SUWANEE - Residents of Suwanee packed City Hall Thursday night to give their input and hear updates on the city's Master Plan, which was first adopted in 2002.
City Manager Marty Allen gave an overview of the Buford Highway Project; he says construction should begin sometime this summer on the plan.
It calls for expanded sidewalks and pedestrian access along the roadway from George Pierce Park to McGinnis Ferry Road.
"This project will be as impactful to the city of Suwanee as the Town Center Park," said Allen.
Residents got a chance to "walk" the roadway (see pictures) and give comments on areas where they wanted to see development or other potential ideas.
Suwanee resident David Sullivan was among the crowd, and he says the various trails, greenways, and general "walkability" of the city are what brought his family to the city less than two years ago.
"When my wife and daughter came down here (from Pennsylvania), they stopped for lunch at Town Center. They got out of the car and said 'we're home!'," said Sullivan.
He says he isn't sure exactly what he could suggest to improve the Master Plan as it stands now, but added that he likes the city's plans to improve the trail connectivity in the area, plus the added sidewalks along Buford Highway.
"I'm just excited and pleased with the vision we have looking forward with this town," said Sullivan.
All of this is fairly high praise, since Sullivan himself helped write the Master Plan for Greensboro, North Carolina, and he indicated that particular instance lacked a clear plan.
"I think if you ask any developer the thing they hate the most is not knowing what the future brings. And this (Suwanee plan) shows the future," said Sullivan.
He wasn't the only one weighing in on the options.
One person wrote the suggestion of allowing left-turn access on the south exit of the Town Center onto Buford Highway, near the BB&T parking lot.
Another citizen suggested putting more retail development north of Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road along Buford Highway.
TSW, an architecture firm based out of Atlanta, is managing the planning process.
"Suwanee is one (city) where we have always wanted to have a role," said Bill Tonnell, speaking on the behalf of the group.
TSW was a part of the planning process for downtown Woodstock as well as Banks Crossing.
Anyone who missed Thursday's meeting can take part in the "Visioning Workshop" on April 20 at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall, or sign up for email updates on the project by visiting the website linked below.
Friday
April 26th, 2024
6:33PM
