County Objects to Proposed Dacula Annexation

An attempt to annex a 157-acre tract of land into the city limits of Dacula is being met with opposition from the county.

On an  related to the property near Highway 316 and Winder Highway. On Tuesday, July 17, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to execute a letter and resolution objecting to the annexation (see pdfs).

"We get objected to for everything we do," Dacula Mayor Jimmy Wilbanks said.

Wilbanks was not surprised by the county's move, but is disappointed.

"I don't know why they would object," he said. "I think it's a win-win for the county and the city."

According to Wilbanks, Gwinnett County and the Gwinnett County Board of Education will receive 86 percent of the property taxes from the development. The county will also get 80 percent of any SPLOST proceeds and the school board will receive 100 percent of any ESPLOST proceeds generated by the development.

Furthermore, neither the county nor the school board will have to bear any of the administrative costs, Wilbanks added.

"Typically the argument the county uses is that it's going to cost them more money to service the community," Wilbanks explained.

Infrastructure and fire protection are among the county's concerns, Wilbanks said.

Wilbanks expects the arbitration could cost the city in the range of $5,000 to $10,000, but said the city will ask the board of arbitration to assess all of the costs to the county.

"All this is going to do is slow us down a little bit and cost the city and the county a whole bunch of money," he said.

Representatives of Walton Georgia had previously expressed a desire to be annexed into Dacula due to the city's ability to swiftly respond to planning and development issues.

In February of this year,  that featured a convention center, town green, hotels, offices and apartments. Under the , a maximum of 39 of the 157 acres owned by the investment group could be developed as apartments. The architectural controls and square footage requirements limit the maximum number of apartments in the development to 616.

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