Rejected Loganville zoning really approved
One piece of a large, Loganville-area development was erroneously rejected last week when one Gwinnett commissioner’s vote was misrecorded.
Gwinnett County commissioners appeared to reject a 21-acre commercial rezoning when they voted May 26. But on Tuesday, commissioner Jace Brooks said his vote in favor of the request had been recorded as a no vote, when he had really voted yes.
Instead of failing 2-3, the commercial piece was approved, 3-2. Commissioners Lynette Howard and John Heard continued to oppose it.
The land is part of a 422-acre project on two sides of Lawrenceville Highway that would bring more than 600 homes, townhomes and villas to the area. Developer Grayson Investment Partners, led by David Bowen, 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 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.
Planning commissioners, who suggested that the entire proposal be approved, created guidelines that would limit some retail uses, slow the pace of development and require sidewalks and trails to connect to nearby Bay Creek Park.
About the Author
Arielle Kass covers Gwinnett County for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She started at the paper in 2010, and has covered business and local government beats around metro Atlanta. Arielle is a graduate of Emory University.
