Buckhead’s official development arbiters have unleashed praise for a dog-park-bar concept they say is sorely needed in the Village.

The Buckhead Development Review Committee recently commended plans for a second Atlanta location of Fetch Dog Park, billed as Georgia’s first outdoor bar for off-leash dogs.

Fetch plans to turn a 1-acre surface parking lot on Buckhead Avenue—neighboring Jamestown Properties’ rechristened Buckhead Village District shopping hub—into an expansive greenspace where Fidos can frolic while owners belly up to a vintage Airstream bar, or chill out on shaded seating around televisions.

A similar concept opened in Old Fourth Ward in 2018, claiming a formerly vacant lot.  

The planned layout, with Buckhead Avenue at top. Courtesy of Fetch Dog Park/Buckhead DRC

During a recent meeting, Buckhead DRC members called Fetch’s plans “a much-needed amenity for dogs in adjacent vertical and single-family neighborhoods” while lending their blessing to variation requests pertaining to building setbacks, street-facing fencing, and wider sidewalks, according to a Livable Buckhead recap.  

“The need for a dog park in this area has been long understood and documented,” the summary reads, “and this project satisfies this need.”

Committee members warned Fetch’s applicant Stephen Ochs that noise levels at the outdoor social hub need to be closely monitored and mitigated. Beyond barking dogs, live music, outdoor movies, and various mixers are planned.

“The applicant has indicated that noise complaints have not been an issue” at the Old Fourth Ward location, the DRC noted, before advancing plans to the city level.

Fetch's plans also call for cooling stations, a bath area for dogs, a variety of seating, plus string lights and security cameras galore. Fetch access is free to the public, but dogs are required to have memberships.

The site is owned by Jamestown and will eventually be redeveloped, but Fetch should be in place for at least five years, according to plans.

The surface parking lot in question, at left, as seen from Buckhead Avenue, with Jamestown's Buckhead Village District ahead. Google Maps

Fetch media reps haven’t returned requests for additional information. When announcing the Buckhead location last fall, expectations were that it would open this coming winter.

Plans discussed in 2019 for another Fetch concept in Alpharetta near Ameris Bank Amphitheatre have yet to materialize.

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