Residents Help Chart Course For Downtown Suwanee

By Matt Lampert Staff / Accessnorthga.com

Shannon Kettering facilitates the discussion

SUWANEE – At the first of five public forums on the future of downtown Suwanee, residents had the opportunity to share their likes and dislikes with the way things are now.

The meeting series is designed to give the public a hand in shaping the city’s downtown Master Plan, an effort that will guide downtown development over the next several years.

At the Tuesday night forum, Suwanee First United Methodist Church was packed. Early in the meeting, residents expressed concerns over accessing Main Street from Suwanee Dam Road. Gwinnett County recently prohibited left turns from Suwanee Dam onto Main.

“This is something the county did. We just heard about it on Friday,” Planning Director Josh Campbell said.

In addition to traffic and transportation the residents also discussed aesthetic features of the city, including the new Town Center, which was built in response to a similar planning effort in 2002. Brian McDonald said he likes the city’s “green” emphasis.

“They have a big focus on parks, recreation and revitalization of the community,” he said.

Residents also praised historic Old Town and expressed a desire to retain the character of the area. “It’s got several features. There’s a bluegrass barn where every Saturday night people are having a good time. The first post office in Suwanee is there and the first bank,” Toby Blackwell said.

The next meeting in the series will be on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at Suwanee First United Methodist Church at 6:30 p.m. It will focus on the plan’s vision, goals and objectives.