There could soon be a new city in Gwinnett, carved out of a large swath of the northeastern section of the county.
Georgia House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, R-Dacula, plans to file legislation that would create the county’s second most populous city, tentatively named Mill Creek. He said the new city would allow residents there to have a better control over development.
“There’s been constant feedback that I’ve received from residents that Gwinnett County government has not been responsive to the concerns expressed about development proposals in this part of the county,” Efstration told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “This proposal would allow city council members to represent districts with less than 10,000 residents and allow for far greater responsiveness to the concerns raised and the needs of the community.”
Efstration said he continues to take input on the proposed name, which could change. The city would include the Hamilton Mill neighborhood, where many are fighting a proposed mixed-use development, approved by county staff, that plans for 700 apartments.
State Sen. Clint Dixon, a Buford Republican, said at press conference Friday in the parking lot of the Hamilton Mill Swim and Tennis Park that he supports the new city “110%.”
“It’s imperative at this time, I believe, that we create the city of Mill Creek to add a layer of protection for citizens here in the area from what’s going on at the county level, unfortunately, with reckless zoning and also spending,” Dixon said.
Dixon does not live within the proposed city but said he is building a house that would be there.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
The new city’s borders would stop at the county line and the city of Braselton to the north and east. The western and southern borders would match the borders of Efstsration’s district, roughly along Ridge and Hamilton Mill roads, Braselton Highway, then Auburn and Bailey roads. Between 32,000 and 40,000 people would live there, including Efstration, he said. Most of it would be in his district, though a portion near Braselton would lie in the district of state Rep. Derrick McCollum, R-Gainesville.
Efstration said he is still working through the timeline for introducing the bill. If it passes, residents within the city’s proposed borders would vote in a referendum on whether to establish it.
Dozens of area residents attended the press conference with signs opposing the proposed mixed-use development next to Seckinger High School, which opened last year to relieve Mill Creek High School, at the time the state’s largest by enrollment.
Brand Properties, the developer behind the apartment complex and proposed 15,000 square feet of commercial space, has agreed to revise its proposal to address the neighbors’ concerns, said Jerry Hanes, president of the Hamilton Mill homeowners’ association. Hanes said he expects to see a new proposal next week.
After the press conference, neighbors mobbed the displayed map of the new city, looking it over for the first time. Many said they didn’t have enough information yet to venture an opinion. Hanes said his HOA had not taken a position yet, but he personally supports it because he’s concerned Gwinnett commissioners are not acting in the best interests of the county’s northeast.
“We can have better representation if we have local people who live here, work here, supporting our land and our zoning requests in our neighborhoods,” Hanes said.
A Gwinnett County spokesperson said he was not familiar with the proposed city and could not provide comment Friday afternoon.
Cityhood movements in wealthy parts of other counties grabbed attention in the past two years, but failed. Voters in Cobb County rejected efforts to incorporate Lost Mountain, East Cobb and Vinings. The state Senate jettisoned the movement to create a new city out of Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood. Voters in a more diverse and less affluent area of southern Cobb last year did ratify the new city of Mableton.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Gwinnett County’s newest city is its largest, Peachtree Corners, which incorporated in 2012. Efstration and Dixon said their proposal is modeled after Peachtree Corners, which does not collect a municipal property tax. The new city would be funded by sales taxes and might ask for a penny sales tax for infrastructure, Dixon said.
Under the current proposal, the city of Mill Creek would have five council members, including a mayor selected from among them. They would control planning and zoning decisions in an area increasingly opposed to dense growth. The new city would negotiate with Gwinnett County for other services including police, fire, water and sewer.
As Gwinnett County continues its population boom, new housing is being proposed in exurban northeastern Gwinnett. Efstration said he’s heard from constituents that the county is supporting developments without considering a lack of infrastructure to support dramatic population increases, leading to traffic congestion and school overcrowding.
Each Gwinnett County commissioner represents about 250,000 constituents. The Republican-controlled state Legislature dramatically rezoned the county last year, creating a new northern district that elected the county commission’s only Republican. Proponents of the controversial new district lines cited development among their concerns.
“This is not a statement that we are anti-growth,” Efstration said. “We just want responsible growth.”
Credit: Mark Freistedt
Credit: Mark Freistedt
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