Project approved near Gwinnett baseball stadium

One proposed commercial development near Gwinnett County’s new baseball stadium got the go-ahead this week, while another will wait another couple of weeks for a recommendation from the Planning Commission.

The County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a 10-acre development on Buford Drive near Lawrenceville that is expected to include shops and restaurants. Plans for two four-story hotels were scrapped after neighbors expressed concerns about their height, said Michael Sullivan, the developer’s attorney.

The county’s planning staff had recommended denial of the project, saying the previous office and institutional zoning made more sense as a buffer shielding the Habersham Hills subdivision behind the site from more intense commercial uses surrounding the stadium.

Tuesday night, the county’s Planning Commission voted to delay consideration of a much-larger project adjacent to the stadium proposed by developer Brand Morgan.

Morgan wants the county to rezone the land to allow for a 73-acre project that would bring 351,000 square feet of retail space, 617,000 square feet of office space, 300 hotel rooms and 610 residences to a site next to the stadium.

Morgan sold the land on which the stadium sits to the county, and also owns the land surrounding the stadium.

No one appeared at the Planning Commission hearing to oppose the project, but commissioners said they needed more time to study such a large proposal.

The Planning Commission decision on Morgan’s request will be considered on Feb. 17, after which it will go to the County Commission for final consideration.