M ay 4 , 2 0 2 3 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 2 6 , N o . 1 8
County pins hopes on road upgrades to accommodate large development By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com
SHELBY ISRAEL/APPEN MEDIA
The Forsyth County Planning Commission approves a special event venue on Matt Highway at an April 25 meeting. Nearby residents spoke in opposition to the project, citing traffic and disturbance concerns.
Planners back Matt Highway projects Officials advance plans amid residents’ protest By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — In a meeting spanning nearly four hours, Forsyth County planning officials approved proposals for new projects bordering subdivisions April 25, following resident requests to preserve the charac-
ter of their neighborhoods. The County Planning Commission unanimously voted to endorse a conditional use permit request to operate a special event facility and short-term rental in existing buildings on Matt Highway. Residents of the neighboring Haddon Hall subdivision attended the meeting to oppose the projects, citing concerns about noise disturbances, security, traffic and the definition of a special event.
County approves proposal for lease of Polo Fields horse park ► PAGE 3
OPINION
Project attorney Sean Courtney said the owner intends to use the venue for events such as birthday parties and weddings. Courtney said he and the applicant had worked to be considerate of nearby residents’ concerns, and the site will employ two law enforcement officers at events with 100 or more guests and allow a maximum of 72 events each year.
See PROJECTS, Page 4
Preserving the Past: A one-man barber shop that made history ► PAGE 13
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — While The Gathering at South Forsyth is expected to bring unprecedented economic growth to Forsyth County, officials say road upgrades in the area will manage related traffic concerns. County Manager David McKee said the new Ga. 400 interchange and the widening of McGinnis Ferry Road, as well as the extension of Ronald Reagan Boulevard, will be completed before The Gathering opens if plans are approved. The site for the proposed development is located at Union Hill Road and Ronald Reagan Boulevard. Drawing from 2019 figures, the County Engineering Department estimated traffic counts for Union Hill Road at 5,180 vehicles a day. It showed 9,490 vehicles on McGinnis Ferry Road. The Big Creek Greenway will also extend for one mile through the development and connect the Halcyon and Union Hill Park trailheads, marking a 27-mile connection from Roswell to the Sawnee Mountain Preserve. “This is a big economic driver, not only to the county, but to the region and even to the Southeast,” McKee said. “We're looking forward to working with the developers, working through the traffic issues that would arise with a development like this and coming together for a good community solution, both from the regional level, but all the way down to the local level.” While the Georgia Department of Transportation plans to extend express lanes on Ga. 400 from the North Springs MARTA Station to Forsyth County near McFarland Parkway, McKee said there are no plans as yet to
See GATHERING, Page 4