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New fire station
First look at new Sandy Springs fire station
Fire Station 5 is proposed for the intersection of Mount Vernon Road and Spalding Drive in Sandy Springs. (Special/Hussey Gay Bell)
BY AMY WENK
A $5 million fire station planned for Sandy Springs is designed to look like a house.
The fire station is proposed for the intersection of Mount Vernon Road and Spalding Drive and would serve the city’s eastern panhandle. The city in February spent $450,000 to buy the property at 7800 Mount Vernon Road.
Since the fire station is planned for a residential area, it was designed to look like a house with a detached garage, city officials said. Hussey Gay Bell, a civil engineering and architectural firm, led the design.
“The architects and I worked countless hours to come up with a residential look,” Sandy Springs Fire Chief Keith Sanders told Reporter Newspapers on June 4. “It is the most complex area to give good EMS and fire service to I’ve seen in my 43-year career.”
Some residents expressed concerns about the project.
“I am not in favor of this location selection,” said Lisa Huffman. “There has to be another location that is not sitting in a residential area. We have a small child, and the noise is a definite concern.”
But Sandy Springs has looked at potential locations for the fire station for about a decade, said city spokesman Dan Coffer.
The project is set to go before the planning commission Aug. 18, with city council expected to vote Sept. 21. If approved, construction could start by the end of the year, Sanders said.
Party houses are banned
Sandy Springs has banned party house events in residential areas. Events are restricted to commercial areas in the city and will require an administrative permit.
Commercial events include parties, ceremonies, receptions or similar largescale gatherings where a fee is charged for the use of the dwelling unit, whether or not a fee is charged for the event. Not only are party houses banned from residential areas, but they are prohibited from being held within 150 feet from residentially zoned properties measuring from property lines.
On June 15, City Council approved an amendment to its zoning ordinance, which took effect immediately.
Two days later, on June 17, Sandy Springs filed a complaint in Fulton Superior Court against the owners of an alleged party house on Northside Drive, along with two event organizers.
The next day, a Fulton County Superior Court judge granted Sandy Springs a 30-day restraining order against the four defendants.
Sandy Springs spokesman Dan Coffer said it was a “proactive step to cease commercial uses in a residential neighborhood.”
