October 1, 2018 – The October meeting for the City of Buford Commission was called to order at 7 p.m. in the Commission Chambers at Buford City Hall by Chairman Phillip Beard. The Commission led the attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance. One amendment was made to the agenda before it was approved. The amendment authorized the surplus and advertising for sale City property located at 9 New Street. The minutes from the September 4th meeting were approved.
Chairman Beard recognized the head of the Public Utilities Department, Clyde Black for his outstanding 20 years of service to the City of Buford. Mr. Black received a gift and a plaque for his service to the city.
A rezoning request was presented to the Commission for 1.92 acres located at 2715 Brown Road. They requested the property be rezoned from RA-200 to C-2 commercial for the purpose of a high-end convenience store and may include a carwash. Beard asked if anyone would like to speak for or against this, Renee who is a resident of Camp Branch Road in unincorporated Buford spoke on the behalf of Ivy Church area. She wanted the reassurance that anything built there would be built to a higher standard. Since the exact plans for the property were not available, the Commission voted to table this request until the applicant can present a more in-depth presentation to the city.
The next rezoning request, Mitch Peevy spoke on behalf of Archon Homes for 4.59 acres located on Wade Orr Road (Parcel: 08-138-002014) to be rezoned from C-2 to R-100 residential. The proposed purpose is to have eight residential lots with homes in the $650k-$700k range. The Commission approved the request with the conditions recommended by the Planning and Zoning board.
A special use permit was approved for Wilson Development Group at 4803 Golden Parkway to allow a drive-through window for Dunkin’ Donuts. An exemption plat was approved for 410 Thunder Road to amend the August 2018 approval for four lots to now allow it to be divided into five lots and include the installation of public sewer service. An exemption plat for Zachary Hutchins on Lawson Street was approved to reflect the following: The minimum heated floor area shall be 1,800 square feet excluding garage or basement and the front elevation shall be 40% brick with 60% accents. Ricky Patterson was granted an exemption plat for a location on South Garnett Street. The plat approved the addition of 8.79 feet to the rear yard of the house located at the corner of South Garnett Street and New Street. The square footage of the affected lots was less than the City code minimum of 20,000 square feet and required City approval.
The Commission authorized the City Manager to participate in the membership of the Georgia Pipeline Emergency Response Initiative. The first payment was approved for the 2014 City/Gwinnett County SPLOST joint project – widening of SR20 from South Leet Street to Buford Highway. The Chairman was authorized to sign an Intergovernmental Agreement with Hall County for participation in Hall’s E-911 system.
A hardship request was extended another year to allow Faith Free Gospel Church located at 539 Washington Street the use of one modular trailer for children’s classroom use. A wastewater allocation appeal was approved for Gwinnett Swim allowing for an additional 400 gallons per day. Jason Jackson was granted a wastewater allocation appeal for the 410 Thunder Road development. Payments were approved for streetscape improvements at the corner of South Lee Street and West Moreno Street. Chairman Beard turned the meeting over to the City Manager.
Amy Brown from the Buford Community Center told the audience that the bookings at the BCC were going strong and the various shows coming up were sold out. The free public outdoor concert will be on October 20th and features LoCash, Michael Ray, The Cadillac Three, and The Daniel Lee Band. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., concert starts at 6 p.m. City Manager, Bryan Kerlin said that grading and storm drainage system installation had begun for the downtown parking garage located in between Jones Alley and Moreno Street. He addressed rumors that the city planned to convert a building on Main Street to be a pedestrian walkthrough from the parking deck. He said that there will be a walking bridge from the garage over Jones Alley and pedestrian traffic will be routed down Jones Alley onto Harris Street and then onto Main Street.
Kerlin received the results from a GDOT standard smoothness test completed on South Lee Street. The paving of the drive lanes did not meet the standard specifications. At the expense of the contractor, South Lee Street will have to be repaved using lasers to guide the paving this time. This should begin within the next 30 days and last approximately 5 working days. Kerlin stated that he knows this will be a temporary inconvenience but he wanted to make sure that the city got a street built to specifications. Various gas and electrical projects were proceeding on schedule as is the water pilot testing for Buford Waterworks and construction on the new Buford High School. The sidewalk at Heraeus Boulevard was fixed to accommodate the slope of the land. Fall Parks and Rec leagues for softball, baseball, and tennis were all running smoothly.
At this time Chairman Beard asked if any member of the audience had any business or comments they wished to make. Buford native Marty Orr of Peevy Street got up to speak about the turmoil the city has been under recently. Mr. Orr stated that the City, School Board, and Commission were all comprised of good people who have worked hard for the citizens of Buford. Ms. Dunahoo asked the Commission why doesn’t the city do more for their side of town. The Commission stated that all parts of the city were treated fairly but of course, major thoroughfares are addressed as they accommodate many travelers and pedestrians. Much work has been accomplished around the City with paving, curbing, sidewalk and beautification projects around the City. A representative for the Buford Housing Authority thanked the Commission for the installation of speed bumps in one of the developments and reported that it has helped speeding problems within the complex drastically.
No further comments were made and the meeting was adjourned. The next City of Buford Commission meeting will be on Monday, November 5, 2018, at 7 p.m. in the Commission Chambers inside Buford City Hall. As always, the meeting is open to the public.
