This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Recap and status of special use permit for church built on Ace McMillian Rd

Dacula/Harbins community neighbors, a few of us have become involved to strongly oppose a special use permit that Gwinnett Planning & Zoning Commission recommended to approve on land currently zoned RA200 in the midst of a very quiet and peaceful horse and farm animal community of homes on 4-30+ acreage tracts.  The open pastureland on Givens, Ace McMillian (both north and south sections), and the gravel section of Luke Edwards Road will be affected in many ways if the county commissioners vote to approve this SUP.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!! Please contact our Gwinnett County Commission chair Charlotte Nash and our District 3 commissioner Tommy Hunter.  Their email/phone information is listed on the Gwinnett County website.

What we know at this point:  Gwinnett DOT confirms that the road classification of southern portion of Ace McMillian does not allow for a church building without the SUP.  Current zoning also does not allow the site plan presented to Planning & Zoning because the required buffers for a septic tank & retention pond were less than 50 feet (site plan showed 20 feet).

The surrounding property owners are saddened to think that our pristine farm animal community could have safety issues, noise, and potential danger to horse riders from a traffic increase of approximately 50 to 500+ cars a day on Sundays, as well as several nights during the week.  The church building is proposed to house 3 separate congregations, therefore 3 services on Sunday and 3 services on weeknights.

As a community we need to come together to protect one of the only undisturbed farm animal areas left in Gwinnett County.  There are a number of nearby parcels of very affordable land available for this church congregation to build upon.  Also, the Gwinnett County Commissioners voted to deny a similar request in 2007 and 2011. 

We invite you to post your thoughts to this blog.  It would be most helpful if any of you could contribute any information that will help our commissioners see that our environment will be negatively impacted by a large parking lot and huge septic system, our safety will be at risk, our property values will be diminished, and a public building having parking area with late night lighting and dumpsters could become a nuisance to the area.

As of today the hearing is scheduled for Oct. 22 at the Gwinnett Justice Center at 7 pm.  We will keep this blog updated with pertinent developments.  We welcome your comments as well.

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