Recent Posts
- Chase Variances Denied!
The DeKalb County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) voted on June 13 to deny Chase Bank's requests for variances so they could build a new branch bank on a portion of the Hastings site. This is a major win for our Overlay Zoning District and, ultimately...
- Chase Variance Deferred until June 13
On Wednesday, May 9th, Chase Bank's request for variances on the Hastings property was deferred for decision until the June 13th meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals. BZA member Rebecca Chase Williams, not present at the May meeting, requested a de...
- Hastings/Chase Variance Deferred
At yesterday's Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, Chase Bank's pursuit of 3 variances so it can develop a new branch bank on the Hastings property was deferred for 30 days at their request. DeKalb County Planning Department had recommended "Withdrawal ...
- Save the Overlay! Urgent Action!
Please sign this petition if you agree with BPCA's analysis below. Chase Bank's variance application to DeKalb County poses a major threat to the vision Brookhavenites created with the LCI Study and Brookhaven Peachtree Overlay District. The plans submitted for the old Hastings site show a standard-issue suburban-style fast-in/fast-out branch bank
- Chase Files Request for Variances
Chase Bank filed a request for multiple variances to be heard at the April 11th meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals. Chase would like to build a suburban-style bank on part of the old Hastings site. The variance application and site plan can be ...
Original Story
DEVELOPMENT OF FORMER HASTINGS SITE (3920 Peachtree Road)
The former Hastings site and the adjacent Kaufman Tire property are owned by a single private real estate investor. For approximately 15 years Hastings had leased and occupied the 2.34 acre property at 3920 Peacthree Road, and when their lease expired in September, 2011, they vacated the property. The owner engaged two real estate brokers to market the property, listing and advertising the property for lease as two separate retail pad sites. Upon erection of the Realtor’s sign, several BPCA board members called the primary agent to discuss the background of Brookhaven LCI study and the Overlay Ordinance and explain the difficulty of developing the property with free standing suburban buildings. BPCA representatives encouraged the agent to have prospect read the Overlay Ordinance, ask questions and have our assistance in developing Overlay compliant plans
On 12/29/11, BPCA representatives met with the two real estate agents, a lawyer representing a preferred developer for Chase Bank, and representatives from Chase Bank & Chick-fil-A, the two proposed users for the site.
The site plan presented depicted a 5,100 SF Chick-fil-A restaurant and a 4,098 SF Chase bank branch developed independently on separate sites, and both with drive through service featuring multiple drive through lanes. The broker explained that the owner was offering the property as a ground lease for a 30 year term. Since both Chase and Chick-fil-A were constructing their own buildings and sites, the property was divided into two separate parcels. A further complication was the existence of a drive & parking easement for the Kaufman Tire property across the front portion of the site which prevented any new structure being built to the front property line. The broker indicated that the owner was not willing to consider anything other than a ground lease, with a 30 year maximum term.
