Politics & Government

Should Savi Urban Market Be Allowed to Expand?

The new store that took up residence in Brookhaven last years wants to add a second floor.

*Updated* 3:55 p.m.

Savi Urban Market, which last year of the old Mom & Pop store at the Corner of Dresden Drive and Caldwell Road, recently submitted a zoning variance to, among other proposed modifications, add a second story to the building.

Owners of Savi want its proposed 8,000 square foot second floor to include food concepts including a chocolate fountain, cheeses, meat offerings and other home meal replacement items, said owner Paul Nair. The first floor would be completely remodeled, he said, with more vegetables, more groceries, pre-made sandwiches and a much more extensive offering of coffees. Nair said he is hoping the new store would be a full-service super market where neighbors never have to leave the neighborhood to grocery shop.

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"Customers will be able to sample 48 different kinds of wines and beer," Nair said of the wine tasting machine he wants to put inside the remodeled store.

The dilemma is that the second story calls for a reduction of the already-tight parking lot from more than 30 spaces to just over 20. Ashford Park residents have long complained of the congestion along Dresden Drive, while noting the limited parking in the shared parking deck behind and the limited street parking along Dresden Drive. Nair said he needs a minimum of 29 parking spaces and his plans include 23. He said he and his team are already working on solving the parking issue and adding the requisite six spaces.

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The county zoning office confirmed Monday there are some other smaller-scale modifications proposed by Savi not promoted in the Brookhaven LCI, including for example, Savi's appeal to have an entrance that would not be visible from the street. Nair said many of the modifications are legal issues that he and his team are already working to correct.

On record already is DeKalb County Planning's staff denial of the variance, but Savi is expected to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals on March 14 armed with a petition of more than 700 signatures to date, Nair said.

Nair would not comment on the denial, but said that he has wide-spread neighborhood support. He said the building is old and no longer fits into the overall landscape of the look of Dresden Drive and neighbors, he said, are excited about the proposed updated look.

Meanwhile, some Ashford Park residents are concerned that the building is too large and will contribute to the already congested parking and traffic issues in the area.

"While we love the good things Savi Market bring to Ashford Park, I have serious concerns that their concept for expansion of the store's offerings has not been fully thought through with regard to the size of the expansion and its compliance with the Brookhaven-Peachtree Overlay Standards," said Jim Eyre, vice president of the Ashford Park Civic Association.

Nair said that if he is denied the zoning variance, the store would not close, but he would have to rethink business strategy for the Brookhaven store.

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