Judge Sides With Holy Spirit Prep And Against Neighbors

In 2008, City of Sandy Springs rezoned 8 acres of land near the intersection of Long Island and Lake Forrest drives to allow Holy Spirit Preparatory School to build a football and soccer stadium and a school administrative building.  Long Island Neighborhoods Coalition sued opposing the rezoning and the construction.

Last week, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams upheld the City’s rezoning and dismissed the neighborhood’s complaint.  The neighborhood has 30 days to seek an appeal.

Sandy Springs Sued Over Holy Spirit Preparatory School Land Use Permit

The Long Island Neighborhoods Coalition, Gwinnett Real Estate Trust Ventures and Fred Filsoff have sued Sandy Springs challenging the Sandy Springs City Council’s decision to approve a Holy Spirit Preparatory School’s petition for a land-use permit.

According to the lawsuit, the coalition believes Mayor Eva Galambos and the City Council stepped out of their discretion when they granted Holy Spirit’s petition without rezoning the property from its current CUP conditional designation.

Holy Spirit Preparatory School President Gareth Genner said the lawsuit is “without merit” and a predictable attempt to delay construction.

“There is no substance to this claim,” said Genner. “It’s just simply an unvarnished attempt to delay the project or renegotiate the terms of the permit that’s been granted.”

The City Council approved the permit in a 4-2 vote at an Aug. 19 meeting. The permit granted Holy Spirit permission to transform the 7.98-acre parcel of land into a multi-use sports complex. The proposed complex will include an artificial turf football/soccer field, two tennis courts, a four-lane swimming pool and a field house, which also will house the chaplain’s office and meeting and retreat space.

Here is a pdf of the complaint filed by the coalition with the Fulton County Superior Court.