Board votes down big townhome development near Gwinnett high school

Rocklyn Homes wants to build 220 townhomes on a 32-acre property near Spout Springs Road, Braselton Highway and I-85. (Credit: Gwinnett County Planning Commission documents)

Rocklyn Homes wants to build 220 townhomes on a 32-acre property near Spout Springs Road, Braselton Highway and I-85. (Credit: Gwinnett County Planning Commission documents)

A large townhome development proposed near a Gwinnett County high school will not become a reality.

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners voted down Tuesday the proposal by Rocklyn Homes, which wanted to build 220 townhomes on a 32-acre tract near I-85 and the well-traveled intersection of Braselton Highway and Spout Springs Road. The intersection isn't far from Mill Creek High School.

The proposal had riled many residents of the area, who were worried about the project’s high density, traffic it would introduce and its potential impact on nearby schools. More than 1,300 people signed a petition opposing the development.

In order for the project to become a reality, the property’s zoning would have had to be changed from its current general business district classification to R-TH, the county’s single-family townhouse district classification.

The Board of Commissioners opted not to approve that change during its Tuesday night meeting. The county’s planning department and planning commission had both previously recommended denial.