Late Dacula Mayor Jimmy Wilbanks loved to conduct business at the Waffle House alongside U.S. 29 and Harbins Road.
The intersection will soon bear his name.
Wilbanks, 76, died in January after a long battle with cancer. His favorite Waffle House was recently torn down too, making way for construction of a new bridge over the highway.
But the city of Dacula — which Wilbanks represented as mayor in the 1970s and again for the 16 or so years immediately preceding his death — announced last week that it would honor its longtime leader by naming the key intersection in his honor.
The move comes months after a pair of state legislators representing the Dacula area — Sen. P.K. Martin and Rep. Chuck Efstration — presented resolutions suggesting such an honor.
A ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. Aug. 12 at Dacula City Hall.
"Mayor Wilbanks dedicated his life to serving others," Martin said in a news release. “One of his favorite spots to conduct business was at the Waffle House adjacent to this intersection. I could not think of a better way and more appropriate place to honor one of Dacula's most dedicated public servants."
Wilbanks, a Dacula native, served as mayor from 1971-1979 and again from 2002 until his death. He is credited both with ushering his hometown into the modern era — through improving infrastructure and encouraging new businesses and amenities for residents — and with helping keep growth in check.
The city just east of Lawrenceville now has around 5,000 residents.
In a Facebook post, Efstration called Wilbanks a great friend and “an outstanding and dedicated public servant.”
The state representative recently named his newborn son James Wilbanks Efstration.
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