Birthday Bash to `Yacht Rock` Suwanee

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Official newsletter
of the
April 2012
Draft plan to be unveiled April 29
20/20 Vision coming into focus
The City of Suwanee is poised to share the community vision
that has been created from the abundance of voices “heard” over
the past 10 months. As the City has worked to engage area residents in crafting a vision
for the kind of community Suwanee should be in
the next decade, some
435 people have participated in 10 different
activities at the strategic
plan open house last July;
six community focus
groups discussed issues
related to their particular demographic; and through the fall and
winter 100 conversations were held by 25 roundtable groups.
“Our job moving forward,” said Interface Studios CEO Scott
Page in a February presentation to City Council, “is to weave all
of these voices into one draft vision. This will become the guidebook for Suwanee moving forward.” Interface is the Philadelphiabased planning firm that Suwanee has partnered with throughout
the strategic plan process.
The draft strategic plan will be unveiled at a communitywide
potluck picnic at the Suwanee Music Barn on Sunday, April 29.
You’re invited! See more details in the story on page 3.
Continued on page 2
INSIDE THIS ISSUE…
New splish-splash
rules…p. 5
Art on a
Limb…p. 4
Flashing
red…p. 9
Yacht Rock Schooner
Birthday Bash to
‘Yacht Rock’ Suwanee
Atlanta’s Greatest Hits radio station 106.7 is celebrating its
fourth birthday in Town Center Park on Saturday, April 14,
and you’re invited to the party! Festivities, which begin at
noon, will include a free concert performance by the self-proclaimed, “#1 Yacht Rock Band in the Universe.”
Yacht Rock Revue, named “Best Cover Band” in Creative
Loafing’s 2010 Best of Atlanta competition, will pay tribute
to the smooth hits of the 1970s and ’80s with its 5:30 p.m.
performance. The band plays the music of Boz Scaggs,
Jackson Browne, Kenny Loggins, the Bee Gees, Rupert
Holmes, the Doobie Brothers, and Hall and Oates, among
many others.
Bill Barnes, Suwanee’s assistant to the public works director, is a big Yacht Rock fan. “If you came of age anywhere
from the mid-70s to the mid-80s, this is your music,” he
says. “I love the energy and the attitude of this band. They
will make you want to dance, sing along, or just pretend
you're young again. I flash back to proms, the fraternity
house, and the night clubs of college and my 20s, but I'm
also always amazed at the now 20-somethings that I see at
the band’s shows. They love the band, too, and seem to know
all the songs. Just plain fun!”
Continued on page 3
Page 2
April 2012
www.suwanee.com
Vision…continued from page 1
“This plan,” says City Manager Marty Allen, “is going
to offer ideas for how to achieve our community values,
but not necessarily provide specific strategies. We’re
going to want to hit the ground running…and we know
that it’s going to take significant effort and a lot of work.
Achieving our goals is going to require that we make
conscious decisions to spend our limited resources ‘here’
and not ‘there.’”
Allen adds: “One of the things that we’ve heard
through the process is ‘Whatever you do, be audacious.’”
While the draft plan won’t be unveiled until the end
of the month, there is much that already has become
clear through the community-driven planning process.
The big bold letter at the top of Suwanee’s strategic
vision eye chart/action plan should be a G for Gateway.
Over and over again through the process, the community has made it clear that it believes that the Suwanee
Gateway is the main area requiring improvement and
should be the City’s top priority. Other top-ranked priorities are recruitment/development of job-creating businesses and traffic management.
Several areas, noted Page in his presentation, were
ranked lower not
necessarily
because the community doesn’t
care as much
about them, but
because overall
the community
approves of the
City’s approach
and feels that
these priorities are
already well managed. Examples of
such areas include
parks, public safety, and communications.
Lower-priority
areas include housing choices, improving local aesthetics,
and developing a local arts program. In some other areas,
there is less consensus and more of a mixed opinion: the
City’s role in creating public art; maintaining Suwanee’s
identity as family-oriented versus embracing the creative
class (an ascendant economic force representing 30 percent of the U.S. work force and comprising knowledgebased and other creative workers); planning for public
transportation; and revitalizing historic Old Town.
In the “idea bubble” exercise that was part of the
month-long open house, 35 percent of participants suggested more things to do and places to go; 25 percent of
ideas related to parks and recreation; and 16 percent
sought improvement for what’s already in place. In the
collaborative map exercise, Town Center was by far the
community’s
favorite spot.
Other favorites
The big bold letter at the top
included Sims
of Suwanee’s strategic vision
Lake Park,
White Street
eye chart/action plan should
Park, and the
Suwanee Creek be a G for Gateway.
Greenway.
Behind the
Gateway for areas needing improvement were Town
Center and Old Town.
In the youth focus group, students expressed a desire
to be more actively involved in community leadership
opportunities. The focus group comprised of Asian residents offered responses very similar to other residents
who participated throughout the process. One of the
things that the various roundtables liked most about
Suwanee was that it was welcoming to all.
Page, who has worked with cities across the country,
says that Suwanee has set a new standard for community
involvement with the strategic plan process. “I’ve not
worked with any community the size of Suwanee that
has taken on such broad vision in turning over the
process to [citizens].”
Sara Kleinfeld, who participated in one of the roundtable discussions, concurs. “I really want to say ‘thank
you’ to the City of Suwanee for including citizens in the
20/20 Vision,” she says. “I felt honored to be able to
express my thoughts and ideas. The group I worked
with was so interesting, informed, and, most of all, caring about Suwanee’s future. I hope I can continue to be
involved with the future of Suwanee.”
Area residents will have additional opportunities to
offer feedback on the draft strategic plan.
April 2012
Page 3
www.suwanee.com
Median makeover
Munch on 20/20 Vision
strategic plan draft
at communitywide
potluck picnic
April 29
As Suwanee prepares to embrace a vision for
tomorrow, it will do so with the time-honored tradition of an old-fashioned Southern potluck picnic. The first draft of Suwanee’s 20/20 Vision
strategic plan will be unveiled during a communitywide picnic/celebration at 12:30 p.m. Sunday,
April 29, at the Suwanee Music Barn (formerly
known as the Everett’s Music Barn), located on
Blue Grass Trail, off Stonecypher Road.
The City is working with local BBQ restaurants to provide the main course for the picnic as
well as chips and drinks. Attendees are asked to
bring along a hot or cold side dish or dessert to
share.
During the picnic, a mini open house is
planned to capture feedback. In addition, entertainment will be provided by one of the Suwanee
Music Barn’s house bluegrass bands. The event is
scheduled for 12:30-4 p.m. with the picnic to
begin at about 1 p.m. and the band to perform at
about 3:30.
RSVP for the picnic by April 20 by emailing
Billie Marshall at marshall@suwanee.com. Please
let us know if you can make it, so that we have
enough food for everyone. Check
www.suwanee.com for updated picnic information, including an inclement weather location.
The final 20/20 Vision plan is expected to be
considered by City Council at its June meeting.
The medians along a more than two-mile stretch of
Peachtree Industrial Boulevard (PIB), from about Fresh
Market to Tench Road, are poised to get a new look.
Indeed, prep work was scheduled to get underway earlier
this month with the goal to have installation of nearly 60
trees, more than 300 shrubs, some 40,000 grass plugs, and
450 perennials completed by the end of May.
The median landscaping along PIB has been a goal of
City Council and is on the City’s current Short-Term
Work Program. “Council wanted to send a message to
people traveling along PIB that they had arrived somewhere special,” says Planning and Inspections Director
Josh Campbell. “We want the landscaping on PIB to set
Suwanee apart. We felt like this design would do that.”
A key component of the landscape design is a variety of
native bluestem grasses, which like many of the other
plants used, will require less maintenance over time
because they are well-suited to the environment.
Seasonal color will be provided by the variety of plants
selected: evergreen and red tree varieties (thuja emerald
green and redbuds); an array of shrubs, including knockout roses, purple diamond loropetalum, sea green juniper,
and winterberry holly; and perennials such as purple coneflowers, black-eyed susans, and butterfly weed.
The Russell Landscape Group is the contractor for the
project. The $143,000 cost includes installation and one
year of maintenance.
As part of this project, the City has entered into an
agreement with Gwinnett County to assume maintenance
for the medians and shoulders along Peachtree Industrial
Boulevard.
‘Yacht Rock’…continued from page 1
Can’t get enough Yacht Rock music? The special opening guest performer will be Yacht Rock Schooner, a “fast,
light, backwards version of…Yacht Rock Revue.” YR
Schooner will take the Town Center stage at 3:30 p.m.
The fun begins even earlier, at noon, with Atlanta’s
Greatest Hits music, festival food, vendor booths, giveaways, and an area especially for children with inflatable
bouncy houses, games, prizes, and more. Admission is free.
Bring lawn chairs, blankets, picnics, and a few of your
friends, but, as always, no alcohol may be brought to Town
Center Park. Beer and wine will be available for purchase
on site as well as from licensed Town Center restaurants.
Limited parking is available at Town Center and along
Main Street. Beginning at 3:30 p.m., free shuttle service
will be provided between Town Center and off-site parking
at Shawnee North Business Complex, 300 Shawnee North
Drive.
Information about additional upcoming events can be
found on page 6.
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April 2012
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Art on a Limb blossoms in May
It’s a bud? It’s a mug? It’s Art on a Limb!
As has become tradition in Suwanee, art will be blossoming along the Suwanee
Creek Greenway and other trails around the City during the month of May. Through its
Art on a Limb program, the City of Suwanee “hides” two pieces of original art daily
along trails throughout the City; those who find the artwork get to keep it. This annual
“finders keepers” program is designed to promote an appreciation for art and nature.
This year’s Art on a Limb pieces are stoneware mugs created by Dacula-based artist
Sandra Nissen. Like many of the tiles she created for the 2007 Art on a Limb program,
this year’s mugs, which are in an assortment of glaze colors, include impressions of leaves picked up on Nissen’s walks
along the Suwanee Creek Greenway.
Nissen’s work has always been influenced by things of importance to her, including family, friends, animals, cars
(Nissen is an instructor at BMW Car Club of America high-performance driving schools), and nature.
The child of an Air Force colonel, Nissen grew up in many states and two countries. She received a bachelor’s degree
in industrial design (with a minor in ceramics) from the Philadelphia College of Art. Nissen has managed several galleries and, since moving to Georgia 13 years ago, has worked and taught in clay. She teaches hand-building, mosaics,
use of the potter’s wheel, and silver metal clay at the Spruill Center for the Arts in Dunwoody.
Be on the lookout for Nissen’s mugs to blossom along the Suwanee Creek Greenway (but not the part closed for
rehabilitation) as well as the trails at Sims Lake Park and White Street Park. Nissen also will be featured at this year’s
Arts in the Park festival on May 19.
Please let the City of Suwanee know if you’re fortunate enough to find a piece of Art on a Limb.
Last year, the City even heard from a dog, who was “lucky” enough to find a trail treasure. In an email sent to the
City, Lucky, the dog, wrote: “I just found my first piece of Art on a Limb! My owner, Terri Tattan, watered her new
transplants at the community garden, then we walked the loop at White Street Park. Imagine our surprise when we
saw the art hanging in a tree near the trail! I guess they don’t call me ‘Lucky’ for nothing! Big THANKS! to the artist
and the City of Suwanee for the gift!”
photo by R. Scott Quady
Two 2011 events snag regional awards
The City of Suwanee brought home two Kaleidoscope Awards from the Southeast Festivals and Events
Association annual conference held in Kingsport, Tennessee, in February. Suwanee’s 9-11 commemorative event
and ‘Remembrance’ unveiling received a gold award in the Best New Event category while a flash mob performance
at the 2011 Suwanee Day Festival was recognized with a silver award in the Best Event within an Event category.
Suwanee’ 9-11 commemorative event, which was held on September 10 last year, featured the unveiling of a
1,638-pound steel artifact from the World Trade Center. Suwanee was
one of 24 communities in Georgia to receive an artifact from the Port
Authority of New York and New Jersey. The artifact is currently off
exhibit while the City considers a permanent display and location.
The Suwanee Day flash mob, organized by the Royal Dance
Academy for last year’s September 17 festival, included about 800
people in a thunder and rainthemed, energetic dance performance. To see a video of the flash
mob, click on the video link located in the lower right of the
www.suwanee.com homepage.
The Southeast Festivals and
Events Association represents a
group of professionals who believe that events and festivals have the power to
invigorate communities and make them better places to live.
photo by Danna Nelson
April 2012
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Gwinnett County, cities
reach service agreement
After more than four years of conversations, negotiations, and court rulings, Gwinnett County and its 15 cities signed off on a Service Delivery
Strategy (SDS) agreement in February. This seven-year agreement clarifies
who (Gwinnett County or cities) provides which services in designated districts, and stipulates that when a city provides certain services within its
jurisdiction, the county will not tax property owners for those services.
On a day-to-day basis, says City Manager Marty Allen, Suwanee residents will likely notice little, if any, changes in provision of services.
However, the agreement may result in reductions in city and county property taxes for municipal property owners, but at this time it’s difficult to predict exactly what those changes will be.
The central issue throughout negotiations and litigation related to the
cities’ contention that property owners were being taxed twice for the same
services in some instances. The resulting lawsuit did not seek monetary
damages, but rather a determination of this legal issue. The subsequent
agreement clarifies how the county and cities are to deliver services moving
forward.
“The bottom line,” Allen says, “is that Suwanee property owners will no
longer be taxed by Gwinnett County for certain services, such as police and
planning, that they are not being provided by the county. This service agreement is complex,” he adds, “and required considerable time in order to
develop a clear, fair, and effective solution for all parties.”
“We’re very pleased,” says Mayor Jimmy Burnette, “to be able to deliver
some appropriate tax relief for municipal residents.” It is anticipated, but
certainly cannot be known at this time, that beginning in 2013 City of
Suwanee and other municipal property owners could receive some tax relief
from the county.
Because the county’s 2012 budget was already in place when this agreement was reached, Gwinnett is providing Suwanee and other cities with
payment for police, planning, and other services this year; the City of
Suwanee expects to receive approximately $2 million. In future years,
Suwanee expects to receive about $600,000 annually for police and dispatch
services provided by the City.
The City is just beginning to look at its budget for the 2013 fiscal year,
so it’s too early to know for sure how the agreement will impact Suwanee’s
finances, but it is possible that property owners may see a reduction in City
taxes. The financial impacts on residents will become more clear as both
Gwinnett County and Suwanee complete their respective budgeting
processes.
As for the 2012 revenue received from Gwinnett County, Allen says, it
likely will be managed like other unbudgeted revenues received in the past;
that is, it will not become an “operationalized” part of the budget, but more
likely be used for capital projects.
A Service Delivery Strategy agreement between local government entities
is required by the state. Because they could not reach agreement, Gwinnett
County and its cities had been, since March 2010, under sanction and ineligible to receive state-issued permits, including use of radar for speed
enforcement, and grants. Those sanctions have now been lifted.
The current service agreement will expire at the end of 2019.
New fountain policy for daycares
Reservations required
Suwanee’s Big Splash may be Gwinnett
County’s largest interactive fountain, but sometimes even it gets too crowded with youngsters
looking to cool off and engage in a little waterbased fun. To ensure accessibility and safety for all
who wish to use the Big Splash fountain, the City
of Suwanee has instituted a required reservation
program for daycares and other organized groups
of 10 or more who wish to splish-splash at Town
Center.
“We’re a victim of our own popularity,” says
City Manager Marty Allen. “We’ve resisted regulating use of the fountain, but after a couple of
days last year when some 500 children were at the
fountain at the same time, we finally came to the
conclusion that instituting a required group reservation system would better serve everyone. We
hope that this new system will ensure that groups
as well as individuals can enjoy Big Splash safely.”
During the 2012 splash season, the interactive
fountain will be available to daycares and other
groups – by reservation only May 24-August 2 –
during two time slots Monday-Thursday. The
fountain will not be open to groups on Fridays or
holidays. Daycares located within the City of
Suwanee may reserve the fountain four times during the season, while those outside the City limits,
may visit twice. Each daily time slot, 9:30 amnoon and 1-3:30 pm, is limited to two groups and
50 children per group. Reservations do not allow
exclusive use of the fountain; Big Splash is open
during all hours of operation to non-group users.
Group reservations are now being accepted.
Find more information and guidelines related to
this policy via a link on the City Services/Parks
page at www.suwanee.com. To make reservations,
email fountainreservations@suwanee.com or call
Billie Marshall at 770/904-2790.
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April 2012
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Suwanee springs into event season
Suwanee’s weekend calendar for April and May is pretty full. A variety of City and privately sponsored community
happenings will kick off the 2012 event season in a big way. In addition to the Atlanta’s Greatest Hits Birthday Bash
on April 14, here are some additional upcoming event highlights.
April 21: Suwanee’s Super Incredible Race
While the deadline for registering for this team scavenger hunt – and being guaranteed official race t-shirts in the
sizes you want – has passed, there may still be limited space available; check www.suwanee.com. Suwanee’s Super
Incredible Race is a sort of Amazing Race meets small-town America adventure in which teams of two or family teams
race through a variety of high-energy mental and physical challenges in and around downtown Suwanee.
Even if you’re not participating in this year’s race, you can come out to Town Center Park April 21 to cheer on
those who are. Also, volunteers are needed to assist participants in completing their assignments at various clue sites.
To volunteer, please contact Amy Doherty at adoherty@suwanee.com.
April 26 and May 24: Toast @ Town Center
This year’s monthly street festival at Town Center Park will roll around
every fourth Thursday of the month through October. During Toast events,
Town Center Avenue is closed to vehicular traffic, merchants offer special
deals and entertainment, and participants may purchase wine and beer from
licensed Town Center restaurants and stroll throughout Town Center with
their beverages. The fun begins at 6 p.m.
To enhance the fun and festival-like atmosphere, this year’s Toast events
will be themed, and each month merchants will offer specials and employees
will dress according to theme. Participants are strongly
encouraged to dress to the theme as well. April’s Relay
for Life-related theme is “Paint the Town Purple,” while May’s theme is “Ladies Night.”
May 5: Game on the Green
Watch the live broadcast as the Atlanta Braves travel to Colorado to take on the Rockies.
The game will be broadcast live on the really big screen at Town Center Park Saturday, May
5. The game starts at 8:10, but fun begins at 6 p.m. with the Braves’ fan experience, which
includes inflatables and other games; a performance by the “Heavy Hitters,” the Braves drum
line; and an appearance by Braves mascot Homer. It’s all free.
May 11: Suwanee Night of Jazz
Join area high school bands for a night of jazz onstage at Town Center Park. Among the
high schools participating are North Gwinnett, Peachtree
Ridge, Collins Hill, and Buford.
May 12: Woofstock
Those four-legged creatures will once again “raise the woof ” as Star 94 brings
Woofstock back to Suwanee. Bring your “best friend” to Town Center Park
from noon-7 p.m. Saturday, May 12, for Frisbee and other demonstrations, pet
contests, adoptions, inflatables, and food and beverage vendors.
May 19: Arts in the Park
Last year, 54 artists and more than 2,000 people attended Arts in the Park.
This year, host North Gwinnett Arts Association (NGAA) is planning on more of
both as the group works to create “a serious arts festival” in Suwanee.
“We don’t want to replicate Suwanee Day and we don’t want to be a craft festival,”
April 2012
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says NGAA president Vickie Johnson. “We want to be a serious arts festival like the ones at Piedmont Park, something
that is really all about the arts.”
In this case, “serious about the arts” definitely doesn’t translate into stodgy, boring, or static. Many of the exhibitors
will be demonstrating and creating their artwork on site, and eclectic entertainers – including
a circus experience, orchestra group, and Peach State Opera as well as roving musicians –
will provide performance art.
“There’s a lot of focus with this event on education,” says Johnson. “So this is a great
opportunity to bring your children and let them learn about the arts.”
The application deadline for artists for this juried festival is April 15. Apply online at
www.SuwaneeArtsinthePark.com. All accepted artists will be eligible to share in $1,250
in prize money, and awards will be presented by category.
The festival will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 19, at Town Center Park.
May 25: Gwinnett Daily Post Memorial Day Concert
Thanks to the Gwinnett Daily Post, it’s a Suwanee tradition to kick off the Memorial
Day weekend with a patriotic concert and “drop in” by members of the Silver Wings parachute team. Festivities begin at 7 p.m.
More information about upcoming events will be posted at www.suwanee.com as
event dates approach.
2012 SculpTour to be unveiled
at May 19 Arts in the Park
The Town Center area may seem a little empty, a bit less vibrant these days: The
15 sculptures that comprised the 2011 Suwanee SculpTour have been removed, and
the unveiling of the 2012 SculpTour pieces is still a few weeks off. The new exhibit
will be up in time for the May 19 Arts in the Park festival.
As this newsletter was going to press, the 2011 “People’s Choice” winner was still being determined and final decisions for
the 2012 display were being firmed up. The “People’s Choice” sculpture is to be purchased for permanent exhibit.
“SculpTour is a great program for Suwanee,” says Earl Mitchell, a member of the Public Arts Commission. “It elevates the
community’s awareness of art and engages the community in unique ways. Visually, it’s like icing on the cake. But it’s more than
visual because it can provoke thought and human emotion. It’s important in ways that we probably are not even aware of. At a
minimum it adds flavor to our community, and sometimes it can make an impression on and inspire people.”
About a dozen sculptures are expected to be included in the 2012 Suwanee SculpTour exhibit. Funding for this year’s exhibit
is provided, in large part, through the public arts donation that QT made as it went through the development process for its
new store at Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road and Satellite Boulevard. The City strongly encourages developers to include public art
within their project or donate 1 percent of construction costs to Suwanee’s public art initiative.
Corporate sponsors and individual donations are still being sought in order to provide funding for the purchase of one of the
sculptures; no tax dollars are used to fund Suwanee SculpTour. Contact Economic and Community Development Director
Denise Brinson at 770/904-3385 for more information.
The City received 55 proposals representing 30 artists from 10 states for the 2012 exhibit. About half of the artists are from
Georgia with the others from Tennessee, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, West Virginia, Louisiana, Missouri, and
New York. The Public Arts Commission (PAC) selects the sculptures to be included in the exhibit.
“There’s a lot of give and take,” notes Brinson. “Not every piece selected is beloved by all PAC members. In their selection,
they pay attention to ‘conversation value’ of the pieces as well.”
“I’m a fan of having at least one piece that everyone agrees will be controversial,” says Mitchell. “Controversial pieces make
you appreciate the other pieces more. And, it may offer a growth experience, perhaps people will come to like something that
they didn’t previously.”
2012 Suwanee SculpTour pieces and artists will be listed at www.suwanee.com before the exhibit is installed in May.
Page 8
April 2012
Applications and designs being accepted
for Suwanee Day
www.suwanee.com
Star Walton, who creates recycled feed bag totes, rated last year’s
Suwanee Day “an 11 out of 10.” If you’re a fine artist or craftsperson who wants to participate in a well-organized, off-the-scale
community festival, apply to be part of Suwanee Day by June 1;
online applications are available at www.suwaneeday.com.
Parade applications also are available for the September 15 festival. This year’s parade theme is “Celebrate America: Red, White,
and Blue.” Parade participants are strongly encouraged to decorate
their floats and perform based on the theme; cash prizes are awarded in a variety of categories, including Best Reflection of Theme.
The parade is the annual kick-off to the festival, and this year
the parade will get the Suwanee Day fun started an hour earlier.
The parade will begin at 9 a.m.
Your creativity + Suwanee Day could = $500
The Suwanee Day logo design competition is back. The winning logo will be imprinted on official festival t-shirts
and other promotional materials, and the winning artist will receive $500. Guidelines and application are available at
www.suwaneeday.com. The deadline is May 31.
photo by Suwanee Post
Welcome to City Hall
Dangers of distracted driving Thankfully, this Suwanee Post
photo is from a crash re-enactment, not the real thing. Leeah
Emerson, in this photo, and three other North Gwinnett High
School seniors were involved in a mock head-on collision,
staged on the school's football field in front of the student body
on March 5, as part of the "In a Split Second" program,
which provides a realistic look at consequences of distracted
driving. The Operation Drive Smart Program was presented
by the Duluth Police Department and Governor's Office of
Highway Safety through a state-funded grant; the Suwanee
Police Department also participated in the program. Jennifer
Ann Karas had this to say about the experience on the City of
Suwanee’s Facebook page: “I am in 9th grade at North and I
thought the reenactment was cool to watch!”
Several individuals have joined the police and public works department over the past couple of months.
The Suwanee Police Department recently welcomed four new officers. Chance Belcher, of Buford,
is continuing a family tradition as both his father and
brother are in law enforcement. Belcher is a graduate
of Berkmar High School. Lawrenceville resident,
Jonathan Dawson comes to the City from the
University of Georgia Police Department. He has a
bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Piedmont
College.
Also new to the police department is Svetlana
Yokovleva, a graduate of Collins Hill High School
and Georgia State University. Previously, she taught
in Japan for four years. Returning to the police
department is Sam Lauricella, who previously was a
Suwanee officer from 2001-07. Since then, Lauricella,
a Jefferson resident, worked with the Hall County
Sheriff ’s Office as a school resource officer.
Juan Beltran and Javier Gonzalez have joined the
public works department as equipment operators.
Beltran worked previously for the City as a seasonal
special events staff person. A Sugar Hill resident, he
also worked for Mall of Georgia Chrysler Dodge for
seven years. Gonzalez has held a similar position with
the Department of Transportation in Houston.
April 2012
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What do those flashing red lights mean?
While the HAWK (High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk) signal at Buford Highway and Town Center Avenue has
worked well for pedestrians since being installed nearly three years ago, it seems that drivers still are having a little
trouble figuring out what the different light sequences mean.
“Mostly,” notes Capt. Cass Mooney, “drivers don’t seem to
understand the flashing red lights, which are activated near the
end of the HAWK cycle as the pedestrian has finished crossing
Buford Highway. Once the lights change from solid red to
flashing red, vehicles may proceed as long as the pedestrian has
cleared the crosswalk. The main thing to remember is that you
can never drive through the crosswalk if there is a pedestrian
crossing, no matter where they are in the crosswalk.”
Here are directions for how to navigate the HAWKenhanced crosswalk if you are driving a vehicle:
• No lights: This is the system’s “default” state. When no
lights are lit or flashing, proceed through the Buford
Highway/Town Center Avenue intersection normally.
• Flashing/solid yellow lights: The signal has been activated by a pedestrian who wishes to cross Buford Highway.
Prepare to stop.
• Solid red lights: All vehicles in the vicinity of the intersection are required to stop, including those turning right
onto Buford Highway from Town Center Ave. The pedestrian is entering the crosswalk and crossing Buford
Highway. Vehicles on Town Center Avenue, who wish to turn left onto Buford Highway, may do so.
• Flashing red lights: The pedestrian crossing cycle is coming to an end. Vehicles MAY PROCEED cautiously after
stopping at the stop bar as long as the pedestrian has finished crossing Buford Highway and has exited the crosswalk. A flashing red light is to be treated the same as a stop sign.
Great American Cleanup
Spruce up, Suwanee
Whether you dread spring cleaning or look forward to it, there’s no doubt that the results are very satisfying. As
you spruce up around your home or business this spring, the City of Suwanee asks that you take a look around
outdoors, too, and consider picking up, repairing, mowing, and disposing of items as may be needed.
As part of the Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest annual community improvement program, which
continues through May 31 this year, the City of Suwanee will conduct a code enforcement sweep of all neighborhoods and business districts. Issues related to outside storage, trash and debris, inoperable or unlicensed vehicles,
tall grass and weeds, and exterior property in need of repairs will be cited.
If property owners fail to address cited issues, says Codes Enforcement Officer Susan Carpenter, the City may
do so, by mowing the grass or picking up trash, for example, and bill the property owner.
“Sometimes folks don’t realize that things have gotten out of hand, and this campaign provides a reminder to
take a look at your property with fresh eyes and to do your part to keep Suwanee looking good,” says Carpenter.
“Perhaps some individuals are unable to physically do the work necessary to address some of these issues; It would
be great if neighbors could help one another out.”
More information about code enforcement is available in the City Services section at www.suwanee.com. Code
violations may be reported using the City’s online Citizen Service Request system available via the same City
Services/Code Enforcement page or a link in the lower, right box on the City’s homepage.
The Great American Cleanup Campaign is hosted locally by Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful.
Page 10
www.suwanee.com
get fresh
@ the Suwanee Farmers Market!
Opening May 1 @ Town Center Park
April 2012
4-7 pm Tuesdays
through August 7
8 am-noon Saturdays
through October 6
for business
These companies received new business licenses from the City of Suwanee in January and February:
Acadian Wholesale Supply
James C. Morris Jr., PC
Simple Floors Franchise
3750 Industrial Court
4045 Smithtown Road
3371 Martin Farm Road
1010 McGinnis Park Court
970 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
3371 Martin Farm Road
3550 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road
686 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
3635 Burnette Park Drive
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Johnson & Garrison
American Weighing Systems
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Kumon
AMG Wellness Center
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
M4 Investments
Artistic Smiles Cosmetic
530 Highland Station
& Family Dentistry
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
1500 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The Mac Shack*
3635 Burnette Park Drive
Autism Society of America
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
3455 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Mirae Techwin Auto America
3655 Burnette Park Drive
AutosDirect of Atlanta
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
4411 Suwanee Dam Road
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Music Factory
302 Satellite Boulevard
Emory Specialty Associates
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
345 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Nicecar Auto Repair
50 Old Peachtree Road
Family Wealth Partners
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
4320 Suwanee Dam Road
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Peach State Hobby Distribution
Frye’s Auto Broker & Used Car Sales 450 Satellite Boulevard
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
4411 Suwanee Dam Road
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Professional Tax Service of Georgia
790 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
Furrlan Auto Repair
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
910 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Progeni
970 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
Green Global Group
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
45 Satellite Boulevard
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– REM Enterprise Solutions
530 Highland Station
Groth & Makarenko
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
335 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Riden Wholesale Fuel Club
970 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
Hair Trend USA
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
3375 Martin Farm Road
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Sanctified Property Preservation
3620 McGinnis Park Court
HT Jewelry
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
3375 Martin Farm Road
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Scenic Emission
3033 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road
ICater*
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
3635 Burnette Park Drive
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Simple Services Atlanta
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
SimplyBakedBreads*
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
So Chic Sweets*
3635 Burnette Park Drive
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Suwanee Counseling
970 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Tastes from the Heart
3635 Burnette Park Drive
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Tatitlek Training Services
300 Brogdon Road
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Town Center Music
4072 Suwanee Dam Road
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Two Men and a Truck
1049 Industrial Court
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Ultimate Fire Protection
3700 Industrial Court
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Underwood University
2855 Rolling Pin Lane
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Vicky Sign
1038 Industrial Court
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Weems Design Studio
300 Satellite Boulevard
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Westfall Gold
1300 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Westfall Group
1300 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
*Businesses rent kitchen facility by the hour
April 2012
Page 11
www.suwanee.com
Update on Greenway project
YIELD
SIGNS
Work on rehabilitation of the oldest approximately one-mile stretch of the
Suwanee Creek Greenway continues. Work on the section between Martin
Farm and Lawrenceville-Suwanee roads is expected to be completed sometime
this month. At that point, this section will re-open, and the section between
Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road and Suwanee Elementary will close for construction. The project is a bit behind schedule due to intermittent rainy conditions,
but is anticipated to be completed in its entirety around July 1.
Congratulations to Shadowbrook’s
Senior Pastor Bobby Linkous
Shadowbrook Baptist Church is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Senior Pastor Bobby
Linkous’ service with a drop-in reception on Sunday, April 29. Linkous, who arrived at
Shadowbrook in 1992 as the youth minister, has led his church to be very involved with the
Suwanee community. Members conduct an array of volunteer activities and each year the church
hosts a communitywide sunrise Easter service and Christmas in the Park at Town Center Park. “He
wants this church to really reach out to the community,” says Pastoral Assistant Brenda Morris.
Park Ambassador training offered May 10
If you really enjoy Suwanee’s parks and greenway system, you may be interested in helping to maintain their safety
and beauty through the Suwanee Police Department’s Park Ambassador program. Through this program, begun last
year, a cadre of citizen-volunteers help serve as the eyes and ears of the police department along the Suwanee Creek
Greenway and in City parks. Dressed in identifying yellow t-shirts, ambassadors on a nearly daily basis provide information to guests, an additional sense of security, and assistance.
The police department will offer a park ambassador training session from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 10, at the
Suwanee Police Department, 373 Buford Highway. For an application and more information, contact Ofc. Elias
Casañas at 770/904-4607 or elias@suwanee.com. Background checks will be required for all applicants.
North Gwinnett schools recognized
for academic standards
In January, the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, in collaboration with the Georgia Department of
Education, recognized all of the schools in the North Gwinnett cluster for highest performance for students meeting
and exceeding academic standards in 2010-11. Congratulations to the teachers and students at these schools, which
serve Suwanee-area residents.
Taking root in the community Approximately 20 volunteers came
out March 8 to play in the dirt and install 10 new dogwood trees
at White Street Park. Over the past year, the City of Suwanee has
planted more than 75 trees in parks and throughout the community. It's all part of Suwanee's efforts as a Tree City USA - 22 years
and counting!
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SUWANEE, GA
PERMIT NO. 242
330 TOWN CENTER AVENUE
SUWANEE, GA 30024
CrossRoads – Your Official City of Suwanee Newsletter
April
10
11
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21
24
26
29
May
Planning & Zoning Commission
Suwanee Business Alliance
City Council Workshop
Atlanta’s Greatest Hits Birthday Bash (TCP)
Downtown Development Authority
Zoning Board of Appeals
Suwanee’s Super Incredible Race (TCP)
City Council Meeting*
Toast @ Town Center
Strategic Plan Open House/Picnic
(Suwanee Music Barn)
6:30 pm
6 pm
5:30 pm
noon
7:30 am
6:30 pm
noon-5 pm
7 pm
6-10 pm
12:30-4 pm
Meetings and events subject to change; check www.suwanee.com for updated information.
City of Suwanee, Georgia
MAYOR:
JIMMY BURNETTE . . . . . . . .770/945-3492
COUNCIL:
JACE BROOKS . . . . . . . . . . . . .770/831-0499
DAN FOSTER . . . . . . . . . . . . .678/404-9641
DICK GOODMAN . . . . . . . . .678/446-7520
DOUG IRELAND . . . . . . . . . .770/265-0880
KEVIN MCOMBER . . . . . . . . .770/271-5427
MARTY ALLEN . . . . . . . . . . . .770/945-8996
CITY MANAGER:
POLICE CHIEF:
MIKE JONES . . . . . . . . . . . . . .770/945-8995
NEWSLETTER EDITOR:
LYNNE BOHLMAN DeWILDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .770/945-8996
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Suwanee Farmers Market
Planning & Zoning Commission
Public Arts Commission
Suwanee Farmers Market
Game on the Green (TCP)
Suwanee Farmers Market
Suwanee Business Alliance
City Council Workshop
Suwanee Night of Jazz (TCP)
Suwanee Farmers Market
Star 94’s Woofstock (TCP)
Downtown Development Authority
Suwanee Farmers Market
Zoning Board of Appeals
Suwanee Farmers Market
Arts in the Park
Suwanee Farmers Market
City Council Meeting*
Toast @ Town Center
Gwinnett Daily Post Memorial Concert
Suwanee Farmers Market
Suwanee Farmers Market
4-7 pm
6:30 pm
7 pm
8 am-noon
6 pm
4-7 pm
6 pm
5:30 pm
7 pm
8 am-noon
noon
7:30 am
4-7 pm
6:30 pm
8 am-noon
11 am
4-7 pm
7 pm
6-10 pm
7 pm
8 am-noon
4-7 pm
Unless otherwise noted, City of Suwanee public meetings are at City Hall, 330 Town
Center Avenue. Location for Suwanee Business Alliance meetings varies monthly.
* Public hearing begins 6:30 p.m.