Brookhaven Approves Moratorium On New Development On Buford Highway
On Tuesday, the Brookhaven City Council approved a six-month moratorium on development along Buford Highway.
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The city of Brookhaven is imposing a six-month moratorium on new development along Buford Highway as the city rewrites its zoning codes.
The city council voted unanimously on Tuesday night.
Buford Highway, which runs through the DeKalb city, has been known in the Atlanta area for its array of immigrant businesses, and in recent years, it’s caught the eye of developers.
“There’s a lot of stuff going for it on Buford Highway and we want to preserve what we can preserve, but we also realize that area is ripe for redevelopment,” said Brookhaven mayor John Ernst.
Ernst said the city is expected to release its zoning rewrite in September. He said the city is also looking at an overlay for the Buford Highway area, which will include specific regulations for new development on the stretch.
“We believe Buford Highway is a diamond in the rough for our area, but also, it has a huge affordability issue,” he said.
If the new zoning ordinance is adopted before six months, the council could lift the moratorium, he said.
Marian Lou, executive director of We Love BuHi, an organization that supports the history of Buford Highway, is in favor of the moratorium as new development moves in.
“So that we [can] have a firmer picture of how to protect and preserve and also have Buford Highway continue to be a welcoming place for our immigrant community to open businesses,” Lou said.
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