Why Doesn’t Dunwoody Have More Residential Personal Care Homes?

Dunwoody seems like the perfect community for residential personal care homes.

Beautiful neighborhoods. Established homes. Families who want to keep their aging parents nearby. And a growing population of seniors who may eventually need more assistance than they can receive at home.

Yet despite all of this, small residential personal care homes are surprisingly difficult to find in Dunwoody.

Why?

It's not because nobody has tried.

Over the past decade, Dunwoody has had opportunities to welcome smaller residential care models into its neighborhoods. Unfortunately, the city's zoning process and neighborhood opposition have made it incredibly challenging for these homes to open.

Two cases help explain why.

The Manget Way Case: Where It Started

In 2014, Center for Discovery proposed operating a residential treatment home for teenage girls with eating disorders on Manget Way in Dunwoody.

The city's planning staff initially determined that the proposed use qualified as a family personal care home and was permitted under the existing residential zoning rules.

But neighbors objected.

They argued that the property was more appropriately classified as a medical treatment facility rather than a personal care home. The dispute eventually reached the city's Zoning Board of Appeals, which overturned the staff's original determination.

The matter went to court.

Ultimately, the DeKalb County Superior Court reversed the Zoning Board's decision, and the Georgia Court of Appeals upheld that ruling in 2016.

Read the Georgia Court of Appeals decision

While the Manget Way controversy was unfolding, something significant happened.

In January 2015, Dunwoody amended its zoning ordinance to require a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) for certain residential personal care homes serving approximately five to seven residents in single-family residential districts.

That might sound like a minor regulatory change.

But for someone trying to open a residential personal care home, it changes everything.

Instead of simply meeting zoning, building, fire safety and state licensing requirements, an operator must now go through a public approval process.

Neighbors can organize in opposition. Public hearings are held. The Planning Commission makes recommendations. And ultimately, City Council decides whether that particular home should be allowed to operate.

Even if the property meets the applicable requirements and city staff supports the proposal, approval is not guaranteed.

For a small business investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into a property, that uncertainty is a major obstacle.

And in 2023, we saw exactly how that could play out.

1822 Mount Vernon Road: A Home for Seven Seniors

In 2023, Anna and Roman Khokhlan proposed opening Legacy Manor, a seven-resident personal care home at 1822 Mount Vernon Road.

This wasn't a large assisted living community or nursing home.

It was an existing residential property that would provide care for seven seniors.

The operator planned to live onsite. The property was located along Mount Vernon Road rather than deep within a subdivision.

The applicants sought a Special Land Use Permit and a variance to increase the permitted parking from four spaces to six.

Think about that for a moment.

They weren't asking to operate without adequate parking. They were asking to provide more parking than the zoning ordinance allowed.

Dunwoody's Community Development staff reviewed the proposal and determined that the operation would remain residential in character, generate limited traffic and have minimal impact on surrounding properties.

Staff also found the proposal consistent with the city's Comprehensive Plan and recommended approval, subject to conditions.

Read the city's staff analysis

Nevertheless, neighborhood opposition emerged.

City records documented 13 letters opposing the application and two supporting it.

On April 10, 2023, Dunwoody City Council unanimously denied the application.

The seven-resident personal care home never opened.

By 2024, the property was instead moving forward as a single-family residence.

Read more about the council's decision

Why Does This Matter?

I understand why people care about what happens in their neighborhoods.

We all want safe streets, well-maintained properties, reasonable traffic and neighbors who respect the community.

Those are legitimate concerns.

But I also think there is a fundamental misunderstanding about what a residential personal care home actually is.

At Albert's House, we've spent years caring for seniors in small residential settings throughout metro Atlanta.

Our homes look and feel like homes because that's exactly what they are.

Residents have bedrooms, living rooms, dining areas and outdoor spaces. They share meals together. They celebrate birthdays and holidays. They develop relationships with caregivers and fellow residents.

The biggest difference is that professional caregivers are there to help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, mobility, medications and personal care.

Many of our residents have dementia, significant mobility limitations or complex medical conditions. Some are receiving hospice care.

These are individuals who can no longer safely live independently but don't necessarily need the environment of a large nursing home.

They need care. But they also deserve a home.

And for many families, smaller residential care homes provide an alternative that larger senior living communities simply cannot replicate.

The Problem With Making Senior Care a Political Decision

Opening a personal care home is already a substantial undertaking.

Operators must navigate Georgia's personal care home licensing regulations, fire safety, staffing, training, physical plant requirements and ongoing regulatory oversight.

Those safeguards exist for good reasons.

But imagine adding another layer of uncertainty.

You identify a suitable home. You negotiate a purchase. You hire architects, engineers and consultants. You prepare operating plans. You spend months navigating the zoning process.

And after all that, even if professional city staff concludes your proposed home is compatible with the neighborhood, elected officials can still deny your application.

That's an enormous financial risk.

For a small residential care operator, the economics may simply not justify taking that chance.

So what happens?

Operators look for communities where the regulatory process is more predictable.

Not necessarily because those communities have greater demand for senior care.

But because they offer a clearer path to opening a home.

Over time, that has consequences.

Fewer residential care homes mean fewer options for families who want their aging parents nearby.

A Dunwoody family may want Mom or Dad to live five minutes away, in a neighborhood they already know.

Instead, they may find themselves looking in Tucker, Brookhaven, Peachtree Corners or other surrounding communities.

Not because Dunwoody families don't need these services.

But because creating them within Dunwoody has become so difficult.

Not Every Senior Needs a Large Assisted Living Community

One of the most important lessons I've learned in senior care is that there is no single solution that works for everyone.

Large assisted living communities serve an important purpose. Nursing homes provide essential skilled care. Home care allows many seniors to remain in their own homes.

But there is another option that deserves more attention.

Small residential personal care homes.

Imagine six or seven seniors living together in a beautiful house.

They have familiar surroundings, a backyard, a dining room and consistent caregivers who know their routines and preferences.

For someone living with dementia, frailty or significant physical limitations, that smaller environment can make an enormous difference.

Families often appreciate the intimacy, consistency and personalized attention that these homes can provide.

And when those homes are located within established residential communities, families can remain close to their loved ones.

That's something worth protecting, too.

Maybe It's Time for Dunwoody to Revisit the Conversation

Dunwoody has changed considerably over the past decade.

Its population is aging. Families are facing increasingly complex decisions about senior care. And demand for alternatives to traditional senior living continues to grow.

Rather than debating whether residential personal care homes belong in neighborhoods, perhaps the better question is:

How can Dunwoody allow high-quality residential care homes while still protecting the character of its neighborhoods?

There are reasonable ways to accomplish both.

Require proper state licensing and fire protection. Establish appropriate resident limits. Set reasonable parking standards. Maintain residential appearances. Hold operators accountable for safety, quality and compliance.

These are sensible expectations.

But when the approval process becomes unpredictable and politically contentious, even qualified operators may decide that opening a home simply isn't worth the risk.

Manget Way demonstrated how controversial residential care uses could become.

The Mount Vernon Road case demonstrated how difficult approval could remain nearly a decade later, even when city staff recommended allowing a seven-resident home.

The result is not necessarily an ordinance that says personal care homes aren't welcome in Dunwoody.

It doesn't have to.

When the regulatory risk becomes high enough, operators get the message.

And they build somewhere else.

Why We're Building in Peachtree Corners

At Albert's House, our mission has always been to provide exceptional care in a setting that feels like home.

We've seen firsthand how meaningful that environment can be for seniors and their families.

As we look to expand, we naturally consider communities like Dunwoody, where established neighborhoods, strong family connections and demand for quality senior care make residential personal care homes a compelling fit.

But identifying a community with a need for senior care is only part of the equation.

We also need a practical, predictable path to creating that care.

That's one of the reasons we're investing in our next Albert's House location in Peachtree Corners.

Our planned expansion will allow us to serve more seniors in a residential environment built around personalized attention, consistent caregivers and the comforts of home.

It's an exciting next chapter for Albert's House, and we're looking forward to bringing our model of care to more families in the area.

I hope Dunwoody eventually takes another look at how it approaches residential personal care homes.

Because as our communities age, the question isn't simply where we want senior living facilities.

It's where we want our own parents to live when they can no longer safely live alone.

And for many families, the answer is simple.

Close to home.