Norcross.Talk

By JacketFan

June 16, 2008 8:38 PM | Link to this

Is this a joke? You must be kidding.

Where is Gwinnett Village exactly? An intersection please.

It’s one thing to talk about redevelopment of an existing area. It’s another thing to compare it too nightlife in Buckhead at it’s peak.

That’s a stretch just to elicit a few comments.

By doggirl90

June 16, 2008 10:21 PM | Link to this

I remember the good old days of Buckhead, back when a person could walk from bar to bar til the wee hours of the mornings. I have fond memories of Fat Tuesdays, Lulu’s, The Spot, and Good Old Days. This was before rapper wannabes discovered the area and Buckhead became the shootout at the OK Corral. Hopefully if Gwinnett Village is going to become the next Buckhead, it will strive for the Buckhead of the early 90’s and not the Buckhead of late.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 16, 2008 10:42 PM | Link to this

Why not, everything is location, location, location. The Village is right in the middle of the new uptown of Gwinnett (the stadium area) and downtown Atlanta.

It will be funny to see, if it happens, which commissioner will claim credit for it first, I introduced it, I had a dream about it, I had a vision when I was at our annual mountaintop vacation, I finally found where it is.

By Woody Bass

June 16, 2008 11:04 PM | Link to this

Jacketfan: See http://www.gwinnettvillage.com for a look at the map… but essentially it spans north/south from the Gwinnett Dekalb border to Beaver Ruin Rd… and about East/West from Buford Hwy to Williams/Britt Road.

doggirl90 I could tell you some stories about Lulu’s! I still have my gators from the fishbowls. They are always a conversation starter. :)

Bruce: Im not sure thats something any of them would want to claim. We’ll see what happens in the area… but all indications are there by my observations that is what is going to happen.

By Cindy

June 17, 2008 7:28 AM | Link to this

I’m not familiar with Gwinnett Village and from the sounds of it, i’ll stick with my current trend.

What it sounds like you’re saying is that the Dekalb/Buford Hwy scene is moving on in, and if so, that totally sucks.

Last time I went to where Clairmont intersects with Buford Hwy, I was scared. And I don’t scare easily. Oh and get this…it was daytime.

By Katie

June 17, 2008 1:38 PM | Link to this

Great, just what we need, a bunch of drunks walking around bar to bar. That’s pretty much what Buckhead is, why make Gwinnett village the same? We don’t need a bunch of drunken frat boys and more fights and shootings in our neighborhood, there’s enough of that already.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 17, 2008 2:18 PM | Link to this

If I recall correctly, Buckhead had more than just clubs, like a selection of really decent restaurants, not a chain restaurant in sight.

We already have the crime, so how much more can you bring? Do what Atlanta did to Underground, keep the bars open longer in a very limited section of the Village, like Underground. It seems to be working for Atlanta, how many shootings have you heard of at the Underground?

The club district has several advantages, people who want to party will have a section where they will not be bothering anyone else, anyone who doesn’t want to party all they have to do is stay away and I’m sure the clubs will all chip in to hire off duty officers to keep the peace.

Hey, we have to start taking some chances instead of hiding under our beds if we want to see some change around here.

By Tim

June 17, 2008 5:15 PM | Link to this

What crowd are you looking for? That whole area is party time for Hispanics. No offense meant here, at least they work! I like the Dragon Head that is used for a porch at the old Bennigan’s on Jimmy Carter! Seriously, where do you think people would drive from to go into a mainly Hispanic neighborhood to party? I won’t even bring up that this is where heavy gang activity already takes place along Singleton Road. Wait a minute, yes I will. Hardly qualifies for the next Buckhead. I can see a place like Suwanee becoming a high class party spot though.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 17, 2008 7:45 PM | Link to this

Giving up without even trying isn’t the answer Tim. It took time for the Hispanic’s to take over, it will take time to take it back.

Increased police in the area will keep things under control like at Underground.

With the collapse of the building industry you’re seeing less snd less Hispanics around.

If people keep running farther out, the next Buckhead will be in Greenville.

By Tim

June 17, 2008 9:55 PM | Link to this

LOL. Exactly what do think you are going to do with subdivisions full of one car garages, duplexes, etc? The hispanics are only renting them because they have no choice. What comes after you run them off? Worse, that’s what! Buckhead was cool at one time because you could party and still feel safe. When that went away, Buckhead died. You won’t create a party spot until you create an environment where 20 somethings feel safe. Just for kicks, where would you start something like a Buckhead in Gwinnett Village? The overburden piles at Vulcan are the nicest part of the whole area!

By Cindy

June 18, 2008 8:27 AM | Link to this

http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/main.asp?SectionID=6&SubSectionID=84&ArticleID=16252

And I quote from the article: “Immigrants play a big role here and that’s a good thing,” Park said. “If development goes well, more people will bring business.”

By Bob

June 18, 2008 12:01 PM | Link to this

I live in “Gwinnett Village” Its very difficult to take seriously. Yes the downtown area in Norcross is much nicer than it used to be. Drift West to Buford HWY, and its not so nice. Forget about JCB.

Laws and regulations that mandated interspersing different classes of housing were and are a disaster. Nice neighborhood, section 8, apartments….

What we need in “The Village” is:

Jail for loitering

Curfew enforcement for minors

Immigration and code enforcement at gunpoint

Summary execution for graffiti

An absolute ban on boom cars, with confiscation and destruction of offending audio systems

If all that is done, it won’t be a night-life area. It will be a nice quite place to live in peace, like it used to be.

Oh, and have a nice day.

By delois

June 18, 2008 12:24 PM | Link to this

I don’t know what you’ve been smoking Woody but you probably got it at one of those bars in the Gwinnett Village.

By C

June 18, 2008 1:09 PM | Link to this

Are you kidding me? That whole area is a disaster. How can a cool nightlife scene thrive when Hooter’s even bails out on the area?

By Katie

June 18, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this

Bob, I support what you propose—I wonder if the Norcross and Gwinnett PD are ready as well. I’d definately like to see strict law enforcement of the laws already on the books. A thug free zone with nice restaurants and entertainment for adults who are here in the US legally. I am so sick of the boom cars and you rarely, okay never, see them get tickets for their cars. Also, I’ve read recently that Norcross is supposed to enforce the ‘no more than 4 cars per driveway’ law—-WHEN????
I do think the village area needs improvement but I’m not sure if making it a bar scene and cruising strip is the option. There is violence in Buckhead and we have enough of that here already—we don’t need more drunk drivers, drunken bar fights and shooting—all of which Buckhead already has. We need nicer upscale places, places where these thugs wouldn’t feel they’d fit in—because they DON’T and we don’t want them here.

By Katie

June 18, 2008 2:54 PM | Link to this

Forgot to mention, I am not sorry Hooters is gone—they’re food wasn’t that good. I don’t have a problem with the women, they were pretty and very nice. The food was the disaster area. Barnacle’s used to be good also, until it too was taken over by our local illegal immigrants—they made the pool table area a gang war waiting to happen. We need more places for nice families to go to—not places where gangs and truants want to hang out at.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 18, 2008 8:37 PM | Link to this

Okay Katie and others they do not want another Buckhead, what do you want?

It’s easy to rip the Village down, moan and groan what won’t work, what will?

The Village has to hire off duty Gwinnett Police when they want something done about crime, what does that tell you, the commissioners could care less about the area.

If the commissioners feel that way and the comments here are any indication of the support of the Village we may as well pack it.

Keep letting go down the tubes along with your property value. They you all can really moan and groan.

By Bob

June 18, 2008 9:58 PM | Link to this

@Bruce

Property Values?!!!

The 2004-06 bubble is over.

Vigilantism would work - but we’re not quite there yet.

If we had wanted to live in Buckhead or midtown, we would have moved there. What would work is enforcing laws and telling the ACLU to stick it. (See vigilantism above)

What do we want? We want a time machine to roll back all the irresponsible development that Wayne Hill blessed us with. Pizza Dry Cleaner Video, Pizza Dry Cleaner Video…. Strip Mall, Jewelry, …..

We want less development, less traffic, less crime, less noise, less bangers and less illegals.

We want the slum lords to default on unoccupied properties and the county/city to bulldoze the defaulted properties. We don’t want SPLOST for anything. We want thugs arrested and hopefully killed while trying to resist arrest. Age 12 & up is fine.

Diversity is highly over rated.

Oh, and have a nice day.

By Tim

June 18, 2008 10:48 PM | Link to this

The crap that invaded Norcross and “The Village” predates Wayne Hill by a long shot. He is the only true LEADER this county has had. We want SPLOST and that is why it keeps getting voted in. Norcross has held on to its Liberty Heights type of development for 50 years or more. Quit blaming the Chairman when you people aren’t smart enough to vote someone in to make a change. Wayne Hill was all about going with what the commissioner from that area wanted. Guess what? You are what you vote in to represent you! The Chairman is only one vote.

By Bob

June 18, 2008 11:32 PM | Link to this

@ Tim

You are smoking something, or the comments are hitting too close to home. Maybe you’re referring to the “crap the invaded Norcross” starting after 1865. Too bad. We’re staying.

What - Is Wayne your Dad or your Uncle?

We’re too stupid? We’re not the one’s who decided it was a good idea to intersperse section 8 housing with decent neighborhoods. That was done by Wayne, the Feds and the rest of the boys.

If Code Enforcement were handled by Police on the spot, we wouldn’t have half the problems we have. The Norcross Marshals with badges and guns were a great idea. Too bad it got torpedoed. I have no love for the government of “The City of Norcross,” which conveniently Gerrymanders my neighborhood outside the city limits. I have no love for MS. Webb, who’s elder care center conveniently blocks the natural extension of Beaver Ruin Road to connect with PIB.

I could give a flying fig about the city’s position on liquor licenses. I’m not concerned about the folks at the Norcross Tavern nor at Dominic’s

I am concerned about the human garbage, Barrio << Gee, that’s not kind! - whatever - starting at US23 going west to US29 south of Beaver Ruin.

JCB was like Holcomb Bridge in Roswell 20 years ago. Thanks George Bush 41. Thanks Bill Clinton. Thanks George Bush 43. Thanks local government. The area is like South DeKalb now. Do you want to improve the area? Tear down the rental housing and enforce codes at gun point. Don’t try to build night clubs or new restaurants till the blight is gone. An ornate exit at Jimmy Carter and I-85??? That’s like putting silk stockings on a pig.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 19, 2008 1:21 AM | Link to this

Bob, you have somes points, but when the commissioners could care less about the area, code enforcement is a joke.

Commissioner Bert, yes the “Field of Dreams” man himself, was going to introduce an ordinance like Cobb counties that would increase the living space to 400 sq. ft. plus per person. Do the math, it would return the normal single family home to what it was designed to be instead of a tenement. Instead we got his stadium and his promise was forgotten.

The Quality of Life unit, all the photo-ops are over and they rode off into the sunset. I’ll bet they’ll ride back into town to save the day for the damsel in distress just before the election.

Hard to get rid of the blight when new codes are promised, then forgotten, where strict enforcement faded as fast as an old newspaper photo.

But when you get rid of one hole it has to be replaced quickly with something that will show some promise, otherwise you’re back at square one.

Look at downtown and how many neighborhoods have come back because of the traffic, now with the gas prices, moving closer in makes sense, the Village could be the answer.

By Katie

June 19, 2008 6:04 AM | Link to this

Bruce, Why do we have to put businesses there? What about green space? More trees, walking paths and parks. Why do we have to put bars, restaurants or anything else there? If I wanted a Buckhead scene, I would have bought a home there—just as Bob had said. Why cause more traffic and more crime? JC is already a strip, why create more of that? How about a nature center? Why keep pushing bars/restaurants at us—there’s enough of those around already.

By Bob

June 19, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this

Here is the map.

http://gwinnettvillage.com/alliance/images/PDFs/GwinnettVillageMap.pdf

By Michael H. Smith

June 19, 2008 11:17 AM | Link to this

An ornate exit at Jimmy Carter and I-85??? That’s like putting silk stockings on a pig.

You make my day, Bob. :)

By the way, you should have seen “the barrio area” 40 years ago. None of the johnny-come-lately crowd has a clue. It may not have been little house on the prairie but it was not far removed from what Woodrow might call the sticks. Plenty of trees, even a few farms. Now that Green Acres is gone… Oh well, Time Square is where we ought to be - according to the Gabors’, darling.

By Al

June 19, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this

This has already been said in one way or another, but I’ll echo it anyway. If you really want to improve that area (and Gwinnett in general), PLEASE address the thug problem first and foremost!! It doesn’t matter what you build there… thugs will infiltrate even the nicest, most safe environment and quickly ruin it. It’s happened countless times already, and it’ll just happen again if you don’t eliminate it beforehand. Also, I’m sick and tired of witnessing firsthand the blatant disrespect for the laws and codes of this county, both by lackluster enforcement and by those who thumb their nose at it because they know darn well they’ll get away with it.

By the way, and someone please correct me if I’m wrong (and I know you will), but isn’t this area (JCB-85-Village) the same area that was supposed to be the “next Atlantic Station”? (Which I would way more prefer rather than the “next Buckhead bar scene”) If I recall correctly, that project was put on the backburner, but has it now been rejected altogether?

By Bruce Wilcox

June 19, 2008 12:57 PM | Link to this

Katie I mentioned Green Space before in these columns and to a certain commissioner, but Green Space doesn’t pay taxes. The commissioners feel a dump paying taxes is worth far more than Green Space ‘Those’ people may enjoy.

The land use plan screwed up in the very begining, it never included any Green Space for the Village area. Instead of trying to correct the problem now, they’ll wash they’re hands of the area and let the CID handle it.

That one big blue (the last time I looked) shopping center on the corner of Singleton and JBC would be a great pocket park. It’s a better greeting to the thousands coming to visit the new Hindu Temple on Rockbridge.

By Katie

June 19, 2008 1:40 PM | Link to this

I’d be willing to pay more taxes to have more green space—come on people!! Money isn’t everything!! Stop being so money hungry, less businesses means less traffic, less crime, etc… Who cares if your taxes go up by $5-$10. If that amount of money busts your budget then you have far more problems. I’d like to see a lot less strip malls—dry cleaners, 3 amigos restaurants, billards, check cashing, pawn shops, title max’s etc…

By Tim

June 19, 2008 1:40 PM | Link to this

Bob,

You make some good points, but blaming commisioners or Presidents for your troubles is way off base. I’m not related to any of these people but I recognize how successful our County has been over the past 30 years. If you are still sucking wind and living in squalor, I hate it. Blame yourself. I stick with my opinion that Norcross was a blight as far back as I can remember which would be the middle 50’s. We didn’t notice so much then because all of Gwinnett was undeveloped. None of the bad part of Norcross is recent. This county has been overly SUCCESSFUL due to the leadership. However, maybe one of your favorite Democrats will get out of prison soon and you can get them voted in.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 19, 2008 2:10 PM | Link to this

Oh it’s Tim, the I take no responsiblity Republican, it’s the Democrats fault who haven’t been in power since 1985. And Tim try to remember we’re talking about Gwinnett County Georgia.

Be careful who you point your finger at Tim, you may poke your own eye out. Hint Tim, sip the Kool-Aid don’t gulp it.

I agree Katie, taxes here are nothing, if we can pay for that stadium scam we can pay for more Green Space where it is needed. Now try to tell that to the commissioners, oh they’ll agree and the Green Space will go around the ballpark.

By Bob

June 19, 2008 2:30 PM | Link to this

Tim,

Sounds like you no longer live in the area. I am neither sucking wind, nor living in squalor. I believe in the rights of honest citizens - Not criminals, nor illegal invaders (Oh -that’s right - they are criminals by definition.) My favorite Democrats are dead. Read into that what you will.

What part of Norcross were you in? JCB was the on of the national boom hot bed of computer distribution and technology, prior to the Internet. The whole area, including Peachtree Corners, excluding the Harbins/Singleton corridor, was generally OK till the early 90’s. The apartments on Brook Hollow near Center Way were occupied by mostly honest people with jobs. The problems mostly came from areas with subsidized housing.

Then the invasion kicked into high gear. The thing I blame presidents 41-43 for is allowing the illegal invasion to occur so easily.

By Bob

June 19, 2008 2:34 PM | Link to this

Thunder thumbs!

That would be:

JCB was the one of the national boom hot beds of computer distribution and technology, prior to the Internet.

By Tim

June 19, 2008 2:59 PM | Link to this

Bob,

I can’t say I disagree with most of that. Oakbrook Parkway started off really nice with hotels and Sports Bars, and now looks like Katrina Aftermath. However, be careful of what you ask for, you might get it! If they run off all of the illegals tomorrow, those nasty houses won’t get demolished, they will get invaded by Democrats. Then we will have people there who won’t even work for a living. I guess the whole point here is ummm NO, Gwinnett Village ain’t heading toward another Buckhead anytime soon.

By Bob

June 19, 2008 4:18 PM | Link to this

Tim,

Agreed. Why anyone thinks VulcanHead in Fort Apache / Gwinnett Village is going to take off, is beyond me.

Does anyone know how that glitz dance Club Encore is doing? I have no personal interest in going. It just strikes me as odd to build something like that in that area.

By Bob

June 19, 2008 4:34 PM | Link to this

@Al:

The Atlantic Station 2 that never go off the ground was going to be at Gwinnett Station and the shopping center behind it. Across Satellite BLVD from the Mall on the North side of Pleasant Hill. Its a “used to be” shopping center.

Target, Kroger, Drug Emporium, My Friends Place, a UPS store…. all used to be there.

There are a handful of business still open there. Notably an Office Max and a Japanese Restaurant. Where Woody’s BBQ used to be…

By ResonantNiteowler

June 19, 2008 11:58 PM | Link to this

Loud car stereos are a problem that are people fed up with. Trying to deal with it by constantly complaining to & seeking assistance from your Commissioner or law enforcement is just not working. So now it’s time to tell those responsible for enforcing our laws that if the thugs riding thru our neighborhoods are not ticketed out of their habit of violating noise ordinances then:

1)will build a web page detailing how certain businesses in our neighborhoods are making a profit by selling & installing these illegal over enhanced car sound systems
2)post proven studies of the negative health effects of frequencies and the loud decibel levels that we are being constantly subjected to day or night 3)Point to other cities where traditional methods used by law enforcement were not effective & they had to put in place higher fines along with the confiscation of boom car equipment to stop these offenders. 4)get local papers to do articles stating that there is a noise problem that needs to be addressed before people start taking the law into their own hands to deal with this issue.

By Michael H. Smith

June 20, 2008 6:41 AM | Link to this

We had a few bad spots Tim. Nothing like it is today and I don’t buy into to this “success is the blame” game. That is hooey.

Neglect I can buy, but too much success did it? Nah.

By Katie

June 20, 2008 8:47 AM | Link to this

The only thing I can see that Gwinnett has been successful at recently is drawing in illegal immigrants, cornering the dry cleaning, pawn shop, title loans, crappy farmers markets and poor restaurant businesses. We dominate in all of the above. We also have a very high level of gang violence and drug use as well as accidents being caused by those without insurance. Shall I go on?? (sure, there have been improvments but sometimes change can’t happen fast enough)

By Bruce Wilcox

June 20, 2008 12:01 PM | Link to this

The illegals are not the problem, the commissioners are. They failed to see the problem coming, the invasion really took off in 2000 and eight years later we get quick action during an election year.

Mr. Smith has pointed out before the jail program has been around for awhile, now we have a couple of commissioners acting like they just discovered America by introducing lately?

A hire no illegal ordinance, challenged twice, watered down twice and the county will spend hundreds of thousands of dollard to have someone explain what they passed and how to enforce it. Two years into it and not one company checked and it’s been watered down so much it has been rendered useless.

Last year, Bert the “Field of Dreams” man himself was going to introduce a new ordinance like Cobb County has to increase the living space to 400 sq. ft. per person. It would return a single home to what it was designed for, a home for about four people, not a boarding house. I guess the Braves wouldn’t trade Bert to the county till they were done with him.

Stop blaming everything on the illegals, blame it on those that made it possible and took so long in realizing how bad the problem had gotten before doing anything.

The commissioners keep kissing the butts of the new delevopments, everytime a newer section grows that’s where the commissioners brains go. JBC, now Pleasant Hill, 78 all forgotten, left to rot, left to take care of themselves. All three sections mentioned have CID’s because the county failed the area’s only to cater to only the newer area’s.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 20, 2008 12:24 PM | Link to this

A new JBC, why it should be done and how. On the corner of Rt.29 and Rockbridge we have one of the finest Hindu Temples in the United States. It will draw thousands from across the country and the world to visit it.

From I-85, JCB to Rockbridge Rd.not one decent hotel, a few and a do mean a few decent restaurants and no Green Space.

The county instead of kissing the Braves butt to get a minor league team here with our tax dollars all behind closed doors, should have/be seeking investors for the Gwinnett Village, even working with the Temple to see if they have any suggestions.

If handled properly I believe a great deal of investment will/could happen, when the commissioners realize a new section is rising from the old they’ll pay attention.

Or is it the commissioners idea to make the JBC area look like the slums of Calutta?

By Katie

June 20, 2008 1:24 PM | Link to this

Bruce, can’t we blame the illegals a little bit? After all, they did come here illegally and shouldn’t be here to begin with. Do we have to be polite to them and help them with everything—education for their anchor babies, medical and food stamps???
I realize that politicians are partly to blame but so are the ones taking advantage. If it wasn’t pleasant for them to be here they wouldn’t want to stay? If you showed up, uninvited, to a party and people were rude to you, would you stick around?

By Michael H. Smith

June 20, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this

No way the illegal aliens get a pass, you can forget that crap. Mr. Smith pointed out the “jail problem” has been around for some time. Even that is worse now than before. Much of it does not fall on the commissioners but local government has to pay for that federal problem or correctly, “federal program” called wink n’ nod that has been around for awhile. Far too long awhile.

You can build to the moon and back any way you want but as so many times it has been pointed out by a good number of others: The community does not make the people, it is the character of the people that make the community for the good or for the bad.

The answer to bad people is good law enforcement not hotels, malls and parks. These CIDs as pointed out before are doing nothing but putting lipstick on a pig.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 20, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this

Sure the illegals share a lot of the blame, but it took the commissioners eight years to do one thing worth something and one watered down feel good ordinance.

The commissioners turned a blind eye when the building boom was going on in favor of cheap labor for their donors the developers.

“The answer to bad people is good law enforcement” and whose responsibility is it to supply enough officers to do the job Mr. Smith?

I rest my case.

By Michael H. Smith

June 20, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this

What case?

The one that once said, Mr. Smith I don’t want my tax money used by local law enforcement to enforce (287G) immigration laws, or the new one of now I do?

By Bruce Wilcox

June 20, 2008 4:26 PM | Link to this

Are you attempting to change the issue, it was a simple yes or no question?

If the commissioners are not responsible for providing enough police protection, who is.

And if that is suppose to be a comment from me, the least you could do is refresh my memory of when I said it and the context it was said in.

By Tim

June 20, 2008 6:12 PM | Link to this

If the discussion is for the next “Buckhead”, old town Buford really has the “mood” for that kind of thing. Old buildings, some character, easy access to go from eating place, to bar. Houses are probably too close for the “real” Buckhead party life. Old town Norcross isn’t a bad location either. But houses are too close there too. I’m not sure there is a place in Gwinnett that residents would not go NUTS if a party atmosphere was born.

By Michael H. Smith

June 20, 2008 7:59 PM | Link to this

No, you’re attempting to change the issue and subject. I just refreshed your rather embarrassing case of convenient amnesia that you tend to rely on for a memory.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 20, 2008 10:14 PM | Link to this

Mr. Smith you’re nothing more than a liar, a bad one at that. If you plan accusing someone of saying something at least be able to back it up.

Now as far as you kissing the commissioners butts, well that’s all up to you.

But the very simple question remains, whose responsibility is it to provide enough officers to enforce the law, a child could answer the question Mr. Smith, only a lemming could not. You have proved where you fall, as low as your credibility.

By Dee

June 20, 2008 10:33 PM | Link to this

Instead of the proposed tollway continuing to I-85 on Pleasant Hill let’s run it from Highway 78 to 285 and take out all of the slum houses and Hispanic businesses now on Rockbridge Road to JCB. That would be progress. Gwinnett Village will never be another “Buckhead”.

By Michael H. Smith

June 21, 2008 10:45 AM | Link to this

Lying is your game Mr. Wilcox, many know that for fact. You have continually supported amnesty for illegal aliens on these blogs. Only recently have you changed your position on 287g. Now, you even admit illegal aliens are alot of the problem. Guess being only one of two on these blogs that supports illegal aliens and the things they have done has taken its’ toll.

You have zero credibility, Mr. Wilcox.

By Michael H. Smith

June 21, 2008 11:10 AM | Link to this

And by the way Mr. Wilcox, I’ve said long before now law enforcement is the answer to many of the problems in the Barrio a.k.a. gwinnett village. You again are nothing more than johnny come lately jumping on the band wagon after defeat. I’ve even publicly stated for the record support to raise taxes to hire more police in my city and this county. I’ve never read anything from you to that affect and not many others either.

People love to berate quality of life police and go on and on about how they are not doing the job. Now, how many of this ilk are willing to pay more in taxes to hire enough officers to get that job done?

No MARTA, No TAD

By Bob

June 21, 2008 12:13 PM | Link to this

Just for a minute lets imagine that all the issues with blight, the illegals and other thugs and low life scum were gone. Don’t worry abut how. Just suspend disbelief. (Like in a movie.)

Would most of the honest working folks in the area want it to become pary central since old Buckehead is gone?

I certainly wouldn’t.

The reply answer always come back Well what would you want? Without specifics: Less density and less urbanization. Less government services other than public safety and infrastructure maintenance.

By Michael H. Smith

June 21, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this

That answer is obvious, Bob. If most of us wanted to live in Buckhead we would not be living in Gwinnett. Same said for Atlantic Station.

If Woody and others want Buckhead, then they should move to Buckhead. If they want MARTA then move to Dekalb or Fulton County.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 21, 2008 12:46 PM | Link to this

More green space, a few nice hotels along with a few decent restaurants. If the Village can entice those who visit the Temple to invest in the future of the area, you may see high class condo’s and new, replacing the old, residential areas.

The Quality of Life Police are only good for photo-ops, what have seen seen done by them lately? Bet you’ll see some real action this summer just before the election.

As far as raising taxes, never bothered me, I’m a Yankee, taxes down here are chump change compared to the North. So your whine there doesn’t fly Mr. Smith.

Nope, I’ll stand by my statement that you are a low-life liar, if you said I said something back it up.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 21, 2008 1:56 PM | Link to this

Mr. Smith it would be easy to back up your statement if it was true, something like this…By Bruce Wilcox

February 20, 2008 9:09 AM | Link to this

I agree they have given up on the Norcross area, I said years ago they may as well annex us to DeKalb county, we maybe better off.

What gets me is the Gwinnett Village CID hired the counties own police officers to do extra patrols? Sounds to me there isn’t enough to do the job in the first place.

Hiring the number of officers that the county really needs was spent on the stadium, but we will need a few extra for traffic control.

We still have a small section of the neighborhood holding on, but as I sit staring at the van that hasn’t move in two months now, the effort seems hardly worth it.

By Michael H. Smith

June 21, 2008 2:54 PM | Link to this

I’ve done that in the past Mr. It Would Be Easy only to have you pursue to lie and deny. I’m not going to waste my time trying to run down another achieve where you made that very comment of - “Mr. Smith I don’t want my tax money used by local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws”. You can lie till hell freezes, it does not change one thing or your past comments that support illegal immigrations and opposes any law enforcement efforts that would lead to deporting them.

Th easiest thing would be for me to take the good advice others have given me in the past to ignore an idiot like you.

This is my last comment to you Mr. Wilcox.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 21, 2008 5:25 PM | Link to this

As I stated Mr. Smith, you proved yourself nothing more than a low-life liar.

Prance, dance and squirm all you want Mr. Smith, if you had anything to back up your childish statement, you would proudly display it.

” This is my last comment to you Mr. Wilcox.”, sure Mr. Smith, the rest you can just make up.

By Katie

June 22, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this

I hate the fact that this entire area looks like a sprawling mall. Why do we have to build more shopping centers? Many are built but remain empty. The phrase build it and they will come has been proven to be incorrect, they are not coming. We need more of a city and neighborhood feeling, more family orientated. We don’t need any more retail spaces here, we need green space. Screw Buckhead. How about designing the area for pedestrian and bikers? It would be nice to have places to walk to. A dog park would be nice. A place for kids to roller skate or skateboard would also be nice. Places where families can go and spend the day. Stop the sprawling mall mentality.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 22, 2008 12:53 PM | Link to this

They’re putting in a new strip mall on the corner of Indian Trail and Singleton? The gas station there went out of business years ago because it was impossible to get in or out of, somehow it got approved? This is in the district where a commissioner is running for chairman, do you expect a difference?

Katie, I suggested a few years ago to our Baseball commssioner and our Parks commissioner about the idea of pocket parks. It wasn’t well accepted by the Baseball commissioner, he says Big parks are the answer, the Parks commissioner a very nice concerned gentleman told me in old plan they just forgot about parks in the Village area. The greed of taxes over green space rules.

Up North when a house goes back to the city, they may buy the one next door and turn it into a little neighborhood park. The Village area not having sidewalks in the majority of the area would at least have one safe place for children to play and neighbors meet, it has worked well in the North.

In the Village area where there isn’t any room for a large park, pocket parks could be the answer. At least worth a try, if we can afford a ballpark, we can afford a few pocket parks.

It was pointed out to me that there are a few parks in the Village area, they forget this isn’t the soccer mom area, most of the time both parents work. I don’t know how a child or early teen is expected to travel miles to the few parks we have on busy roads without sidewalks and crossing major highways to get to them?

By Bitter Bruce

June 22, 2008 9:02 PM | Link to this

Hello,

I am Bruce Wilcox. I am the most bitter person in the world. I blog online and bully people. I find great enjoyment in making sure everyone knows that not only am I smarter than they are, I am better than they are. I am with out a doubt the most bitter person in the world and am in such a hurry to show how smart I am that I often completely make myself look like a fool.

Who would I blog to if I didnt have Michael H Smith. There wouldnt be anyone because I can not be polite. I have to just insult southerns and call them all racist. I hate Gwinnett County, I hate Lilburn, I hate Bert, I hate the Village, I hate Chuck at the Village and before Sally left I hated her also, yet I felt the need to move to the South then I just complain about it non stop. I really should go see the North Georgia Mountians and see how beautiful the world outside of my narrow minded view of southerners is and life is.

Thanks,

Bitter Bruce.

But the way. I am such a man, I let people know who I am. I was a firefighter. I am the best and know democrats have never made a mistake.

NEVER.

Oh by the way, in case nobody knew how I felt about Bert and the baseball field……I am against it and also the water parks and everything that is going on. I am mostly bitter that Bert has a good law practice going and drives a Corvette.

Thanks for reading.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 22, 2008 10:40 PM | Link to this

Oh clever one who hides behind a screen, I am not bitter at all, I enjoy life more than most because I know, “Everything Can Change in a New york Minute”.

Mr. Smith sorry to say proved himself a liar, when someone accuses me of something, the very least they could do is back it up, he couldn’t.

I hate the South? I hate Gwinnett County? I hate Bert? I hate Chuck, who is Chuck? I hate Sally, who is Sally?

The South, love the weather, when I moved here in 93’ it was a completely different county than it is now. So no, I do not hate Gwinnett, I hate what is happening/happened to it.

I hate Bert, no, Bert and I use to exchange e-mails and phone calls, we both love Rt.66 and Arizona. We haven’t exchanged anything since this scam of a stadium came about, so it’s not personal, but the fact he failed on an ordinance he promised (it’s in the spring of last years AJC) to work on the stadium. If Bert can take the time away from photo-ops and introduce the ordinance again, it would go along way in restoring his credibility.

I do not endorse the Democrats nor Republicans, I am a Liberal, if anyone can can find where I endorse a local Democrat over a Republican, show your hand. I did say and fully agree with is, Insanity- Electing the same people over and over and expecting a different result. The Republicans have been in power since 1985, what has changed?

I am proud that I was a Firefighter for over twenty years, a fouth generation one at that. I bring that up very few times, mostly to enlighten people that life is just too short to hold petty grudges and make them realize no matter how clever they may be, no one knows, including me, what awaits us.

Now clever one, any more questions?

By More Bitter

June 22, 2008 11:32 PM | Link to this

Yeah…

hahah

Have someone read your responce beside you….it reaks of bitterness

Dude was right you are BITTER.

and responding on a Sunday night is enjoying life…..

And dude was right you are a bully and truly think you are smarter than everyone……

Go back to New York.

By Just Saying

June 23, 2008 5:34 AM | Link to this

More Bitter, and what were YOU doing Sunday night at 11:32??? You were blogging too.

Hey Pot, this is Kettle—you’re black!!!

By Katie

June 23, 2008 7:29 AM | Link to this

Bruce, I’d like to see property taxes increase, a bit. That way more money would be generated and hopefully less strip malls built. But of course I have my own ideals and my own little perfect world and I have to remember that not everyone lives in it—although I think most would be happier there. Still though, property tax in Gwinnett is very low—compared to other counties and states. I would certainly be willing to pay more for more green space with less sprawling malls that remain unoccupied.

By NoWay

June 23, 2008 9:29 AM | Link to this

Are you serious? Uh no its not the same because it is OTP. It is NOT Atlanta.

By Andrew

June 23, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this

I agree Katie,

We need more green space.

The City of Norcross recently held a meeting to discuss parks. They have some great plans to build/remodel Thrasher, Heritage and Muldin Park. These parks are all within a block of each other. While I think these are great ideas I do question how come there has been no talk of parks east of Buford Hwy and brought it up in the meeting.

We need more greenspace in the Village. There are a few things I am willing to pay more for from the Government. I am willing to pay more for someone to come get my recycling and accept everything that can be recycled. I am willing to pay for some greenspace.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 23, 2008 2:36 PM | Link to this

Katie, what do you think of the idea of pocket parks? It ties neigborhoods together and children have a safe place to play. For those who will say they will become a hang-out for trouble makers not so, when a community has something like a park to protect they will and the police will be more than happy to help.

By Katie

June 24, 2008 5:34 AM | Link to this

I like the idea of pocket parks. Where I grew up we had lots of them and it was great. I do not agree that they would become hang out places, pocket parks are too small, generally, and as you said, people tend to take care of them better.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 24, 2008 2:18 PM | Link to this

I know that some commissioners read these blogs, right now with backroom deals aplenty, this is one of the few ways to get our voice out there.

Now if we could get Woody or one of the other blogs to do a piece of pocket parks and we can show the pros and cons, maybe a commissioner or two will pay attention.

By Just saying

June 25, 2008 6:05 AM | Link to this

I can’t really think of any cons to pocket parks.

In my neighborhood there are no parks. The closest park is Thrasher and I can’t even bring my dogs there. I think that most people just don’t care about green space any more. I think the mentality is that if it can’t make any money then it shouldn’t be done. Forget about the phrase, doing the right thing. Depressing, very depressing.

By J

September 5, 2008 11:53 AM | Link to this

Most of you got it wrong…it’s all a scam & money maker for the Commissioner’s, Politician’s, City of Norcross, Gwinnett County, Friends of Politicians, Developer & Real Estate friends of Politicians etc. Who do you think is in control or in the process of taking control of these properties in this blighted, god-forsaken barrio? I’m from here & I’ve seen areas like Duluth (Pleasant Hill Road-Gwinnett Place Mall) & I see areas like Suwanee (PIB) facing the same problems. County Commissioners let their friends (often times the Commissioners have a direct or indirect interest in these developments & it’s usually the land) build more apartments, condos, strip centers etc. to increase the tax base so they can “toot” their whistles as to how they are improving the quality of life for the citizens & area. When actually, they’re overburdening the county’s infrastructure & illegal aliens are compounding this problem significantly. A lot of the new development is sitting vacant (a lot of it foreign owned) illegals don’t pay taxes-property, income or otherwise & now Gwinnett County is facing huge declining tax revenues. They let this area go down-hill & now they’re in the process of buying it back cheap sometimes through condemnation, Eminent-Domain etc. (It’s happening while we “blog.” ) I could go on & on but won’t. For those easily offended - I just say what most think. I’ll soon be moving north or west to a home in the mountains or maybe Montana-like a lot of the politicians. PS-Woody & maybe some of you others aren’t from here or haven’t lived here long enough to know Jack Schitt!!!