Last week in Gwinnett

Busy week last week and I didn't have time to post to the Buzz.  I wanted to take a minute to highlight a couple of local stories of interest.

Gambling Complex Proposed for Norcross

Developer Dan O'Leary is seeking to build a $1 billion complex near Norcross "that would include a hotel, theater and a game floor with 7,500 video lottery machines."  I don't generally support gambling in Georgia but, even if I did, video lottery machines?  While I am not an avid gambler, I have been to real casinos and I cannot even fathom how these type of machines could compete with gambling options in nearby states.  Seems to me that the clientele for such an establishment would be those hard-up for any gambling fix.  As such, I would question whether it would ultimately generate the revenue that the developer is projecting.

Mitt Romney Hosts Pancake Brunch at Brookwood

On Sunday, Republican (sic) candidate Mitt Romney hosted a pancake brunch at Brookwood High School.  I am not sure whether I should dislike Romney more for hosting an event at Brookwood - I still don't like them 20+ years removed from Central Gwinnett! - or dislike Brookwood more for hosting Romney.  Nevertheless, whether you like or dislike Romney - I say dislike because I consider him a full-blooded RINO in the vein of Bob Dole and John McCain - his visit to Gwinnett coupled with the recent rally by Newt Gingrich at Collins Hill High School demonstrate the importance of our county in tomorrow's presidential primary.

Another item from last week is that I had lunch with District 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau.  Go ahead - pick yourself up off the floor.  No blood was shed, no screams or shouts were heard from our corner of the restaurant.  We had a very nice visit.  Later this week, I will post some thoughts on Commissioner Beaudreau and the District 3 commission race in light of our meeting.  I think you will be surprised at what I have to say.

Capitalism to clean up Green's Corners

This bit of news came out last week but I wanted to highlight it for a great point is makes about America's capitalist system.  Walmart will redevelop the Green's Corners shopping center at Jimmy Carter Blvd. and Rockbridge Rd. in Norcross.  That news, in and of itself, is not all that noteworthy.  Retail development, even in this economy, is hardly a earth-shattering event.  However, at a time when we consistently see attacks on private industry from the likes of the Occupy Wall Street protestors and even our President, this project highlights the benefit private industry offers us all the way down on the community level.  

Green's Corners used to be a significant shopping destination in Norcross.  Now, Green's Corners has become a "troubled shopping center."  It's previous anchor tenant, K-Mart, closed and the complex "has become a haven for litter and crime."  In the words of an attorney representing Walmart, Green's Corners is a "mess."  So Walmart, the "evil corporation" that so many liberals love to hate, is going to step forward and clean up the mess.  

Is Walmart going to undertake this project out of the kindness of its heart and solely for the good of the community?  Of course not.  They are going to do this in a dastardly effort to earn a...*gasp*...profit.  Walmart obviously sees an opportunity to make money by rehabilitating Green's Corners and opening one their often attacked SuperCenters there.  In the process, they will be tearing down two night clubs that have become a thorn in the side of Gwinnett police.

The point here is that, even if area residents never set foot into the new Walmart or spend one dollar at the store, they will benefit as a result of Walmart's effort to successfully compete and be profitable in a free market economy.  The next time you hear a quasi-socliast liberal railing about all the bad that corporations do, remember, that, while their record is certainly not spotless, corporations bring far more direct and indirect good to our society than they do bad.  Just ask residents near Green's Corners in a couple of years.

Commercial flights at Briscoe Field?

Last week, the AJC published an article about the possible privatization of Gwinnett County Briscoe Field in Lawrenceville.  The proposal by Propeller Investments would include expanding the airport's runway and beginning commercial airline service from ten gates in a new terminal.

On the surface, I love the idea.  I was encouraged by some of the initial indications of support from local leaders.  (I was pleasantly surprised to see Gwinnett Commissioner Mike Beaudreau speak favorably of the possibility!)  I favor getting government out of the airport business, especially if the proposal appears to be able to generate much needed revenue for the county government while allowing a private owner the opportunity to generate a profit while providing a very valuable service and economic boost to Gwinnett County.  However, the likely opposition of nearby residents, a response that most assuredly is in the offing, cannot be simply dismissed.

If you have read the Buzz for any period of time, you know I am a strong advocate for private property rights while being a fan of high quality development.  Thus, you might assume that I would be squarely on the side of Propeller Investments.  However, as college football commentator Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend!” As I have discussed extensively on the Buzz, I view property rights issues between neighboring landowners as boiling down to material impact.  In other words, does one owner's use of his or her property pose a material negative impact to a neighboring landowner's ability to use and enjoy his or her property.  It is really a simple perspective.  You can use your property as you see fit so long as it does not keep me from reasonably using and enjoying my property.  As to how we define "material" and "reasonably", well, I will leave that up to the lawyers.  What you do not have to be a lawyer to see is that the commencement of commercial airline service from a previously general aviation only facility could very well pose a negative material impact to nearby residents.

Commercial aviation is going to generate noise.  That cannot be avoided.  Noise abatement procedures can be put in place to mitigate the impact of the noise, but there will be noise.  If a Boeing 737 is taking off over your house, you're going to hear it.  What must be determined in the consideration of this proposal is how much more noise will be generated than that from the private jets that currently use Briscoe Field?  What total amount of time will neighboring property owners experience elevated noise levels?  What hours of the day will such elevated noise levels occur?  These and other questions will have to be carefully considered to determine if neighbors' inevitable arguments about noise levels will have merit.  If they do, these concerns cannot be dismissed as mere NIMBYism.  Other potentially legitimate factors would include traffic, pollution levels and continued access to the airport by operators of general aviation aircraft.

This promises to be an interesting situation to watch.  I definitely like the idea of easier access to commercial flights for Gwinnett residents.  I am excited at the possibility for commercial development in the airport vicinity and along the GA 316 corridor.  However, we must ensure that the property rights of existing landowners who bought and developed property with the expectation of being near a general aviation airport rather than a commercial aviation airport are considered and protected.

High-rise condos coming to Gwinnett Place

This is another story that has been sitting in my queue for a few weeks, but I thought it was important to highlight not just the exciting development news but primarily to point out what a breath of fresh air new Commissioner Shirley Lasseter has been.  Last month, the Gwinnett County Commission approved the "construction of twin residential highrises on the south side of [Gwinnett Place] mall."  I think this is an excellent project that could potentially spur revitalization in the decaying Gwinnett Place area.  For this reason, I cannot understand why Sears Roebuck opposed these towers.  The company would have apparently preferred the area to remain strictly zoned for businesses.  In fact, I would think that such a development would be beneficial to Sears by increasing potential customer traffic in the vicinity as well as making the overall mall area more attractive to shoppers that may now opt for Perimeter Mall or Mall of Georgia.  Regardless, I feel the company's opposition holds little merit as I fail to see a negative material impact on the retailer.  However, the biggest takeaway from this story is the job that Shirley Lasseter is doing.

You may recall that Lasseter's predecessor, Lorraine Green, had opposed a similar - if not the same - high-rise project in 2007.  Green, in her typical unfriendly position on private property rights, said at the time:

"We realize that [the area] has to have a little work done," Commissioner Lorraine Green said. "But ... if we let everybody come in and do hodgepodge developments with every 3 or 4 acres, we won't be better off."

Contrast this to the more reasonable (and common-sense) approach taken by Commissioner Lasseter:

District 1 Commissioner Shirley Lasseter said she backed the project “in hopes that this will bring a new start to that mall and to the CID and to Gwinnett County.”

Lasseter's view was echoed by Gwinnett Place CID executive director, Joe Allen.

What a refreshing change in District 1!  Commssioner Lasseter is thusfar showing courage in her decisions along with a definite appreciation for property rights along.  Her judgment in the high-rise proposal shows that she brings a healthy dose of common sense to boot!  To date, she has been a significant upgrade over Lorraine Green.  Keep up the good work, Shirley!

Economy delays movie theaters

A little more than a year ago, Spotlight Theatres announced plans for a 12-screen cinema in Loganville.  Access Loganville is now reporting that the facility, originally scheduled to open this summer, will be delayed until 2010.  This would explain why I have seen no construction at the site since the announcement.  Yet another casualty of the current economic malaise.

Things taking shape in and around stadium

There is a lot of activity going on in and around the Gwinnett Braves' new stadium.  The stadium itself is about 80% complete looking forward to the April 17 opener against the Norfolk Tides.  Fans will be able to walk all the way around the stadium, let kids play at playgrounds, eat in picnic areas, enjoy the game from suites, grandstands or grassy berms, catch replays on a 30' by 40' video matrix board and eat a variety of food options.  Grass is scheduled to be installed March 2 on a field that will mimic the dimensions of Turner Field.

Outside the stadium, several development projects are in the works.  Earlier this month, the Gwinnett County Commission approved a "10-acre development on Buford Drive near Lawrenceville that is expected to include shops and restaurants."  This week, the commission will consider a project that literally surrounds the stadium and "is expected to consist of 351,000 square feet of commercial space, 617,000 square feet of office space, 610 residential units and 300 hotel rooms."

My opposition to how this stadium came about and even the need for minor league baseball in a major league metro area is well documented here on the Buzz.  That being said, I do think that the new stadium is shaping up to be an enjoyable place to spend a spring or summer evening, even if you are not a huge baseball fan.  The stadium is also kick-starting some very attractive development to the area as well.  While the economy is soft now, in the long run, I think these development projects will be great assets to the greater Mall of Georgia area.

Store opening dates for North Logan Commons

Access Loganville has the scoop on the grand opening dates for several major stores in the North Logan Commons retail center in Loganville.

Dollar Tree - Scheduled to open their Loganville store on Tuesday, 2/24 or Wednesday 2/25


Best Buy - Scheduled to re-open at their Loganville location on Friday, 2/27


PetSmart - Scheduled to have a “soft opening” on Monday, 3/2 followed by their grand opening on Saturday, 3/7


OfficeMax - Projected to have a “soft opening” on Thursday, 3/5 followed by their grand opening on Saturday, 3/7

More quality growth coming to Loganville!  Welcome to the new members of our community!

The commission sure is a stubborn bunch

The AJC has an excellent article chronicling the Gwinnett Braves stadium history over the last year.  The article does a good job of outlining why this deal was bad for Gwinnett County taxpayers: cost overruns, weakening county tax revenues due to the recession, and inability to sell the stadium naming rights in the current economic environment.  All this while the county was slashing its budget, cutting jobs, and "[postponing] adding 88 positions for public safety and the courts."

Despite an overwhelming case that, financially, this was a worse deal in retrospect than it was initially, the commission stubbornly clings to the position that the county should have undertaken the project.

“Our board was completely unanimous on baseball Jan. 15 of last year, and I think our board will be completely unanimous on baseball today,” said Commissioner Bert Nasuti, the project’s chief proponent.

Gwinnett Board of Commissioners Chairman Charles Bannister, Commissioner Kevin Kenerly and Nasuti said they would have voted for financing the stadium last year even if they had known what they know now about the economy and the county’s finances.

“I think we would have voted for it,” Bannister said. “It would have been much cleaner — perhaps prettier — publicwise if all the dollars had been in the accounting upfront.”

What incredible arrogance to say that, even had they known then what they know now, they would have still proceeded.  What we know now is that, if the stadium revenue projections remain down, the stadium threatens to place a greater burden on taxpayer wallets.

Nasuti believes that the stadium will boost "boost Gwinnett’s economy."  He also made a valid point about economic development.

“You don’t shut down economic development opportunities when times are bad,” Nasuti said. “That is when you look at economic development opportunities.”

Nasuti is absolutely correct that smart managers pursue opportunities in hard times.  However, let the private sector make that decision, not government.  We elect Republicans because we want limited government, lower taxes and a positive environment for business.  I do not call making sweetheart deals for a professional sports franchise to be an example of limited government even the deal improves the business environment.  Over the life of the contract, the Braves will pay an average annual rent to Gwinnett County of $365,000 per year.  On top of that, the team keeps half of the parking revenue, all ticket revenue except for  $1 per ticket($400,000 minimum to the county), and a share of the stadium naming rights income.  This for an organization that just signed pitcher Derek Lowe for $60 million over four years.

I know I will never find the perfect elected official with whom I will agree all the time.  However, over the last year, the Gwinnett commission has begun to develop quite a track record of poor management of county government.  Socialized garbage.  Gwinnett Braves stadium.  North Georgia retreat to figure out how to save money.  The hole they are digging is already pretty deep.  Fortunately for them, the next election is still nearly two years away.  They have time to turn things around, but to climb out of this hole, they need to stop digging and starting putting the Gwinnett residents and taxpayers first in what they do.

Norcross waste transfer station meets opposition

A proposed waste transfer station on Shackleford Rd. in Norcross is meeting opposition from neighboring businesses and a nearby church.  Given the description of the area, there seems to be merit in the neighbors' objections:

The Norcross project, though, has generated some opposition from corporate landowners who operate office and warehouse properties adjacent to the proposed site.

The area does have industrial zoning, one of the prerequisites for a waste transfer station, said Thomas Bentley, portfolio manager for Sperry Van Ness Assets. But it’s a less intense industrial category, and most of the space is used for offices and warehouse. One of his company’s properties houses a nursing school.

Without an exact address, I cannot review the specific surrounding properties, but, being generally familiar with this area, I can understand how a waste transfer station could be inappropriate given the stated use of surrounding properties.  This is reflected by the need for the property to be rezoned to a heavier industrial zoning than it currently has.  The key could be details such as potential for odor and and the type and volume of traffic coming into the area.  This case makes me think it could become as contentious as another waste transfer station that was denied in Norcross last year.

Three TADs proposed

In the wake of voter approval of a state constitutional amendment allowing school systems to participate in Tax Allocation Districts (TADs), three new districts are to be considered by the Gwinnett County Commission in December.  The proposed districts include:

1. U.S. 78 between Stone Mountain and Snellville


2. Along Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Norcross


3. Between Gwinnett Place Mall and I-85 in Duluth

I voted for the TAD amendment earlier this month, though I did have some concerns on the property rights impact in terms of fairness to all Gwinnett property owners.  I ultimately decided that there was the potential for community good from such districts, though county residents would need to be watchful of our commissioners as they consider various TAD proposals.  Coincidentally, I am currently reading a chapter on this type of funding mechanism in the book Government Pirates: The Assault on Private Property Rights--and How We Can Fight It.  If I glean anything relevant to the use of TADs in Gwinnett, I will plan to post it here on the Buzz.