STOP OVER-DEVELOPEMENT IN HAMILTON MILL STOP RZC2022-00045 STOP RZM2022-00047

Please sign our new petition

Hello, friends and neighbors-

Y'all signed our first petition to stop this development.  We were successful in getting Brand Properties to lower the density from 700 units to 387 units, 327 apartments, and 60 owner-occupied townhomes.  While we are deeply appreciative of these modifications we still feel that this is too much for that location.  We do not have the infrastructure to support this.  We have 7 failing intersections surrounding this proposed project area and these will remain failing after the required fixes.  This area can not support this development. 

                                        https://www.facebook.com/groups/1045484690193392/  Follow this link to our FaceBook page to find the new petition.

Please take a minute and sign our new petition.  We gathered 2697 signatures in this first petition.  We should be able to meet that!

                            Please sign now!  Please help us stand up for the Hamilton Mill area communities!!

RZC2022-00045 & RZM2022-00047 Rezoning +/- 40 acres at Hamilton Mill

Hi, friends and neighbors!

     The Hamilton Mill rezoning applications will most likely be tabled (postponed) tomorrow, Nov 7.  Brand Properties and our group agreed to request that the hearing be tabled until December pending a revised site plan.  When both sides request a case to be tabled, the commissioners usually oblige. Brand Properties agreed to revise their site plan based on community feedback. 

     Because they are still working on the site plan both sides agreed to request that the hearings be postponed until December. 

     As soon as we have the revised site plan, we will post that information here, on our FB page, and send it to those on our email contact list. Some of us still plan to attend the meeting but we don’t think that we need to fill the room.    

MEETING DATES WHEN WE DO NEED TO FILL THE ROOM

Dec 5,  7 p.m.    Planning Commission

Dec 12, 7 p.m.  Board of Commissioners (BOC meeting is not on its regular third Tuesday due to the holidays)  

Both meetings will be held at the Gwinnett Justice and Administrative Center (GJAC) at 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville.  

Now is not the time to let our efforts stall; it’s time to double down!

We need to keep informing our neighbors and getting signatures for our petition. Many of our neighbors are still unaware of these pending rezoning applications, which if approved would have a serious negative impact on our entire area.  

There are many ways to volunteer in our efforts to spread the word in our community.  We’re passing out flyers, posting signs, and selling T-shirts.

Please see our Facebook page, Northeast Gwinnett Neighborhood Coalition, for updated information and ways to volunteer.   Northeast Gwinnett Neighborhood Coalition Facebook page can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1045484690193392, 

As soon as the meetings are officially tabled tomorrow night, we will be posting an updated flyer that you can download, print, and hand out in your neighborhood.  Keep copies in your car so they’ll always be handy.  (If you need hard copies, we will get them to you). 

Most folks we tell about this don’t know about it, and when they see what’s proposed, they do not want it to happen.  

Let’s pack the room with red from the Hamilton Mill community in December!    

Thanks, everyone! 

Please sign and share our petition!

RZC2022-00045 & RZM2022-00047 Rezoning +/- 40 acres at Hamilton Mill

Hi, friends and neighbors!

     The Hamilton Mill rezoning applications will most likely be tabled (postponed) tomorrow, Nov 7.  Brand Properties and our group agreed to request that the hearing be tabled until December pending a revised site plan.  When both sides request a case to be tabled, the commissioners usually oblige. Brand Properties agreed to revise their site plan based on community feedback. 

     Because they are still working on the site plan both sides agreed to request that the hearings be postponed until December. 

     As soon as we have the revised site plan, we will post that information here, on our FB page, and send it to those on our email contact list. Some of us still plan to attend the meeting but we don’t think that we need to fill the room.    

MEETING DATES WHEN WE DO NEED TO FILL THE ROOM

Dec 5,  7 p.m.    Planning Commission

Dec 12, 7 p.m.  Board of Commissioners (BOC meeting is not on its regular third Tuesday due to the holidays)  

Both meetings will be held at the Gwinnett Justice and Administrative Center (GJAC) at 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville.  

Now is not the time to let our efforts stall; it’s time to double down!

We need to keep informing our neighbors and getting signatures for our petition. Many of our neighbors are still unaware of these pending rezoning applications, which if approved would have a serious negative impact on our entire area.  

There are many ways to volunteer in our efforts to spread the word in our community.  We’re passing out flyers, posting signs, and selling T-shirts.

Please see our Facebook page, Northeast Gwinnett Neighborhood Coalition, for updated information and ways to volunteer.   Northeast Gwinnett Neighborhood Coalition Facebook page can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1045484690193392, 

As soon as the meetings are officially tabled tomorrow night, we will be posting an updated flyer that you can download, print, and hand out in your neighborhood.  Keep copies in your car so they’ll always be handy.  (If you need hard copies, we will get them to you). 

Most folks we tell about this don’t know about it, and when they see what’s proposed, they do not want it to happen.  

Let’s pack the room with red from the Hamilton Mill community in December!    

Thanks, everyone! 

Please sign and share our petition!

Darlyn Wilkerson

Hamilton Mill rezoning applications and Press Conference 11.3.23 NOON 2385 Hamilton Mill Parkway

Hello, everyone!

The roster for the Press conference tomorrow, at Noon, Fri Nov 3, has changed.  Rep Soo Hong and Rep Mughal will not be speakers as originally announced.  We are still working to gain public support for our opposition from Rep Hong. Rep Mughal will be attending the press conference not as a speaker but as a resident of HD 105 supporting his fellow residents.  Rep Mughal has been steadfast in his support of our efforts to defeat these rezoning applications and has agreed to say so in a letter to the Board of Commissioners.  

Please follow the link below to see a statement from the Northeast Gwinnett Neighborhood Coalition and the Hamilton Mill HOA.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1045484690193392/permalink/1100145454727315

PRESS CONFERENCE NOV 3 NOON AT HAMILTON MILL SWIM/TENNIS 2385 HAMILTON MILL PKWY-PLEASE ATTEND

Hamilton Mill rezoning hearings update

Hamilton Mill Rezoning MEETING UPDATE

Hi, friends and neighbors!

The Hamilton Mill rezoning applications will most likely be tabled (postponed) on Oct 3.  Brand Properties and some in our group requested the hearing be tabled until November.  When both sides request a case to be tabled, the commissioners usually oblige.

Some of us still plan to attend the meeting but we don’t think that we need to fill the room.    

MEETING DATES WHEN WE DO NEED TO FILL THE ROOM

Nov 7,   7 pm  Planning Commission

Nov 14, 7 pm  Board of Commissioners  (BOC meeting is not on its regular third Tuesday due to Thanksgiving)  

Both meetings will be held at the Gwinnett Justice and Administrative Center (GJAC) at 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville.  

Now is not the time to let our efforts stall; it’s time to double down. We need to keep informing our neighbors and getting signatures for our petition.

Many of our neighbors are still unaware of these pending rezoning applications, which if approved would have a serious negative impact on our entire area.  

There are many ways to volunteer in our efforts to spread the word in our community.  We’re passing out flyers, posting signs, and selling T-shirts. Please see our Facebook page, Northeast Gwinnett Neighborhood Coalition, for updated information and ways to volunteer.  

A PDF file of our updated flyer is on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1045484690193392, Northeast Gwinnett Neighborhood Coaliion.  You can download, print, and hand it out in your neighborhood.  Keep copies in your car so they’ll always be handy.  (If you need hard copies we will get them to you).  I give them to folks whenever I’m out, in a restaurant, or at the grocery store.

Most folks we tell about this don’t know about it, and when they see what’s proposed, they do not want it to happen.  

We’ve found a source to make our own “VOTE NO” T-shirts.  You provide a red T-shirt, and for $2 you can have your own “VOTE NO” T-shirt!   We all know that this won’t be the last time we need to go to GJAC for a rezoning hearing.  Similar shirts identify us as being aligned in the same cause.  When we wear them at events and in parking lots, we demonstrate our numbers and unity.  Red has long been the color of protest at GJAC.

Let’s pack the room with red from the Hamilton Mill community!    

Thanks, everyone! 

Please sign and share our petition!

9/26/23 Board of Commissioners meeting to vote of amendment to UDO without Planning Commission hearing-PLEASE ATTEND

Update on the 9/19/23 meeting with Brand Properties

Hello, friends and neighbors!

We had a good crowd at the community meeting with Brand Properties this past Tuesday night. Brand Properties V.P. Jonathan Barge, and Brand’s attorney, Melody Glouton, presented the project as a benefit to the community. Jackson EMC did not send a representative. Brand Properties did offer to reduce the size of the project from the 700 in the application to 650, maybe even 600. The crowd’s reaction (laughter) let them know that wasn’t acceptable, either.

Brand asked for our ideas for acceptable alternatives. The crowd’s favorite is the plan from Mark Johnson, President of the Seckinger Athletic Association which serves the entire Seckinger cluster. Mr. Johnson has researched this and has already met with many county officials to discuss a plan for a community center and competition-sized aquatic center. Gwinnett County has no similar facility--our kids have to travel to Atlanta for competitions. This center would serve five school clusters, not just Seckinger.

The community center could serve as a daycare center for employees of Gwinnett County Schools, host after-school programs, and provide many other community uses. The Seckinger cluster includes 5,000 children. That’s 5,000 children without athletic facilities. We don’t feel it’s fair to give a community a brand-new school but then say that the Athletic Association is on its own locating land, and then rezone 40 available acres to hem the school in with 700 apartments and 17,000 SF of retail. Seckinger HS is already hemmed in by Hall County to the north and the City of Buford to its west. Where is there available land? How is that working toward a live, work, play concept?

The 40 acres in Seckinger’s backyard would go a long way to helping not only the 5,000 children in the Seckinger cluster but everyone in the area. The parking lot could be used as an overflow parking lot for the parking at Seckinger HS, and the Seckinger parking lot could be used as an overflow parking lot for events at the aquatic and community center. This plan keeps students and parents closer to our schools and homes. That is what the county is after; live, work, and play close to home. This plan would achieve that goal.

We understand that this plan would bring in no tax dollars. However, it would provide a much-needed asset to the entire area without bringing more traffic and residents to an already congested area. Jackson EMC has owned this property for more than 20 years. Why they would choose a developer who builds only high-density rentals in an area that is mostly single-family owner-occupied residences is a puzzle to me, and I think to everyone reading this.

Other ideas included senior apartments on half of the property, an aquatic center on the other half, shared workspaces, an amphitheater, a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods, and R-75 owner-occupied residential.

Ms. Glouton took notes and said they would take our ideas back to their planners and see if any would work with their business model. Since their business model is rental only--even their subdivisions are rental only--I have little hope that we can reach an agreeable compromise, but you never know. If we improve this project by any measure, then we’ve accomplished something. And if we defeat it, then we’ve helped our entire community!

How do we defeat it?

Sign and share our petition with area friends and neighbors. A lot of folks in our community are still unaware of these rezoning applications. We’re trying to reach 3,000 signatures.

Email ALL of the commissioners: Tell them why this proposal is a bad fit for our area. You can send the same email to all nine commissioners. If they don’t hear from us, they won’t know that there is widespread community opposition to these rezoning applications.

Pass out our flyers. A pdf file with the latest version is available on our FB page-Northeast Gwinnett Neighborhood Coalition. Keep them in your car, you never know when this case might come up. If you can’t print your own, let us know, and we will get them to you.

Attend meetings. Our organizational meetings are important but the County Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners meetings are the ones most important for us to have a crowd. People Power speaks! People Power is our biggest asset.

We are up against heavy hitters: Brand Properties, Jackson EMC, Anderson, Tate, and Carr (Brand Properties attorneys). So, please plan to attend the Planning Commission meeting at 7 p.m. on October 3, at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center.

Wear RED to the public meetings to show your opposition. Red has long been the color of opposition at GJAC. Bring a neighbor--we need a packed house!

Volunteer to pass our flyers/tell your HOAs/neighborhoods/donate and make everyone aware this WILL happen without your vocal opposition.

NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD! STAND UP FOR HAMILTON MILL!

Please watch our FB page and NextDoor group for PC & BOC meeting updates. There is already some talk that the next Planning Commission meeting will be tabled. Don’t let this discourage you from participating. This is a common developer tactic.

                                     They think they can wear us down. They don’t know us. We don’t wear down, we double down!

                                                                  Help us reach 3,000 signatures on our petition!

Thanks, everyone!

Darlyn Wilkerson

NE Gwinnett Neighborhood Coalition

Community Meeting Sept 19th 6 p.m.

Hi, friends and neighbors—  

Just a reminder that we have a community meeting with Brand Properties at 6 p.m. on September 19 at the Bogan Park Community Center, 2723 North Bogan Road.  

At the meeting, we will have the opportunity to question Brand Properties (the potential developer) and Jackson EMC (the property owner) about their proposed development.  As far as we know Brand Properties' purchase of the land that JEMC owns is contingent upon Brand Properties getting these rezoning requests approved.   

Many times, a developer and the community can come together to create an improved project.  The Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners like to see a good-faith effort on both parties’ part hoping that the two sides will compromise on a project and be able to reach an agreement.   

Brand Properties’ goal is to build 700 apartments and 17,000 SF of retail and commercial properties in our community.  Our goal is to not let that happen.  Whether compromise is possible when our goals are so far apart is hard to know but we owe it to them and to the process to listen to what they have to say. 

There is nothing wrong with negotiating for a better project while fighting to defeat it, if we can’t reach an agreement.  

Let’s make this meeting a successful and meaningful one.  We need to use reason and logic to argue the merits (or lack thereof) of the case.  We won’t get anywhere by only complaining, repeating arguments, or by NIMBY-ism (not in my back yard).   

Below is a link to the full application and Planning Department Case Report. 

Please read through these documents before the meeting to get an idea of the full scope of this proposed project.  

https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/static/departments/planning/pdf/2023_activity/RZC2022-00045-RZM2022-00047.pdf                                                 

                                      Please speak up for our community!   See y’all on the 19th!

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