March, 2008

A Note from Mike

Hello, Everyone:

I am happy to report that the county is making progress in providing new recreation options for its citizens. In addition to bringing minor league baseball to the county (more on that below), commissioners broke ground on what will be Gwinnett's largest park in early February. Harbins Park, located here in District 3, will have more than 1900 acres, and will contain trails for running, horseback riding and mountain biking, along with play areas and pavilions. The new park is southeast of Dacula at Luke Edwards Road and Indian Shoals Road.

Commissioners also approved up to $50,000 in matching funds for the Grayson Athletic Club to build a press box at the Bay Creek Park football complex. The new press box should be open in time for the fall season.

We're also working to make it easier for you to get around Gwinnett. The path for the Sugarloaf Parkway extension between Grayson Highway and New Hope Road is being graded, and our contractor is ahead of schedule. Meanwhile, we have begun acquiring land for the second phase of the project, which will extend the road to Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.

We're starting work to widen Webb Gin House Road to three lanes from Ronald Reagan Parkway to Scenic Highway, and have almost completed widening Five Forks Trickum Road between Ronald Reagan and Sugarloaf Parkway. Finally, we've started to revamp the intersection of Cooper and Rosebud Roads. Improvements there include a traffic signal and extra lanes to accommodate the new schools being built near that intersection.

Qualifying for the 2008 elections is coming up in a little more than a month, and I am preparing for my reelection campaign. If you would like to help, use the volunteer form on my website to let me know. You can also make a financial contribution using PayPal.

I am always interested in the opinions of District 3 residents. If you have any concerns you think I should know about, come by one of my "Meetings with Mike," (see the schedule below), contact me by email at mike.beaudreau@gwinnettcounty.com, or call my office at 770-822-7003. I hope to hear from you soon.

Mike

Georgia Legislature Update — Transfer of Development Rights

The Georgia Legislature is approaching its final stretch, and among the legislation still under consideration is House Bill 1160, sponsored by Gwinnett Representatives Len Walker and Donna Sheldon, among others.  This bill allows an important zoning tool known as Transfer of Development Rights.  In its simplest form, TDRs allow a property owner to build or expand on one piece of property in exchange for permanently agreeing not to develop on another.

Here’s how this might work in Gwinnett.  A property owner in the western part of the county might want to develop a mixed use project that would create more density than what is specified in the zoning code.  Meanwhile, a homeowner on a several acre lot in an undeveloped area near Dacula would like to sell her property and move to a smaller home.

Instead of the developer not building his project because he can’t make a profit, and the estate lot becoming a subdivision, the homeowner transfers her development rights to the mixed use project. She receives the money she needs to move to a smaller residence, and the mixed use project gets built.  Meanwhile, the county gets to preserve open space forever at no cost to the taxpayers.

The Transfer of Development Rights bill passed the House on February 27th, and is now being considered by the Senate Special Judiciary Committee.  Passage of this bill would give Gwinnett County an important tool that can be used to promote community friendly development, and I encourage you to contact your Senator to encourage the bill’s passage.

Minor League Baseball Coming to Gwinnett

By now, most of you have heard that Gwinnett will have its own baseball team next spring.  In January, the County Commission, Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Atlanta Braves announced that the AAA Richmond Braves would move to our county, and play here beginning with the 2009 season.

The Gwinnett Braves will play in a new stadium to be built on Buford Drive near the Mall of Georgia.  On January 15th, the Commission voted to approve the purchase of the land the stadium will use.  The stadium will be owned by the county, and leased to the Braves. In addition to the 40 home games the Braves will play, the county will be able to put on ten events per year.  The new stadium could be the site of high school championships or all-star games that would draw visitors from across the state.

Bringing the Braves to Gwinnett was a major achievement for the county.  In addition to being able to take in a ball game without having to drive to Atlanta, county residents will benefit from the economic impact the team will have. Our county economist Alfie Meek estimates that the G-Braves will have at least a $15 million annual impact.  The stadium and Braves will create an additional 200 jobs, and will generate $6.5 million in new personal income.

Having an additional professional sports team in Gwinnett will also help the county with future economic development.  As part of its Partnership Gwinnett initiative, the Gwinnett Chamber identified a need for quality of life improvements in the county, and listed bringing a minor league baseball team to the county as one of its goals.  The Chamber will be able to use our professional sports teams as a reason for companies to locate in Gwinnett.

Meetings with Mike Spring Schedule

One of the hallmarks of Commissioner Beaudreau's first term has been his accessibility to District 3 Residents. His monthly "Meetings with Mike" lets District 3 residents have a private discussion with their commissioner in his office once a month on a Saturday morning. If you have a have a question about or an issue with the county or its government, you are welcome to share it with Mike.

In April, Meetings with Mike will be held on Saturday the 12th from 10 AM until Noon at his office on the second floor of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center on Langley Drive in Lawrenceville. Mike will also meet with residents on May 10th and June 14th.

Meetings don't require appointments, and are first-come first served.

Note: Dates for Meetings with Mike may change. Check www.MikeBeaudreau.com for late revisions.

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