Politics & Government

Governor Signs Bill for Peachtree Corners to Pursue Cityhood

Voters to decide in November on incorporation.

Wednesday Gov. Nathan Deal signed legislation authorizing the residents of Peachtree Corners to decide by vote in November on whether their community should incorporate and become Gwinnett County's 16th city.

Fifteen people from the community who made their way to the Capitol to watch as the governor signed the bill. It was over in a matter of minutes but it had been a long journey for those involved.Β 

For Mike Mason, President of the United Peachtree Corners Civic Association (UPCCA), an organization that represents 33 homeowners associations in the community, it was the culmination of countless hours.

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But it's only the beginning for this community of some 35,000 residents. Now the real work begins to educate and inform the residents just what cityhood means for them.

State Rep. Tom Rice (R-Dist. 51) authored and introduced H.B. 396 when the General Assembly convened earlier this year. The city's charter specifies that the City of Peachtree Corners will have a "city lite" designation which means the new city will provide limited services which include planning and zoning, code enforcement and garbage collection. Under the charter Gwinnett County would continue to provide all other services including police and fire protection.

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It's been over a half century since Gwinnett County added a new city. The City of Berkeley Lake, whose city limits will border Peachtree Corners on the northeast, was incorporated in 1956. The proposed 16th city would be the county's largest in terms of land and the largest in population.


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