The Rosebud Coalition

The following is my email to the Snellville City Council regarding the development proposed for Temple Johnson Road and Garmon Drive. You are welcome to use it as a model for your email to snellvillecouncil@aboutgwinnett.com.

I ask that you DENY ANX07-08/LUP07-10/RZ07-15, an application by Genesis Development Group, LLC for 42.8 acres on Temple Johnson and Garmon Drive.

The city’s planning staff has correctly recommended that this proposal be denied for a variety of reasons:

1. Development Inconsistent with Existing Homes

Your approval will introduce a 149 small-lot (1/4-acre or less) homes into an area characterized by multi-acre estate-type tracts. From the staff report, “…approving the proposed development would create an oddity into the area.”

2. RHOP Development In the Wrong Place

The senior housing districts should be within walking distance of grocery stores, doctors’ offices and other services for convenience. Your approval of this application would create an RHOP subdivision far from those types of services.

The zoning ordinance states in section 9.6, “It is recommended that these districts be located in areas that facilitate pedestrian access to nearby commercial goods and services, and/or amenities/cultural facilities.”

3. Development Not Consistent with Future Plans

Not only is the proposed development contrary to the Gwinnett Land Use Plan, which designates this area for low-density residential development, but it is contrary to THE CITY’S future plans for this area as well.

In fact, the sensibility of a denial is obvious if the application is considered in the following light:

If you were to annex these properties for a non-zoning reason– for example, to clean up the city’s boundary lines– you would logically annex them at the current land use designation, which is low-density residential. The city’s long-range planning does not call for higher-density development in this area, much less RHOP.

THE ONLY REASON THAT A HIGHER DENSITY IS EVEN BEING CONSIDERED IS BECAUSE A DEVELOPER ASKED.

I am sure you agree that a rezoning application alone is not sufficient justification to deviate from the city’s future land use plans.

Respectfully,

Filed under: Growth & Development