Residents near Bay Creek Park in Loganville are up in arms over a large development that aims to bring stores and hundreds of homes to their area. Gwinnett County commissioners are due to vote on the proposal Tuesday.
The 422-acre project on two sides of Loganville Highway would bring more than 600 homes, townhomes and villas to the area. Developer Grayson Investment Partners, led by David Bowen, has also proposed nearly 570,000 square feet of commercial buildings, the equivalent of more than two Walmart Supercenters.
Local residents said they weren’t against development, but with property values that have not rebounded from the recession and some subdivisions that still have homes to sell, they would prefer the proposal be scaled back. They complained about the potential for increased traffic, the amount of retail and the fact that they would lose their area’s rural feel.
Jeff Mahaffey, an attorney representing the developer, said there would be no strip centers, and one convenience store. The project would take at least five years to build, he said, and would have restaurants, banks and coffee shops for locals to use.
“It’s a development that creates a sense of place, has a sense of community,” he said.
Planning commissioners suggested that the proposal be approved, though with guidelines that would limit some retail uses, slow the pace of development and require sidewalks and trails to connect to the park.
County commissioners are scheduled to vote on the plan at their 7 p.m. Tuesday meeting.
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