A long-contested development that would bring a Dairy Queen, another restaurant and retail and office space to Gwinnett’s Hamilton Mill area got the go-ahead from the county’s Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night.
The board then got an earful from protesters who, like they have at every meeting for more than four months, continued to call for the resignation of embattled Commissioner Tommy Hunter.
The board approved the rezoning and special use permit necessary for the Dairy Queen project by a split 3-2 vote. Commissioner John Heard, whose district holds the property in question, was among the votes against.
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Representatives from two neighborhood groups spoke against the development during Tuesday night’s meeting, citing concerns over traffic, bright lighting and decreased property values. Heard said it was “very consistent that the community is against this use.”
Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash, however, made the motion that ultimately led to its approval.
“Commissioner Heard, I know that you have put a lot of time and energy into this and have tried to be very sensitive to the community,” Nash said. “I just have a different opinion about what represents a constitutional zoning on this property.”
That property consists of just over four acres near the intersection of Hamilton Mill and Pucketts Mill roads. A Dairy Queen location was first proposed for part of the site several years ago.
The newest proposal calls for a Dairy Queen, a second building that could become home to a “sit-down restaurant,” and a third, 19,200-square-foot structure that would include retail on the first floor and office space on the second.
Two dozen or so anti-Hunter protesters were present for Tuesday’s meeting and, as they have at every meeting since the commissioner’s controversial social media activity came to light, they used the public comment period to voice their displeasure.
Hunter has been the center of controversy since The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first published screenshots of a Jan. 14 Facebook post in which he called civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis a "racist pig." The same post also referred to Democrats as "Demonrats" and a "bunch of idiots."
As has become his practice, Hunter left Tuesday night’s meeting before the protesters spoke.
“I just want to say he’s a disgrace to this county, he’s a disgrace to this commission and I really can’t wait until he goes,” one regular protester, Lilburn resident Patricia Yeargin, said.
Hunter is also the subject of a formal ethics complaint. The ethics board tasked with investigating the complaint is scheduled to hold a hearing on the case on May 31.
The commissioner has declined to participate in the process. He did not make the ethics board appointment afforded him and did not file a formal response to the complaint.
“These things are created to keep the Board of Commissioners accountable,” protester Teddy Murphy said Tuesday. “And when you have a member of the commission who doesn’t think that ordinance applies to him, that’s just appalling.”
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The AJC's Tyler Estep keeps you updated on the latest happenings in Gwinnett County government and politics. You'll find more on myAJC.com, including these stories:
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