Right after a flurry of protests relating to the Town of Dunwoody’s attempt to get hold of, by eminent domain, a 4-acre parking large amount on Peachford Road for doable use as a softball facility, the proposal seems to be dead in the h2o.

Dunwoody officials introduced a cryptic assertion about the problem Monday afternoon, stating that metropolis council would maintain a particular termed conference on Wednesday, June 8 at 8 a.m. to “discontinue the procedure of seeking the condemnation of house found at 2202 Peachford Road.”

The statement, issued by the city’s communications director Jennifer Boettcher, said the assembly was identified as “after Initial Baptist Church Atlanta shared new information and facts about the historical past and ideas for this home that had not been communicated to the metropolis previously.”

The parking great deal on Peachford Highway is owned by Initial Baptist of Atlanta Church.

Boettcher would not remark about what precipitated the modify in way, but Reporter Newspapers been given emails condemning the metropolis for attempting to invoke eminent area.

Margaret and Ken Warford, who are longtime members of Initially Baptist of Atlanta, explained they were being “embarrassed and appalled that the City of Dunwoody that we so like has been the writer of these an unwell-conceived strategy to establish a ball industry on church property by utilizing eminent area.”

Soon after the town published its statement about the specially termed meeting, various metropolis leaders posted comments on Dunwoody’s Facebook webpage, saying the move was a blunder.

“I’m pleased to see that the town appears to be carrying out the right thing and discontinuing the eminent domain approach,” stated Bob Fiscella, president of the Dunwoody Owners Association. “If the city was 1st advised by the church that it was not interested in advertising, the method ought to have stopped proper then and there. I really like the metropolis council and staff, but this was a big blunder.”

Fiscella, in his put up, urged the metropolis council to situation an apology to To start with Baptist Church and Dunwoody people.

“This is not the way our town should really be executing small business,” he reported.

This is not the initially time in current heritage that Dunwoody residents have expressed issues about building a softball industry within just the city’s limitations. People whose homes are located in close proximity to two proposed parks – a person on Vermack Highway and the other on Roberts Travel at the former Austin Elementary Faculty web-site – said they have major anxieties about the amount of money of website traffic that a softball subject would draw to the community. 

1st Baptist Church of Atlanta, with an estimated congregation of much more than 15,000, is just one of the most distinguished church buildings in the Southern Baptist Convention. Officers with Initially Baptist Church had been not readily available for remark about the make a difference.