A major mixed-use project proposed for the Dacula area is one step closer to reality after earning the approval of the Gwinnett County Planning Commission on Tuesday.
The sprawling development from BJM Properties LLC would bring houses, townhomes, retail, a church and a private school to 66 acres near Jim Moore Road and Hamilton Mill Parkway, not far from Little Mulberry Park.
More specifically, the project would include 74 single-family homes of various size and 12 townhomes. Four "live work units" would also be offered on the second floor of a building that would hold about 20,000 square feet of "neighborhood oriented places of business."
In addition, "the developers have been working with a local church and Oak Hill Classical School (formerly Dominion Classical Christian Academy) about moving to the development," documents submitted to the planning commission said.
The school would be able to accommodate about 550 students when "fully matured," documents said. During Tuesday's public hearing, however, a representative for the developer stressed that the school's growth would be "very slow and very incremental."
The project would surround "a village green area where kids can play and on weekends the community can host a farmers' market or other community activities."
In his motion to approve the proposal, planning commission chairman Chuck Warbington called it a "very innovative project."
The development would still have to be approved by Gwinnett's Board of Commissioners to move forward.
About the Author
