Newsletter of the Settles Bridge Homeowner’s Association, Inc.
Post Office Box 837 Suwanee, GA 30024
Nick Masino, Mayor of Suwanee, took time recently to answer some questions about the construction that is going on right now in Suwanee along Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Rather than edit his answers, I thought that it was so well done that I would just reproduce what he sent me word for word:
1) Why are they digging up pipe and burying pipe? The pipe is associated with a new Water Reuse line that will extend from the new North Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility south to the discharge point near Duluth. They are removing existing pipe and replacing it with new, upgraded pipe.
This is a separate project from the roadwork. It is a County project, whereas, the road is a State of Georgia project. It has caused a significant delay in the roadwork.
Gwinnett County Public Utilities will be replacing any sidewalks that they destroy. Between McGinnis Ferry Road and Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road, the Georgia DOT will be constructing new sidewalks along any sections of road that currently lack sidewalks.
2) When will road be open? According to the PIB project engineer, before the Gwinnett County Utility Dept. began construction of the reuse line, it appeared that it was going to be completed by the end of the year. However, the water line construction has resulted in a total work stoppage on the PIB construction between McGinnis Ferry and Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road.
The project engineer now indicates that it will now be around March before they begin on the roadwork again. It should open by the first of the summer. A time extension has been approved until June 2001.
They hope to open the section between Rogers Bridge and McGinnis Ferry Road by Christmas. This section is not being disrupted by the utility work.
3) When will Moore/PIB intersection be repaired? It will be repaired after the water line is complete and when the roadwork is started again. There are no plans to undertake additional roadwork at this location until then.
4) When will left turn arrows be installed at McGinnis/PIB? Shortly after Thanksgiving.
5) Why has this project taken so long? All major road projects take a long time, but this one has been difficult. It has been a combination of changes in scope (including adding the sidewalks that City of Suwanee asked for), major road projects in other areas that diverted attention (Mall of Georgia), problems with utilities, and the water reuse line. The primary problems have been with the various utilities (BellSouth, Ga. Power, etc.).
This is a State DOT project and the only part the County had in it was acquiring the right-of-way and the utility situation. I know you might have additional questions and if you do I would suggest contacting the State DOT or stop by the construction trailer across from Wendy's.
Please check out www.suwanee.com for additional information on Suwanee happenings.
Sincerely, Nick Masino Mayor, City of Suwanee
RZ-2000-032 (Suwanee Junction) was the first item on the agenda. This Planned Mixed Use Development (PMUD) is now planned for construction spanning 2 Phases. Phase 1 is 72 acres that will have 141 detached homes, 190 town homes and the 5.2 acres of shops. Phase 2 brings in an additional 32 detached homes and 22 other single-family dwellings. All of the apartments have been eliminated, but the homes are still going to be smaller than surrounding homes, and that has some homeowners upset. Current zoning (Office and Industrial, or O&I) would allow 720,000 to 1,400,000 square feet of office or industrial, so the developer feels that he has come up with a plan that the neighboring residents will be happier with.
The developer has really worked to meet all the suggestions and objections that he knows about. He has met with every homeowner in the surrounding area that contacted him, and tried to accommodate as many requests as he could. When he spoke, he stated that he only had two problems with the conditions that P&Z wanted to impose. The first was with a condition that would forbid him from crossing one of the "creeks" on the property with a road or bridge. The second objection is with the requested condition that all homes have non-front facing garages. He wants to have about 30 homes that will have garages on the front, mainly because of problems with the existing terrain.
A few residents spoke out voicing concerns, but most of them were things that P&Z had heard before. When it came time for the vote, P&Z board member Hardy Delay made a motion to delay because of the number of points brought up by citizens, but withdrew the motion when Alan Landers (P&Z co-chair, who was running the meeting in Carol Hassell's absence) said that they were just trying to approve or reject the whole project, and pass it on to the Suwanee City Council. John Rispin made motion to deny the proposal flat out, but didn't get a second. His main sticking point was the lack of any traffic access directly onto Peachtree Industrial, which P&Z cannot force to happen. Another motion to deny made by Jim Lenahan, he got a second from John Rispin, and the motion passed, sending it to City Council without their blessing.
Although the PMUD issue was supposed to be settled at this City Council meeting, it was not. The issue was tabled to a called council meeting on December 7 at 7:00. The developer believes that he can address the issue of an access directly onto Peachtree Industrial Boulevard by that time, in an attempt to allay concerns over additional traffic being dumped onto Suwanee Dam and Settles Bridge - the only accesses to the development in the current plan. He would also like a chance to address a few of the other unanswered issues, such as pedestrian access in some areas, piping of one of the creeks, and phasing of the development. With the way that things have been going, I am sure that there will be some other issues that he will need to address.
My guess is that the project will be approved at that meeting, but it could really go either way. If it gets denied, the project will probably not happen with this developer, and in fact we could find construction of a superstore by next summer.
We are starting planning for a Christmas Party. Any ideas, suggestions, volunteers, etc. can either send an e-mail to david@settlesbridge.com, or call David Hancock at 770-932-8163.
Your SBHA Officers
David Hancock President (770-932-8163)
Bill Williams Vice President
Ron Rogers Treasurer
Diane Stoll Secretary
Members at Large:
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