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