The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners denied a developer’s request to build a subdivision near Snellville after neighbors raised objections and questioned if the site contained Native American artifacts.
Developer Schroeder Holdings of Alpharetta had requested rezoning for 100 acres of undeveloped land off Mink Livsey Road for a 150-home residential development. The request was denied by a 3-2 vote with commissioners Jace Brooks, Ben Ku and Marlene Fosque voting against it. Commissioner Tommy Hunter and Chairman Charlotte Nash voted in favor of the plan.
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Developers can bring the project back to the board in the future. Commissioners declined to give the reasons for their votes for or against the rezoning, citing potential future litigation.
Residents of 11 neighborhoods around Mink Livsey Road spoke against the project. Some claimed the 100-acre plot of land could contain a Native American burial ground, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Resident Carol Fortenberry told Channel 2 she found an item she believes to be an axe head on the land. Neighbor Glen Williams was concerned that the development could disturb an area that was once sacred.
“Once the development starts or occurs, once it’s desecrated, it’s gone,” Williams told Channel 2.
But the potential historical aspect was just one of many problems with the plans, said Chuck Ross, an attorney representing the neighbors who opposed the development.
“There was the actual change in the zoning, the comprehensive plan that that county was trying to follow, as well as the material cultural issue with the possibility that there may be some archaeological sites to be looked into," Ross said.
Staff writer Tyler Estep contributed to this report
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