mammograms. At Wellstar, reducing your risk and screening for cancer starts with a physical from your primary care doctor.
If you are at average risk of developing breast cancer, you should begin annual screening mammograms at age 40. If you have a family history or other risk factors, your doctor may recommend earlier or more frequent screening. If
something is detected on a mammogram, the Wellstar Comprehensive Breast Health Program has nurse navigators who will help arrange diagnostic imaging, biopsy procedures and referrals to breast specialists. If you are diagnosed with cancer, the compassionate and oncologytrained nurse navigators with Wellstar Cancer Care walk patients through diagnosis, evaluation, treatment and beyond.
If you’re diagnosed with breast cancer, your treatment and care will transition from our Comprehensive Breast Health Program to the Wellstar Cancer Care team. In Wellstar STAT Clinics, which stands for Specialty Teams and Treatment, we put you at the center of your care plan. In our STAT Clinic for Breast Cancer, the care team, including breast oncology nurse navigators, surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, nutritionists and genetic counselors, will meet with you and your support system on the same day to formulate a treatment plan personalized to your specific cancer, as well as your
personal and cultural needs. Patients can ask questions, make decisions and start treatment sooner, improving outcomes.
Many times, surgical intervention can be done as an outpatient procedure. We can also offer some people intraoperative radiation therapy, or IORT—the option of doing their radiation treatment in the operating room at the same time as their lumpectomy, meaning they are able to avoid four to six weeks of radiation treatments. Any other interventions, such as chemotherapy or radiation, including our CyberKnife for treatments like targeted partial breast radiation therapy, are found in the cancer center on Wellstar North Fulton’s medical campus. We have physical therapists, social workers and palliative care specialists who are there for you if the need arises.
Your Wellstar care team can also help you reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. Being overweight or obese or being a smoker can increase your risk. Patients at Wellstar have access to our Center for Best Health to assist in weight management. We also have smoking
cessation programs and dietitians waiting to help you make healthier choices that can positively impact your health.
Wellstar provides more than healthcare, PeopleCare—working relentlessly to exceed national standards and our patients’ expectations while remembering the humanity of every patient. We are here for all the situations and stages of our patients’ lives by offering the tools and resources to be healthy and thrive. Wellstar clinicians live in the communities we serve. We must get physicals, mammograms and biopsies. We need help being our healthiest selves. We get sick and have family members who need compassionate care. PeopleCare means offering our patients world-class healthcare in the communities where they live and work.
Your care team can put your mammogram order in Wellstar MyChart to book online, or you can schedule by calling (678) 581-5900. Visit wellstar.org/ northfultoncancercare to learn more about cancer care at Wellstar North Fulton.
PEARSON
At Wellstar, you’ll find a multidisciplinary team of cancer care experts built around your needs and dedicated to comprehensive, personalized treatment.
We are a leader in cancer care, embracing innovation to improve patient outcomes. Our surgeons perform a variety of minimally invasive procedures—providing patients with smoother recoveries and less pain. We also support patients during their cancer journeys with STAT Clinics, which bring cancer care clinicians together and put people at the center of their treatment. With this multidisciplinary approach, patients start care sooner, optimizing treatment and outcomes. wellstar.org/northfultoncancercare
Premier Dermatology
Providing Excellence. Every Patient. Every Time.
Brought to you by – Premier Dermatology
Congratulations to Premier Dermatology and Mohs surgery of Atlanta for its seventh year in a row of being voted Best Dermatologist and Best Vein Specialist of North Fulton! Since opening in 2017, Premier Dermatology has quickly become the go-to dermatology practice for Mohs surgery and comprehensive dermatologic care. As in years past, I decided to sit down with Dr. Brent Taylor to get his take on his success and to learn a bit more about him.
Alyssa : Hey you two! Thanks for meeting with me again. Winning the Best Dermatologist and Best Vein specialist for seven years in a row means you must be doing something right! To what do you contribute your continued success?
Dr. Taylor : Thank you! Well, I believe that my patients understand our sincerity and our dedication to their healthcare. Kathryn and I and our amazing team all honestly care about our patients and their well-being. I hope that that sincerity comes through during our
interactions. We always strive to give our patients our complete attention and to learn more about an individual as a person as well as a patient. There are plenty of times when a patient brings something to our attention or when a case compels us to do additional research. Kathryn and I are constantly collaborating and advocating on our patients’ behalf. I believe that comes through.
Premier:
Kathryn : I agree with everything that Dr. Taylor said, our team really is wonderful. And we have received a lot of compliments that the practice has a personal and “boutique” feel, even as we deliver care that is scientific and academic.
Alyssa : Do you have a patient care moment or a diagnosis of which you are exceptionally proud?
Dr. Taylor : Well it is always our goal to deliver outstanding dermatologic care. Regarding diagnoses that I’m proud of, the first instances that come to mind involve catching a disease that is technically outside my specialty. For example, a patient looked a bit yellow, and I ordered a liver function test and caught acute liver failure. I helped another patient discover that one of his ureters had been accidentally cut during a surgery at the hospital.
Within my own specialty I’m often most proud of how simply being thorough can be critical to a patient’s care. By being thorough, I have caught melanomas on the scalp and bottom of the feet of patients who were sometimes surprised I asked them to take out a hair tie or take their socks off. Likewise, photography helps us monitor moles for change, and just last month we caught a melanoma early because a slight change from a previous photo prompted an early biopsy.
Alyssa : Has a patient or teacher or coworker ever asked you out on a date?
Dr. Taylor : (Laughs) Yes they have. Sadly, the number of patients in their 90s who have asked me on a date is higher than the number of nonpatients who ever asked me on a date before I was married.
Alyssa : Is there a funny medical fact that you have learned?
Dr. Taylor : Actually I have a good one! An ENT professor in medical school told us that as men age they lose the ability to hear higher pitch sounds, and, as women age, their voices increase in pitch. Thus, men naturally lose the ability to hear women with time. So the next time your wife accuses you of ignoring her: blame biology, not the football game!
Alyssa : If you could tell your 16 year old self something, what would it be?
Dr. Taylor : To not put too much stock in timelines. I was raised very traditionally, and I thought that I was going to meet my wife in college, get married right after we graduated then start a family a few years later,
and it made me worried when I hadn’t met the right person by the time that I expected. My advice to the teenage me would be to just pour yourself into positive and worthwhile activities and that the result would be becoming who you are supposed to and meeting who you are supposed to all in its own time.
Kathryn : Stop stressing. You’ll make it happen. I was so focused on my future, worrying about not achieving my goals, and how I was going to put myself through school that I didn’t stop to enjoy being 16. In hindsight, I realize that having a bit more faith would have gotten me to the same endpoint without all of the pressure I put on myself.
Alyssa : Do you have a pet peeve of which patients or staff are guilty?
Dr. Taylor : I really don’t get frustrated easily. I understand that everyone has a life and everyone’s lives have struggles about which we often know little. If someone is being rude, I usually chalk it up to unseen struggles. That being said, I do wish that certain patients would realize what a marvel Mohs surgery really is. My primary pet peeve is patients mistreating my coworkers. Sometimes, patients get frustrated waiting on their tissue to process during a day of Mohs surgery. And they sometimes take it out on my medical assistants, who are wonderful and caring and are in healthcare for the right reasons.
There is a comedian who has a bit on youtube called “everything’s amazing and nobody’s happy.” He talks about how upset people get on airplanes when just a few hundred years ago a trip across the country was like the videogame Oregon Trail – the journey took months, and half of the wagon party died of cholera on the way. Like air travel, skin cancer treatment nowadays is miraculous. Prior to Mohs surgery, far more skin cancers routinely caused disfigurement and even death. Now, Mohs surgery offers a cure rate of 99% for most skin cancers, and the aesthetic results are often outstanding. Modern skin cancer care truly is fantastic. Unfortunately, the same day shipping world in which we live has made people expect immediate results, and they sometimes take out their frustrations on my coworkers. The world can always use a little more kindness, patience and grace.
Thank you to Dr. Brent Taylor and Kathryn Filipek PA-C for sharing a little more about themselves and congratulations again for winning both Best Dermatologist and Best Vein Specialist in North Fulton for 2024!
Insist on the
Dr. Brent Taylor is a Board-Certified Dermatologist, a Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon, and is certified by the Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine in the field of Vein Care.
He is an expert in skin cancer and melanoma treatment, endovenous laser ablation, minimally invasive vein procedures and cosmetics procedures such as Botox and injectables.
Kathryn is a certified physician assistant with over 22 years experience as a Dermatology PA and cosmetic dermatology.
Her specialties include general dermatology such as acne, eczema, rashes, hair loss, full body skin exams, abnormal growths etc. Kathryn also specializes in cosmetic dermatology including lasers, injectables, micro-needling, PRP, facial peels, sclerotherapy for spider veins and at home skin care.
Kathryn Filipek, PA-C
Dental membership programs
Brought
Dr. Bradley Hepler, Atlanta Center for Dental Health
Just like the American Express commercials, “Membership Has Its Privileges”. Dental membership programs are a subscription service where patients pay an annual or monthly fee and receive complimentary preventive hygiene services and discounted pricing on additional services. If you don’t have employer paid dental benefits, a dental membership plan is often the most cost-effective way of receiving the preventive services that you need each year to maintain a healthy, disease-free mouth.
A dental membership program, like Plan for Health at the Atlanta Center for Dental Health, includes:
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More than dental insurance, Plan
for Health is a yearly membership program with lots of benefits designed to meet your individual needs. The Plan for Health includes 2-4 professional dental cleanings per year, comprehensive, periodic, and emergency dental exams, all dental radiographs as needed, fluoride treatments, and discounts on dental treatment. Call the Atlanta Center for Dental Health for more information.
We are devoted to helping as many people as possible.
The Atlanta Center for Dental Health is a team of exceptionally talented professionals dedicated to providing comprehensive oral healthcare for the health and happiness of our patients, their families, and our community. We are committed to providing a lifetime of optimal oral health to our patients and fostering relationships of mutual trust,
excellent customer service, and the best patient care available. Patients are at ease knowing that their care will be administered with a sense of kindness, care, and comfort.
Prevention is key. Much of dental disease is preventable. Do you have a Plan for Health?
Dr. Bradley Hepler and the experienced team at the Atlanta Center for Dental Health provide all the modern advances that contemporary aesthetic dentistry offers. You will realize immediate results with noninvasive and often inexpensive procedures to enhance your smile. If you would like a complementary consultation to discover your smile restoring options, please call the Atlanta Center for Dental Health at 770-992-2236. Dr. Bradley Hepler has spent many hours dedicated to perfecting and updating the latest and best techniques in dentistry. It is with this breadth of knowledge that we provide each patient with the perfect solution to their situation, their life, and their goals. It is our pleasure to serve this community and help as many people as possible live their best life.
ADOBE STOCK
Mouth breathing
What it is and why it’s important to identify the signs early?
Mouth breathing is a condition in which a person breathes through their mouth instead of their nose. It can be caused by several factors, including nasal congestion, allergies, and enlarged adenoids. Mouth breathing can have a number of negative consequences for your health, including:
• Dry mouth: Breathing through your mouth dries out your mouth, which can lead to cavities, gum disease, and bad breath.
• Poor sleep quality: Mouth breathing can disrupt sleep by causing snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
• Increased risk of infection: Breathing through your mouth can increase your risk of respiratory infections, such as the common cold and the flu.
• Changes in facial structure: Mouth breathing can lead to changes in facial structure, such as a long, narrow face and an overbite. This is especially important during midface development, between ages 5-9.
If you think you or your child may be a mouth breather, it’s important to see a doctor to get diagnosed and treated. There are a few things that can be done to help mouth breathers, such as:
• Treating the underlying cause: If the mouth breathing is caused by a medical condition, such as allergies or enlarged adenoids, treating that condition can help to improve mouth breathing.
• Using nasal sprays or drops: Nasal sprays and drops can help to clear nasal congestion and make it easier to breathe through the nose.
• Using a chin strap or mouth tape: A chin strap or mouth tape can help to keep the mouth closed at night. You can order these on Amazon!
If you are a mouth breather, there several things you can do to help manage your condition, such as:
• Drink plenty of water: Staying hydrated can help to keep your
PROVIDED
mouth from getting too dry.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol: Caffeine and alcohol can dehydrate you and make dry mouth worse.
• Use a humidifier: A humidifier can add moisture to the air and help to keep your mouth from getting dry.
• Brush and floss your teeth regularly: Brushing and flossing your teeth regularly can help to prevent cavities and gum disease.
It’s important to see your dentist regularly for oral health screenings. This may be the first step in identifying your risk factors or signs you may be breathing through your mouth. As your neighborhood dentists, Drs. Hood and Remaley give your comfort and trust top priority. We assure you feel confident in any dental solution before beginning treatment after a thorough and comprehensive examination. For enhanced comfort, we offer FREE conscious sedation, including nitrous oxide. Rest assured that your experience will be positive, relaxing, and rewarding. Take the first step in feeling great about your oral health. Schedule your oral health screening and give us a call at 770.998.6736 or visit www.RoswellDentalCare.com.
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Dr. David Remaley
Destinee Hood
Brought to you by - Dr. Destinee Hood at Roswell Dental Care
PRESERVING THE PAST
Fouts Road where some important history began
BOB MEYERS
It is common to find roads in North Fulton named for the families who first settled on the land where the roads were built.
Fouts Road in Roswell is a prime example. At least five generations of Fouts have lived on the road over the past 100 years. At one point, everyone who lived on the road were Fouts.
When Hans Michael Pfautz came to America with his family of five in 1727, immigration officials Americanized their name. This was common practice when immigrants had names officials found difficult to pronounce or spell. The newcomers settled in Pennsylvania near the Susquehanna River. At some point, date unknown, Hans’ son Jacob or grandson Michael moved to North Carolina.
Research suggests that the first of the Fouts to settle in Georgia, no doubt drawn by stories of rich, cheap land, was Jacob’s great, great grandson John Fouts, born in 1813. He settled in Dawson County and married in 1844. Like most early settlers, the first Fouts in Georgia were farmers.
At some point in the family’s history, one of the Fouts settled on what became Fouts Road in today’s city of Roswell off Holcomb Bridge Road. At the time the road was in the unincorporated Newtown settlement. Today, East Roswell Park sits on the family’s old home place.
Gene Fouts, a descendant of John, was born in 1933 and raised on Fouts Road. His wife Carolyn Lawson was born in Atlanta in 1936 and as a young girl moved to within sight of the Newtown school which both attended. The couple recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.
The Newtown School was built in 1929 in today’s Johns Creek on Old Alabama Road. The school was a four-room H-shaped building with a central assembly room, potbellied stoves and outdoor privies. It replaced four separate one-room schoolhouses in what was then Milton County, thanks to the Barrett-Rogers Act of 1919 which sought to rid Georgia of its multitude of inefficient one-room schools. The government provided $100,000 to help rural school districts fund consolidation of
ROSWELL HISTORICAL SOCIETY/PROVIDED
The original Newtown School as it appeared when built in 1929. The school closed in 1980 and was allowed to deteriorate. It was restored and preserved thanks to a community effort. Today the building is an adult center.
BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA
The historic Newtown School building as it is today. The original school was built in 1929. It has been restored and preserved and is today the Park Place at Newtown School Adult Center. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
the state’s many small rural schools into more efficient larger buildings. It was the last school built in Milton County before its 1931 merger into Fulton County.
The school closed in 1980 and fell into disrepair. Thanks to community efforts the old schoolhouse was restored and preserved. Today it is the Park Place at Newtown School Adult Center. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
Gene recalls looking out the window of a school bus one afternoon in 1948 when he noticed a beautiful girl riding her bicycle to school. He turned to a friend and said, “I am going to marry that girl one day.” Gene was 15 and Carolyn was 12.
FAMILY/PROVIDED
Gene and Carolyn Fouts at their wedding in 1954.
Five years later they were married. Gene was one of nine children, eight boys and one girl, all born on Fouts Road. He and his younger brother Mark are the only ones still living.
Gene says “I was born in a threebedroom house. Fortunately, we did not all live there at the same time, so space was not a problem. We kids did have to share bedrooms. In 1940 my sister and oldest brother graduated from Milton High School and moved out.”
Gene played on the first football team at Milton High School in the 1950s. He had to leave the team due to a heart murmur. This was devastating for Gene who desperately wanted to play. Sometimes he and
FAMILY/PROVIDED
Gene Fouts, age 10, is standing on the back of the family mule which was used for pulling plows and wagons, photo taken in 1943. Children using work animals for fun was common practice on farms.
Mark would stay after practice so long that they missed the school bus and had to walk 7 miles to their home.
Carolyn’s family attended the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Newtown. Gene became an active member as well. He has served as a deacon for 68 years, including several terms as chairman. Carolyn has played the piano or organ for the church for 75 years. She is very artistic and has made hundreds of crocheted blankets and afghans for family and friends. She starts making Christmas decorations in May, according to their son Gary. Carolyn retired from Fulton Concrete. Gene worked for Chevron for 33 years.
The couple has been active in the Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society. Gene was president at one point.
Thanks to Gene, Carolyn and Gary Fouts for their help with this column.
Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@bellsouth. net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.
Columnist
Reading from New York to points all over the world
KATHY MANOS PENN Columnist
This week’s reads were, of course, mysteries, as I rarely read any other genre. In both, the protagonist embarks on a search, though one is seeking a missing author while the other is searching for a lost painting. Both start in New York City before the clues lead them to another locale.
“My Favorite Terrible Things”
by Madeleine Henry
This is a new-to-me author, and I’m delighted to have discovered her. That this novel came out in May 2024 and has garnered 7,000+ reviews speaks volumes about what an intriguing tale the author weaves. Her first two books eked out just over 100 reviews each. She’s made her mark with this one.
Publishers Weekly had this to say: “[A] cunning debut thriller…Just as Henry seems to be leading readers down one path, she veers in a wholly unexpected direction, delivering a welcome jolt to an already effective mystery. Sharp observations on toxic fan culture and a basketful of literary easter eggs are icing on the cake. This delivers.”
Private investigator Nina Travers is hired to find Claire Ross, a best-selling author who disappeared on her wedding day months ago. The police have no clue what happened to her or whether she’s even alive. It’s Claire’s mother who hires Nina, and Nina hopes to make a name for herself with this case.
I was kept guessing all the way to the very end, with every revelation coming as a shock, not as something I anticipated. If you’re seeking a novel to keep you turning the pages, this is the book for you. And, if,
like me, you like books about authors and their creativity, you won’t want to miss this one.
“The Lost Van Gogh” by Jonthan Santlofer
I had never heard of this author until I read a review of this book that came out in January 2024. When I figured out this was the second art mystery with Luke Perrone as the main character, I chose to start with the 2021 book,“The Last Mona Lisa,” which I wrote about earlier this year.
Both books move back and forth in time. Both involve stolen art. Set primarily in modern times with Luke as an artist and university art professor, this one shifts to Paris during WW II, when the Nazis are leaving with as much artwork as they can, artwork, of course, taken from the Jewish population.
Not only did I find the mystery of the missing Van Gogh portrait intriguing, I was also fascinated by the details about the artist’s life. The action moves from New York City to Amsterdam and France, offering an international adventure. As did the first book, this one has a romantic subplot. All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I always consider it a bonus when I learn something along the way.
If you are intrigued by mysteries involving art, you may want to check out Santlofer’s back list. Most of his previous novels concern art, be they series or standalones.
Happy reading.
Award-winning author Kathy Manos Penn is a Sandy Springs resident. Find her cozy mysteries on Amazon or locally at The Enchanted Forest, Bookmiser, Tall Tales, and Johns Creek Books. Contact her at inkpenn119@gmail.com, and follow her on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ KathyManosPennAuthor/.
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OPINION
Georgetown subdivision and Georgetown Shopping Center
Scott Hudgens, president of Scott Hudgens Realty & Mortgage, first advertised lots available in the Georgetown subdivision in the Aug. 27, 1961, Atlanta Journal.
“Come on out!
Georgetown is ready,” was announced. In these early days of Georgetown, buyers could select their lot and floor plan.
Details described in the July 4, 1962, Atlanta Journal include quality construction, large, wooded lots, three-to-five bedrooms, two or more bathrooms, surface units, oven, hood, dishwasher and a choice of carpets or oak flooring. Styles offered were early American, Dutch Colonial, French Provincial and Colonial.
The 1962 advertisement for Georgetown informs buyers a shopping center is conveniently located 1 mile away. That shopping center was Chamblee Plaza. A proposed shopping center is planned and would be built next to the subdivision. This was the future Georgetown Shopping Center.
Georgetown Shopping Center first opened July 1964. It included a Big Apple grocery store, King’s Drug Store, furniture store and a laundry. The price of the original shopping center construction was $1 million. (June 1, 1964, Atlanta Journal, “Georgetown Shopping Center”)
Scott Hudgens also developed the shopping center, which was described as 10 acres at the northwest corner of Chamblee Dunwoody Road and the Circumferential Highway. The highway was completed five years later and is known today as I-285.
Robert Schaumann purchased the shopping center in the early 1970s and announced a plan to quadruple the space in 1973. Part of the plan
Art:
Continued from Page 7
“When you find yourself underwater and looking at this enormous, enormous creature, it is really peaceful,” she said. It was a little daunting at first, being so close to a creature the size of a small house, she said.
When Sullivan moved to Alpharetta to live with her husband, she decided
PROVIDED
A map accompanied the advertisement for the new Georgetown subdivision in the 1961 Atlanta Journal, indicating the future Georgetown Shopping Center.
was to add a 30,000-square-foot
Kroger grocery store, the largest Kroger in Metro Atlanta in 1973.
Existing tenant spaces would be renovated. The center’s square footage went from 33,000 square feet to 125,000.
Possibilities for Georgetown Shopping Center additions included a theater, more restaurants, specialty shops, and a community room for clubs and civic groups. I have never heard or read about a theater at
it was time to pursue art seriously.
For her next artistic project, Sullivan is exploring the abstract shapes found in water. As with her macro photography, she is finding entire worlds hidden inside moisture.
For example, a recent photograph she took of an LED reflection reveals what looks like a galaxy.
“That’s what I hope to ignite in people, a lost sense of curiosity,” she said. “Even in the ordinary, you can see something extraordinary if you stop, slow down and pay attention.”
of the Dunwoody Woman’s Club. Cecil Day and Mike Tilleman were grand marshals of the parade.
Georgetown, but please email me if you remember one. (Neighbor newspaper, “Georgetown to expand,” Feb. 7, 1973, DeKalb History Center Archives)
In 1976, the first Dunwoody Fourth of July parade began at Georgetown Shopping Center and continued to Dunwoody Village. Gerry Spruill was chairperson of the parade. Her committee included several members
According to cororealty.com, Georgetown Shopping Center today includes 142,397 square feet on 11.3 acres. Stores and businesses include Kroger, Goldberg’s Deli, Farm Burger, Vino Venue, and Sherwin Williams. The AT&T store was the former location of Starbucks before it moved to adjacent Shoppes of Georgetown.
Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF/APPEN MEDIA Georgetown Shopping Center first began in 1964. This is the center's entrance sign today.
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Emory:
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“It was started as a live, work, play community. It's there, except for the live part, right?” said Den Webb, an attorney representing Toll Brothers. “I think our proposal for owner-occupied townhomes is a lot better than what Fulton County initially contemplated when they approved 75 apartments.”
Mayor John Bradberry questioned the $800,000 proposed price point, assuming the townhomes would cost more.
“I don't even know that this … should be my focus, but $7-800,000 for the size [of the] townhome doesn't sound very expensive,” Bradberry said. “To me, it sounds a little less than what I would expect, typically, from Toll Brothers.”
Webb said $800,000 is a lot of money for a townhome and that the chosen market was intentional.
“We'll have price points significantly higher than what we're talking about here, but the target here are the folks at Emory, whether they be doctors, nurses or administrators or people who live in the area, and I think that's the right price point,” he said.
But, Webb reassured Bradberry that the market establishes itself.
As council members individually voiced their support for the project, City Councilman Chris Coughlin emphasized how the project would serve Emory Johns Creek.
“I do think it will allow for some people to work close to home, and I'm really excited about it.” Coughlin said.
In other action, the City Council approved a $6.1 million construc -
Den Webb, an attorney representing Toll Brothers, answers questions from the Johns Creek City Council Sept. 30 about a new townhome project coming to Hospital Parkway, intended to serve staff at Emory Johns Creek Hospital. Council members unanimously approved the development.
tion contract for a pedestrian tunnel off Medlock Bridge Road that would connect to Creekside Park, a 21-acre area anchored by the pond behind City and one facet of the city’s Town Center.
The item also includes an additional $618,482 contingency, $255,050 engineering and inspection task order and an owner’s allowance of $400,000 for the wall proposed for the project.
The project is funded by TSPLOST II, or transportation special purpose local option sales tax. Completion is slated for fall 2025.
The City Council will discuss any further potential improvements and costs at a future work session, likely in
November.
At the City Council work session, preceding the regular meeting, council members signed off on a $7.8 million construction contract for Fire Station 63, the oldest fire station serving Johns Creek.
The item also includes a $186,800 construction administration contract, a $50,010 material testing contract and a $781,200 contingency. The project is funded through money allocated in the city’s fiscal year 2023, 2024 and 2025 budgets.
Completion is slated for summer 2026.
The contract will go before the City Council for approval at a future regular meeting.
