ADMIN Note: This post is intended for informational purposes only. The sole desire is to provide pertinent information regarding our surrounding communities for you to use as you wish.

[TEXT FROM FLYER]:

Why Do We Need Another Strip Mall?

This flyer is an effort to make you aware that developers are attempting to rezone the corner of Killian Hill and Arcado Roads from residential to commercial. We hope you will want to keep this area residential. Remember, once a property is zoned commercial there is no legal limit on the developers, or future tenants, from putting any C2 commercial activity near our homes. Plans for a restaurant can turn into a pawn shop. What trend do you see around Lilburn for strip malls and empty drug stores? The developer, who is working for the current landowner will meet with neighboring subdivisions this Friday, April 18, 2008 at 6:00 PM, at Lilburn City Hall, in an effort to convince you that his plan is a good one.

If you are opposed to this property being rezoned for commercial use, PLEASE come to the Opposition Meeting Saturday, April 19 at 10:00 AM at Lilburn City Hall and the public hearing before the Planning Commission Thursday, April 24 at 7:30 PM at Lilburn City Hall and, if a recommendation is made at the Planning Commission hearing, the city council meeting Monday, May 12 at 7:30 PM at Lilburn City Hall.

[E-MAIL BEING CIRCULATED]:

As many of you are already aware, there is another attempt to rezone the property at the corner of Killian Hill and Arcado Roads from RESIDENTIAL to COMMERCIAL. I went to Saturday’s meeting and had a full house at Lilburn City Hall. The next step is this Thursday evening, April 24th, at Lilburn City Hall. We request your physical presence at this meeting if you can find time in your busy schedules. Also, if you have Parkview orange spirit wear, please wear Parkview colors to show solidarity.

I have first hand experience of what happens when a community allows it’s neighborhoods to be rezoned. My family moved from Duluth into Lilburn because the Parkview school area is unique. Parkview is primarily single family homes in quality neighborhoods, and has not been overrun with rubber stamp saturation rezoning. I watched Duluth change as every piece of undeveloped land was rezoned into commercial, cluster homes, or multi-family “apartment” homes. Lower valued homes in older neighborhoods began to be bought up for use as rental properties. Painting, landscaping and construction crews would often move their businesses into these rentals (have you noticed this trend on Killian Hill?) They couldn’t build schools fast enough to keep up with this “growth.” Streets quickly became 4 lanes… Our home lost tens of thousands of dollars in depreciation as the strip malls went up, rental signs went up, and the schools lost their selling attraction. Along with this “growth” came graffiti tags all over the neighborhoods that nobody seemed to care enough about to do anything about (I’ve reported and cleaned up hundreds of them.) There was very little opposition to rezoning in Duluth, if one battle was won, they would just keep trying again and again until the weak opposition gave up or was trampled. (I can also remember a time when the neighborhoods along Singleton Rd. in Norcross were fine, fine neighborhoods…) Don’t let this happen in Lilburn!

Kevin Edwards - Cedar Creek