Should the City of Dacula Allow Apartments?

On Thursday, March 1, the Dacula City Council will decide in order to make the city more attractive to developers.

If the revisions are approved, an investment group is expected to request that 157 acres be annexed into the city for the purpose of developing a “live, work, play” community that could include apartments. If the changes do not pass, the investment group could still proceed with their plans by going through county zoning.

Should the City of Dacula allow apartments within the city limits? If developers intend to construct apartments on the site regardless, would you prefer the city reap the tax benefits instead of Gwinnett County? Why or why not? Tell us in the comments.

City Planner Joey Murphy said the changes to PMUD essentially boil down to a couple of major changes.

“First and foremost is the decision by the city council -- ? That’s probably the biggest consideration within this ordinance,” Murphy said during last week's city council work session.

The revised ordinance would increase the maximum allowable housing density per acre from eight units to 13, the same as allowed by Gwinnett County. A maximum of 40 percent of the property could be developed as apartments after 25 percent is dedicated to open space.

Dacula City Mayor Jimmy Wilbanks explained the revisions are being considered in order to take current market conditions into account.

“Otherwise, we’ll never have anything built under the planned mixed-use district in Dacula any time in the near future,” Wilbanks said.