‘We’re being invaded:’ Neighbors don’t want Gwinnett city to replace greenspace with warehouses

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County community is fighting a City of Buford proposal to annex land near neighborhoods and develop warehouses that neighbors fear will bring traffic, damage the roads and harm property values.

Neighbors along Camp Branch Road in unincorporated Gwinnett County told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson they don’t want the warehouses to replace the scenic greenery at the entrance to their subdivision near I-85.

The Buford proposal includes a site plan with five warehouses and a four-story storage facility. First, city commissioners would need to annex more than 300,000 square feet on Camp Branch Road and re-zone the residential area to industrial.

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“I feel like we’re being invaded,” said neighbor Susan Rogers. “We’re going to be prisoners in our own neighborhood.”

Rogers is one of the homeowners worried about 18-wheelers damaging the roads, adding to traffic and affecting their property values.

“The homes in this area are going to drop 20-25%,” said Jim Zehe. “The trees are going to be gone and they’re going to be replaced with concrete.”

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Buford City Manager Bryan B. Kerlin told Channel 2 Action News the Planning and Zoning Board unanimously recommended the plan for approval.

Buford City Commissioners are expected to vote on the proposal at their upcoming city commissioners meeting on June 3 at 7 p.m.

State Representative Farooq Mughal represents the area and shares concerns about what has been proposed. He plans to meet with city officials before Monday’s vote.

“Maybe as a mediator, I can sit down with the city and sit down with the constituents and see how can we minimize [the impact] of this,” he said.

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