By Michael Pearson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/13/08

A proposed hotel and retail complex in Gwinnett’s Park Place community near Stone Mountain likely won’t be considered by the Planning Commission tonight as originally planned.

A representative of the developer has asked commissioners to delay consideration of the project for a couple of months.

Planning Commissioner Chuck Warbington, whose district includes the project, said he is “leaning toward” postponing consideration of the project but will not make up his mind until tonight.

The commission typically agrees with district commissioners’ requests on such issues.

If the hearing is delayed as expected, Greg Sportsman of the Hobgood Group said he and others involved in the project hope to continue meeting with residents to work out a plan they can get behind.

Numerous residents told Sportsman two weeks ago that the 80-room, high-end hotel and retail complex at Rockbridge Road and West Park Place Boulevard was a poor choice for the area, which backs up to a subdivision.

Others believe there’s room to modify the proposal to create a development more amenable to residents.

Sportsman said ideas range from expanding the landscaping buffer behind the property, to adding walking paths to make the pro- ject more accessible to nearby residents, to eliminating the hotel entirely.

He said he wanted the delay to allow more time to meet with residents.

The project will be given a new hearing date at the Planning Commission meeting, which starts at 7 tonight.